RFE/RL Caucasus Report
3/25/2011 6:28:45 PM
A review of RFE/RL reporting and analysis about the countries of the South Caucasus and Russia's North Caucasus region.
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Ingush Oppositionist Beaten, Detained
Opposition activist Magomed Khazbiyev was beaten and detained today in the volatile Russian republic of Ingushetia. More More 
Russian Ombudsman Slams Extrajudicial Killings In North Caucasus
In the annual report on human rights in Russia, ombudsman Vladimir Lukin condemns the ongoing "extrajudicial killings of members of illegal armed formations in the North Caucasus." Lukin stresses that he does not question the need for harsh measures in the fight against militants, but he reaffirms that the struggle against lawlessness must be waged using only lawful means. More 
Central Asia Stands To Gain As NATO Shifts Supply Lines Away From Pakistan
Insurgent attacks on NATO convoys in Pakistan are a major concern for the U.S. and its NATO allies trying to move supplies into Afghanistan. As a result, NATO is shifting supply routes northward through the former USSR, with consequences for the entire region. More 
Georgia's Ruling Party, Opposition Seek Consensus On Electoral Reform
Addressing the Brookings Institute in Washington, D.C., on March 17, Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili said Georgia wants to be "not only the No. 1 reformer or the No. 1 corruption fighter," but also the country which has "the cleanest elections." More 
Has The FSB Penetrated The Kabardino-Balkaria Insurgency?
The case against Asker Jappuyev is based on a directive he issued in early February after a group calling itself the "Black Hawks" began targeting the homes of insurgents' families. The leader of that group has since been identified as an FSB officer. More 
Egypt's Military And Popular Sovereignty
"Al-Masry Al-Youm" commentator Alaa al-Aswani tries to identify "five groups vis-a-vis the revolution" and posits key questions about the role and decisions of Egypt's armed forces along the way. It's hard not to be reminded of events in Belarus, Kyrgyzstan, Iran, and Armenia. More 
U.S.: 'Withdraw Snipers' From Karabakh
Following recent casualties near the disputed region of Nagorno-Karabakh, U.S. Ambassador to Azerbaijan Matthew Bryza has again urged the Armenian and Azerbaijani forces to withdraw snipers from the line separating them. More 
In Wake Of Japan Disaster, Safety Of Armenian Nuclear Plant Questioned
Amid the ongoing crisis at Japan's Fukushima nuclear power plant, Armenia has announced that it will conduct a safety review at one of its own plants that is located on an earthquake fault line. More 
Ramzan On A Roll
The primary impediment both to Ramzan Kadyrov's aspirations for pan-regional power and to Medvedev's hopes for peace in the North Caucasus is of course the ongoing low-level war of attrition between federal and local police and security forces and the Islamic insurgency. More |
