Latest Articles about The Caucasus
The Amir of Tatarstan’s Right-Hand Man: A Look at Marat Sabirov
On October 20, 2016, the Volga District Military court began the trial of nine members of Chistopol Jamaat (Чистопольский джамаат), an Islamist extremist organization charged with carrying out a string of terrorist attacks that took place in Tatarstan, Russia in 2013. Among those on trial... MORE
Pakistan-Armenia Friction Has Intensified
The conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan over the Karabakh province, which has simmered since the collapse of the Soviet Union, seems to have drawn Pakistan and India into the most violent and enduring rivalry in the South Caucasus. As Yerevan and Baku both endeavor to... MORE
The Chechens Fighting for the Islamic State in Mosul
Analysts who have followed developments in Syria and Iraq have increasingly paid attention to the presence of Chechen fighters in the area since 2013. An influx of large numbers of Chechen militants to Syria created conditions for the appearance of ethnicity-based Chechen armed groups. ... MORE
US–Georgia Defense and Security Cooperation Moves to a New Stage
On December 6, Georgian Defense Minister Levan Izoria and US Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense Michael Carpenter signed a framework agreement on security cooperation for 2016–2019 that will promote further development of the Georgian defense system. After signing the agreement, Georgia’s Ministry of Defense stated... MORE
North Caucasian Insurgency Experiences Setbacks but Conditions for Political Violence Persist
On December 4, the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) announced the killing of Rustam Asilderov (a.k.a. amir Abu Muhammad Kadarsky) in Makhachkala, Dagestan. Government forces killed Asilderov along with four other insurgents in the Dagestani capital’s suburb of Talgi. Asilderov, 35, was the leader of... MORE
Russia Consolidates Military Control in Abkhazia as Georgia’s Ruling Party Further Eases Its Resistance
On November 21, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed into a law an agreement between the Russian Federation and Georgia’s breakaway region of Abkhazia on establishing a new joint military force (NG.ru, November 21). The Russian Duma ratified the agreement in early November, almost one year... MORE
Will Georgia’s Former Ruling Party Survive the Prospect of Disintegration?
On November 30, the Political Council of Georgia’s former ruling party, the United National Movement (UNM) decided, after intense internal debate, that it would hold a much larger congress on January 20, 2017, than initially proposed—instead of 2,000 delegates as suggested by some party leaders,... MORE
Azerbaijan’s SOCAR Interested in Buying a Stake in Georgia’s Oil & Gas Corporation
The finance minister of Georgia, Dimitri Kumsishvili, recently announced that the Georgian government is considering selling a 25 percent stake in the state-owned Georgian Oil & Gas Corporation (GOGC) on the international stock exchange in 2017 (Cbw.ge, November 30). Meanwhile, Azerbaijan’s State Oil Company (SOCAR)... MORE
Armenia and Azerbaijan Flex Military Muscles While Nagorno-Karabakh Peace Negotiations Stall
The meetings between the Azerbaijani and Armenian presidents in Vienna (May 16) and St. Petersburg (June 20), following a dangerous flare-up of tensions on the frontline in early April 2016, produced hope for tangible progress in the long-deadlocked Nagorno-Karabakh peace process. However, the lack of... MORE
Georgian Opposition Fears Shift to ‘Pro-Russian’ Policies by Government
On November 28, the Committee for Defense and Security in the Georgian parliament held hearings on whether to amend the Law on the Occupied Territories (Sputnik-georgia.com, November 29). The proposed changes in the legislation would concern the criminal prosecution of Russian citizens who visit Abkhazia... MORE