US envoy expects smooth Afghan poll
Karzai agreed to take part in a second and decisive round of voting after talks with US officials [AFP] The senior US envoy to Pakistan and Afghanistan has said...
Central Asia: The Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan Undergoing Dangerous Transformation
Deirdre Tynan The Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (IMU) is undergoing a metamorphosis that could transform the Islamic militant group into a far more dynamic foe for Central Asian governments, as...
Azerbaijan: Baku Hopes Turkish-Armenian Rapprochement Means Deal on Karabakh
Shahin Abbasov On the eve of the October 10 signing of protocols for reconciliation between Turkey and Armenia, Azerbaijani officials have muted expectations that a rapprochement between Yerevan and Ankara...
Building a Normal Nation
Alexei Bayer The footage from the sprawling Cherkizovsky Market that inundated Russian television after the authorities shut it down makes hair-raising viewing. But it is also part of a distressing...
Caspian Basin: Pentagon Web Initiative Sparks Debate on Best Methods for Winning Hearts and Minds
Deirdre Tynan A US Defense Department Internet initiative is stoking a debate among experts about whether the Pentagon is overreaching. The $10.1 million Trans Regional Web Initiative (TRWI) aims...
Central Asia: Pentagon Plans for Deployment of Special Forces to States outside Afghanistan
Deirdre Tynan The US military is preparing for a worst-case scenario in Central Asia. The Pentagon is presently developing plans covering the potential deployment of elite Special Forces to Central...
No Gas Deal Reached With Turkmens
Presidents Dmitry Medvedev and Gurbanguly Berdymukhammedov failed Sunday to set a time frame for the return of Turkmen gas flows to Russia, halted since April after a pipeline blast that...
Medvedev Puts Limits on Alcohol
Maria Antonova and Anna Malpas President Dmitry Medvedev on Friday gave teeth to his calls for a crackdown on alcoholism, ordering the government to limit the can sizes of...
Afghanistan: Northern Distribution Network Grapples With Growing Security Threat
Deirdre Tynan The escalating insurgency in northern Afghanistan is threatening American and NATO efforts to develop the Northern Distribution Network (NDN). As the NDN gains greater strategic importance, observers warn...
Abkhazia Maintains “We Do It Our Way,” Despite Russian Aid
Paul Rimple Abkhazia celebrated the first anniversary of Russia’s 2008 recognition of its independence with its borders guarded by Russian soldiers and its seaside resorts packed with Russian tourists. Abkhaz...
Russia’s Nightmare Century
Alexei Bayer This year’s accidents and terrorist attacks confirm what has by now become a cliche: August is indeed Russia’s cruelest month. But its original August disaster dates back almost...
Lessons Learned from the 2008 War in Georgia
One year after Russia and Georgia fought a five-day war over the Georgian breakaway region of South Ossetia, much of the debate has focused on who was to blame. But...
Tajikistan: Language Row Riles Russians
Konstantin Parshin Over a month after President Imomali Rahmon introduced legislation that would abolish Russian as a language of "interethnic communication," Tajikistan remains abuzz with hype and fear about the...
Uzbekistan: Washington Denies Interest in Returning To Khanabad Airbase
US diplomats are steadfastly denying that the American military seeks to return to the Uzbek air base at Karshi-Khanabad. The head of the US Central Command, Gen. David Petraeus,...
Afghanistan: “Corruption Is Eating Our System”
A EurasiaNet Q&A with Presidential Contender Abdullah Abdullah Interview conducted by Camelia Entekhabi-Fard Afghans braved Taliban threats and other problems to cast ballots August 20 in the country’s presidential election....