Armenia, Turkey Put Differences Aside for Soccer
BY MARIANNA GRIGORYAN
A football match could possibly give a kick-start to efforts by Armenia and Turkey to normalize relations. On September 6, Turkish President Abdullah Gul will travel to Yerevan to watch a 2010 World Cup qualifying soccer match between Armenia and Turkey, thus becoming the first Turkish leader to visit Armenia.

Mistakes By Afghan Translators Endanger Lives, Hamper Antiterrorism Effort
BY RON SYNOVITZ
When US or NATO soldiers need to communicate with Afghan villagers, they rely on translators provided by private contractors. But for various reasons -- regional dialects, cultural misunderstandings, or even ethnic animosities -- translators in Afghanistan often don't relate everything they hear.
A EurasiaNet Partner Post from RFE/RL

Former Uzbek Spy Case Sparks Heated Reactions
The case of a former Uzbek spy who fled to Britain this week after accusing President Islam Karimov of personally ordering massacres has sparked heated reactions across Central Asia, with the intelligence agencies of both Tajikistan and Uzbekistan offering contradictory assessments of his allegations and the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (IMU) also weighing in.
A EurasiaNet Partner Post from RFE/RL

Central Asia: Russia and United States Intensify Energy Competition
A three-sided diplomatic scrum is intensifying in Central Asia, as US, Russian and Chinese officials are stepping up efforts to wring energy-export deals from regional leaders.

Georgia: Cheney Offers Predictable Words of Encouragement
BY GIORGI LOMSADZE
US Vice President Dick Cheney carried a predictable message to Georgia on September 4, praising the Georgian government while assailing Russia’s "illegitimate and unilateral" attempt to detach Abkhazia and South Ossetia from the Caucasus country. While Georgians were certainly cheered by Cheney’s arrival in Tbilisi, they also realize that their country will be interacting with a new presidential administration in 2009.

Russia: On a Defense Spending Binge
An analysis of Russia’s state spending shows that Vladimir Putin’s Kremlin is taking the country in a dangerous direction, girding for a new Cold War while neglecting the domestic infrastructure. Military and security spending is so lopsided in Russia that the country’s cash cow - the energy sector - is being starved of funds.

Azerbaijan: Cheney Seeks to Keep Baku Tilted Toward the West
BY SHAHIN ABBASOV
US Vice President Dick Cheney, a polarizing political figure at home, is traveling in the Caucasus, aiming to rally local support for the US energy and strategic agenda in the region. Cheney’s first stop September 3 was Azerbaijan, where he announced Washington’s intention to ensure a "free stream" of oil and natural gas from the Caspian Basin to the West. For Azerbaijan, the Cheney visit signals the rapid approach of a moment when it will have to choose geopolitical sides between the United States and Russia, local experts say.

Pakistan Furious Over U.S.-Led Border Raid
Pakistan has angrily condemned a raid on a tribal region village that officials say killed at least 15 people, including women and children. Islamabad claims that U.S.-led troops used helicopters to fly in from Afghanistan and carry out the attack.
A EurasiaNet Partner Post from RFE/RL

Georgia Debates: Who Comes First -- IDPs or Students?
BY MOLLY CORSO
The Georgian school year could prove the latest casualty in the war over South Ossetia. Georgian officials are now grappling with a painful dilemma, as public schools in Tbilisi and elsewhere in Georgia are trying to figure out ways to accommodate both students and thousands of Internally Displaced Persons now living in the buildings.

EU Summit on Georgia: A Case of Great Expectations?
BY LILI DI PUPPO
The September 1 European Union summit on the crisis in Georgia ended with sharp words for Russia, but there is lingering doubt over whether those words will translate into tough action.