Latest Articles about Domestic/Social

Update on African Mercenaries: Have Darfur Rebels Joined Qaddafi’s Mercenary Defenders?
*For more on African mercenaries in Libya, read Andrew McGregor's "Special Commentary: Can African Mercenaries Save the Libyan Regime?"

Sufi Militants Struggle with Deobandi Jihadists in Pakistan
As Punjab governor Salman Taseer came out of a restaurant in an upscale area of Islamabad, one of his bodyguards uttered the slogan “Allahu Akbar” and fired on the man he was supposed to guard, killing him on the spot. The assassin in the January... MORE

After Mubarak: Egypt’s Islamists Respond to a Secular Revolution
When Shaykh Yusuf al-Qaradawi took the stage in Tahrir Square on February 18, it was the first time in decades that the leading member of the Muslim Brotherhood and influential Doha-based TV commentator on Islamic issues had spoken publicly in Egypt. Before hundreds of thousands... MORE

The Separation of the North Caucasus from Russia: Is it A Growing Possibility?
The new act of terror committed by suicide bombers in Dagestan on February 14 appears to have been a continuation of a series of attacks across Russia carried out by the North Caucasus armed resistance movement, which over the years has become increasingly capable of... MORE

Russian Rulers Cannot Rely On The Military During a Crisis
Popular uprisings rocking the Middle East are a cause for concern in Moscow, in particular, as the unrest may disrupt arms trade worth tens of billions of dollars. In 2010, Russia agreed to sell the Libyan regime of Moammar Gaddafi more than $2 billion worth... MORE

Special Commentary: Can African Mercenaries Save the Libyan Regime?
In recent days there have been reports that the Libyan regime of Mu'ammar al-Qaddafi has resorted to the use of foreign mercenaries to slaughter unarmed civilians protesting over four decades of rule by Qaddafi and his family. The Libyan government has been clear from the... MORE

Anti-Government Protests in Yemen: An Opportunity for Unity or a Catalyst for Further Unrest?
Special Report from Yemen

Kazakh Presidential Hopefuls Keen on Participating – Not Winning
Although Kazakhstan’s President Nursultan Nazarbayev is expected to coast to an easy re-election victory on April 3, the predictable poll is full of unexpected color. A total of 22 presidential hopefuls from all walks of life, including the incumbent, submitted their nominations to the Central... MORE

Russian Leadership Prepares for a Protracted War with the North Caucasus Insurgency
On February 22, Dmitry Medvedev made a surprise trip to North Ossetia. In Vladikavkaz, the Russian president chaired the first meeting of the Russian National Anti-Terrorist Committee (NAK) ever held outside of Moscow. Attacks in Kabardino-Balkaria the previous several days may have prompted Medvedev’s extraordinary... MORE

Kudrin Promises the Return of Putin the Reformer
The main political sensation in Russia this week is Finance Minister Aleksei Kudrin’s statement that Russia needs fair and honest elections that would grant the authorities a mandate for executing difficult economic reforms (Rossiyskaya Gazeta, February 20). The nominally-dominant United Russia party expressed disapproval and... MORE