The once-cozy relationship between Russia and Iran has undergone a striking shift in recent months, as Moscow has grown increasingly critical of Tehran's defiant pursuit of nuclear capabilities. The Kremlin has even warned that it could support sanctions against Iran in the UN Security Council -- something it resisted for years.
Following a prolonged silence amid the collapse of Kurmanbek Bakiyev's administration in Bishkek, US officials are now playing diplomatic catch-up in Kyrgyzstan.
EurasiaNet contributing photojournalist Dalton Bennett explores the streets of the Kyrgyz capital to discover looted stores, a volunteer militia hoping to bring back calm and a scarred city struggling to return to regular life.
Bishkek is mostly calm but uneasy a day after mass riots and looting toppled the government of Kurmanbek Bakiyev. A new government has formed, but has been slow to consolidate order.
Donning white armbands torn from old bed sheets, roughly a dozen men were signing up for the units outside the National Security Service (SNB) headquarters in central Bishkek on the afternoon of April 8.
Some observers are drawing strong parallels with the current instability in Kyrgyzstan and the "Tulip Revolution" of March 2005. While there are definitely some similarities, there are also some substantial differences.
With marauding bands continuing to rule the night in Bishkek, and Kurmanbek Bakiyev making mischief in his southern stronghold, Kyrgyzstan's new leaders are facing the prospect of a prolonged period of strife in the Central Asian state. Some experts say they are worried that continuing disorder in the country could exacerbate long-simmering regional tension.
After a long silence, ex-Armenian president Robert Kocharian is voicing criticism of the current government's economic policies. His statements, taken together with recent visits abroad, are stirring speculation that the 56-year-old politician is planning a return to Armenian politics.
The tumult that engulfed Kyrgyzstan on April 6-7 represents a failure for US foreign policy. In particular, it illustrates the hazards of allowing security concerns to dictate diplomacy at the expense of democratization.
Roza Otunbayeva -- a former foreign minister who five years ago helped now-discredited president Kurmanbek Bakiyev gain power following the Tulip Revolution -- is leading a nascent coalition government in Bishkek. The full form of the new government was still taking shape during the early hours of April 8, amid political jockeying by various opposition figures.
