Latest Articles about Military/Security
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Political Scandal in Taiwan Good Reason to Focus on Opposition’s Plans
With Taiwanese President Ma Ying-Jeou’s approval ratings at record lows following another scandal—one poll held in late September show that only 9.2% of Taiwanese voters approved of his administration—it is more likely than ever that the opposition will win the 2014 “seven in one” elections,... MORE
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Mongolian Defense Diplomacy
Over the last few months, Mongolia has hosted or taken part in several multi-national military exercises with the aim to develop the Mongolian army’s peacekeeping abilities, as well as a way to leverage military-to-military ties as a tool of diplomacy. On August 10–13, Mongolia held... MORE
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What Do the Zapad 2013 Exercises Reveal? (Part Two)
On September 20–26, Russia carried out Zapad (“West”) 2013 military exercises with Belarusian forces. Though the training scenario envisioned repulsing an attack on Belarus by “terrorist” forces, Zapad 2013’s territorial scope, breadth of practiced operations, and the number of units and force types involved suggested... MORE
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Kazakhstan Unveils New Counter-Terrorism and Anti-Extremism Strategy
Kazakhstan faced domestic terrorist incidents in 2011–2012, which mainly targeted National Security Committee (KNB) and other government buildings. And meanwhile, the Kazakhstani government has been increasingly tracking the small-scale involvement of some of its citizens in foreign insurgencies in Afghanistan and Syria. Since then, Astana... MORE
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Chechnya’s Exclusion from Military Conscription Shows Moscow’s Weak Hold over Region
Generally, the military conscription campaign in Russia becomes relevant for Chechnya and the North Caucasus twice a year—in the spring and in the fall, when the Russian president issues a decree ordering the start of the draft season (https://www.rg.ru/2013/09/30/prizyv-dok.html). Conscription in Russia is still mandatory,... MORE
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What Do the Zapad 2013 Exercises Reveal? (Part One)
Summer through early fall is traditionally the main exercise season for Russia’s armed forces, and 2013 was no different from preceding years. Russian exercises are important because they reveal where, against whom and in what form Russia is preparing to wage war. This year’s seasonal... MORE
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Russia Ready to Use Force to Deny Other Countries Free Navigation of Arctic High Seas
Activists detained onboard the Greenpeace Arctic Sunrise research icebreaker by the Federal Security Service special forces (FSB spetsnaz) on September 19, have been all handed two-month pre-trial detention sentences by Russian judges in Murmansk. The activists were protesting oil drilling by Gazprom in the southeastern... MORE
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Russia Accelerates ‘Borderization’ in Georgia on War’s 20th Anniversary
On September 30, Russian President Vladimir Putin sent a congratulatory message to Abkhazia’s authorities on the 20th anniversary of “the republic’s independence.” The anniversary marks the Abkhazian proclamation of independence in 1993, as Sukhumi fell to Russian military forces. “This holiday is a symbol of... MORE
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Kazakhstan Prepares for Peaceful NATO Transition in Post-2014 Afghanistan
Kazakhstan is considering adopting measures to modernize its security structures, though somewhat surprisingly this has nothing to do with Astana’s assessment of a possible impact on Central Asian security stemming from the drawdown of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) from Afghanistan. The reasons for... MORE
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So Far, New Dagestani President’s Reforms Appear to Bring More Violence
On September 25, Dagestani Supreme Court Judge Mukhtar Shapiev was killed in Makhachkala. Two assailants shot the judge and his son near the entrance to their apartment block in the republican capital. Shapiev only oversaw civil cases, so he did not have the government protection... MORE