That is, minus Iran. The leaders of Russia, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, and Azerbaijan met in Aktau to, as they say, ‘informally’ discuss the resources in the Caspian Sea. No major agreements were signed, because they likely wouldn’t be honored internationally anyway without Iran, but an important message was sent. As Iran is having major domestic unrest […]
With good news regarding Afghanistan few and far between lately, I found this story though small, refreshingly positive. The Spanish government has decided to send an additional 220 troops to the Central Asian state. This would make Madrid’s total to around a 1,000 soldiers assigned to the NATO effort, but 450 of them were sent […]
Secret documents smuggled out of Moscow proving a conspiracy between Thatcher and Gorbachev to stop German unification? Christmas has come three months early for Cold War junkies. A cache of files copied by Pavel Stroilov, a young researcher at the Gorbachev foundation mere months before they were re-classified, have rocked England with revelations that despite […]
That was the slightly exaggerated headline that the popular online newspaper Gazeta ru gave to GM’s decision to sell off the majority stake in Opel to Magna, a consortium of Candadian-Austrian businesses and Russian state controlled Sberbank. In its triumphalism, news of the sale brings into stark relief the contradictions of the new Russia, whose […]
With Afghanistan presidential election marred with claims of fraud that may force a another turn at the polls, or at least a recount, and with the long term American presence in the country facing a growing, and at times loud, critical audience back in the States the Obama administration could use some clarity and some […]
In Russia we have a saying: “Dwell in the past, and you’ll lose one eye; forget the past and you will lose both eyes”. Amidst all the recent recriminations between Russia, Eastern Europe and the West thrown up by the anniversary of the start of WWII, there’s certainly no danger of anyone going blind. Yet […]
It’s hard to believe how much Afghanistan is dominating (with health care reform a close second) the American media landscape. The Afghan presidential election results, and all of the fraud claims surrounding them, are constantly changing, leaks from Gen. McChrystal’s ‘secret’ Afghan war strategy review are popping up everywhere, and poll results and calls from […]
Fellow FPA blogger of Global Film Review, Sean Patrick Murphy has reviewed a recent Afghan film called the ‘Fixer’. Here it is!: This film paints a grim picture of life in Afghanistan. It starts with Naqshbandi’s relationship with American journalist Christian Parenti. Naqshbandi is also a journalist and is called a “fixer” because he facilitates […]
On August 30, Turkmen president Berdymukhamedov announced he intends to open a new naval base in the Caspian port of Turkmenbashi. The base will, according to the President, “effectively fight smugglers, terrorists and any other forces.” Turkmenistan has a Coast Guard made up of leftovers from the Soviet Union. For the new base, they will […]
These are heady days for both Afghan and American citizens. Ballots continue to be counted and contested in Afghanistan’s 2nd presidential election, with Karzai in the lead, but not quite with the 50% he needs, and with Americans hearing in Gen. McChrystal’s recent assessment, a likely future request for more US troops and resources. How […]
If a newspaper has seen four of its journalists assassinated in 8 years for their investigative reporting about Russia’s power elite, would it launch a new series exploring the murky relationships between the Kremlin, big business and oil? If it’s Novaya Gazeta, it’s a yes. The latest article, called “Friends of the Premier”, charts Putin’s […]
Claims of fraud and victory have ringed throughout Afghanistan and in the international media since the first ballot was cast last week. Though the presidential election was deemed successful, yet far from perfect, by European and American officials, many feel that the election was too riddled with fraud to be considered legitimate. And though Karzai […]
While it wasn’t perfect, as no one predicted it would be, but for the most part the Afghan presidential election went relatively well. Of course, we should hold off full judgment until all the votes are collected, counted, and the election commission is allowed to check fraud complaints. There have been some vote tallies, but […]
In a matter of hours many of those eligible to vote in Afghanistan, but not all unfortunately, will go to the polls and choose who they want to govern them for the next half decade. This election has been fraught with peril and questions for months now and in many ways it’s hard to believe […]
Russia’s annual disaster season is in full swing. From the Kursk submarine disaster and the Beslan school massacre (along with the simultaneous suicide attacks on two airliners), it seems that if something will go wrong, it’s likely to do so between July and September. Unfortunately, this year was no different: a major explosion killed as […]