Latest Articles about Military/Security
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Russia’s Grand Vision for the Development of North Caucasus Remains Unrealistic
On January 26, the Russian government gave a presentation of the North Caucasus ski resorts project at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. It was aimed at attracting much needed foreign investment to the enterprise, which the government hopes will solve this volatile region’s... MORE
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Russia’s Navy Muscles Up and Looks East
According to Russia’s decade-long military procurement plan the Navy will receive 4.7 trillion rubles ($159 billion) of the total 20 trillion rubles ($678 billion), a figure that Prime Minister, Vladimir Putin considers as being scary (Vedomosti, December 14, 2010). Of course, this builds upon existing... MORE
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Serdyukov “Leads” Russian Defense Ministry “Circus”
As the reform of Russia’s conventional armed forces continues, numerous policy planning issues have served to demonstrate the reactionary nature of many initiatives. Defense Minister, Anatoliy Serdyukov, has tried to avoid shouldering the blame for any mistakes while failing to prioritize policy. The latest instance... MORE
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A Jihadi in the Horn of Africa: al-Shabaab’s Ahmad Abdi Godane “Abu Zubayr”
Shaykh Ahmad Abdi Godane “Abu Zubayr” appears to be losing his grip on the leadership of Somalia’s al-Shabaab, the largest and most formidable of the militant Somali Islamist groups operating in the Horn of Africa. Reports indicate that Godane was relieved of his post as... MORE
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A Portrait of Chechen Rebel Commander Hussein Gakaev
Background Hussein Vakhaevich Gakaev (a.k.a. Amir Mansur) was born on July 8, 1970, in the village of Kalinovskaya of the Naur district of the Chechen Republic bordering Mozdok, North Ossetia. His identification card states that he is a resident of the village of Elistanzhi in... MORE
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Airport Attack Shows Russian Government’s Failure to Provide a Clear Road Map to a Safer Future
On January 29, Vladimir Markin, the spokesman for the Russian Investigative Committee, announced that investigators had determined the identity of the perpetrator of the bombing of Domodedovo airport in Moscow, which took place on January 24. According to official information, a suicide bomber detonated explosives... MORE
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The Snow Dragon Moves into the Arctic Ocean Basin
In a warming and changing Arctic, China is stepping up its activities in the Arctic Ocean Basin. While China’s interests and policy objectives in the Arctic Ocean Basin remain unclear, Beijing is increasingly active and vocal on the international stage on issues that concern the... MORE
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2011 PLA Military Training: Toward Greater Interoperability
The 2011 directive on military training was just released by the General Staff Department (GSD) of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) on January 14. The new guidance represents a roadmap for the Chinese military's training year, and could offer important indicators about PLA military... MORE
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Turning a New Leaf in Relations: Russia’s Renewed Arms Sale to China
Tensions in the arms sales relationship between Russia and China have been visibly on the rise in recent years. Yet, in November 2010, Moscow and Beijing announced a large new package of arms sales that appear to have turned a new leaf in this relationship.... MORE
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High-Level Personnel Changes Continue Professionalization of the Chinese Military
In the latest round of high-level personnel changes in the People’s Liberation Army (PLA), more appointments of key posts appear to be going to younger and more professionally trained military officers. These changes, which involve top positions in the PLA’s four general headquarters, major regional... MORE