With Russians Gone, Georgians Start to Rebuild
BY MOLLY CORSO
Georgian villagers are slowly returning home in the wake of the Russian army’s withdrawal from checkpoints in the so-called "buffer zone" outside breakaway South Ossetia. While most are happy to be back, the hard reality of rebuilding their lives in time for winter is daunting.

Diplomat Says US Not Aiming For 'Military Victory' In Afghanistan
The chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff warned this week that an already troubling situation in Afghanistan is almost certain to worsen. Admiral Mike Mullen said that "the trends across the board are not going in the right direction" and the country is likely to continue what a new intelligence report calls "a downward spiral."
A EurasiaNet Partner Post from RFE/RL

Georgian Transit Ban Hinders Russian Military Presence in Armenia
BY EMIL DANIELYAN
Raising a serious obstacle to Russia’s military presence in Armenia, Georgia appears to have closed its airspace to transport planes making vital shipments to Russian troops stationed in the neighboring South Caucasus state.

As Russians Withdraw, Georgia Banks on European Observers
BY LILI DI PUPPO
After a two-month stay, Russian troops have pulled out of Georgia, but questions persist about the efficacy of the newly formed European Union monitoring mission that has taken their place.

EURASIANET PHOTOJOURNALIST DIGEST

Russian Troop Withdrawal

In this new photo commentary, photojournalist Temo Bardzimashvili covers the Oct. 8 withdrawal of Russian troops and armor from the Georgian village of Karaleti across the border back to South Ossetia. Monitored by OSCE and EU representatives, about a dozen Russian armored vehicles and trucks filled with troops evacuate a checkpoint in Georgia proper for a short drive back to the breakaway region.

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Kyrgyzstan: Bishkek Turns into Summit Central
A EURASIANET PHOTO ESSAY: TEXT BY DEIRDRE TYNAN; PHOTOS BY DAVID TRILLING
Bishkek is transforming itself into summit central. In addition to a gathering of Commonwealth of Independent States leaders, members of Eurasian Economic Community will hold a conclave in the Kyrgyz capital on October 10. And on the same day, the heads of Central Asia’s five states will hold a sit-down.

Seven Years After First Air Strikes, Afghans Hope For Jobs, Peace
BY RON SYNOVITZ
Seven years ago, the United States began bombing Taliban-ruled Afghanistan after its refusal to hand over Al-Qaeda leaders who plotted the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. Since the collapse of the Taliban regime a few weeks later, the lives of many Afghans have changed for the better. But others' haven't, leaving them to wonder what the foreign forces have done for them.
A EurasiaNet Partner Post from RFE/RL

Russia: Moscow Seeks Improved Ties With Caspian Basin Neighbors
BY SERGEI BLAGOV
Russia is pressing for the creation of a new organization, dubbed the Caspian Economic Cooperation Organization, in an apparent bid to increase its influence over the region’s vast energy resources.

Abkhazia: Ethnic Georgian Region Faces Citizenship Quandary
A EURASIANET PHOTO ESSAY: TEXT BY PAUL RIMPLE, PHOTOS BY SOPHIA MIZANTE
Abkhazia has hailed Russian recognition of its independence from Georgia as the start of a new era, but for Georgians in the southern Abkhaz region of Gali the campaign to strengthen Abkhazia’s statehood poses a dilemma: whether or not to take Abkhaz citizenship.

Tajikistan: Almost One-Third of the Population Is in Danger of Going Hungry This Winter
BY ANDREW IACOBUCCI
Almost one-third of Tajikistan’s 6.7 million inhabitants may not have enough to eat this winter, United Nations experts worry. In an attempt to avert an emergency, the UN has issued a fresh global appeal for assistance.

Russia: How Will Moscow Behave in a Multi-Polar World
BY ARKADY DUBNOV
Liberal media outlets in Russia welcomed with relief the news of a late September meeting between Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice in New York. The press emphasized the mere fact of the meeting - the first one after the Russian-Georgian war in the Caucasus - not its results. They interpreted it as a signal that neither Moscow nor Washington wanted to expand the rift between their countries.

Georgia: Tbilisi Claims Political Victory Following PACE Adoption of Resolution
BY MOLLY CORSO
Georgian political experts and politicians are applauding the adoption of a resolution by the Parliamentary Assembly of Council of Europe concerning Russia’s August incursion into Georgia.

Tajikistan: Exiled Opposition Leader Flees Russia, Finds Refuge in Paris
BY KAMBIZ ARMAN
Fearing that Russia would grant Tajikistan’s extradition request, Dodojon Atovullo, the exiled editor-in-chief of a Tajik opposition newspaper and the leader of Vatandor movement, has fled to Paris.

Kazakhstan: Astana Strives to Balance Ties with United States and Russia
The geopolitical competition between the United States and Russia in the Caspian Basin seems to be shifting away from Georgia and focusing on Kazakhstan. US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, in Astana on October 5, sought to downplay the notion that Washington is vying with Moscow for the loyalty of President Nursultan Nazarbayev’s administration. Experts and officials inside Moscow’s Ring Road do not appear to be taking Rice’s comments at face value.