Latest Articles about Military/Security

PKK Attacks Kill Soldiers and Damage the Kurdish Initiative
As the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) government has been working on a comprehensive plan to resolve the Kurdish issue, the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) has broken its self-declared unilateral ceasefire and resumed its terrorist attacks. In two days, PKK attacks claimed ten Turkish... MORE

Chechen Government Inadequately Prepared for Suicide Bombers
As Russian President Dmitry Medvedev finally had to admit, the situation in the North Caucasus is slowly changing for the worse and not for the better (Prime-Tass, August 19). Medvedev's admission stands in stark contrast to the public position of Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, who... MORE

The Arctic Sea Saga Continues
The Arctic Sea, a Malta registered ship with a Russian crew, carrying a cargo of timber worth 2 million Euros from Finland to Algeria, was apparently hijacked on July 24 in the Baltic Sea off the coast of Sweden, and disappeared for several weeks. It... MORE

Military Buildup Across the Himalayas: A Shaky Balance
In less than one year, China and India will celebrate six decades of bilateral relations capped by festivities in their respective country. This period, however, has been marked by a border war in 1962 that precipitated a long phase of antagonism and hostility between the... MORE

PRC’s National Day to Showcase China’s Rise
The Hu Jintao administration appears to be pulling out all the stops for the October 1 celebration of the 60th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China (PRC). The country’s National Day will be inaugurated by a keynote speech by Paramount Leader... MORE

JAMESTOWN FOUNDATION BLOG: Why Are the Russians Digging Tunnels in Abkhazia
Following Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin’s visit to the occupied Georgian province of Abkhazia in late August 2008, the Kremlin appears to be intensifying its military preparations in the South Caucasus.On September 4, Georgian newspapers and TV channels reported that “the Russian occupation forces have... MORE

An Anonymous Letter Spreads Fear Among Dagestan’s Civil Activists
Lengthy leaflets attacking Islamists in Dagestan and their supporters began to appear in Makhachkala during the first week of September and have alarmed human rights activists and journalists in the republic. The authors of the leaflet state that they have a list of 250 people... MORE

North Caucasus Security Forces Claim Some Successes, but Attacks Continue
Violent attacks continued in the North Caucasus this past week, as security forces claimed some successes against insurgents against the backdrop of an overall spike in violence in the region.In Chechnya, two servicemen were wounded in attacks by militants in the republic's Urus-Martan district on... MORE

Russian Military Plans New NCO Training Center
In a clear break with its former pattern in producing praporshchiki (sergeants) for the army, the Russian defense ministry has begun forming a professional non-commissioned officer (NCO) corps, which will consist of specialists with almost three years of training at a new facility. Controversially, these... MORE

German Political Uproar After Air Strike in Afghanistan
A German-ordered, U.S.-executed air strike, which killed scores of Afghan villagers on September 4, has caused a political uproar in Germany in the run-up to the September 27 parliamentary elections. The two governing parties are engaged in competitive damage-control. The event underscores the limitations and... MORE