Latest Articles about Military/Security

Kidnappings Abound in Ingushetia and Transcend its Borders

On October 18, hundreds of people blocked a federal highway near Magas, the capital of Ingushetia. The protestors demanded that the government put an end to abductions in the republic. Dzhamaleil Gagiev’s disappearance from the village of Ali-Yurt in Ingushetia on October 14, and the... MORE

No Justice Following Ethnic Violence in Kyrgyzstan

Approximately six months after the ethnic violence in Osh and Jalalabad, southern Kyrgyzstan remains relatively calm. Tensions, however, have now migrated into the local courtrooms, where the alleged criminals are on trial in a highly charge environment. Ethnic Kyrgyz and Uzbeks find themselves on the... MORE

Bat or Mouse? The Strange Case of Reforming Spetsnaz

One distinguishing hallmark of Russian defense reform is the unpredictable and apparently indiscriminate manner in which it is implemented. This approach leaves officers wondering about their future and where the next “surprise” might surface. The latest “victim” in this unstoppable process was the GRU Spetsnaz... MORE

Is the Main Source of Chechen Rebel Weapons Georgia, or the Russian Army?

Bomb disposal experts in the Chechen capital destroyed a large improvised explosive device in a controlled explosion today (October 29).  Police discovered the bomb in the village of Katayama in Grozny’s Staropromyslovsky district based off of information provided by a detained rebel accomplice.  The device... MORE

Al-Qaeda Exploits Kashmir Conflict to Expand Operations to India

It appears increasingly clear that al-Qaeda is intent on striking in India.  In fact, the organization provided assistance in the 2008 Mumbai attacks and may already have been connected to bomb strikes this year. India has remained largely untouched by al-Qaeda directed violence, but the... MORE