Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad played up a regional summit to fete Vladimir Putin as a friend of the Islamic Republic.
Russia
Iran Seeks to Undermine U.S. Energy Plan for Europe
Iran plans to import more oil and gas from Central Asia as it seeks to undermine a U.S.-backed project to build pipelines from the Caspian Sea to Europe.
Russian Deserters Languish in West
Rif Akhmetganeyev, a former Soviet Army lieutenant colonel, says he is no longer afraid. When he deserted from his unit and applied for German political asylum, he thought he had reached safe ground. But the reasons for his fear have hardly disappeared.
Unlocking Turkmenistan
President-for-Life Saparmurat Niyazov harangued ministers, asking them why it took a foreigner to run a successful chicken farm.
Taliban Jars Central Asia
Moscow’s futile attack on Afghanistan was launched from this scorching border town 20 years ago. Now it’s bracing itself for an invasion in the reverse direction.
Oil-and-Gas Rich Country Swallows Money, Still Needing More
“You have to swim somewhere,” says one girl who emerges from the murky water. “We live here, so what choice do we have? Our hair and teeth haven’t fallen out yet.”
Putin’s Outdated Illusions are Dangerous
In his speech after the massacre, Putin didn’t mention Chechnya a single time, even though it was clear that the trail from Beslan led back to the war-torn republic.
Four Die in Shoot-Out as Russia Faces Jihadist Threat
“Moscow still hasn’t worked out a strategy on the North Caucasus and hasn’t even tried,” Alexei Malashenko said. “The Kremlin doesn’t want to recognize there’s a real Islamic opposition.”
Cracks in the Russian Regime
The paradox of the costly retention of Chechnya is that few Russians view the North Caucasus as an integral part of Russia worth keeping.
Jewish Renaissance in Berlin
“Jewish life today is different than before the war,” says Boris Feldmann. “The revival of Jewish life in Berlin is the revival of Russian-speaking Jews.”
