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....
Kyrgyzstan: Us Air Hub at Manas Busier Now Than Before
Deirdre Tynan The American air hub outside Bishkek may have a new name -- the Manas Transit Center -- but its operational capabilities remain largely unchanged. The new lease agreement...
Fergana Valley: Stringent Border Measures Fuelling Tension in Enclaves
Alisher Khamidov A recent clash on the Kyrgyz-Uzbek border is highlighting a simmering social problem found in and around the Fergana Valley’s many isolated enclaves. Public frustration is mounting over...
(Un)civil Society in the North Caucasus
Sarah Mendelson A dark storm is brewing yet again in Russia's North Caucasus. For the most part, the world pays little attention to this violent little backwater. That is,...
Georgia: Saakashvili Shows Staying Power on Anniversary of War with Russia
Molly Corso and Temo Bardzimashvili War, political instability and economic crisis. Despite it all, Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili has endured in office. And a year after Georgia’s devastating war with...
Uzbekistan: Tashkent Throws Temper Tantrum over New Russian Base in Kyrgyzstan
Eurasia Insight Uzbekistan is fuming about Russian plans to establish a second military base in Kyrgyzstan. Tashkent has issued a cantankerous public statement warning that a new base would become...
Armenia: Yerevan’s “Football Diplomacy” Fails To Score
Marianna Grigoryan After almost a year of discussions and declarations about improving Armenian-Turkish relations, some Armenian analysts say that the two countries’ "football diplomacy" initiative appears to have stalled. They add...
Fear of a Weak Russia
Donald K. Bandler, Jakub Kulhanek The reaction from the American defense establishment to news that Russian submarines have been operating off the U.S. coast has been fairly nonchalant, bordering on smug....
Azerbaijan: No Jitters Over Turkmenistan’s Caspian Sea Threat
Shahin Abbasov Turkmenistan’s pledge to take Azerbaijan to court over the two countries’ rival claims to Caspian Sea oil fields has sparked more confusion than anger in Baku. Some Azerbaijani...
Rusya Sıcak Denizlerde
Mazhar Yasin Tüylüoğlu Kısa bir aradan sonra yorumlamaya değer ilk gelişmede de aktör değişmedi : Binyıllık hayalini gerçekleştiren Rusya. Suriye'nin Tartus limanında bulunan ve SSCB'nin dağılmasından bu yana kullanılmayan deniz üssünün...
Despite Downturn, Nazarbayev’s Numbers Stay Up
Joanna Lillis Although Kazakhstan has been battered by the global financial downturn, the Central Asian nation’s citizens are still upbeat. Recent polling data shows that economic troubles have not dented...