Latest Articles about Military/Security
Will Captured Ingush Rebel Leader Die in Prison to Ensure his Silence?
Russian counter-insurgency efforts in the North Caucasus scored some major successes this week, with the capture of the top Ingush rebel leader and the reported killing of a group of rebels in Chechnya. But, according to a leading Moscow newspaper, the capture of Ali Taziev,... MORE
NATO Can Use Article Four to Consult About Arms Sales
Russian officials have hinted all along that Russia’s four naval fleets (Northern, Baltic, Black Sea, and Pacific) would receive one French Mistral-class warship each, if the Franco-Russian deal materializes as proposed with four of these ships, designed for coastal assault operations. This is inherently a... MORE
Moscow Keeps Paris on Edge Over the Mistral Affair
Georgian President, Mikheil Saakashvili, paid an official visit to France on June 8-9, back-to-back with Russian Prime Minister, Vladimir Putin’s, June 10-11 visit there. The proposed sale of French Mistral amphibious and airborne-assault ships to Russia figured prominently on both visits’ agenda. As the negotiations... MORE
The China-Pakistan Reactor Deal and Asia’s Nuclear Energy Race
In late April, China announced the sale of two nuclear reactors to Pakistan. This deal is clearly against the guidelines of the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) and the spirit if not the letter of the Nonproliferation Treaty (NPT) [1]. Nevertheless, the United States has not... MORE
China’s Growing Maritime HA/DR Capabilities
China launched what it claims is the first purpose-built hospital ship (Type 920) in the world in 2007, stirring a considerable amount of international speculation regarding the Chinese Navy's future roles and missions. The use of hospital ships in non-military operations by the U.S. Navy... MORE
Taiwan-Japan Rift over ADIZ
Taipei has rejected a proposal from Tokyo that would allow Japan to expand its air defense identification zone (ADIZ) to include airspace above areas west of the island of Yonaguni currently under the jurisdiction of Taiwan’s ADIZ. Yonagunijima is Japan's westernmost island in the Ryukyu... MORE
Dagestan’s Security Situation is Becoming Hopeless
The first days of June in Dagestan have been especially disturbing for the local and federal authorities. Unidentified gunmen opened fire at the Atashka roadside café in the village of Untsukul in Dagestan’s Khasavyurt district and virtually all local stores and other places selling alcoholic... MORE
Russia Struggles to Modernize its Military
Russia’s attempts to rearm and modernize its military have run out of money as its defense industry is ailing. Last month President, Dmitry Medvedev, announced plans to spend 13 trillion Rubles ($420 billion) in ten years (from 2011 to 2020) to rearm the armed forces.... MORE
Russia Struggles to Settle Kyrgyz Unrest
As Russia hosted the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) and the Eurasian Economic Commonwealth (EEC) meetings of heads of governments, the gathering appeared to be overshadowed by the continued instability in Kyrgyzstan. On May 21, Kyrgyzstan’s interim government did not attend the CIS and EEC... MORE
Crisis Looms for Moscow’s Policies in the Northwest Caucasus
On June 6, the Caucasus Times reported a massive influx of Russian security forces into Kabardino-Balkaria. According to the website, an estimated 2,000 servicemen were deployed overnight in the republic, with the principal city of Kabardino-Balkaria, Nalchik, being patrolled by Russian military intelligence (Glavnoye Razvedyvatel'noye... MORE