EurasiaNet

Afghanistan: Decoding Reintegration and Reconciliation

Tue, 09 Feb 2010 16:11:26 -0500

BY A EURASIANET COMMENTARY BY AUNOHITA MOJUMDAR
"Reintegration" and "reconciliation" are two buzzwords that are driving stabilization efforts in Afghanistan these days. But the terms mean different things to different stakeholders in the process

Georgia: Lawmakers Lambaste France for Warship Sale to Russia

Tue, 09 Feb 2010 16:10:50 -0500

Georgian leaders are condemning France's decision to sell at least one sophisticated assault ship to Russia.

Azerbaijan: Base Shooting Focuses Attention on Possible Hazing in Military

Tue, 09 Feb 2010 13:48:07 -0500

BY SHAHIN ABBASOV
A fatal shooting incident at a military base west of Baku is raising questions about the extent of hazing in Azerbaijan��s armed forces.

Kyrgyzstan: Utility Price Hike Squeezes Citizens

Mon, 08 Feb 2010 14:56:39 -0500

BY LIAT ASMAN
Utility consumers in Kyrgyzstan are bracing for the arrival of their first bills since energy and hot water tariffs skyrocketed at the outset of the new year. For many, the new utility rates may serve as a dose of cold reality that fuels anxiety about a potential decline in living standards.

Kazakhstan: Foreign Minister's Visit to Washington Yields No Agreements

Mon, 08 Feb 2010 14:56:14 -0500

The visit of Kazakhstani Foreign Minister Kanat Saudabayev to Washington in early February failed to produce any agreements on pressing issues, according to US State Department officials.

Georgia: Tbilisi Ponders Implications of Ukrainian Presidential Vote

Mon, 08 Feb 2010 14:57:24 -0500

BY MOLLY CORSO
Officials in Georgia are downplaying speculation that the apparent victory of the pro-Russian candidate in Ukraine's presidential run-off will have negative repercussions for Tbilisi. But local analysts are predicting the Ukrainian result could cause a major shift in regional politics.

Georgia: Tension High Along the Georgian-Ossetian Ceasefire Line

Fri, 05 Feb 2010 13:16:23 -0500

A EURASIANET AUDIO SLIDESHOW BY JONATHAN ALPEYRIE
The Georgian-Russian conflict lasted for five days in August, 2008. But along the ceasefire line today both sides remain on a war-footing.

Tajikistan: Journalists Under Pressure as Parliamentary Elections Approach

Fri, 05 Feb 2010 13:15:44 -0500

BY KONSTANTIN PARSHIN
With parliamentary elections fast approaching, print journalists in Tajikistan are coming under increasing pressure, media watchdogs say.

Central Asia: Bishkek Exhibit Cancelled; Photographers Face Increasing Scrutiny

Thu, 04 Feb 2010 13:28:57 -0500

The sudden cancellation of an exhibit at the Museum of Fine Arts in the Kyrgyz capital of Bishkek, along with the subsequent sacking of the chief of the Central Asian nation's culture agency, is stoking a debate over freedom of expression.

Kazakhstan: China Looking to Lease Land for Agricultural Purposes

Thu, 04 Feb 2010 13:28:20 -0500

BY JOANNA LILLIS
Kazakhstan's government is mulling a plan that would enable China to lease a large swath of Kazakhstani land for agricultural use. The proposed deal is stirring passionate opposition in the Central Asian state, with critics expressing concern about the country's sovereignty.

Azerbaijan: Ex-Guggenheim Director Betting on Bilbao-Style Project for Baku

Wed, 03 Feb 2010 14:04:50 -0500

BY SHAHIN ABBASOV
Thomas Krens, the influential former Guggenheim Museum director who oversaw the museum's dynamic, yet controversial expansion to Bilbao, Spain, now has energy-rich Baku, Azerbaijan, in his sights.

Kazakhstan: US Helsinki Commission Holds Astana Love Fest

Tue, 02 Feb 2010 15:51:38 -0500

BY JOSHUA KUCERA
The US Helsinki Commission in recent months has been a frequent and vocal critic of Kazakhstan's record on human rights and democratization. But commission members gave an enthusiastic welcome to Kazakhstani Foreign Minister Kanat Saudabayev on February 2 during a Washington, DC, hearing marking the start of Kazakhstan's OSCE chairmanship.

Afghanistan: Washington Exploring Chinese Re-supply Route

Tue, 02 Feb 2010 15:24:38 -0500

BY DEIRDRE TYNAN
The United States is exploring the idea of expanding the Northern Distribution Network (NDN), a supply line for US and NATO troops in Afghanistan, by adding a Chinese branch. Sources familiar with the NDN tell EurasiaNet that US officials are also considering the possibility of seeking a sea-and-land route utilizing ports in the Russian Far East.

Georgia: Tbilisi's "Little" War Poses Big Challenge to Western Security System

Tue, 02 Feb 2010 15:24:14 -0500

A EURASIANET BOOK REVIEW BY REGIS GENTE
A new book by Ronald D. Asmus, A Little War That Shook the World: Georgia, Russia and the Future of the West (Palgrave Macmillan), looks at the big security picture in Europe. Asmus contends that the five-day conflict in 2008 "raised some big questions about the future of European [s]ecurity." Finding answers, Asmus adds, will require a coordinated response from the United States and the European Union.

Kazakhstan: Foreign Minister's Arrival in Washington Highlights Democratization vs. Security Debate

Tue, 02 Feb 2010 15:23:50 -0500

BY JOSHUA KUCERA
Kazakhstan's foreign minister, Kanat Saudabayev, is in Washington from February 1-4. He is expected to seek US backing for two prestige events: a summit of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe to be held in Kazakhstan; and a one-on-one meeting between US President Barack Obama and Kazakhstani President Nursultan Nazarbayev.

Georgia: Tbilisi Blames Moscow for End of Anti-Kremlin Satellite Channel's Broadcasts

Tue, 02 Feb 2010 15:23:25 -0500

BY GIORGI LOMSADZE
Officials in Georgia believe that Kremlin skullduggery has succeeded in pulling the plug on a Georgian satellite television channel capable of broadcasting Russian-language content throughout the former Soviet Union.

Kazakhstan: Nazarbayev Sets Ambitious Development Agenda for Astana

Tue, 02 Feb 2010 15:22:49 -0500

BY JOANNA LILLIS
With Kazakhstan's economy on the up-tick, President Nursultan Nazarbayev is setting some ambitious development goals for the Central Asian state.

Caspian Energy: Washington Trying New Tack on Nabucco Project

Tue, 02 Feb 2010 15:22:15 -0500

BY JOSHUA KUCERA
The United States wants to "depoliticize" the proposed Nabucco pipeline project, and might welcome Russia's participation in the pipeline, Washington's Eurasian energy envoy, Richard Morningstar, recently announced. The Kremlin, however, is likely to interpret this outwardly magnanimous gesture as a sign of Nabucco's weakness, some experts say.

Georgia: A Look at Life at One of Georgia's Oldest Monasteries

Fri, 29 Jan 2010 17:06:00 -0500

A EURASIANET SLIDESHOW BY JONATHAN ALPEYRIE
The Kintsvisi monastery is a place where the past manages to keep the present at bay. The monks who reside at this sanctuary, situated in the heavily wooded mountains of Georgia's Shida Kartli region, live according to the same basic guidelines that were in place at the time of its founding more than a millennium ago.

NATO: Diplomatic Decorum Going to the Birds in Brussels

Fri, 29 Jan 2010 17:03:50 -0500

BY SHAUN WALKER
Russia's controversial ambassador to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization has been provoking interest, amusement and outrage in Brussels over the past few months with a series of distinctly undiplomatic "tweets" on the social-networking website Twitter.

Afghanistan: Kabul Observers Downbeat on London Conference

Fri, 29 Jan 2010 17:03:12 -0500

BY AUNOHITA MOJUMDAR
Observers and humanitarian aid workers in Kabul are giving lackluster reviews to the London conference on Afghanistan.

Afghanistan: Washington Committed to Karzai

Fri, 29 Jan 2010 17:02:45 -0500

The London conference on Afghanistan highlighted tactical differences between President Hamid Karzai's administration and his country's US and European allies. Even so, it appears that Washington is committed to working with Karzai.

Central Asia: Brutal Murder of Kyrgyz Journalist in Kazakhstan Points to Press Freedom Concerns

Fri, 29 Jan 2010 17:02:16 -0500

BY JOANNA LILLIS
Central Asian states are no strangers to free-speech controversy, but the brutal murder of a journalist from Kyrgyzstan in neighboring Kazakhstan marks a new low in the region��s media environment. The incident is stoking an international outcry and is pushing press freedom up the agenda during Kazakhstan��s chairmanship of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE).

Georgia: Tbilisi��s Reliance on Pirated Software Leaves Government Vulnerable to Cyber-Attack

Fri, 29 Jan 2010 17:01:44 -0500

BY MOLLY CORSO
The Georgian government��s extensive use of illegal and pirated software poses a national security risk that remains uncorrected, technology specialists say.

Uzbekistan: Tashkent Throws a Diplomatic Curveball to Washington

Fri, 29 Jan 2010 17:00:59 -0500

BY DEIRDRE TYNAN
If Uzbekistan has its way, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will be paying a visit to Tashkent in the not so distant future.

Afghanistan: Makeshift IDP Settlement Highlights Humanitarian Aid Dilemmas

Fri, 29 Jan 2010 17:00:23 -0500

BY ELISSA BOGOS
Kabul's ubiquitous fruit stands and pharmacies begin to thin out around the Charahee Qambar neighborhood, situated a few miles west of the capital's center and home to the city's largest settlement for internally displaced persons (IDPs). UNHCR, the UN refugee agency, estimates that between 800 to 1,000 families, many of whom claim to be from Sangin, a town in northern Helmand province, live in the camp's mud shacks with no electricity, heat or running water.

Central Asia: Strategic Necessity Forces Pentagon to Alter Economic Aims of NDN

Fri, 29 Jan 2010 16:59:49 -0500

BY DEIRDRE TYNAN
On paper, the US Department of Defense wants to turn the Northern Distribution Network into an engine for economic development in the Caucasus and Central Asia, one that helps regional companies and US-based firms alike. But regional analysts say that such grand plans are giving way to the exigencies of the US surge in Afghanistan.

Armenia: Gas Price Hike in Yerevan Likely to Have Social Repercussions

Mon, 25 Jan 2010 16:07:33 -0500

BY GAYANE ABRAHAMYAN
Already struggling to scrape by amid the global economic downturn, many Armenians are confronting a new and daunting challenge - a 46-percent increase in natural gas prices.

Turkey: Ankara's Rapprochement with Armenia Hits Snag

Mon, 25 Jan 2010 16:07:15 -0500

BY NICHOLAS BIRCH
The future of the Turkish-Armenian reconciliation process appears increasingly fragile amid growing Turkish objections to a decision by Armenia's Constitutional Court on protocols the two countries signed last October.

Afghanistan: US National Security Advisor Points to Positive Initial Signs for Surge

Mon, 25 Jan 2010 16:06:54 -0500

BY JOSHUA KUCERA
US National Security Advisor James Jones asserted January 25 that a revamped American military strategy in Afghanistan was showing initial signs of success.

Kyrgyzstan: Desperate Uzbek Labor Migrants Seeking Work in Job-Strapped Kyrgyzstan

Fri, 22 Jan 2010 16:56:15 -0500

BY CHINGHIZ UMETOV
Kyrgyzstan has experienced a fair share of economic troubles of late. But the Central Asian state is nevertheless an employment magnet for Uzbek labor migrants.

Azerbaijan: Baku Set to Quadruple Gas Exports to Russia by 2011

Fri, 22 Jan 2010 16:55:47 -0500

Having significantly lowered natural gas imports from Turkmenistan, Russia's state-controlled energy conglomerate Gazprom is turning to Azerbaijan to make up some of the difference.

Report: France's Mistral Sale to Russia Goes Official in March, but Debate Continues

Thu, 21 Jan 2010 15:36:17 -0500

BY REGIS GENTE
France's reported decision to sell at least one Mistral warship to Russia is stirring sharp controversy among French policymakers and analysts about what strategic gains, if any, France and the West can obtain from the deal.

Kyrgyzstan: Bishkek Worried About Tashkent's Information Dominance in Southern Regions

Thu, 21 Jan 2010 15:35:53 -0500

BY CHINGHIZ UMETOV
Officials in Kyrgyzstan are unsettled by what they perceive as Uzbekistan's encroachment into their country's information space. At the same time, observers say President Kurmanbek Bakiyev's administration lacks the resources to better project Bishkek's message in southern Kyrgyzstan.

Turkey: Set Free, the Pope's Would-Be Assassin Stirs Up Unsettling Memories

Wed, 20 Jan 2010 16:30:00 -0500

BY YIGAL SCHLEIFER
When he shot Pope John Paul II in 1981 in St. Peter's Square, would-be assassin Mehmet Ali Agca was, for most of the world, a mysterious and enigmatic figure, one who seemed to come out of nowhere.

Afghanistan: US Troop Surge Likely to Fuel Financial Bonanza for Central Asian States

Wed, 20 Jan 2010 13:19:50 -0500

BY DEIRDRE TYNAN
The US troop surge for Afghanistan seems set to turn into a financial bonanza for several authoritarian-minded states in Central Asia.

Armenia: Prison Term for Opposition Activist Revives Democratization Debate

Wed, 20 Jan 2010 13:19:09 -0500

BY MARIANNA GRIGORYAN
The seven-year prison sentence handed down to opposition activist and journalist Nikol Pashinian on January 19 for his alleged role in Armenia's violent 2008 election protests is stoking fresh debate about civil liberties and rule of law.

Azerbaijan Shies Away from Dropping Visa Requirements for Iranians

Tue, 19 Jan 2010 12:03:07 -0500

Azerbaijan finds itself caught in a diplomatic cul-de-sac as it debates whether to eliminate visa requirements for Iranians and Turks in reciprocation for similar privileges granted by Iran and Turkey to Azerbaijani citizens. Concern over the political situation in Iran influences Baku's caution toward Tehran, while concern over Turkey's rapprochement with Armenia makes it sluggish toward Ankara. Meanwhile, both Iran and Turkey are pressing for a final decision.

Kazakhstan Takes on OSCE Chairmanship with Call for West to Ditch Stereotypes

Tue, 19 Jan 2010 12:02:28 -0500

BY JOANNA LILLIS
Kazakhstan has launched its 2010 chairmanship of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe with ambitious pledges to bridge divides between East and West and to play a key role in promoting tolerance and conflict resolution. At the same time, Astana also threw down the gauntlet to the 56-member organization by calling its current trajectory into question and urging it to rise to the challenges of the 21st century.

Afghanistan: If You Can't Beat the Taliban, Try to Buy Militants Off

Fri, 15 Jan 2010 15:55:26 -0500

BY DEIRDRE TYNAN
As American commanders wage their counter-insurgency campaign in Afghanistan, an increasingly important weapon in their arsenal is money. Military planners are now intent on setting aside discretionary funds to potentially buy off "reconcilables," or militants who are fighting against US and NATO troops more for financial than ideological reasons.

Uzbekistan: President Karimov Calls for Military Build-Up

Fri, 15 Jan 2010 15:54:22 -0500

President Islam Karimov says Uzbekistan's army needs to be expanded, modernized and reformed in order to meet regional security challenges.

Turkmenistan: Gas Flows Again to Russia, while Discontent Simmers

Thu, 14 Jan 2010 16:50:32 -0500

BY DEIRDRE TYNAN
Natural gas may be flowing again from Turkmenistan to Russia, but the two countries' pricing dispute is not over, analysts are predicting.

Turkey: Ankara in Diplomatic Spat with Israel

Thu, 14 Jan 2010 16:49:50 -0500

BY YIGAL SCHLEIFER
Analysts are cautioning that a diplomatic spat between Turkey and Israel is damaging an already strained relationship, and may further undermine Israel's public image in Turkey.

Georgia: Tbilisi Tries to Become Medical Tourism Destination

Wed, 13 Jan 2010 16:17:46 -0500

A EURASIANET PHOTO STORY BY MOLLY CORSO
Private clinics and hospitals in Georgia are trying to break into the lucrative international medical tourism market by offering inexpensive procedures and taking advantage of lenient legislation.

Azerbaijan: Rights Defenders Appeal for Western Support in Free-Speech Cases

Wed, 13 Jan 2010 16:17:10 -0500

BY SHAHIN ABBASOV
Human rights activists in Azerbaijan characterize the criminal prosecution of opposition editor Eynulla Fatullayev, as well as the recent convictions of youth activists Emin Milli and Adnan Hajizade, as politically motivated efforts to repress dissenting voices. Activists add that more Western pressure on Baku is needed to arrest the government's efforts to stifle freedom of speech.

Afghanistan: Dwindling Sikh Community Struggles to Endure in Kabul

Tue, 12 Jan 2010 19:29:02 -0500

BY ELISSA BOGOS
For many years, Sikhs were a prominent part of Kabul's commercial scene, occupying prominent positions as traders, entrepreneurs, and, later, currency exchange specialists. But in today's Afghanistan, many Sikhs find themselves marginalized and struggling to maintain their distinct cultural profile in Kabul.

Armenia: Court Gives Green Light to Peace Plan with Turkey

Tue, 12 Jan 2010 19:28:26 -0500

BY MARIANNA GRIGORYAN
Armenia's Constitutional Court on January 12 approved a draft agreement for reconciliation with Turkey, but heated opposition to the agreement shows no sign of dying down.

Central Asia and Caucasus: Bleak Outlook for Democratization

Tue, 12 Jan 2010 19:28:00 -0500

BY JOSHUA KUCERA
No country in the Caucasus or Central Asia saw its ranking rise in this year's Freedom in the World report, released January 12 by the democratization organization Freedom House.

Kyrgyzstan: Synthetic Chinese Yurts Undercutting Kyrgyz Tradition

Mon, 11 Jan 2010 14:25:15 -0500

A EURASIANET PHOTO STORY BY DAVID TRILLING
Yurts are a quintessential element in Kyrgyzstan's national identity. Not only are the felt tents emblematic of Kyrgyzstan's nomadic past, they lend their shape to cemeteries, souvenirs and World War II monuments, and help frame national consciousness.

Afghanistan: Experts Want Washington to Leverage Benefits of Northern Distribution Network

Mon, 11 Jan 2010 14:24:17 -0500

BY JOSHUA KUCERA
The United States should take advantage of the creation of the Northern Distribution Network, a newly established military resupply route, to create a "modern Silk Road" that uses international trade to encourage the economic and political development of Afghanistan and Central Asia, experts at a leading Washington think tank say.

Turkmenistan: Public Health Remains in Critical Condition

Mon, 11 Jan 2010 14:24:44 -0500

Since coming to power over three years ago, Turkmen leader Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov has presided over the openings of gleaming medical facilities in Ashgabat, but his administration is doing little to improve the quality of the health-care system for the bulk of the Central Asian nation's population. Underscoring Turkmenistan's health-care woes is the recent decision of Doctors Without Borders to shut down its operations in the country.

Georgia: Armenian-Turkish Rapprochement Could Have Significant Economic Impact on Tbilisi

Thu, 07 Jan 2010 15:24:51 -0500

BY NINO PATSURIA
As prospects dim for a quick reopening of the Turkish-Armenian border, Georgian business executives remain quietly content. Trouble with the Turkish-Armenian reconciliation process can mean continued economic benefits for Georgian traders.

Turkmenistan: Iranian President Gushes about Pipeline Potential

Thu, 07 Jan 2010 15:24:20 -0500

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is exuding hubris following a Central Asian tour that featured the opening of a second natural gas pipeline connecting Turkmenistan and Iran.

Armenia: Yerevan Growing More Cautious on Reconciliation with Turkey

Wed, 06 Jan 2010 16:58:21 -0500

BY MARIANNA GRIGORYAN
The Armenian-Turkish reconciliation process appears to be losing momentum. Recent statements made by Armenian leaders signal a toughening of Yerevan's stance, local analysts say.

Afghanistan: Taliban Operating Close to Afghan-Tajik Border

Wed, 06 Jan 2010 16:57:51 -0500

The Armenian-Turkish reconciliation process appears to be losing momentum. Recent statements made by Armenian leaders signal a toughening of Yerevan��s stance, local analysts say.

South Caucasus: Making Tracks Along the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars Railway

Wed, 06 Jan 2010 16:58:54 -0500

TEXT BY ANDY MARKOWITZ
PHOTOS BY ABBAS ATILAY, MOLLY CORSO, AND GULNAR NOVRUZOVA
A Photo Report prepared Transitions Online/EurasiaNet To politicians, business interests, train-spotters, and international observers, the planned Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway is many things: a new and improved route for moving cargo through the South Caucasus; a potential magnet for foreign investment; and an example of tightening ties among Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Turkey.

Georgia: Senate Staff Report Stokes Unease in the Caucasus

Tue, 05 Jan 2010 16:14:25 -0500

BY JOSHUA KUCERA
Georgian officials are lauding the recent release of a staff report prepared by a senior US senator's office that urges Washington to consider a resumption of arms sales to Tbilisi. Meanwhile, the separatist entities of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, together with Russia, have reacted with alarm to the report, claiming that easing Tbilisi's access to arms would increase the chances of a renewed outbreak of fighting in the region.

Tajikistan: Forced Rogun Payments Sowing Discontent Among Impoverished Tajiks

Tue, 05 Jan 2010 16:13:59 -0500

Tajik authorities appear intent on redefining the concept of volunteerism. Under the guise of public spirit, the government is using a variety of methods to compel citizens to contribute funds to the construction of the long-stalled Rogun Dam.

Turkmenistan: Western Firms Shut Out from Development Deals

Mon, 04 Jan 2010 19:20:34 -0500

BY REGIS GENTE
Turkmenistan appears to be implementing an eastern strategy in order to export natural gas to the West.

Tajikistan: Quake Leaves Hundreds Homeless

Mon, 04 Jan 2010 19:20:44 -0500

BY DEIRDRE TYNAN
Hundreds of people are homeless in sub-zero weather conditions following an earthquake in Tajikistan.

Georgia: The Simpsons Come to Tbilisi as The Samsonadzes

Tue, 08 Dec 2009 15:41:58 -0500

BY MOLLY CORSO
Georgian animators are hoping a local television makeover of The Simpsons will mimic the American animated series' two decades of success. But the show, The Samsonadzes, walks a thin line between originality and flat-out imitation of the world's best-known cartoon family.

Azerbaijan: European TV Documentary Prompts Fresh Media Rights Fight

Tue, 08 Dec 2009 15:39:23 -0500

BY MINA MIRADOVA
A euronews documentary on the disputed region of Nagorno-Karabkah is stoking acrimony, with Azerbaijani officials accusing the European broadcaster of harboring bias against Baku.

Afghanistan: Local Procurement Plan Potentially Risky Business for Pentagon - Experts

Tue, 08 Dec 2009 15:38:45 -0500

BY DEIRDRE TYNAN
With a series of decisions made earlier in 2009, Pentagon officials have made it easy for Central Asian companies to become contractors for the US war effort. While the Defense Department position may be based on solid reasoning, some experts believe that relying on local contractors undermines Washington's democratization objectives for Central Asia.

Turkey: Silicosis takes toll among textile workers

Tue, 08 Dec 2009 15:38:03 -0500

BY NICHOLAS BIRCH
The medical profession has known about silicosis for well over a century. But it usually manifests itself among miners and road-builders, and only after at least a decade of work. Since 2005, Turkish doctors have slowly become aware of a more acute version of the disease, affecting workers employed to give denim the worn look that has become fashionable over the past decade.

Turkey: Religious Festival Blends Past with Present

Fri, 04 Dec 2009 17:15:36 -0500

A EURASIANET PHOTO ESSAY BY JONATHAN LEWIS
In late November, Turks celebrated one of the most important festivals on the Islamic calendar, Eid al-Adha (the Feast of the Sacrifice), or Kurban Bayrami in Turkish. These days, as this photo essay by Jonathan Lewis shows, the festival helps even the most urbanized of Turks stay in touch with the ways of their forebears.

Azerbaijan: Baku Upset Over Lack of Karabakh Progress, Steps Up Anti-Western Rhetoric

Fri, 04 Dec 2009 17:15:12 -0500

BY SHAHIN ABBASOV
Azerbaijani officials have taken aim at the West in recent weeks, in what some analysts believe could be an attempt to secure Russia's support for a Baku-friendly settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh peace process.

Kazakhstan: Has Astana Met its OSCE Pledges?

Thu, 03 Dec 2009 16:02:24 -0500

BY JOANNA LILLIS
Kazakhstan will celebrate the New Year by fulfilling a cherished ambition: on January 1 it assumes the chairmanship of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe. But an OSCE Ministerial Council meeting, held in Athens December 1-2, offered a stark reminder that doubts remain over Kazakhstan's suitability for the job, due to its controversial record on political and democratic freedoms.

Georgia: Former TV Tycoon Plans New Channel to Challenge Government

Thu, 03 Dec 2009 16:02:00 -0500

BY GIORGI LOMSADZE
Erosi Kitsmarishvili, the man who changed Georgian television and who helped spark the 2003 revolution that brought President Mikheil Saakashvili to power, now claims he can unseat Saakashvili with the help of a tiny Tbilisi television channel.

Russia: Moscow Embraces New Initiative to Forge Post-Soviet Trade Bloc

Thu, 03 Dec 2009 16:01:31 -0500

BY SERGEI BLAGOV
Russia wants to turn a newly minted Customs Union with Belarus and Kazakhstan into its major vehicle for post-Soviet economic integration in Central Eurasia.

Kazakhstan: Watchdog Group Calls on Astana to Enhance the Rights of Migrant Workers

Wed, 02 Dec 2009 15:58:37 -0500

BY JOANNA LILLIS
Energy-rich Kazakhstan has been a magnet for Central Asian migrant workers for much of the last decade. Many make a decent living, but for some the dream turns into a nightmare of shakedowns by police, stolen wages, poor conditions and, in the worst cases, modern-day slavery.

Azerbaijan: Baku Mum on Washington��s Proposal for Turkmen Gas Deal

Wed, 02 Dec 2009 15:58:10 -0500

BY MINA MURADOVA
Azerbaijani officials aren��t commenting on a proposal made by a US diplomat, who said Turkmenistan should proceed with shipping gas via the Caspian Sea without first resolving its 18-year territorial dispute with Azerbaijan

Afghanistan: Are US Troops Coming or Going?

Wed, 02 Dec 2009 15:57:42 -0500

BY AUNOHITA MOJUMDAR
In Kabul, US President Barack Obama��s strategic vision for Afghanistan seems to be sowing confusion and skepticism.

Afghanistan: Is Obama Administration Using "Community Organizer" Policy Approach?

Wed, 02 Dec 2009 04:30:57 -0500

December 1 could well end up being D-Day for President Barack Obama. After an extended period of deliberation, Obama finally prepared to unveil his strategic plan for Afghanistan in a speech to be delivered at the US Military Academy at West Point. Success in Afghanistan would go a long way toward assuring Obama a second term. But if the plan fails to stem the Islamic militant insurgency, Afghanistan could cease being seen as a case of Bush-administration bungling and go down as an Obama-owned quagmire.

Armenia: Controversy Surrounds Uranium Mine

Wed, 02 Dec 2009 04:30:29 -0500

BY MARIANNA GRIGORYAN
A protest movement against a planned Russian-Armenian uranium mine in southern Armenia appears to be picking up steam, with discussions underway with three political parties about a partnership.

Tajikistan: Dushanbe May Stop Water Flow as Uzbekistan Pulls Plug on Power

Mon, 30 Nov 2009 16:04:44 -0500

BY KONSTANTIN PARSHIN
For more than a decade Tajikistan and Uzbekistan have had a rocky relationship. But now, following an announcement by Tashkent that it is withdrawing from the Central Asian electricity grid, bilateral ties may take a dangerous nosedive.

Azerbaijan: Tyumen-Baku Train Escapes Bombing Incident

Mon, 30 Nov 2009 16:03:54 -0500

Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin is linking a railway explosion that took place on November 30 in Russia's North Caucasian republic of Dagestan to a blast that derailed the Nevskiy Express train en route from Moscow to St. Petersburg three days earlier.

Georgia: Media Tunes Out Mukhrovani Mutiny Trial

Mon, 30 Nov 2009 16:03:26 -0500

BY MOLLY CORSO
A trial of 41 high-ranking officers, soldiers and civilians for an alleged mutiny and attempted government overthrow might seem like a prime candidate for saturation television coverage. But so far Georgia's Mukhrovani mutiny trial is generating little media interest. Some local journalists and analysts claim that the lack of coverage speaks volumes about the health of Georgian media.

Ostriches Revive Memories of Georgia's Political Past

Wed, 25 Nov 2009 13:29:58 -0500

A EURASIANET PHOTO ESSAY BY GIORGI LOMSADZE AND TEMO BARDZIMASHVILI
The six African ostriches at a farm south of Tbilisi may not know it, but they are, in fact, a long-necked part of Georgia's colorful political history.

Armenia: Scant Chance for Sargsyan-Ter Petrosian Pact, Analysts Say

Wed, 25 Nov 2009 13:29:29 -0500

BY MARIANNA GRIGORYAN
Controversy still surrounds ex-President Levon Ter Petrosian's statement that Armenia's attempted reconciliation with Turkey rendered President Serzh Sargsyan "a realistic and decisive statesman worthy of the 21st century." Some see the remarks as a bid to make the country's largest opposition group still appear relevant, but few believe that actual cooperation between the two longtime political foes is likely.

Kazakhstan: Rights Groups Disappointed by Progress Ahead of OSCE Chairmanship

Wed, 25 Nov 2009 13:29:03 -0500

BY KATYA KUMKOVA
When the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe finally decided to designate Kazakhstan as the chair of the group in 2010, the general hope in Vienna was that the responsibility would encourage Astana to liberalize its political system. But with just weeks to go before Kazakhstan's assumes the helm at the OSCE, those early hopes are proving illusory, leading Kazakhstani civil society activists say.

Azerbaijan: Baku Developing Satellite to Kick Off National Space Program

Tue, 24 Nov 2009 14:40:30 -0500

BY SHAHIN ABBASOV
First came oil. Now comes space. Flush with energy revenues, Officials in Baku are intent on launching Azerbaijan's first satellite by 2011.

Kazakhstan: Battle over Flagship Bank Illustrates Volatile Mix of Business and Politics

Tue, 24 Nov 2009 13:27:52 -0500

BY JOANNA LILLIS
The erstwhile flagship of Kazakhstan's banking sector, BTA Bank, is wrapping up a turbulent year: embattled by the credit crunch, dogged by allegations of massive fraud, nationalized under duress and forced to default on its debts. The bank is now at the center of an acrimonious legal battle in London while simultaneously negotiating with creditors to restructure debts

Tajikistan: Is the West Showing Signs of Democratization Fatigue?

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 13:36:41 -0500

BY ANDREI BOLGAR
The Organization for Security and Co-operation of Europe (OSCE) is expected to face a democratization test in February, when Tajikistan holds parliamentary elections. It's already a safe bet that the governing People's Democratic Party of Tajikistan will retain its hammerlock on the legislature. The election will nevertheless be interesting to follow as a gauge of the West's commitment to promoting democratization.

Turkmenistan: Washington Finesses Study-Abroad Controversy

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 16:20:25 -0500

BY DEIRDRE TYNAN
Prominent human rights advocates want the United States to consider invoking the Jackson-Vanik amendment against Turkmenistan over Ashgabat's refusal to let hundreds of young scholars leave the country to pursue their studies.

Uzbekistan: Opposition Figure's Release Signal of Warming Uzbek-US Ties?

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 13:59:57 -0500

Uzbekistan's recent release of a leading jailed opposition figure is stoking hopes for warmer relations between Tashkent and the West. But critics of President Islam Karimov's administration caution that the move does not signal Tashkent's intent to change its authoritarian ways.

Georgia: Government Plans Makeover of Get-Tough Financial Police

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 13:59:05 -0500

BY MOLLY CORSO
A proposal to revamp Georgia's aggressive financial police is raising red flags among some Georgian economists, who see the planned restructuring as contradicting the Georgian government's libertarian economic outlook.

Georgia: Falconers Struggle to Keep a Traditional Sport Alive

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 15:51:29 -0500

A EURASIANET AUDIO SLIDESHOW BY TEMO BARDZIMASHVILI
Almost every day, Ramiz Beridze, a 78-year-old widower, climbs a hill in his native region of Achara, a Georgian province on the Black Sea, to set a net for birds of prey. Falconry is the only thing that he does and the only thing he enjoys. But Berdize's hobby -- a traditional sport across Georgia -- raises questions about Achara's status as one of the world's top sites for seasonal bird migration.

Azerbaijan: Proposal to Cancel 2010 Parliamentary Elections Hits Road Block

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 15:51:07 -0500

BY MINA MIRADOVA
A governing party politician's proposal to postpone Azerbaijan's 2010 parliamentary elections "until the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict is resolved" has met with both support and censure from President Ilham Aliyev's Yeni Azerbaijan Party. While senior party officials now dismiss the proposal as "a joke," the idea suggests that some politicians are keen to test the outer limits of the ruling party's 16-year hold on power.

Kyrgyzstan: A Bleak Future Awaits Children with Disabilities

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 15:50:37 -0500

BY HAMID TURSUNOV
Radik Kutluev is now a pale and lean 31-year-old man living in Kyrgyzstan's southern capital of Osh. Before his body failed him, he aimed for a career as an accountant. Muscular dystrophy derailed that dream.

Central Asia Remains a Corruption Problem Area, While the Caucasus Registers Mixed Gains

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 13:01:16 -0500

BY JOSHUA KUCERA
Kazakhstan, Georgia and Azerbaijan all showed significant decreases in corruption over the past year, according to a recently published worldwide survey by a Berlin-based watchdog group. The survey also showed that Armenia's rating declined, and the rest of the Central Asian states remained near the bottom of the rankings.

Georgia: Unions Press for Labor Law Reform

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 12:59:44 -0500

BY PAUL RIMPLE
As Georgia strives to recover from the global economic crisis, the government is struggling to find a balancing point between the protection of workers' rights and the need for employers to boost output. President Mikheil Saakashvili's administration is hearing it from both sides. Labor union leaders claim that the government's overriding interest in attracting foreign investment is encouraging businesses to trample on workers' rights. Employers, meanwhile, are worried that potential changes to the labor code could turn off outside investors.

Turkey: Government Launches PR Offensive on Kurdish Question

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 13:40:55 -0500

BY NICHOLAS BIRCH
Turkey's political leaders are taking to the road to explain their plans to end a 25-year Kurdish war to the people. The PR offensive is opening amid rising political tensions and dwindling hopes of a multi-party accord on the initiative.

Azerbaijan: Baku Sees Turkey as Tough Customer on Gas Exports

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 12:03:22 -0500

BY SHAHIN ABBASOV
Amid a diplomatic chill, Azerbaijan and Turkey opened a new round of talks November 16 on an energy export price. Recent agreements on gas supplies to Bulgaria, Iran and Russia suggest that Baku is exploring alternative export routes as a means to pressure Ankara into paying significantly more for Azerbaijani natural gas.

Azerbaijan: Outrage and Disappointment Follow Bloggers' Conviction

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 07:34:56 -0500

BY JESSICA POWLEY HAYDEN
Many international and domestic observers worry that the recent convictions of two youth activist-bloggers in Azerbaijan are sounding the death knell for the democratization process in the South Caucasus country.

Kazakhstan: Nazarbayev Dodges President-for-Life Question Ahead of Astana's OSCE Chairmanship

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 07:34:35 -0500

BY JOANNA LILLIS
As Kazakhstan gears up to chair the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe in 2010, Astana is facing criticism over its recent democratization record. Helping to highlight the country's image issue is the question of whether or not President Nursultan Nazarbayev favors a proposal to dispense with elections and become president-for-life.

Turkmenistan: Students Slapped with Five-Year Travel Ban

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 14:16:12 -0500

Students prevented from studying at the American University of Central Asia (AUCA) in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, and later prohibited from traveling to the American University of Bulgaria, reportedly have been placed on a five-year travel blacklist, an opposition news site is reporting.

PR Plays a Big Role in the Search for Genghis Khan's Grave

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 13:55:30 -0500

BY JOSHUA KUCERA
The Valley of the Khans project, the American-led effort to find the tomb of Genghis Khan, has gone to great lengths to appeal to Mongolian sensibilities. Project leaders have hired Mongolian partners, including two prominent scholars, a "local media and political consultant/liaison" and a public relations agency.

Kazakhstan: Astana Hires DC Lobbyists to Work on Softening Aid Requirements

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 13:55:03 -0500

BY JOSHUA KUCERA
The government of Kazakhstan has hired a Washington lobbying firm to try to change regulations that require countries to make progress on human rights in order to receive US aid. Kazakhstani officials have indicated that they would prefer to not get the money at all, rather than be subjected to the "insulting" standards.

PR Plays a Big Role in the Search for Genghis Khan's Grave

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 12:23:19 -0500

Mining the Legacy for Modern-Day Profit

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 12:23:38 -0500

BY JOSHUA KUCERA
For Mongolia, where income from tourism accounts for nearly 20 percent of gross domestic product, Genghis Khan is already a major draw, with tour operators aggressively promoting the opportunity to "follow in Genghis' footsteps." Finding his grave, boosters say, will only increase the country��s appeal.

Azerbaijan: Court Convicts Youth Activists and Bloggers

Wed, 11 Nov 2009 12:08:14 -0500

BY JESSICA POWLEY HAYDEN
Youth activists Adnan Hajizade and Emin Milli were convicted on hooliganism and violence charges in a Baku court on November 11. International observers and youth activists immediately expressed outrage at the verdict. Twenty-six-year-old Adnan Hajizade, a co-founder of the OL (To Be) youth movement, and 30-year-old Emin Milli, a co-founder of the online Alumni Network, were arrested on July 8 for hooliganism after they allegedly started a brawl in a Baku cafe. The prosecution has drawn criticism from international human rights' organizations as well as local youth activists.

Genghis Khan's Legacy Being Reappraised in China, Russia

Wed, 11 Nov 2009 12:07:26 -0500

BY JOSHUA KUCERA
In Hohhot, the capital of the Chinese province of Inner Mongolia, there is a brand new Genghis Khan Square with a huge equestrian statue of the conqueror, and next to it runs Genghis Khan Boulevard. That China would so honor Genghis Khan, whose Mongol armies overwhelmed China in the 13th century and ruled it for more than a century, would seem unlikely. But Beijing, in an attempt to keep a close hold on its present-day Mongol minority, now reasons that since Genghis conquered China, he can be treated as a Chinese hero. This is the third installment of EurasiaNet correspondent Joshua Kucera's five-part special report on the search for Genghis Khan

Trying to Find a Needle without Touching the Hay

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 13:20:00 -0500

BY JOSHUA KUCERA
The newest team to mount a search for the grave of Genghis Khan is relying on state-of-the-art technology that combines massive computing power with a creative crowd-sourcing technique. This innovative method, organizers hope, will allow their team to succeed where earlier expeditions failed. This is the second installment of EurasiaNet correspondent Joshua Kucera's five-part special report on the search for Genghis Khan.

In Mongolia, Ambivalence Greets Efforts to Find the Great Khan's Tom

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 13:19:16 -0500

BY JOSHUA KUCERA
According to legend, when Genghis Khan died in 1227 in what is now northern China, his lieutenants wanted to keep the death a secret from the Mongols�� enemies. So as the party accompanying his body made its way back to Mongolia, they killed every person they saw on the way - more than 20,000 - so news of the death wouldn��t spread. Then, when they buried Genghis, they either redirected a river to cover the site, or set horses to trample the ground so no trace would be seen, or killed all the people who buried him, and then killed those killers.

Kyrgyzstan: The Sprawling Dordoi Market Now Struggling to Stay Open

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 13:18:12 -0500

For traders at the Dordoi Bazaar, a sprawling hub of wholesalers and retailers near Bishkek, the global financial crisis is taking a severe toll.

Georgian Official: Tbilisi Waiting for Pentagon to Expand Military Assistance

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 13:17:36 -0500

A EURASIANET PHOTO STORY BY GIORGI LOMSADZE AND MOLLY CORSO
As the US Marines train Georgian troops for service in Afghanistan, questions remain about whether or not the US coaching is helping the Georgian army to tackle defense challenges closer to home. One Georgian government official told EurasiaNet that White House interest in good relations with Moscow has so far delayed any broader assistance.

Central Asia: Swine Flu Fears Helping to Keep Potential Hajj Pilgrims Home

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 13:16:55 -0500

BY ALISHER KHAMIDOV
Concerns about the spread of swine flu are creating an additional hurdle for Central Asian believers hoping to make the Hajj, or the Muslim pilgrimage to Mecca. Some believers in the region say that Central Asian governments do more to frustrate than facilitate the Hajj, which is a moral obligation for every Muslim to undertake at least once in his or her lifetime.

Azerbaijan: Judge Rules Youth Activists Can't Access Cell Phone Records

Fri, 6 Nov 2009 13:07:27 -0500

BY JESSICA POWLEY HAYDEN The high-profile prosecution of two Azerbaijani youth activists and bloggers continued on November 6, marking the beginning of the third month of proceedings. In addition to testimony from the alleged victims, cell phone records from the investigatory file were introduced into evidence. Citing privacy concerns, the judge, however, refused to grant the defense access to the alleged victims�� records.

Central Asia: Swine Flu Fears Helping to Keep Potential Hajj Pilgrims Home

Fri, 6 Nov 2009 13:06:59 -0500

BY ALISHER KHAMIDOV Concerns about the spread of swine flu are creating an additional hurdle for Central Asian believers hoping to make the Hajj, or the Muslim pilgrimage to Mecca. Some believers in the region say that Central Asian governments do more to frustrate than facilitate the Hajj, which is a moral obligation for every Muslim to undertake at least once in his or her lifetime.

Mongolia: Shamanism is Making a Comeback

Thu, 5 Nov 2009 14:03:19 -0500

BY JOSHUA KUCERA When Degi, a 24-year-old web designer in Mongolia��s capital, Ulaanbaatar, hit a pedestrian in July 2008 with his Daewoo sedan, his luck took a turn for the worse. His company didn��t get a contract he was hoping for, and misfortune seemed to hover over his personal life. The family of the victim extorted money from him, threatening to sue and warning him that they had connections in the courts. So Degi, like many Mongolians, took his troubles to a shaman.

Tajikistan: Business Climate Improving, But Corruption Remains an Obstacle to

Thu, 5 Nov 2009 12:30:11 -0500

BY DAVID TRILLING Not so long ago, entrepreneurs opening businesses in Tajikistan would routinely complain of visits by government inspectors from myriad state agencies, each with a discerning eye for anything amiss and a voracious appetite for somoni, the local currency. An official would enter the premises and notice the fire extinguisher, for example, was fastened too high or too low on the wall. Another would say some document hadn��t been stamped in the right place. Unless the appropriate bribe was proffered, the business would be closed for an investigation, or registration withheld.

Turkey: Ankara Pressing Ahead with Diplomatic Make-Over

Wed, 4 Nov 2009 13:57:14 -0500

BY YIGAL SCHLEIFER Autumn has been a busy -- if not dizzying -- period for Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu. Turkey is attempting a drastic diplomatic make-over, one that would transform Ankara into a regional power broker.

Mongolia: Ethnic Kazakhs Eye Land of Opportunity to the West

Wed, 4 Nov 2009 12:34:31 -0500

BY JOANNA LILLIS There was a festive mood in a village in Mongolia��s Khovd District recently as family and friends gathered to celebrate the birth of a baby into an ethnic Kazakh family. A new arrival is always cause for celebration in a Kazakh household, marked with a succession of events from the "cradle party" soon after the birth to the "string cutting" ceremony to snip a symbolic string when the child starts walking.

Playing the Slots: Georgia��s Hidden Addiction?

Wed, 4 Nov 2009 10:44:23 -0500

A EURASIANET PHOTO ESSAY BY PAUL RIMPLE AND SOPHIA MIZANTE Amid a Tbilisi slot-parlor boom, experts believe that problem gambling is on the rise in Georgia. The gaming industry may be pouring millions each year into state coffers, but the social costs of gambling are going unmeasured.

Tajikistan: Cotton Harvest Relies Heavily on Child Labor

Tue, 3 Nov 2009 14:12:11 -0500

When it comes to the use of child labor to help bring in Tajikistan��s cotton crop, the government��s heart may be in the right place. Officials in Dushanbe have tried to prohibit the practice. But practical circumstances in the impoverished Central Asian nation mean that children are still found out in the fields during the harvest season.

Eurasian Energy: Circumstances Pushing Iran and Pakistan to Link Up

Tue, 3 Nov 2009 14:11:35 -0500

A EURASIANET COMMENTARY BY STEPHEN BLANK For most of 2009, a pipeline deal involving Iran, Pakistan and India, has been stalled. But recent indicators suggest that a new version of the pipeline could get moving again.

Georgia: Free-Speech Debate Swirls in Tbilisi over Patriarch Parody

Mon, 2 Nov 2009 14:44:17 -0500

BY MOLLY CORSO The Georgian government is conducting an investigation into a series of video clips posted on Facebook that insult the head of the Georgian Orthodox Church, Patriarch Ilia II. The clips are fueling a debate about the boundaries of freedom of expression in Georgia.

Afghanistan: Karzai Declared President, But Is Abdullah the Real Winner?

Mon, 2 Nov 2009 14:43:41 -0500

BY AUNOHITA MOJUMDAR In Afghanistan, the loser of the presidential election may end up the winner, and the victor may be the one who reflects on the result as a severe political setback.

Turkmenistan: Is Berdymukhamedov Spinning a Web Fantasy?

Mon, 2 Nov 2009 14:42:46 -0500

In the hands of the Turkmen people, President Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov��s regime tends to view the Internet as a dangerous implement. Yet, kept under proper supervision, Berdymukhamedov evidently feels the web can make the Turkmen government more efficient.

Georgia: Luxury Hotel Goes Up on Stalin-Era Secret Prison Site

Fri, 30 Oct 2009 13:58:27 -0400

A EURASIANET PHOTO ESSAY BY MOLLY CORSO Secret prison cells from the Stalin era have been discovered on a Tbilisi construction site for a $90-million luxury hotel for the international Kempinski Hotel chain. The cells, located in the city��s former Institute of Marxism and Leninism, are believed to be the first of their kind to be found in Georgia since the collapse of the Soviet Union.

Kazakhstan: US Diplomats Rap Astana��s Democratization Performance

Thu, 29 Oct 2009 15:39:21 -0400

As Kazakhstan prepares to assume the chair of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, US diplomats are exerting pressure on Astana to enact promised reforms.

Turkey: Kurdish Peace Initiative Builds Momentum

Thu, 29 Oct 2009 13:59:37 -0400

BY NICHOLAS BIRCH Turkey��s government is vowing to push forward with an initiative aimed at ending a 25-year Kurdish war. Changing geopolitical circumstances are helping to make Kurdish militants more open to a lasting peace deal.

Kazakhstan: A Showpiece of Energy Wealth Rises in the Western Desert

Thu, 29 Oct 2009 10:46:40 -0400

BY JOANNA LILLIS AND DAVID TRILLING Kazakhstan��s port city of Aktau on the Caspian Sea has had some ups and downs in its short history. Founded just half a century ago, it thrived as a center of the Soviet uranium and chemical industries but then plunged into decline amid the economic chaos that accompanied the collapse of Communism. The last decade has seen Aktau reinvent itself as an oil town, and it now figures prominently in President Nursultan Nazarbayev��s ambitious development strategy.

Kyrgyzstan: Government Shakeup Highlighting Regional Rifts

Wed, 28 Oct 2009 14:52:33 -0400

BY ALISHER KHAMIDOV Kyrgyzstan��s regional rivalries are deepening, as various elite groups, especially those with their power bases in northern Kyrgyzstan, are growing discontent with recent personnel and organizational decisions made by President Kurmanbek Bakiyev��s administration.

Turkmenistan: Ashgabat Set to Silence Civic Activist

Wed, 28 Oct 2009 13:11:49 -0400

BY DEIRDRE TYNAN Human rights groups are calling for top-level Western and Russian diplomatic intervention to halt the politically motivated prosecution of an environmental activist in Turkmenistan. Political and economic considerations make it unlikely that such outreach will be forthcoming, however.

Afghanistan: Kabul Fortunetellers Find Niche amid Ongoing Turmoil

Wed, 28 Oct 2009 12:12:54 -0400

A EURASIANET PHOTO ESSAY BY ELISSA BOGOS Through centuries of conflict, fortunetellers have been a steady source of consolation for Afghans. Some date their practice to the time of Alexander the Great, whose army sought out soothsayers during its conquest of the region. Today, falbins, as they are known, operate in Kabul out of small shops, shacks or on street corners outside mosques and shrines. Their popularity is persisting, despite the occasional police sweep and criticism from mullahs, who believe their practices to be un-Islamic.

Afghanistan: International Community Quiet as Independent Election Commission Flouts Law

Mon, 26 Oct 2009 16:05:21 -0400

BY AUNOHITA MOJUMDAR Although Afghanistan��s key political players have acknowledged the need for a second round of presidential voting, a crisis of legitimacy continues to grip the electoral process, with the Independent Election Commission (IEC) disregarding some decisions issued by the Electoral Complaints Commission (ECC).

Mongolia: Global Warming Hits Mongolia��s Nomads Hard

Mon, 26 Oct 2009 14:41:28 -0400

BY JOSHUA KUCERA Global warming is having a harsh effect on Mongolia��s nomadic herders, who comprise about 40 percent of the country��s overall 3 million inhabitants. Since 1940, the mean air temperature in the country has increased 1.6 degrees Celsius. Heat waves are longer, and rain patterns have shifted. The Gobi Desert, in the south of the country, is creeping northward.

Georgia: Are Guantanamo Bay Prisoners Heading for Tbilisi?

Mon, 26 Oct 2009 12:29:33 -0400

BY MOLLY CORSO A senior Georgian official tells EurasiaNet that Tbilisi and Washington are discussing the possibility of Georgia accepting suspected terrorists currently being held at the US military prison at Guantanamo Bay on the island of Cuba.

Book Review: Tracing the History of Russian Involvement in the Caucasus

Fri, 23 Oct 2009 15:22:55 -0400

BY ALEX VAN OSS Bruce Grant��s intriguing new book, The Captive and the Gift, causes readers to reflect not only on Russia��s two centuries of military involvement in the Caucasus, but also upon the United States�� involvement in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Kyrgyzstan: US Military Tries to Boost Local Participation in Defense Contracting Process

Fri, 23 Oct 2009 14:46:20 -0400

BY DEIRDRE TYNAN Kyrgyz firms are being invited to take advantage of commercial opportunities connected with the presence of an American transit center outside Bishkek. From the American military perspective, it��s a win-win situation if Kyrgyz companies get more involved in the procurement process: the Defense Department generates local goodwill that can improve the operation of the Northern Distribution Network, while the local economy stands to receive a financial boost.

Turkey: The Internet Helps Some Rural Men Practice Polygamy

Fri, 23 Oct 2009 13:19:55 -0400

BY YIGAL SCHLEIFER To get a sense of how modern technology can be put to use in the service of ancient tradition, one might want to consider a visit to the Yildirim internet cafe in Gokce, a small, poor and dusty village near Turkey��s southern border with Syria.

Georgia: Tbilisi Tries to Improve Prison Conditions

Thu, 22 Oct 2009 13:55:34 -0400

BY MOLLY CORSO Human rights advocates have long assailed Georgia for the squalid conditions of its prisons. Reforms implemented in early 2009 have produced few tangible improvements inside prisons, activists say. Officials insist, however, that the overhaul of the prison system is moving forward ahead of schedule.

Kyrgyzstan: Ethnic Minority Expands Ties to South Korea

Thu, 22 Oct 2009 13:28:36 -0400

BY EVAN SPARLING Sasha, a 17 year-old ethnic Korean student in Bishkek, only knows one word in Korean: hello. She has lived all her life in the former Soviet Union, speaks Russian, and physically resembles a Kyrgyz so much that few can guess her true ethnicity. She does not even know when, exactly, her relatives migrated to the Soviet Union. But none of this stops her from emphatically declaring, "Of course I am proud to be Korean."

Uzbekistan: European Union Looks Likely to Lift Arms Embargo

Thu, 22 Oct 2009 13:12:22 -0400

BY DEIRDRE TYNAN The European Union appears poised to lift its four-year arms embargo against Uzbekistan. EU officials say strategic necessity is exerting pressure on Brussels to fully engage Tashkent. Critics, however, contend that by compromising on principles, the European Union is sacrificing long-term interests for immediate, but likely fleeting gains.

Armenia: Opposition Journalist Trial Reopens Old Wounds

Wed, 21 Oct 2009 16:43:19 -0400

BY MARIANNA GRIGORYAN A freedom-of-expression controversy in Armenia is intensifying amid the opening of the trial of one of ex-president Levon Ter-Petrosian��s most influential supporters, opposition journalist Nikol Pashinian.

Turkmenistan: Ashgabat Energy-Reserve Controversy Continues to Flare

Wed, 21 Oct 2009 14:51:01 -0400

BY REGIS GENTE Are Turkmenistan��s energy reserve figures fudged or not? Just over a week after allegations first surfaced that the Turkmen government��s claims are grossly hyped, the controversy over Ashgabat��s export capacity is still flaring. Representatives of the firm that conducted the original audit are vigorously defending their reputation for thoroughness. Meanwhile, a whistleblower says he remains confident in the accuracy of his sources�� information.

Central Asia: The Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan Undergoing Dangerous Transformation

Tue, 20 Oct 2009 16:14:34 -0400

BY DEIRDRE TYNAN The Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (IMU) is undergoing a metamorphosis that could transform the Islamic militant group into a far more dynamic foe for Central Asian governments, as well as for the US and NATO troops in Afghanistan.

Armenia: Yerevan Counts on Bank to Strengthen Ties with Diaspora

Tue, 20 Oct 2009 14:37:54 -0400

BY HAROUTIUN KHACHATRIAN The Armenian government is trying to systematize long-standing economic relationships between the mother country and its vast diaspora community. The centerpiece of the initiative is the creation of an All-Armenian Bank, which would be used as an economic engine for domestic development. Even before its launch, however, some experts in Yerevan are expressing skepticism about the bank��s ability to achieve its stated aims, citing a lack of conceptual clarity.

Kyrgyzstan: Bakiyev��s Reform Push Strives to Contain Corruption in Bishkek

Tue, 20 Oct 2009 13:03:29 -0400

BY ALISHER KHAMIDOV Kyrgyzstan��s cabinet resigned on October 20 as President Kurmanbek Bakiyev announced a broad plan to restructure the government. Political experts in Bishkek offered guarded praise for Bakiyev��s reform scheme, with some suggesting that it represented perhaps the last, best hope for his administration to contain corruption in the Central Asian state.

Afghanistan: Human Rights Commission Disregards UN

Mon, 19 Oct 2009 15:07:08 -0400

BY AUNOHITA MOJUMDAR Afghanistan��s political deadlock deepened October 19 as the Electoral Complaints Commission (ECC) announced that it had invalidated a large number of the ballots cast in the August 20 presidential poll. The commission did not specify an exact number, but many experts now believe the ECC��s action will require a run-off between the incumbent, Hamid Karzai, and his top challenger, Dr. Abdullah Abdullah.

Turkmenistan: Investment Conference Highlights Slow Pace of Reform

Mon, 19 Oct 2009 13:33:35 -0400

Attempting to develop an image as an investment-friendly destination, Ashgabat hosted what was billed as the inaugural International Investment Forum of Turkmenistan in mid-October. Turkmen leaders spent lavishly to produce a slick three-day event. Nevertheless, some business executives were not sold on the concept of Turkmenistan being an open economic environment.

Turkey: Relations Between Ankara And Israel Becoming Chilly

Mon, 19 Oct 2009 12:05:22 -0400

BY YIGAL SCHLEIFER The once-vital relationship between Turkey and Israel is going through a distinctly frosty period. The chill began after the invasion of Gaza earlier this year, which Ankara criticized harshly. But now ties between the two Middle East allies are diving further and some experts are now wondering if the relationship is coming to end.

Kyrgyzstan: New Documentary Puts a Human Face on an Economic Conundrum

Fri, 16 Oct 2009 15:52:12 -0400

BY LAURIE RICH Swedish documentary filmmaker Magnus Gertten and veteran journalist Elin J��nsson followed the Sultanov family in both Kyrgyzstan and Russia from November of 2005 to April of 2008. Their three-year effort produced an intimate work that puts a human face on the issue of Central Asian labor migration.

Georgia: Debating the Fate of Stalin��s Statue

Fri, 16 Oct 2009 15:24:12 -0400

A EURASIANET PHOTO ESSAY BY GIORGI LOMSADZE AND TEMO BARDZIMASHVILI Amid an ongoing exercise in national self-examination, Georgians are confronting the legacy of the country��s most famous, and notorious, native son -- Joseph Stalin. A significant number of Georgians now blame Stalin��s legacy for the country��s present-day woes. This trend, in turn, is fueling a debate over what to do with the most tangible symbol of that legacy -- the Stalin statue in the city of Gori.

Afghanistan: Is Power-Sharing Deal in the Offing in Kabul?

Thu, 15 Oct 2009 14:26:50 -0400

BY AUNOHITA MOJUMDAR Widespread evidence of fraud marred Afghanistan��s August 20 presidential vote and subsequently raised disturbing questions about the future legitimacy of Afghanistan��s executive branch. It now seems that the country��s leading political actors are exploring a way to restore the election��s integrity. Ironically, it appears as though a back-room bargain, rather than continued reliance on the ballot box, may be the preferred way to solve the crisis of legitimacy.

Georgia: Will the Theories of Economic Deregulation Face Harsh Reality in Tbilisi?

Thu, 15 Oct 2009 12:51:16 -0400

BY MOLLY CORSO Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili insists that a package of constitutional reforms will transform Georgia into a global showcase for the benefits of economic deregulation. However, a sharp recent decline in foreign investment, coupled with a gaping trade deficit, is raising questions about whether Saakashvili��s deregulatory push will do more harm than good to the Georgian economy, analysts say.

Kyrgyzstan: Gangs Govern Life in Many Kyrgyz Schools

Thu, 15 Oct 2009 12:34:54 -0400

BY WILLIAM O'CONNOR Organized crime is making inroads into Kyrgyz schools. This trend is forcing students like Turgunbek, a 16 year old at Bishkek��s School Number 67, to worry just as much about carving out a safe spot in the school��s pecking order as he does about his studies.

Turkey: Soccer Diplomacy Plays Out During Turkish-Armenian Cup Qualifier

Wed, 14 Oct 2009 17:15:56 -0400

A EURASIANET PHOTO ESSAY BY MONIQUE JAQUES The Turkish and Armenian national teams met for a World Cup qualifier on October 14. The outcome on the field turned out to be of secondary importance to the action in the stands. Turkish President Abdullah Gul and his Armenian counterpart Serzh Sargsyan watched the match from a VIP box, hoping to boost a reconciliation initiative to end almost a century of enmity between the two nations. Turkish fans, meanwhile, were generally upbeat about the rapprochement, but that didn��t stop some from trying to show solidarity with Turkey��s ally Azerbaijan.

Afghanistan: Rethinking the Af-Pak Strategy

Wed, 14 Oct 2009 13:14:46 -0400

It is true that Afghanistan and Pakistan are fighting a common enemy in the Taliban and al Qaeda. But the nature of insurgency and engagement is quite different in the two countries. The Pakistani military is fighting an insurgency mainly against its own people. It��s different in Afghanistan: government forces are fighting both local militants and terrorist mercenaries that primarily infiltrate from, and are trained and equipped by, elements from across the country��s southeastern border.

Kyrgyzstan: Bishkek and Tashkent Weigh Gas and Water Concerns

Wed, 14 Oct 2009 12:56:51 -0400

BY ALISHER KHAMIDOV What��s more valuable in Central Asia, natural gas or water? Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan may soon find out. A recent Uzbek move to cut gas supplies has many Kyrgyz worrying about how to stay warm this winter. But experts say the gas cut-off may end up being counterproductive for Tashkent because it will encourage Kyrgyzstan to develop its hydro-power generating capacity. That would be a development which potentially causes a significant reduction in the volume of water flowing into Uzbekistan.

Kazakhstan: Domestic Politics Bubbling as Astana Prepares to Assume OSCE Chair

Wed, 14 Oct 2009 11:45:18 -0400

BY JOANNA LILLIS Domestic critics of President Nursultan Nazarbayev��s administration in Kazakhstan are rising again. The opposition��s revival may create an internal challenge for Nazarbayev and increase international attention on Kazakhstan��s democratization process, as Astana prepares to lead the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe in 2010.

Afghanistan: Central Asian States Now Allowing Military Cargo Bound for US, NATO Forces

Tue, 13 Oct 2009 12:19:08 -0400

Signaling a sense of strategic urgency to counter recent Taliban gains, the Northern Distribution Network is being adapted to handle the transit of weaponry and hardware destined for US and NATO troops fighting in Afghanistan.

Turkmenistan: More Empty Talk about the Resumption of Gas Exports to Russia?

Fri, 9 Oct 2009 13:13:45 -0400

BY REGIS GENTE Turkmenistan has proven a fickle energy-export partner for all foreign companies trying to do business there. Yet, a Kremlin spokesperson��s recent statement that Russia would resume natural gas imports as soon as the end of October, confirms that hope springs eternal when it comes to the question of Ashgabat and energy.

Azerbaijan: Baku Hopes Turkish-Armenian Rapprochement Means Deal on Karabakh

Fri, 9 Oct 2009 12:07:16 -0400

BY SHAHIN ABBASOV On the eve of the October 10 signing of protocols for reconciliation between Turkey and Armenia, Azerbaijani officials have muted expectations that a rapprochement between Yerevan and Ankara can translate in a breakthrough in the Nagorno-Karabakh peace process.

Georgia: Using Tea to Promote Peace in the South Caucasus

Fri, 9 Oct 2009 11:30:25 -0400

One of the few things that all residents of the South Caucasus have in common is a love of tea. Betting on local tea-drinking customs, a group of regional manufacturers hopes that a joint tea brand -- involving individuals and entities from Georgia, Azerbaijan, Armenia, as well as the breakaway regions of South Ossetia and Nagorno-Karabakh -- may help ease feelings of enmity in the region.

Georgia: After Decades in Exile, Meskhetian Turks Return to Lost Homeland

Fri, 9 Oct 2009 11:08:43 -0400

A EURASIANET SLIDESHOW BY TEMO BARDZIMASHVILI Roughly 65 years ago, Osman, a 90-year-old Meskhetian Turk, lost his home in Georgia to Stalin��s dictat. Now, after a lifetime in Central Asia, Osman, along with hundreds of other Meskhetian Turks, is trying to come home again.

Kazakhstan: Convicted Rights Activist Files Appeal

Wed, 7 Oct 2009 16:00:42 -0400

BY CATHERINE A. FITZPATRICK Prominent human rights activist Yevgeny Zhovtis of Kazakhstan, imprisoned in September on a vehicular manslaughter charge, is appealing his conviction. Zhovtis�� legal team is basing the appeal in part on an assertion that the court was biased against the defendant.

Azerbaijan: Defense Hits Snags in Youth Activist Trial

Wed, 7 Oct 2009 13:42:02 -0400

BY MINA MIRADOVA The presiding judge in the trial of two Azerbaijani youth activists rebuffed a fresh motion to set the pair free on bail. Trial testimony on October 7 dealt an additional setback to the defense, as an expert witness failed to clearly corroborate the defendants�� contention that they did not assault two individuals in a Baku caf�� back in July.

Afghanistan: Women Strive to Make Voices Heard in Strategic Debate

Wed, 7 Oct 2009 13:08:11 -0400

BY AUNOHITA MOJUMDAR Women have struggled to make their voices heard in Afghanistan. It turns out that many Afghan women��s rights activists are ardent supporters of a strong US military presence in the country. Gen. Stanley McChrystal, the commander of US forces in Afghanistan, might do well to broadcast their opinions amid the continuing debate over US war strategy.

Kyrgyzstan: Prime Minister Chudinov Pledges Action on Stalled Adoptions

Wed, 7 Oct 2009 11:45:28 -0400

BY LAURIE RICH Kyrgyz Prime Minister Igor Chudinov has promised US legislators that he will urge his country��s parliament to expedite the adoptions of 65 Kyrgyz orphans by American families.

Turkey: IMF Meeting in Istanbul Marked by Police-Protester Confrontation

Tue, 6 Oct 2009 13:48:59 -0400

A EURASIANET PHOTO ESSAY BY JONATHAN LEWIS The Tsarist-era Russian anarchist gadflies Mikhail Bakunin and Peter Kropotkin are widely credited with coming up with the slogan "anarchy is the mother of order." But on October 6, protesters mainly demonstrated that anarchy is the progenitor of destruction.

Uzbekistan: Officials Forcing Entertainers to Sing Praises to the Government -- or Else

Tue, 6 Oct 2009 13:48:05 -0400

As it struggles to keep a lid on political dissent while also trying to keep the wheels from coming off the economy, the government of Uzbekistan is co-opting the country��s entertainment industry. Local show-biz personalities are being forced to conform to the state��s wishes, and those who don��t get with the program are having the plugs pulled on their careers.

Armenia: Karabakh Talks Poses Big Challenge for Armenian-Turkish Rapprochement

Tue, 6 Oct 2009 11:29:09 -0400

Recent comments by Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan on the status of the disputed territory of Nagorno-Karabakh suggest that the peace process remains at an impasse. That, in turn, could complicate Armenian-Turkish reconciliation efforts.

Armenia: Archeologists Say They��ve Found Remains of World��s Oldest Human Brain

Wed, 30 Sep 2009 13:01:27 -0400

A EURASIANET PHOTO ESSAY BY GAYANE ABRAHAMYAN An Armenian-American-Irish archeological expedition claims to have found the remains of the world��s oldest human brain, estimated to be over 5,000 years old. The team also says it has found evidence of what may be history��s oldest winemaking operation. The discoveries were made recently in a cave in southeastern Armenia.

Turkmenistan: Gazprom Won��t Be Buying Gas from Ashgabat for the Rest of ��09

Wed, 30 Sep 2009 13:01:05 -0400

Gazprom and the government of Turkmenistan have tried to turn over a new leaf in their contentious energy relationship. But the page is proving to be uncommonly sticky.

Afghanistan: New Supply Route May Create Fresh Headaches -- Expert

Tue, 29 Sep 2009 14:24:47 -0400

The opening of the US- and NATO-backed Northern Distribution Network (NDN), a second resupply route for coalition forces fighting in Afghanistan, may be a mixed blessing for Central Asia. On the one hand, it has the potential to ease a logistics bottleneck, but it also threatens to become a magnet for Islamic militant violence.

Armenia: Yerevan in Uproar Over Protocol Signing Date with Turkey

Mon, 28 Sep 2009 15:42:24 -0400

BY MARIANNA GRIGORYAN Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan��s announcement that Turkey and Armenia on October 10 will sign protocols on diplomatic normalization ties is having an unsettling effect on domestic politics in Yerevan. Some Armenian opposition politicians are complaining that the signing-date announcement makes a mockery of a parliamentary debate on the issue, scheduled to take place on October 1.

Caspian Basin: Pentagon Web Initiative Sparks Debate on Best Methods for Winning Hearts and Minds

Mon, 28 Sep 2009 12:29:25 -0400

BY DEIRDRE TYNAN A US Defense Department Internet initiative is stoking a debate among experts about whether the Pentagon is overreaching.

Georgia��s Abkhaz IDP Schools Keep Dream of Return to Abkhazia Alive

Mon, 28 Sep 2009 11:43:08 -0400

A EURASIANET PHOTO ESSAY BY MOLLY CORSO Nearly 20 years after Georgia��s disastrous war against Abkhaz separatists, Georgian children whose families fled the breakaway region still study in segregated schools designed to keep the memory of Georgian-controlled Abkhazia alive. Now that the dream of reunification seems to be fading, critics fear that the schools�� existence will complicate efforts to integrate displaced families into mainstream Georgian society.

Azerbaijan: Karabakh IDPs Emerge to Promote Baku��s Peace Plan

Fri, 25 Sep 2009 14:11:51 -0400

BY SHAHIN ABBASOV Azerbaijani Internally Displaced Persons from Nagorno-Karabakh have emerged as a potential new lever of influence for Baku in its protracted negotiations with Armenia over a conflict-resolution plan for the disputed territory, analysts say.

Turkey: Is Ankara Set to Become a Vital Player in Revamped US Anti-Missile Shield?

Fri, 25 Sep 2009 13:19:43 -0400

BY YIGAL SCHLEIFER Speculation is building in Turkey over whether Ankara will play a part in a revamped US missile-defense network, one designed mainly to contain Iran. Conjecture is being fueled by two recent developments: the Obama administration��s decision to scrap the construction of an anti-missile shield in Central Europe, and Turkey��s own announcement that it intends to purchase its first missile-defense system.

Afghanistan: Russia Genuinely Concerned that America is Losing It

Thu, 24 Sep 2009 13:21:38 -0400

A EURASIANET COMMENTARY BY MARK KATZ Russia is allowing US military equipment destined for Afghanistan to pass through Russian airspace without charging a transit fee, thereby saving the Pentagon an estimated $133 million per year. Some in Washington and other Western capitals hope Moscow��s stance is a harbinger of broader US-Russian cooperation to come, especially on Iran. But others suspect the Kremlin has ulterior motives, wanting to trade cooperation on the Afghan re-supply effort for American acquiescence to a controlling role for Russia in the Caucasus and Central Asia.

Kazakhstan: Nazarbayev President-For-Life Trial Balloon Draws Lots of Darts

Thu, 24 Sep 2009 13:21:00 -0400

BY JOANNA LILLIS Kazakhstan is buzzing with speculation in the wake of a proposal floated earlier in September to make Nursultan Nazarbayev president for life. The timing of the suggestion is just a little awkward for Astana, given that Kazakhstan will soon take over the chair of Europe��s leading democratization group -- the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE).

Uzbekistan: Officials Mum on Terror Trial

Wed, 23 Sep 2009 15:33:26 -0400

In Uzbekistan, justice may not be blind, but officials in the judicial system seem to turn mute when asked for details about legal proceedings.

Kyrgyzstan: US and Kyrgyz Legislators Seek Way to End Adoption Delay

Wed, 23 Sep 2009 15:09:31 -0400

BY LAURIE RICH The 65 American families whose adoptions of Kyrgyz orphans have been stalled for more than a year are picking up political support in both the United States and Kyrgyzstan, as they hope to bring their ordeal to a quick conclusion.

Kyrgyzstan: On Anniversary of Language Law, Kyrgyz-First Policies Encounter Harsh Criticism

Wed, 23 Sep 2009 14:00:56 -0400

BY CHINGHIZ UMETOV On this, the 20th, anniversary of the adoption of Kyrgyz as the state language, government language policies remain a source of contention in Kyrgyzstan.

Afghanistan: Balkh Governor Trumpets Security Warning for Northern Afghanistan

Wed, 23 Sep 2009 11:21:34 -0400

BY AUNOHITA MOJUMDAR When Afghan President Hamid Karzai appointed General Atta Mohammad Noor as governor of the northern province of Balkh in 2004, the move seemed motivated by a presidential desire to curb the influence of Abdul Rashid Dostum, then the most powerful warlord in Northern Afghanistan.

Afghanistan: Pentagon Strives to ��Wrest the Information Offensive�� away from the Taliban

Tue, 22 Sep 2009 15:13:44 -0400

The NATO-led International Security Force in Afghanistan (ISAF) is preparing to launch a media offensive aimed at reducing deaths, both military and civilian, from improvised explosive devices (IEDs).

Armenia: Which Way is Up for the Armenian Economy?

Tue, 22 Sep 2009 14:43:24 -0400

BY MARIANNA GRIGORYAN The Armenian government is predicting the imminent return of sunny days for the country��s economy. But talk to Armenians outside the capital of Yerevan and their forecast calls for extended periods of gloom.

Kyrgyzstan: Soviet-Era Boom Town Literally Being Sold for Scrap

Tue, 22 Sep 2009 12:26:29 -0400

A EURASIANET PHOTO ESSAY BY DAVID TRILLING Nestled high in a stunning valley with an abundance of mineral deposits, residents of Min Kush once had many reasons to boast.

Afghanistan: Despite Fraud, Female Electoral Participation Registers Gains

Mon, 21 Sep 2009 14:59:20 -0400

BY RICHARD WEITZ Amid the blight that is Afghanistan��s ongoing election fraud scandal, there is a bright spot: the August presidential and provincial council elections showed that more Afghan women than ever participated in the political process.

Uzbekistan: Cash Crunch Causing Retail Gridlock

Mon, 21 Sep 2009 13:43:01 -0400

A summer-long shortage of cash in Uzbekistan��s portion of the Ferghana Valley shows no signs of abating, and the phenomenon appears to be spreading to other parts of the Central Asian nation.

Mongolia: Herders Move with the Seasons

Mon, 21 Sep 2009 12:48:39 -0400

BY JOANNA LILLIS Fall is approaching, and Mongol and Kazakh herders in the Altay Mountains of western Mongolia are on the move. The herders migrate four times a year, taking with them all their possessions -- animals, yurts, furniture, milking stools, and other equipment. This year, the summer has been especially trying, thanks to a blizzard that hit the valleys around Tavan Bogd in mid-August, killing livestock and migratory birds. In this EurasiaNet slideshow, correspondent Joanna Lillis explains how the herders coped with nature��s surprise.

Central Asia: Pentagon Plans for Deployment of Special Forces to States Outside Afghanistan

Thu, 17 Sep 2009 14:21:36 -0400

BY DEIRDRE TYNAN The US military is preparing for a worst-case scenario in Central Asia. The Pentagon is presently developing plans covering the potential deployment of elite Special Forces to Central Asian states other than Afghanistan.

Afghanistan: Democratization Process Threatened as Fa��ade of International Unity Crumbles

Thu, 17 Sep 2009 13:45:14 -0400

A EURASIANET COMMENTARY BY AUNOHITA MOJUMDAR The international community is bitterly divided as it struggles to find a solution to the democratization dilemma posed by evidence of widespread fraud in the recent presidential election.

Central Asia: New Report Calls for Education Policy Changes for Special Needs Children

Thu, 17 Sep 2009 11:48:13 -0400

Despite almost 20 years of educational reforms in Central Asia, children with special needs continue to face hardships in Central Asia. A new review of regional education policies by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) is recommending that governments in the region do more to integrate children with special needs into a mainstream educational environment.

Azerbaijan: First Day of Baku Blogger Trial Features State Witness with Faulty Memory

Wed, 16 Sep 2009 15:45:45 -0400

Testimony began on September 16 in the high-profile prosecution of two Azerbaijani youth activists and bloggers on charges of hooliganism. Defense attorneys ridiculed one of the government��s chief witnesses, alleging that officials didn��t do a good job in coaching his responses. The trial is seen by civil society activists both inside and outside Azerbaijan as a pivotal case concerning free speech in the South Caucasus country.

PACE: Russia��s Membership in Key European Human Rights Organization Challenged

Wed, 16 Sep 2009 14:00:35 -0400

Europe��s top human rights body will consider suspending Russia��s membership in retaliation for Moscow��s refusal to withdraw its forces from the breakaway regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia and to retract its 2008 recognition of the two territories as independent states.

Kyrgzystan: Turkmen Student-Visa Controversy Creates Void at One Bishkek University

Wed, 16 Sep 2009 13:21:20 -0400

BY AZAT JENISH The academic year is getting underway at American University of Central Asia in Bishkek, but only about one-third of the expected contingent of Turkmen students is in position to begin classes. That��s because the Turkmen government is continuing to prevent dozens, if not hundreds, of students from going abroad for their higher education.

Armenia: Nationalists Launch Hunger Strikes against Turkey Reconciliation Deal

Wed, 16 Sep 2009 10:47:42 -0400

BY MARIANNA GRIGORYAN The tentative Armenian-Turkish plan for diplomatic normalization has sparked Armenia��s oldest political party, the nationalist-oriented Armenian Revolutionary Federation, to take to the streets with sit-down protests and hunger strikes. Public support for the party��s criticism that the Armenian government risks selling out Armenia��s national security interests appears to be spreading, even though it remains far from uniform.

Georgia: Ethnic Georgian District in Abkhazia Becomes Election Issue

Tue, 15 Sep 2009 15:07:26 -0400

BY PAUL RIMPLE For many in the breakaway region of Abkhazia, Russian recognition of Abkhazia��s independence means the promise of economic development and a guarantee of security against Georgia. But in Abkhazia��s predominantly ethnic Georgian district of Gali, Russian recognition has come to mean renewed emphasis on assimilation into Abkhaz society.

Central Asia: Rising Taliban Threat Prompt Regional Border Cooperation

Tue, 15 Sep 2009 12:48:50 -0400

A joint operation, involving the border services of every Central Asian state except Turkmenistan, is underway. The operation aims to enhance security along Central Asia��s southern frontier in response to the rise of Islamic militant activity in northern Afghanistan.

Uzbekistan: Arbitrary Land Redistribution Feeds Discontent

Tue, 15 Sep 2009 11:52:35 -0400

Local officials in Uzbekistan are manipulating regulations aimed at improving the efficient use of agricultural land to reward friends, relatives and political allies. This arbitrary action threatens to diminish crop production at a time of profound economic distress, and fuel popular distrust of the government.

Turkey: Government Using "Tax Terror" to Muzzle Independent Press -- Critics

Mon, 14 Sep 2009 14:26:15 -0400

BY YIGAL SCHLEIFER Is the Turkish government trying to break the back of a media conglomerate that has served as its most vocal opposition by slapping it with a whopping $2.5 billion tax penalty?

Afghanistan: Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan Fighters Active in Kunduz

Mon, 14 Sep 2009 14:17:34 -0400

BY DEIRDRE TYNAN Afghan government troops and foreign forces have gone on the offensive against Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (IMU) militants who are active in northern Afghanistan.

Uzbekistan: Nukus Contemporary Art Museum Survives amid Hardship

Mon, 14 Sep 2009 13:47:06 -0400

Lost in the rough of present-day economic hardship and environmental degradation, Uzbekistan��s state art museum in Nukus is a little-known treasure that houses a trove of the Soviet era��s unacknowledged cultural heritage. The museum, which contains perhaps the best collection of Russian avant-garde art outside of Moscow, recently celebrated 25 years since the death of its remarkable founder.

Azerbaijan: Blogger Trial in Baku Boosting Local Interest in Internet

Mon, 14 Sep 2009 13:46:15 -0400

BY MINA MIRADOVA Azerbaijani media watchdog organizations do not share the optimism recently expressed by the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe that two young video bloggers imprisoned for hooliganism will be released from jail soon.

Afghanistan and Pakistan: Examining the Obama Administration��s Eurasian Strategy

Fri, 11 Sep 2009 13:33:03 -0400

BY RICHARD WEITZ As concern about troop numbers in Afghanistan grows in Washington, the Obama administration remains optimistic that its strategy can, over the long-term, foster important economic, political, and military gains in South and Central Asia.

Turkey: Whither the Bulwark of Secularism?

Fri, 11 Sep 2009 13:01:08 -0400

A EURASIANET PHOTO ESSAY BY JONATHAN LEWIS For decades the Turkish military has seen itself as the chief pillar of Turkish society, always ready to step in should civilian leaders stray from secular orthodoxy, as established by Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the founder of modern Turkey. Now, feeling increasingly threatened legally and organizationally, generals are taking steps to remind government leaders that, as an institution, the Turkish military retains a powerful policy voice.

Kazakhstan: Zhovtis Case Turning into Test of Astana��s OSCE Credibility

Thu, 10 Sep 2009 15:35:50 -0400

BY JOANNA LILLIS Domestic and international pressure on Kazakhstan appears to be building as the case of prominent human rights activist Yevgeniy Zhovtis, who was convicted earlier in September of vehicular manslaughter a car that killed a pedestrian, is moving into the appeals phase.

Kyrgyzstan: New Military Base Plans Fuel Uzbekistan��s Ire

Thu, 10 Sep 2009 13:17:09 -0400

BY ALISHER KHAMIDOV Bishkek��s recent agreement with Moscow to create a new military base in southern Kyrgyzstan is complicating relations among Central Asian states. Uzbek and Tajik leaders are questioning the logic behind the Kremlin��s decision, and are warning that a new base could turn into a source of regional instability.

Kyrgyzstan: Adoption Reform Leaves Kyrgyz orphans, American families, in Limbo

Thu, 10 Sep 2009 12:09:02 -0400

Last November, Suzanne Boutilier was sitting outside a Kyrgyz orphanage, cradling the slight 6-month-old baby girl she was set to adopt. She sang to her daughter-to-be and kept returning to a Carly Simon tune with the refrain "Lovin�� you is the right thing to do," and every time she came to the chorus "Even though you��re 10,000 miles away," she would sob.

Uzbekistan: Authorities Link Tashkent Shootout in August to Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan

Wed, 9 Sep 2009 16:05:32 -0400

BY DEIRDRE TYNAN Authorities in Uzbekistan contend that Shaukat Makhmudov, one of three men killed in a Tashkent shootout in late August, was a top figure in the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan. Makhmudov, officials add, is suspected of orchestrating assassinations earlier in the summer and was one of the alleged masterminds of 1999 bombings in Tashkent.

Mongolia: Boom Times Ahead for Some Gobi Desert Villages

Wed, 9 Sep 2009 12:08:57 -0400

BY JOSHUA KUCERA Khanbogd, a remote town in southern Mongolia, has no paved roads, electricity only 5 �� hours a day, and a single restaurant that is closed on Saturdays. But its location, not far from what is about to become the biggest copper mine in the world, means that it is about to undergo a transformation so rapid and expansive that no one -- not mining company officials, outside experts or residents themselves -- can predict what will happen to their quiet hamlet.

Afghanistan: Dark Days for Democratization Hopes amid Burgeoning Electoral Fraud Controversy

Tue, 8 Sep 2009 14:38:09 -0400

BY AUNOHITA MOJUMDAR Two developments on September 8 seem likely to plunge Afghanistan into a long and debilitating battle over the country��s electoral process and the government��s very legitimacy. The crux of the unfolding problem is that the country��s two main electoral institutions appear at odds with each other.

Afghanistan: Northern Distribution Network Grapples With Growing Security Threat

Tue, 8 Sep 2009 14:12:27 -0400

The escalating insurgency in northern Afghanistan is threatening American and NATO efforts to develop the Northern Distribution Network (NDN). As the NDN gains greater strategic importance, observers warn it will increasingly become the focus of attacks. And such potential strikes could have consequences for Afghanistan��s northern neighbors in Central Asia.

Armenia: Fugitive Businessman Comes in From the Cold

Thu, 3 Sep 2009 15:33:37 -0400

BY MARIANNA GRIGORYAN One of Armenia��s most prominent entrepreneurs, who also happens to be a major supporter of opposition leader Levon Ter-Petrosian, is now in custody after spending more than a year in hiding. The fugitive businessman, Khachatur Sukiasian, has expressed a desire to clear his name of charges that he helped instigate political violence in March 2008.

Georgia: South Ossetians Cling to Arms

Thu, 3 Sep 2009 13:04:56 -0400

A EURASIANET PHOTO ESSAY BY KAREN MIRZOYAN Guns have been a fixture of life in Georgia��s breakaway region of South Ossetia for almost 20 years, needed by citizen-soldiers in the fight for their sovereignty. But now with Russian troops protecting the territory, the South Ossetian leadership is trying to disarm the population. As this EurasiaNet photo essay by Karen Mirzoyan shows, many Ossetians are unwilling to part with their guns.

Kazakhstan: Rights Activist Calls Guilty Verdict "Political Setup"

Thu, 3 Sep 2009 11:31:53 -0400

BY JOANNA LILLIS Yevgeny Zhovtis, one of Kazakhstan��s leading human rights activists, was found guilty on September 3 of vehicular manslaughter and sentenced to four years in prison. Prior to the reading of the verdict, Zhovtis denounced his two-day trial as a "political setup."

Kazakhstan: Rights Activist��s Manslaughter Trial Opens amid Intense International Scrutiny

Wed, 2 Sep 2009 15:54:15 -0400

BY JOANNA LILLIS One of Kazakhstan��s most prominent human rights activists went on trial September 2, charged with causing death by dangerous driving. The trial has cast a spotlight on Kazakhstan��s judicial system. It is also being viewed as a litmus test of Astana��s commitment to democratic procedures, coming as it does just four months before Kazakhstani officials take over the helm of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE).

Turkey Reconciliation Deal Cause for Controversy in Armenia, Azerbaijan

Wed, 2 Sep 2009 14:30:43 -0400

BY HAROUTIUN KHACHATRIAN AND SHAHIN ABBASOV After years of mud-slinging, Turkey and Armenia appear ready to restore diplomatic ties, but the initial reaction within Armenia suggests that the process could meet with strong political opposition. Watching closely from the sidelines, Turkish ally Azerbaijan, meanwhile, states that it expects Turkey to keep its word -- no diplomatic ties with Armenia until territories bordering the disputed region of Nagorno Karabakh are returned to Azerbaijani control.

Armenia, Turkey Prepare to Open Border

Wed, 2 Sep 2009 14:30:28 -0400

Late on August 31, Turkey, Armenia and mediator Switzerland released a protocol on "The Establishment of Diplomatic Relations" that acts as a guideline for Ankara and Yerevan to sign an agreement on diplomatic recognition.

On Turkey-Armenia Border, Slight Hope for Change

Wed, 2 Sep 2009 14:30:04 -0400

A EURASIANET AUDIO SLIDESHOW BY SOPHIA MIZANTE The Turkey-Armenia border has been closed since 1993. A EurasiaNet photographer spent two weeks capturing what it's like for those who live on both sides of the line.

Abkhazia Maintains "We Do It Our Way," Despite Russian Aid

Wed, 2 Sep 2009 14:28:58 -0400

BY PAUL RIMPLE Abkhazia celebrated the first anniversary of Russia's 2008 recognition of its independence with its borders guarded by Russian soldiers and its seaside resorts packed with Russian tourists. Abkhaz officials claim that it is a relationship between equals. But an August 29 announcement that the Russian Federal Security Serviceis Coast Guard will monitor Abkhaziais Black Sea coastline has again demonstrated the contradictions inherent in that assertion.

Uzbekistan: Tashkent Shootout Stokes Fears of Independence Day Clashes

Wed, 2 Sep 2009 14:28:31 -0400

Reports of shootings in Tashkent on the evening of August 29 have sparked fears the Uzbek government is using the cover of independence celebrations to crack down on alleged militants.

Afghanistan: Election Endorsement Threatens to Harm International Community��s Credibility

Wed, 2 Sep 2009 14:28:16 -0400

BY AUNOHITA MOJUMDAR In a hurry to score quick public relations points, some international observers and foreign diplomats cast Afghanistan��s August 20 presidential vote as an unequivocal triumph for the democratization process. But that initial rush to endorse the integrity of the process may well come back to haunt the international community, as reports of electoral irregularities continue to surface.

Eurasia: Bracing for a Technological Counter-Revolution

Wed, 2 Sep 2009 14:27:18 -0400

A EURASIANET COMMENTARY BY STEPHEN BLANK The advent of social networking platforms such as Twitter and Facebook has changed the nature of political dissent. But as this summer��s unrest in Iran and China has demonstrated, authoritarian-minded governments have done their homework, and have kept pace with the revolution in communications.

Afghanistan: Narco-Cartels a Growing Threat, UN Drug Agency Warns

Wed, 2 Sep 2009 14:24:43 -0400

BY AUNOHITA MOJUMDAR A report released September 2 by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime has good news and bad news about narcotics cultivation and trafficking in Afghanistan. The good news is that 800,000 Afghan farmers have stopped cultivating poppies; the bad is that those who continue to grow illicit crops are becoming more efficient, and traders are forging stronger ties with criminal and insurgent groups, as well as corrupt officials.

Georgia: Ex-Jailor-in-Chief Tapped to Head Defense Ministry

Fri, 28 Aug 2009 15:10:03 -0400

A former prison boss, who has been both credited and criticized for a clampdown on organized crime in Georgia, has been nominated as the country��s latest defense minister.

Mongolia: Ulaanbaatar Performs Strategic Juggling Act with US, Russian Military Maneuvers

Tue, 25 Aug 2009 13:13:35 -0400

BY JOSHUA KUCERA Mongolia, a nation with abundant mineral wealth, has emerged in recent days as a showcase for the US-Russian rivalry. The Mongolian military has found itself in the unusual position of participating in separate joint exercises involving US and Russian troops going on at the same time.

Kyrgyzstan: Artists Use Creative Dialogue to Foster Social Change

Tue, 25 Aug 2009 12:36:34 -0400

A EURASIANET PHOTO ESSAY BY JOHN COUPER On a recent summer��s day, visitors to the recently opened Koldo Art Gallery in central Bishkek watched professional artists create new work, inspired by the art of children with physical and mental handicaps. The event was designed to foster interaction between children, artists and the public, enabling all involved to find new strengths, and to help open minds.

Uzbekistan: Washington Denies Interest in Returning to Khanabad Airbase

Mon, 24 Aug 2009 14:53:13 -0400

US diplomats are steadfastly denying that the American military seeks to return to the Uzbek air base at Karshi-Khanabad.

Afghanistan: Internationals Claim Victory While Afghans Cry Fraud

Mon, 24 Aug 2009 14:19:22 -0400

BY AUNOHITA MOJUMDAR Diplomats have rushed to declare Afghanistan��s August 20 presidential and provincial council elections a success, while downplaying credible reports of disenfranchisement and widespread electoral irregularities. The apparent reluctance to acknowledge circumstantial evidence of substantial vote-rigging could have damaging, even irreparable consequences for Afghanistan��s democratization process, some experts contend.

Azerbaijan: Fresh Charges Brought against Detained Bloggers

Mon, 24 Aug 2009 13:40:03 -0400

Azerbaijani prosecutors have charged detained youth activists and video bloggers Emin Milli and Adnan Hajizade with causing "mild injury" to an unspecified victim, the pair��s defense attorney told an August 24 news conference in Baku. The two young men were originally charged with hooliganism in what has become a cause c��l��bre for free speech rights in the South Caucasus.

'Nothing is More Persistent than the Temporary': Documenting a Troubled Economic Transition

Mon, 24 Aug 2009 11:21:33 -0400

Red Journey By Nick Hannes A EURASIANET BOOK REVIEW BY LAURIE RICH Belgian photographer Nick Hannes�� photo book, "Red Journey," sets out to show the lives of people dealing with the looming questions that dog all the nations of the former Soviet Union: What happens when one day you wake up and discover your heroes aren��t heroes at all? Your past isn��t your past? How do you rebuild a house when the foundation is irreparably cracked?

Afghanistan: Presidential Election Essential for Legitimizing Kabul Government

Mon, 24 Aug 2009 11:12:44 -0400

BY RICHARD WEITZ Initial tallies suggest that incumbent Hamid Karzai and former foreign minister Abdullah Abdullah are in a tight race in Afghanistan��s presidential election.

Afghanistan: Government Declares Elections Success Amidst Mixed Turnout

Thu, 20 Aug 2009 15:16:43 -0400

BY AUNOHITA MOJUMDAR Counting the ballots in Afghanistan��s second presidential and provincial council elections has begun. Despite some reports of attacks and election irregularities throughout the country, polls closed on August 20 without any major violent disruptions by insurgents.

Afghanistan: "Corruption is Eating Our System"

Thu, 20 Aug 2009 11:58:38 -0400

A EurasiaNet Q&A with Presidential Contender Abdullah Abdullah INTERVIEW CONDUCTED BY CAMELIA ENTEKHABI-FARD Afghans braved Taliban threats and other problems to cast ballots August 20 in the country��s presidential election. Initial estimates suggested that turnout on August 20 would be lower than in the 2004 presidential vote. On the eve of the election, EurasiaNet caught up with one of the prominent presidential candidates, Abdullah Abdullah, to get his impressions of the campaign and the meaning of the election for Afghanistan.

Armenia: Wave of Hacker Attacks Blamed on Azerbaijan, Turkey

Wed, 19 Aug 2009 12:39:32 -0400

BY MARIANNA GRIGORYAN A surge in hacker attacks on several Armenian government and private websites has prompted Armenian information technology experts to demand that Armenia��s Internet security become a matter of state security.

Afghanistan: Uncertainties and Fear Loom Day Before Vote

Wed, 19 Aug 2009 12:29:22 -0400

BY AUNOHITA MOJUMDAR Polling for the second presidential and provincial council elections in Afghanistan will open early on August 20 in a milieu of competing hopes and fears, uncertain logistics and precarious security conditions. The 2009 polls also take place in a state of political flux unprecedented since the forced removal of the Taliban in 2001.

Georgia: IDPs Have Found Homes, but Not Work

Tue, 18 Aug 2009 13:52:21 -0400

A EURASIANET PHOTO STORY BY MOLLY CORSO The Georgian government created housing in a matter of months for the thousands of families displaced by the 2008 war with Russia. But nearly a year later, one key question remains -- how to provide the work these families need.

Uzbekistan: Inflation Worries Prompting Tashkent to Consult Soviet Playbook

Tue, 18 Aug 2009 12:57:14 -0400

Inflation fears are prompting Uzbek officials to resort to an old Soviet trick -- trying to drastically curtail the amount of cash in circulation. Such draconian government measures, however, risk creating a crisis atmosphere, some analysts caution.

Turkey: Educational Reforms Reflect Changing Balance of Power in Ankara

Tue, 18 Aug 2009 12:56:58 -0400

BY NICHOLAS BIRCH Recent educational reforms that make it easier for students at religious schools to attend university have sparked celebration among conservative Turks, anger among secularists, and shrugs of indifference among some education officials who are disgusted with the way politicking has overshadowed what they see as a need for a complete overhaul of the education system.

Afghanistan: Vote May Disenfranchise Women

Tue, 18 Aug 2009 12:56:26 -0400

BY AUNOHITA MOJUMDAR With only three days before presidential and provincial council elections in Afghanistan, the Independent Election Commission is sending out desperate appeals. In nearly a quarter of the country��s provinces, despite repeated pleas, the Afghan institution charged with managing the elections has been unable to recruit enough women to staff polling stations. Female staff members are necessary for searching women coming to vote, an essential part of the security matrix in polling stations across the country. Unless they are recruited -- rapidly -- in many areas women may be unable to cast their vote.

Azerbaijan Mum about Israeli Spy Plane, Satellite Projects

Tue, 18 Aug 2009 12:56:06 -0400

BY SHAHIN ABBASOV A month and a half after Israeli President Shimon Peres�� trip to Azerbaijan, both Baku and Tel Aviv are keeping mum about reported plans for the joint manufacture of reconnaissance planes and satellites.

Turkey: Ankara Grapples with Dropout Conundrum

Tue, 18 Aug 2009 12:55:45 -0400

BY DANIEL KOEHLER At the age of 17, Mazlum is mature beyond his years. He has been contributing to the family income since the age of eight and is known in his predominantly Kurdish neighborhood as a conscientious citizen. Mazlum��s formal schooling, however, is severely lacking. In his third year of primary education, he left school after his teacher hit him for speaking Kurdish on school premises. He can read and write and his Turkish is fluent, but he has been unemployed for a year and has had much more difficulty finding work than his more educated relatives. "I wouldn��t be in this position if I��d stayed in school," he says with visible regret.

Tajikistan: Festival Connects Central Asian Musicians

Tue, 18 Aug 2009 12:55:23 -0400

A EURASIANET SLIDESHOW BY DAVID TRILLING Under sharp shale peaks glowing golden-grey in the mid-summer sun, musicians from four Central Asian countries gathered in Tajikistan��s remote Badakhshan Province recently to perform and exchange their respective musical traditions, and enjoy a slice of watermelon.

Turkey: Is Ankara Trying to Tame the Russian Bear?

Tue, 18 Aug 2009 12:54:56 -0400

BY NICHOLAS BIRCH There is an odd little detail at the back of a 1928 statue depicting Turkey��s founder, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, standing in Istanbul��s central Taksim Square: found among the adoring crowd of figures surrounding Ataturk, a group dominated by children and peasants, are two stern-faced men with stars on their bronze lapels. They are two Red Army generals Mikhail Frunze and Kliment Voroshilov.

Fergana Valley: Stringent Border Measures Fuelling Tension in Enclaves

Tue, 18 Aug 2009 12:54:27 -0400

BY ALISHER KHAMIDOV A recent clash on the Kyrgyz-Uzbek border is highlighting a simmering social problem found in and around the Fergana Valley��s many isolated enclaves. Public frustration is mounting over the inability of officials in the region to grapple with border-related issues, experts say.

Georgia: Opposition Arrests, Beatings Spark Fresh Controversy

Tue, 18 Aug 2009 12:53:57 -0400

BY MOLLY CORSO Less than one month after Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili pledged to step up democratic reforms, human and civil rights monitors state that a disturbing pattern of arrests, beatings and kidnappings involving opposition members and supporters has developed in Georgia over the past four months.

Russia: Central Asia��s Female Labor Migrants Grapple with Uncertainty

Tue, 18 Aug 2009 12:51:33 -0400

BY WILLIAM O'CONNOR According to some calculations, nearly half of the estimated 300,000 Kyrgyz workers in Russia are female. The number of Tajik and Uzbek women seeking work is growing, analysts say. While the flood of Central Asian men to Russia��s cities in search of work has been well documented, the past few years have also seen a quiet upsurge in female labor migrants.

Kyrgyzstan: US Air Hub at Manas Busier Now than Before

Wed, 12 Aug 2009 12:48:54 -0400

BY DEIRDRE TYNAN The American air hub outside Bishkek may have a new name -- the Manas Transit Center -- but its operational capabilities remain largely unchanged. The new lease agreement covering activities at the American facility does not differ substantially from the previous pact. The only major change is that Washington is now paying Bishkek a whole lot more in rent.

Russia: Central Asia��s Female Labor Migrants Grapple with Uncertainty

Wed, 12 Aug 2009 12:01:50 -0400

Turkey: Anti-Smoking Advocates Pleased with Early Results of Restaurant/Bar Ban

Tue, 11 Aug 2009 13:20:44 -0400

A EURASIANET PHOTO STORY BY JONATHAN LEWIS It��s just over three weeks since a ban on smoking tobacco products indoors took hold in Turkey. Despite initial concern about how the public would react to prohibition, anti-smoking campaigners are so far delighted with the early results.

Armenia: Putin Visit to Turkey Sparks Hopes and Fears in Yerevan

Tue, 11 Aug 2009 13:20:07 -0400

BY HAROUTIUN KHACHATRIAN Armenians watched Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin��s August 6-7 visit to Turkey with a mixture of hope and suspicion. While many in Yerevan see potential benefits arising out of closer Turkish-Russian ties, worries persist among Armenian leaders and experts that Turkey��s importance in the eyes of the Kremlin may come to outweigh that of Armenia.

Georgia: South Ossetia -- One Year Later: Running on Empty, Despite Russian Help

Mon, 10 Aug 2009 13:51:40 -0400

PHOTOS BY KAREN MIRZOYAN South Ossetia on August 7-9 marked the first anniversary since Georgia attempted to forcefully regain control of the breakaway territory. A series of bittersweet events both mourned the loss of life during last summer��s war and celebrated the Russian-backed "independence" achieved in its aftermath.

Afghanistan: Elections Shaping Up as a Complicated Step Forward

Mon, 10 Aug 2009 13:50:29 -0400

A EURASIANET Q&A WITH EUROPEAN COMMISSION DELEGATION AMBASSADOR HANSJORG KRETSCHMER BY AUNOHITA MOJUMDAR The difficulty in achieving consensus among its 27 member states is a major factor in keeping the European Union from playing a more robust role in Afghanistan��s reconstruction, despite the considerable resources provided through the European Commission and individual bilateral contributions. In June, however, the EU agreed on the need to deepen its engagement with Afghanistan. Change is already evident. The EU is providing 35 million euros to help ensure a fair-and-secure presidential election on August 20, and will be deploying a 100-member Election Observer Mission. The European Commission delegation��s ambassador in Kabul, Hansj��rg Kretschmer, talked recently with EurasiaNet��s Aunohita Mojumdar on the importance of elections, the current situation and the engagement of the international community with Afghanistan.

Georgia: Saakashvili Shows Staying Power on Anniversary of War with Russia

Fri, 7 Aug 2009 15:58:16 -0400

A EURASIANET PHOTO STORY: MOLLY CORSO AND TEMO BARDZIMASHVILI War, political instability and economic crisis. Despite it all, Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili has endured in office. And a year after Georgia��s devastating war with Russia, Saakashvili��s staying power is an image the Georgian government is eager to convey.

Turkmenistan: Hundreds of Students Caught in Educational Limbo

Fri, 7 Aug 2009 15:57:50 -0400

They threaten to become a new class of refuseniks. They are students in Turkmenistan seeking to study at foreign universities and technical schools who are not being allowed to leave by Turkmen authorities.

Azerbaijan: With Departure of Two Karabakh Mediators, Future of Talks Unclear

Thu, 6 Aug 2009 15:01:44 -0400

BY SHAHIN ABBASOV The expected departure of the American and Russian envoys to talks over the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh territory is diminishing Azerbaijani expectations about a potential breakthrough in the peace process.

Kazakhstan: The Forgotten Women of the Gulag

Thu, 6 Aug 2009 14:38:02 -0400

A EURASIANET SLIDESHOW BY JOANNA LILLIS Just outside the Kazakhstani capital of Astana stands a black and sliver monument called the Arch of Grief. It sits at the entrance to a museum dedicated to a particularly unfortunate subset of victims of Stalin-era repression -- the wives of "enemies of the state." EurasiaNet correspondent Joanna Lillis recently visited the museum. Her impressions are contained in this EurasiaNet slideshow.

Pakistan: A Look at Daily Life at the Jamba Erabia Madrasa

Fri, 31 Jul 2009 12:41:41 -0400

BY A EURASIANET SLIDESHOW BY JONATHAN ALPEYRIE The Pakistani government is waging a high-profile offensive in tribal areas near the Afghan border to contain Islamic militants. But part of the struggle is also playing out in madrasas, or religious schools, across the country. EurasiaNet photojournalist Jonathan Alpeyrie takes a close look at the daily routine of one madrasa on the outskirts of Islamabad in a EurasiaNet slideshow.

Tajikistan: Labor Migrants Facing Grim Choices

Fri, 31 Jul 2009 12:12:59 -0400

BY NADIRA ARTYK Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, in Tajikistan for a two-day stay that concluded July 31, touched on a variety of security and energy issues in his discussions with his Tajik counterpart, Imomali Rahmon. But perhaps the most important issue on Tajikistan��s political and economic agenda -- labor migration -- did not figure prominently in bilateral talks.

Tajikistan: Russian President Medvedev Arrives in Dushanbe for Talks

Thu, 30 Jul 2009 14:33:36 -0400

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev arrived in Tajikistan on July 30, beginning a two-day trip with important ramifications for Central Asian security.

Armenia: Military Planners Confront Conscript Shortfall, Mull an End to College Exemption

Thu, 30 Jul 2009 12:45:30 -0400

BY GAYANE ABRAHAMYAN A looming shortfall in conscripts for the Armenian army is forcing the country to mull tough choices. A fierce debate has erupted over a plan to remove university enrollment as grounds for an exemption from military service. The proposal reflects both concern over the country��s shrinking male population and worries about the growing military strength of the country��s long-time archrival, Azerbaijan.

Georgia: New York Exhibit Marks Georgian Modernism��s US Debut

Thu, 30 Jul 2009 12:22:27 -0400

A EURASIANET PHOTO ESSAY BY PAMELA RENNER "The Fantastic Tavern: The Tbilisi Avant-Garde," at Chelsea��s Casey Kaplan Gallery, is the first public display of Georgian Modernism in the United States. Its silent films, sound poetry, stage design, experimental music, photography, paintings and Futurist books reflect a critical period in Georgian history -- a period when Georgia was an independent state and enjoyed three years of creative freedom and cultural interaction with Europe.

Georgia: Washington Declines Tbilisi��s Request for "Defensive" Weapons

Wed, 29 Jul 2009 14:35:16 -0400

BY JOSHUA KUCERA The United States does not intend to give or sell Georgia weapons, or to participate in the European Union monitoring mission in Georgia, senior US officials are saying.

Azerbaijan: No Jitters Over Turkmenistan��s Caspian Sea Threat

Wed, 29 Jul 2009 13:54:48 -0400

BY SHAHIN ABBASOV Turkmenistan��s pledge to take Azerbaijan to court over the two countries�� rival claims to Caspian Sea oil fields has sparked more confusion than anger in Baku. Some Azerbaijani experts even believe that an international arbitration hearing could prove the best way to resolve a long-standing energy dispute.

Turkmenistan: Rules Switch Hampering Young Scholars from Studying Abroad

Tue, 28 Jul 2009 15:30:06 -0400

Soon after assuming power in late 2006, Turkmenistan��s leader Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov sent signals that education would be one of his top policy priorities. But over the past few days, Berdymukhamedov��s status as Turkmenistan��s "education president" has taken a hit, as authorities in Ashgabat have been hindering students from departing the country to begin their studies at foreign universities.

Afghanistan: Karzai Braces for Emboldened Challengers as Election Nears

Tue, 28 Jul 2009 12:11:51 -0400

BY AUNOHITA MOJUMDAR Afghan citizens will go to the polls next month amid an escalation of Taliban violence. The first four months of 2009 saw a 46 percent increase in security-related incidents over the previous. Since then, the fighting has continued to intensify with a new large-scale military operation in southern Helmand Province. While those operations are being touted as an effort to boost security before the polls, most observers expect violence will continue to increase until election day on August 20.

Azerbaijan: For SOCAR, Bigger Means Better with Azerigaz Takeover

Mon, 27 Jul 2009 13:32:11 -0400

BY SHAHIN ABBASOV The Azerbaijani government��s recent decision to make state-owned gas distribution company Azerigaz part of the mammoth State Oil Company of the Azerbaijani Republic (SOCAR) signals that Baku wants to transform SOCAR into an "economic symbol" similar to Russia��s Gazprom or Kazakhstan��s KazMunaiGas, experts say.

Armenians Put Aside the Past and Choose Turkey for Summer Vacation

Mon, 27 Jul 2009 12:52:47 -0400

BY MARIANNA GRIGORYAN Some Armenians call it "a disgrace." Others put it down to price. Turkey��s popular Mediterranean resort town of Antalya ranks as Armenians�� number-one summer vacation destination, travel agents say, and no amount of controversy over Turkish-Armenian ties looks likely to reverse the trend.

Georgia Bets on Mountains and Toilets for Post-War Tourism Comeback

Mon, 27 Jul 2009 12:52:18 -0400

A EURASIANET PHOTO ESSAY BY GIORGI LOMSADZE Almost a year after war with Russia sent foreign tourists scurrying away, Georgia is telling travelers that it is safe to come back, and betting on a combo of Georgia��s idyllic mountain scenery, new hotels and public toilets to cinch their interest.

Kazakhstan: Activists Assail Internet Law as Step Back for Democratization

Mon, 27 Jul 2009 12:51:47 -0400

BY JOANNA LILLIS Journalists and civil rights activists in Kazakhstan have reacted with dismay to the passing of a new Internet law they say will severely restrict freedom of expression in a country set to take the helm of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) in 2010.

Georgia: Tbilisi Welcomes Biden

Thu, 23 Jul 2009 13:55:00 -0400

BY MOLLY CORSO US Vice President Joseph Biden��s July 22-23 visit to Tbilisi may have been more about show than results, but for Georgians wearied by war and wary of Russia that show of support was all that mattered.

Central Asia: Northern Supply Network for Afghanistan Hits Snags

Thu, 23 Jul 2009 11:56:53 -0400

BY DEIRDRE TYNAN The Northern Distribution Network, an American-assembled logistical pipeline designed to ease and expand the flow of supplies to coalition forces in Afghanistan, is off to a lackluster start.

Azerbaijan: Detention of Youth Activists Causes Storm in Blogosphere

Wed, 22 Jul 2009 13:41:52 -0400

BY MINA MIRADOVA AND GIORGI LOMSADZE The decision to detain two youth activists and bloggers on charges of hooliganism is stoking concern in Azerbaijan about the future of the country��s nascent blogosphere, arguably among the most robust in the South Caucasus. Some observers believe that a government attempt to clamp down on new media will only cause the blogosphere to blossom.

Kyrgyzstan: Bakiyev Odds-On Favorite to Win Reelection in July 23 Vote

Wed, 22 Jul 2009 13:41:22 -0400

Political analysts are predicting no surprises for Kyrgyzstan��s July 23 presidential election. The incumbent, Kurmanbek Bakiyev, is expected to secure reelection in a walk-over.

Georgia: Controversy Surrounds Claim of Russian, South Ossetian Advance in Racha

Wed, 22 Jul 2009 12:26:00 -0400

BY MOLLY CORSO A controversy in the remote mountainous region of Racha is highlighting the fact that in some areas of Georgia, the border separating Georgian and Russian forces is blurred.

Afghanistan: First Local Team Conquers Afghanistan��s Highest Peak

Tue, 21 Jul 2009 13:48:49 -0400

A EURASIANET PHOTO ESSAY BY AUNOHITA MOJUMDAR It may not be a feat that matches walking on the moon, but a small group of Afghan villagers are nevertheless stoking national pride in their war-ravaged nation. The group has become the first local expedition to successfully scale Afghanistan��s tallest peak, the Noshaq, situated in the remote northeastern Badakhshan region.

CIS: The Example of Iran Could Fuel Repression in Former Soviet States -- Experts

Tue, 21 Jul 2009 13:06:59 -0400

BY JOSHUA KUCERA The election in Iran and its violent aftermath could create an undesirable precedent for authoritarian governments in the former Soviet Union, according to a former Bush administration democratization official.

Caspian Basin: Nabucco Moves Ahead of South Stream in Regional Energy Race

Mon, 20 Jul 2009 16:26:15 -0400

A EURASIANET COMMENTARY BY STEPHEN BLANK July has seen a sudden reversal of fortune in Caspian and Black Sea Basin pipeline politics. The Nabucco pipeline project has staged a noteworthy comeback, while a competing Russian-backed route, dubbed South Stream, now seems to be losing steam. Uncertainty surrounding future demand, however, raises the possibility that neither pipeline ever becomes a reality.

CIS: Disappointing Turnout for Race-Day Summit

Mon, 20 Jul 2009 16:25:13 -0400

Having fallen on hard economic times, Russia isn��t getting the respect that it used to from its immediate neighbors. Only six heads of states from the 11-member Commonwealth of Independent States showed up in Moscow for an informal summit, held at a horse-racing track.

Turkey: Smoking Ban Takes Effect in Restaurants, Cafes

Mon, 20 Jul 2009 14:01:34 -0400

A EURASIANET PHOTO STORY BY JONATHAN LEWIS Smoking in Turkey can almost be considered a national pastime. But the Turkish government is now taking firm action to get Turks to break off their long love affair with tobacco.

Pakistan: Swat Valley Sweep against Taliban Spurs Displacement Crisis

Fri, 17 Jul 2009 14:10:40 -0400

A EURASIANET SLIDESHOW BY JONATHAN ALPEYRIE The Pakistani military��s push against Taliban strongholds in the Swat Valley has created a forced migration emergency, according to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees.

Kazakhstan: Despite Downturn, Nazarbayev��s Numbers Stay Up

Fri, 17 Jul 2009 14:10:12 -0400

BY JOANNA LILLIS Although Kazakhstan has been battered by the global financial downturn, the Central Asian nation��s citizens are still upbeat. Recent polling data shows that economic troubles have not dented the popularity of President Nursultan Nazarbayev��s administration, and that a healthy majority believes the country is moving in the right direction.

Tajikistan: President Rahmon Appeals to Tajik Believers to Make Charitable Donations

Thu, 16 Jul 2009 13:37:34 -0400

BY KONSTANTIN PARSHIN Tajik President Imomali Rahmon��s administration is discouraging believers in the impoverished Central Asian nation from making the Hajj, or pilgrimage to Mecca, this year. Instead, authorities are asking that would-be pilgrims make a donation to charity.

Azerbaijan: Baku Becomes a Question Mark for Nabucco Project

Thu, 16 Jul 2009 13:36:52 -0400

BY JESSICA POWLEY HAYDEN The Nabucco pipeline project took a major step forward when five transit countries recently signed an agreement after years of hesitation. But at least one wild card remains in the path of the project��s realization -- Azerbaijan. Although Baku has voiced strong support for Nabucco, experts caution that the country��s recent gas deal with Gazprom could complicate Baku��s ability to serve as a major supplier for the long-planned pipeline.

Georgia: US Vice President Biden to Visit Tbilisi in Late July

Wed, 15 Jul 2009 16:45:19 -0400

BY JOSHUA KUCERA In the wake of US President Barack Obama��s early July visit to Moscow, US Vice President Joe Biden will soon visit Georgia. But it��s not entirely clear whether the message that Biden delivers to Tbilisi will be of strong US support for Georgia, or an admonition to not antagonize Russia.

The Music of China's Nomads

Wed, 15 Jul 2009 15:22:36 -0400

See and hear how Kazakhs and Kyrgyz living in China's western Xinjiang Province are using music to preserve their cultural heritage.

Kazakhstan: Astana Takes the Lead in Lobbying for Nuclear-Free World

Wed, 15 Jul 2009 13:45:42 -0400

A EURASIANET PHOTO ESSAY BY JOANNA LILLIS In August, Kazakhstan will mark the 60th anniversary of the Soviet Union��s first nuclear blast at the Semipalatinsk test site. President Nursultan Nazarbayev��s administration is using the anniversary to raise Kazakhstan��s profile as an anti-nuclear advocate.

Afghanistan: United Nations Report Highlights Problem of Violence against Women

Wed, 15 Jul 2009 13:45:03 -0400

BY AUNOHITA MOJUMDAR One of the first women to be elected to a public post in conservative Afghanistan, Zarghuna Kakar serves as a member of the provincial council in Kandahar. Public service has come at a high price for her. She and her husband were attacked and her husband killed in a Kandahar market, and she now fears for her own life and wonders why she ever entered politics.

Armenia: Spurned by MCC, Yerevan Looks to Iran, Russia for Road Money

Tue, 14 Jul 2009 15:18:37 -0400

BY MARIANNA GRIGORYAN The Millennium Challenge Corporation��s recent decision to slash funds for its Armenia program has prompted the Armenian government to seek alternative financing for infrastructure improvements from Iran and Russia.

Georgia: Tracking International Reconstruction Assistance

Tue, 14 Jul 2009 13:29:35 -0400

BY MOLLY CORSO In the nine months since international donors agreed to give Georgia $4.5 billion in war-recovery aid, Tbilisi has taken in nearly half of that sum. These days, monitors are busy examining how Tbilisi is employing the funds. One international anti-corruption watchdog and a major American donor deem the government��s performance adequate to date, but some monitors caution that tracing all the money is close to impossible.

Tajikistan: Mysterious Death Raises Concerns About Militant Returns

Tue, 14 Jul 2009 12:38:07 -0400

BY SAODAT MAHBATSHO The mysterious killing of Mirzo Ziyoev, a former opposition commander and cabinet minister, is prompting foreign officials to voice concern about instability in mountainous areas of Tajikistan along the Afghan border. Tajik officials, while attempting to project an image that they remain in control of the security situation, say the rising violence in the South is connected to the return of militants from Pakistan and Afghanistan.

Caspian Energy: The End of the Beginning for the Nabucco Pipeline

Mon, 13 Jul 2009 14:24:40 -0400

BY YIGAL SCHLEIFER The troubled Nabucco pipeline project -- designed to diversify Europe��s energy supply and loosen Russia��s grip on the continent��s natural gas market -- took a major step forward on July 13 with the signing of a transit agreement between Turkey and five European Union countries involved in the undertaking.

Turkmenistan: Berdymukhamedov Makes Nabucco Pledge, Moscow Takes Energy Hits

Mon, 13 Jul 2009 14:23:51 -0400

BY DEIRDRE TYNAN Even before the July 13 signing of an intergovernmental agreement to formally launch the Nabucco pipeline, the project received a potentially important boost from Turkmenistan, which pledged to ship an unspecified amount of natural gas via the long-planned route.

Kyrgyzstan: Russia Seeks Second Military Base in Central Asian Nation, Rattling Uzbekistan

Mon, 13 Jul 2009 12:47:36 -0400

The Kremlin is playing a geopolitical game of ��can-you-top-this�� in Central Asia. Russia is looking to offset its failure to dislodge American troops from Kyrgyzstan��s air base at Manas by securing Bishkek��s agreement to open a Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) base in southern Kyrgyzstan��s Ferghana Valley.

Kyrgyzstan: Sacred Mountain Declared Country��s First UNESCO World Heritage Site

Mon, 13 Jul 2009 12:46:59 -0400

BY DAVID TRILLING Long a center of pilgrimage in the Ferghana Valley, in recent times Osh��s Sulaiman Too mountain, which forms the backdrop to much of the ancient Silk Road city, has been subject to both Soviet revisionist history and picnickers keen to leave their mark.

Central Asia: As Some Labor Migrants Leave Russia, Hate Attacks Continue

Mon, 13 Jul 2009 12:45:58 -0400

BY CATHERINE A. FITZPATRICK Even as a growing number of labor migrants from Central Asia and the Caucasus are returning to their homelands due to the global economic downturn, hate crimes against them are continuing unabated, independent monitors in Russia report.

Kazakhstan: Corruption Scandals an Indicator of Clan Infighting in Astana?

Mon, 13 Jul 2009 12:45:21 -0400

BY JOANNA LILLIS If reports coming out of Astana are to be believed, corruption and mismanagement are eating away at the core of the Kazakh state. According to official information, bureaucrats -- from ministers on down -- have either been helping themselves to government funds or, at the very least, making ill-informed decisions that have incurred billions of dollars in losses. But some opposition figures believe the proliferation of corruption cases in Kazakhstan is an outgrowth of a behind-the-scenes power struggle.

Amidst Crisis, Georgian Banks Go International for Financial Health

Mon, 13 Jul 2009 12:44:42 -0400

BY NINO PATSURIA Georgian Prime Minister Nika Gelauri recently issued an appeal for an additional $200 million in funding from international financial institutions for Georgia��s private banks. The catch lies in how Georgian these banks actually are. International financial institutions, in fact, already own 75 percent of Georgia��s total bank equity capital, according to Georgian regulators.

China: Examining the Root Causes of Xinjiang��s Ethnic Discontent

Thu, 9 Jul 2009 14:38:33 -0400

A EURASIANET COMMENTARY BY STEPHEN BLANK The early July inter-ethnic violence that hit China��s western Xinjiang Province may have been shocking, but it shouldn��t have been surprising. Tension between the Uighur and Han Chinese communities had been steadily building over the past three decades, and Communist authorities in Beijing hadn��t been doing much to defuse simmering anger.

Tajikistan: Migrant Worker Woes Cause Trickle-Down Effect of Misery

Thu, 9 Jul 2009 13:47:42 -0400

BY DAVID TRILLING Stuck in Moscow, Zaron��s husband cannot afford a ticket home. "When he was working, he sent us 150 or 200 dollars every month. For three months, he hasn��t sent anything," she says. A mother of five, Zaron��s youngest child, now almost two, hasn��t yet met her father. Unfortunately, Zaron��s story is far from unique these days in Tajikistan.

Georgia: Obama��s Russia Visit Eases Georgians�� Fears of Renewed Conflict with Moscow

Thu, 9 Jul 2009 11:51:30 -0400

BY GIORGI LOMSADZE US President Barack Obama and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev��s early July summit may not have resolved the Georgia-Russia conflict, but, for many Georgians, it did succeed in allaying fears of a fresh military confrontation with Moscow. Nevertheless, worries persist about whether or not Obama��s words of reconciliation will have a permanent effect on the Kremlin.

Pakistan: US Officials Working to Sway Hearts and Minds in Islamabad

Wed, 8 Jul 2009 17:16:01 -0400

BY JOSHUA KUCERA US officials are developing a new communications strategy in order to reduce tension stoked by drone air strikes in Pakistan.

Afghanistan: Private Security Contractors Become a Source of Public Scorn

Wed, 8 Jul 2009 13:58:44 -0400

BY AUNOHITA MOJUMDAR A recent shootout in the southern Afghan city of Kandahar that left 10 people dead is helping to focus attention on the issue of private security companies, and the existing lack of accountability concerning their activities.

Turkmenistan: Ashgabat Hosts US Military Refuelling, Resupply Operations

Wed, 8 Jul 2009 12:37:37 -0400

BY DEIRDRE TYNAN Turkmenistan is quietly developing into a major transport hub for the northern supply network, which is being used to relay non-lethal supplies to US and NATO forces in Afghanistan. The Pentagon has confirmed a small contingent of US military personnel now operates in Ashgabat to assist refueling operations.

Kyrgyzstan: Adopt-a-Babushka Program Keeps Some Elderly Kyrgyz Citizens Going

Wed, 8 Jul 2009 12:37:02 -0400

BY DAVID TRILLING At 91, Dr. Tamara Shevchenko was born the year the Bolsheviks seized power in Petrograd. Her life was dedicated to science and advancing the Soviet ideal. She never married; never had children. And now she is alone.

Kyrgyzstan: For Marginalized Lyuli, Kyrgyz Language is an Antidote to Isolation

Wed, 8 Jul 2009 12:36:20 -0400

BY UMID ERKINOV For members of Kyrgyzstan��s Lyuli community, marginalization has been a constant fact of life. Even the totalitarian ways of Soviet authorities never succeeded in integrating the Lyuli into mainstream Kyrgyz society. But now there��s hope that young Lyuli will be able to break the cycle of hardship.

Georgia: European Monitors in Georgia: A Case of Great Expectations?

Mon, 6 Jul 2009 15:22:58 -0400

BY MOLLY CORSO Georgia is hoping the European Union will help keep the peace in the sensitive border areas near the breakaway regions of South Ossetia and Abkhazia. But a recent tour with European Union monitors suggests that Tbilisi��s expectations may be too high.

Russia: Can Obama Visit Close Values Gap Between Washington and Moscow?

Mon, 6 Jul 2009 13:33:44 -0400

A EURASIANET NEWS ANALYSIS BY IGOR TORBAKOV US President Barack Obama and his Russian counterpart Dmitry Medvedev got down to business on July 6, trying to place US-Russian relations back on a solid foundation after an extended period of rancor connected to last August��s fighting in Georgia. Perhaps appropriately, a chill was in the Moscow air as discussions got underway.

Kazakhstan: President Stamps His Personality on the Nation

Mon, 6 Jul 2009 11:34:35 -0400

A PHOTO SLIDESHOW BY JOANNA LILLIS Visitors to Astana, Kazakhstan��s glittery capital, love to zoom up to the top of the Bayterek Tower in an elevator for a panoramic view over the new city that has sprung up on the steppe over the last decade or so.

Russia: Foreshadowing the Obama-Medvedev Summit

Mon, 6 Jul 2009 11:34:09 -0400

A EURASIANET COMMENTARY BY RICHARD WEITZ The main topic of the July 6-8 summit meeting in Moscow between US President Barack Obama and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev will be settling the main elements of an agreement to replace the 1991 Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START). The current arms control pact expires in early December.

Armenia: Return of Fugitive Journalist Puts Amnesty to Test

Mon, 6 Jul 2009 11:33:32 -0400

BY MARIANNA GRIGORYAN Armenia's amnesty will meet its first serious political test on July 3 with the hearing of the government's case against Nikol Pashinian, a confidante of ex-President Levon Ter Petrosian and pro-opposition journalist, who came out of hiding on July 1.

Turkey: IMF Talks Provide Way to Gauge Ankara��s Fiscal Discipline

Mon, 6 Jul 2009 11:33:03 -0400

BY NICHOLAS BIRCH Turkey and the International Monetary Fund will be making a final push in the coming weeks to see whether they can conclude a loan agreement, according to Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Turkish analysts say the Turkish-IMF wrangling is masking a more important question: is Ankara committed to sustaining fiscally prudent policies that have made it an attractive foreign investment destination during this decade?

Central Asia and Caucasus: Dark Days for Democratization - Report

Wed, 1 Jul 2009 13:56:06 -0400

BY JOSHUA KUCERA The countries of the Caucasus and Central Asia experienced a decline in their democratic development in 2008, according to a report issued June 30 by the American watchdog group Freedom House.

Russia: Obama Trip to Moscow Offers Chance for Better US-Russian Cooperation on Iran

Wed, 1 Jul 2009 13:01:36 -0400

A EURASIANET COMMENTARY BY STEPHEN BLANK In advance of US President Barack Obama��s July 6 trip to Moscow, Russian officials have made some interesting gestures concerning the Kremlin��s Iran policy. Some of these signals might offer the possibility of new movement on international efforts to address the issue of Iran��s nuclear program.

Azerbaijan Abandons Controversial NGO Amendments

Wed, 1 Jul 2009 13:00:57 -0400

BY JESSICA POWLEY HAYDEN Azerbaijani rights activists are hailing as a rare victory the passage of amendments to a law on non-governmental organizations after a fierce fight with the government over earlier, more restrictive proposed changes. Worries nonetheless persist about the bill��s long-term implications for civil liberties within Azerbaijan.

Georgia: OSCE Terminates Its 17-Year Georgian Mission

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 14:02:30 -0400

BY JEAN-CHRISTOPHE PEUCH The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) is effectively affixing the seals on the door of its Tbilisi field office on June 30 and wrapping up its 17-year monitoring operation in the Georgian-South Ossetian conflict zone.

Russia Scores Double Match Point with Azerbaijani Gas Deal

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 14:02:00 -0400

BY SHAHIN ABBASOV Russian President Dmitri Medvedev only visited Baku for a day, but walked away with a gas deal likely to bring Moscow benefits for years to come.

Kazakhstan: Team Astana Gets New Backing Just in Time for Tour de France

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 14:01:40 -0400

After several months of high-profile financial problems, the Astana Cycling Team has secured funding to keep the wheels turning, just before this year��s Tour de France kicks off in Monaco on July 4. Kazakhstan��s state assets holding company will become the national team��s premier benefactor.

Azerbaijan: Peres Baku Visit Highlights Possibilities of Israeli-Azerbaijani Cooperation

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 14:01:08 -0400

BY SHAHIN ABBASOV Israel��s president, Shimon Peres, wrapped up a landmark visit to Azerbaijan on June 29, during which he endorsed Baku��s efforts to retain control of Nagorno-Karabakh.

Armenia: Crackdown Victims�� Families Have Little Hope for Justice

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 14:00:44 -0400

BY GAYANE ABRAHAMYAN Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan��s decision to shut down the commission investigating the deaths of the 10 people killed during March 2008 clashes between police and protesters has prompted families of the deceased to fear that those responsible for the deaths will escape punishment.

Kyrgyzstan: Bakiyev Courts Support of Believers

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 14:00:06 -0400

BY ALISHER KHAMIDOV With Kyrgyzstan��s July 23 presidential election fast approaching, President Kurmanbek Bakiyev��s administration is trying to court the support of Muslims, while cracking down on suspected members of radical Islamic groups.

Turkey: Football Referee, Barred for Being Homosexual, Fights for Rights

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 13:58:51 -0400

BY NICHOLAS BIRCH Turkey��s football authorities are at the center of a developing scandal, in which the dropping of a referee is turning into a civil rights test case. The referee at the center of the case, Halil Ibrahim Dincdag, maintains he was let go because of his homosexuality, and he is challenging the Turkish Football Federation��s decision in a local court.

Armenia: Saakashvili Visit to Yerevan Produces Lots of Smiles, Little Action

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 13:58:00 -0400

BY MARIANNA GRIGORYAN Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili arrived in Armenia touting a "bright future" for bilateral relations. But now that his two-day visit is over, experts say the visit failed to make much headway on two issues that are a source of friction between the states -- relations with Russia and the fate of ethnic Armenians in Georgia.

Azerbaijan: Monitoring Iranian Events for Political Lessons

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 13:56:32 -0400

EURASIANET COMMENTARY BY SHAHIN ABBASOV Political leaders in Azerbaijan are paying careful attention to the turmoil in Iran. It��s not just the fact that Iran is home to roughly 20 million ethnic Azeris that explains the strong interest in Iranian events. Both government officials and opposition politicians in Baku are searching for political lessons in the news coming out of Tehran.

Iran: Larijani Faction Emerges as Third Force in Iranian Power Struggle

Thu, 25 Jun 2009 16:49:43 -0400

BY KAMAL NAZER YASIN It appears that a third force, centering on Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani and his influential relatives, is taking shape in Iran. This new political force -- whose leaders have strong ties to Iran��s religious establishment, and who possess strong revolutionary credentials -- is working hard to establish a public profile apart from hardliners led by Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and from progressives led by aggrieved presidential challenger Mir Hussein Mousavi.

Kazakhstan: Geopolitical Rivalry Flares at NATO Forum in Astana

Thu, 25 Jun 2009 13:12:04 -0400

BY JOANNA LILLIS NATO Secretary-General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer used a June 25 security forum in Kazakhstan��s capital Astana to encourage debate on how the Atlantic Alliance can evolve in the age of globalization. He also sought to reassure cautious Central Asian leaders that partnership with NATO was a "two-way street."

Turkey: Iran Upheaval Poses Diplomatic Challenge for Ankara

Thu, 25 Jun 2009 13:11:31 -0400

BY YIGAL SCHLEIFER Turkey seems to be searching for a proper response to the upheaval in Tehran. The Turkish public has greeted the crisis in Iran with a mix of indifference and confusion, while on the official side, Ankara is treading with extreme caution. Not wanting to possibly strain bilateral ties, Turkish officials are refraining from criticizing Iranian hardliners, or questioning the results of the country��s recent contested elections.

Kazakhstan: Rights Group Urging Improvements, as OSCE Chair Looms

Wed, 24 Jun 2009 14:24:29 -0400

BY JOANNA LILLIS A global human rights watchdog says Kazakhstan is risking a public relations debacle unless it takes fast action to ease restrictions on mass media and promote political openness.

Afghanistan: Afghans Tracking Tehran Power Struggle

Wed, 24 Jun 2009 12:35:27 -0400

BY AUNOHITA MOJUMDAR During Afghanistan��s nearly 30 years of civil strife, over 2 million Afghans found refuge in neighboring Iran. Most Afghan refugees have returned in recent years, and now, with Iran gripped by political turmoil, some in Kabul and elsewhere are waiting and watching anxiously to see what happens in their former country of residence. The outcome, the Afghans say, will exert considerable influence over Afghanistan��s own development.

Afghanistan: Kabul Court Ruling Could Free Afghan Terrorism Suspects Held at Guantanamo

Tue, 23 Jun 2009 15:44:50 -0400

BY AUNOHITA MOJUMDAR A short message on the back of Maj. Eric Montalvo��s business card reads: "My lawyer has told me not to talk to anyone about my case, not to answer any questions and not to reply to any accusations." The message is intended for those who try to approach his clients. Montalvo has one of the most difficult jobs anywhere. As a soldier and prosecutor for the US military, he is tasked with defending those suspected by the US government of committing acts of terrorism in Afghanistan and around the world. Some of his clients have not even been charged.

Iran: Azeris Cautious About Supporting Native Son Mousavi in Tehran Political Fight

Tue, 23 Jun 2009 15:44:03 -0400

BY SHAHIN ABBASOV Iran��s ethnic Azeri community numbers roughly 15-20 million, or almost a quarter of the country��s overall population. Most Azeris harbor deep feelings of resentment toward Mahmoud Ahmadinejad��s administration in Tehran, and they are believed to have voted strongly for the aggrieved presidential challenger, Mir Hussein Mousavi, who is himself an Azeri from Tabriz. Even so, most Azeris remain unwilling to take an active part in the continuing battle for control of Iran��s social and economic agenda.

Kyrgyzstan: US Armed Forces to Remain at Air Base for Afghan Resupply Operations

Tue, 23 Jun 2009 13:31:12 -0400

BY DEIRDRE TYNAN Kyrgyzstan and the United States have agreed to keep the Manas Air Base in operation, albeit under a different name.

Armenia: Amnesty Does Little to Deflect Opposition Ire

Tue, 23 Jun 2009 11:26:33 -0400

BY MARIANNA GRIGORYAN More than a dozen Armenian opposition activists have now been released from prison under a June 19 amnesty, but little sign exists that Armenia's opposition is content with the outcome.

Iran: Rafsanjani Poised to Outflank Supreme Leader Khamenei

Mon, 22 Jun 2009 17:21:11 -0400

Looking past their fiery rhetoric and apparent determination to cling to power using all available means, Iran��s hardliners are not a confident bunch. While hardliners still believe they possess enough force to stifle popular protests, they are worried that they are losing a behind-the-scenes battle within Iran��s religious establishment.

Turkey: UFO Believers Seek to Shed "Quack" Status

Mon, 22 Jun 2009 14:12:50 -0400

BY NICHOLAS BIRCH With his neatly-clipped moustache and his shirt buttoned up to his neck, 51-year-old Yalcin Yalman doesn��t project the image of a trendsetter.

Kazakhstan: President Nazarbayev Marks Two Decades in Power

Fri, 19 Jun 2009 16:39:05 -0400

BY JOANNA LILLIS When Nursultan Nazarbayev took charge of Soviet Kazakhstan 20 years ago, he could scarcely have imagined that two years later he would be running his own country, and less that two decades later he would still be at the helm of an energy-rich state.

Iran: The Start of the End Game in Tehran

Fri, 19 Jun 2009 16:38:57 -0400

It would appear that Iran��s political crisis is entering the end-game phase. Iran��s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei appeared to slam the door June 19 on any chance of a political compromise. In a sermon at Tehran University, he resolutely defended the integrity of the country��s rigged presidential election result, and threatened protesters with retribution. The only way now open for Iran to resolve the presidential election controversy is through a test of strength.

Iran: Pondering a Popular Revolution in Iran?

Fri, 19 Jun 2009 16:38:42 -0400

A EURASIANET COMMENTARY BY MARK N. KATZ Many analysts in the West have expressed the opinion that Iranian hardliners will eventually suppress ongoing demonstrations in Tehran and elsewhere. Given this likelihood, they add, the best course of action for the United States is not to do anything that alienates either Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei or President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, and thus do nothing that might jeopardize US-Iranian rapprochement possibilities.

Armenia: Parliament Approves Amnesty

Fri, 19 Jun 2009 16:38:26 -0400

BY MARIANNA GRIGORYAN After heavy lobbying by the international community, a special session of Armenia��s National Assembly on June 19 approved President Serzh Sargsyan��s request for a prisoner amnesty.

Iran: Youth-Led Protests Attaining Critical Mass

Thu, 18 Jun 2009 16:46:14 -0400

A EURASIANET PHOTO ESSAY A chain reaction of hope in Iran is fueling youth-led street protests that seem poised to beat back Mahmoud Ahmadinejad��s power grab. Over 1 million demonstrators gathered for a Tehran rally on June 18, by far the largest anti-government crowd to assemble since the 1979 Islamic Revolution.

Iran: Hardliners Losing Nerve, Preparing for Desperate Gambit - Source

Thu, 18 Jun 2009 16:45:38 -0400

Hardliners in Iran are preparing to make a desperate bid to preserve their power in the face of burgeoning public opposition. A source within Iran��s law enforcement agency revealed late on June 18 that backers of presumptive president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad will try to deploy special Revolutionary Guard units to confront protesters in Tehran.

Armenia: Washington Cuts Millennium Challenge Funding

Thu, 18 Jun 2009 16:40:23 -0400

BY JOSHUA KUCERA The United States has cut aid for a $67-million road construction program in Armenia, due to displeasure over the slow pace of democratization in Yerevan, US officials say. But some in Armenia and in the Armenian diaspora dispute that rationale, and instead suggest that Yerevan is being punished for geopolitical reasons.

Georgian Wine, Water Take the Back Door to Russia?

Thu, 18 Jun 2009 16:39:13 -0400

BY NINO PATSURIA Three years after Moscow banned agricultural imports from Georgia, a Kremlin-financed business publication claims that Georgian wine, mineral water, fruit and vegetables are now entering Russia via third countries.

Turkey: European Union Court Ruling Could Expand Women��s Rights

Wed, 17 Jun 2009 17:52:44 -0400

BY NICHOLAS BIRCH A European Court of Human Rights ruling in early June could turn into a landmark decision that opens the way for the expanded protection of women��s rights in Turkey.

Azerbaijan: NGO Amendments Put Civil Society at Risk - Activists

Wed, 17 Jun 2009 17:51:18 -0400

BY JESSICA POWLEY HAYDEN Controversial amendments that would impose new restrictions on non-governmental organizations could force numerous local and international NGOs in Azerbaijan to cease operations. Some activists go so far as to say the amendments, if passed, would throttle civil society development in the country.

Iran: Enmity at Top is Driving the Revolution from Below

Wed, 17 Jun 2009 17:48:32 -0400

A political maxim holds that a revolution tends to eat its young. It happened that way with France with its Great Terror; it happened in China with its Cultural Revolution and counter-strike against the Gang of Four; and there��s no need to elaborate on what happened in the Soviet Union during the late 1920s and 30s. Such a weeding-out process hasn��t happened in the history of Iran��s Islamic Revolution, though. But it seems to be occurring now.

Kyrgyzstan: Bakiyev Promises Continuing Support for Afghan War Effort

Wed, 17 Jun 2009 16:00:02 -0400

A high-profile meeting between the Afghan and Kyrgyz presidents is paving the way for a public announcement that a contentious US air base near Bishkek will stay open, experts say.

Iran: Hardliners Double Down on Repression, But Protest Numbers Keep Growing

Tue, 16 Jun 2009 18:22:35 -0400

Hard-line backers of Iranian leader Mahmoud Ahmadinejad are doubling down on their bet that repression can break popular opposition to his power grab. The storm of protest in Iran over the suspicious presidential election results showed no signs of abating, however.

Tajikistan: Dushanbe Ramps up Crackdown on Suspected Islamic Radicals

Tue, 16 Jun 2009 18:21:59 -0400

BY SAODAT MAHBATSHO Despite official denials that civil war-era opposition leaders still pose a national security threat, a rash of arrests of both alleged Islamist militants and former opposition figures in Tajikistan suggests the situation is not as stable as President Imomali Rahmon��s administration would like the outside world to believe. Some experts see a connection between the arrests and parliamentary elections scheduled for early 2010.

Iran: Election-Related Upheaval in Tehran Could Pave Way for Rapprochement with Washington

Tue, 16 Jun 2009 18:20:57 -0400

BY JOSHUA KUCERA Iran��s presidential election, as marred as it has been by probable fraud and mass protests in Tehran, could ultimately be a boon to US-Iranian relations -- even if Mahmoud Ahmadinejad retains power.

Georgia: United Nations to Leave Abkhazia

Tue, 16 Jun 2009 18:19:38 -0400

BY GIORGI LOMSADZE The end of the United Nations' monitoring mission in the breakaway region of Abkhazia will further restrict the ability of both Georgia and Abkhazia to maneuver against Moscow, Georgian analysts believe. A Russian veto in the UN Security Council blocked the extension of the mission's mandate after nearly 16 years in Abkhazia.

Russia: The Kremlin��s Collective Security Vision Hits Brick Wall

Mon, 15 Jun 2009 16:18:51 -0400

BY SERGEI BLAGOV Russia��s desire to forge a new security infrastructure in Eurasia is running into problems. A June 14 summit in Moscow of Collective Security Treaty Organization devolved into a very awkward affair for the Kremlin, as the authoritarian-minded leader of Belarus, Alexander Lukashenko, boycotted the gathering, and Belarus and Uzbekistan opted not to sign a key agreement to create a rapid-reaction force.

Iran: Islamic Republic at Risk?

Mon, 15 Jun 2009 16:17:01 -0400

Iran��s presidential election is degenerating into a battle of nerves. Protesters remain unwilling to accept blatantly-rigged results that appear designed to usher in a neo-conservative dictatorship. The pressure is now mounting on the country��s Supreme Leader, who seems to have maneuvered himself into a corner from which there are seemingly only two equally unpalatable escape routes -- either surrender, or order security forces to open fire. Either way, the Islamic Revolution will come under severe strain in the coming days, and there is no guarantee that it will survive this crisis.

Iran: Presidential Election Polarizes Society

Fri, 12 Jun 2009 14:55:42 -0400

Tehran, 2009, now has the feel of Madrid, 1936. A large segment of Iranian society feels under siege. This mood forged a coalition of disparate forces to resist what many see as an attempt by incumbent president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to establish an authoritarian-repressive regime. One could almost hear echoes of the Spanish Republican side��s rallying cry -- No Pasaran, or They Shall Not Pass -- during recent rallies for Ahmadinejad��s main presidential challenger, Mir Hussein Mousavi.

Azerbaijan: Baku Tackles Human Trafficking, but Ignores Domestic Violence

Fri, 12 Jun 2009 11:29:49 -0400

BY JESSICA POWLEY HAYDEN While Azerbaijan is getting tough on human trafficking, officials in Baku are lagging on efforts to address the more pervasive problem of domestic violence. Experts say the dichotomy reveals a willingness to combat foreign ills while turning a blind eye to those closer to home.

Iran: Ahmadinejad Backers Lay Groundwork for Massive Vote-Rigging

Thu, 11 Jun 2009 16:50:35 -0400

BY KAMAL NAZER YASIN It would appear that if he can��t win reelection by hook, Iran��s incumbent president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, is going to try to take it by crook. Agencies responsible for administering the June 12 presidential election, and for counting the ballots, are firmly under the president��s control, and there are indications that Ahmadinejad loyalists have laid the groundwork for wide-scale fraud on election day.

Georgia: Is the Bell Tolling for UN, OSCE Missions?

Thu, 11 Jun 2009 16:49:54 -0400

BY JEAN-CHRISTOPHE PEUCH The chances of preserving international observer missions in the separatist territories of Abkhazia and South Ossetia look slim, as Russia continues to insist that their respective mandates be amended to reflect "new realities" that Moscow contends arose from recent military hostilities with Georgia.

Kyrgyzstan: Uzbek Authorities Take Action to Thwart Cross-Border Trade

Thu, 11 Jun 2009 11:52:54 -0400

Tension is rapidly escalating along the Kyrgyz-Uzbek border. In response to violent Islamic militant attacks in late May, Uzbek authorities have started to fortify their frontier by building three-meter-wide trenches in some areas, according to Kyrgyz media reports. Bishkek has criticized the Uzbek action as a violation of mutual security agreements.

Uzbekistan: They��ll be Doing the Samba in Tashkent

Wed, 10 Jun 2009 14:33:44 -0400

BY DEIRDRE TYNAN After months of intensive negotiations, legendary Brazilian football coach Luiz Felipe Scolari is being unveiled as the new manager of Uzbekistan��s richest football club, Bunyodkor.

Kazakhstan: Business Climate Grows Gloomy Amid Arbitrary Arrest Controversy

Wed, 10 Jun 2009 12:35:30 -0400

BY JOANNA LILLIS Foreign investors and Kazakhstan��s business elite have been shaken by the arrest of one of the country��s most respected and successful entrepreneurs. As investors look on nervously and some of the country��s top executives protest openly, a probe of all state companies has been ordered. So great has been the controversy stirred by the arrest of Mukhtar Dzhakishev, former head of the state nuclear agency, that President Nursultan Nazarbayev felt compelled to intervene.

Armenia: Opposition Looks for a New Strategy

Wed, 10 Jun 2009 12:34:48 -0400

A EURASIANET COMMENTARY BY HAROUTIUN KHACHATRIAN Defeated repeatedly at the polls, the Armenian National Congress, Armenia��s largest opposition movement, finds itself on a slippery slope and is struggling to gain traction.

Mongolia: Russia Nixes US Development Funds for Ulaanbaatar

Tue, 9 Jun 2009 16:37:53 -0400

BY JOSHUA KUCERA Mongolia is accepting Russian demands to refuse US government funding for a railroad project and will ask the United States to redirect the funding to another project, the country��s foreign minister said during a visit to Washington.

Iran: Is Ahmadinejad Carrying Out a Coup?

Tue, 9 Jun 2009 16:36:39 -0400

BY KAMAL NAZER YASIN What we may be witnessing in Iran these days is a revolution within the Islamic Revolution. If successfully carried out, the net effect would be more like a coup, in which the incumbent president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, tramples on Iran��s existing, tangled pluralistic system, and establishes what amounts to a neo-conservative dictatorship with the blessing of the country��s spiritual leader. The problem for Ahmadinejad and his backers, however, is they may have underestimated the power of their opponents.

Armenia: Sopranos-Style TV Dramas Spark Debate Over Crime Rates

Tue, 9 Jun 2009 12:33:10 -0400

BY MARIANNA GRIGORYAN Burglaries have doubled in Armenia, homicides have nearly tripled and illegal weapons trafficking is up by over 43 percent in Armenia so far in 2009. Sociologists see a connection between the crime binge and a new collection of wildly popular TV crime-thrillers.

Ferghana Valley: Tajik-Kyrgyz Border a Potential "Karabakh"

Fri, 5 Jun 2009 14:58:41 -0400

BY DAVID TRILLING Kuldash is unsure which country he lives in. An ethnic Kyrgyz, he has a Kyrgyz passport, but his son possesses a Tajik one. "My son lives in the next house, in Kyrgyzstan. My house is supposed to be in Tajikistan," he says with a wry grin.

Iran: Ahmadinejad Has One Quip Too Many, Prompting Intervention

Fri, 5 Jun 2009 14:56:03 -0400

BY KAMAL NAZER YASIN Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad��s penchant for loopy one-liners and unsubstantiated allegations may finally be getting the best of him. A raucous presidential debate -- featuring comments so outrageous that Ahmadinejad provoked rebukes from all across the political spectrum -- has energized the Iranian electorate, and riveted attention on the June 12 presidential vote. Turnout may end up being so large, and attention so great, that it may make it difficult to rig. That can only be bad news for the incumbent.

Georgia: Contemplating War-and-Peace on a Make-Believe Isle

Thu, 4 Jun 2009 15:27:22 -0400

BY GIORGI LOMSADZE Given the vitriolic exchanges between Tbilisi and Moscow at the outset, the conclusion of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization��s military exercises in Georgia was somewhat of an anti-climax.

Tajikistan: Plummeting Currency Causes Economic Worries

Thu, 4 Jun 2009 14:20:07 -0400

Small business owners and consumers are being hit hard by the rapid and seemingly uncontrollable fall of the Tajik currency against the US dollar. While some experts say the National Bank appears to have no control over the plunge of the Tajik somoni, others suggest that some large businesses are taking advantage of bank moves to turn a quick profit.

Azerbaijan: Baku Can Leapfrog over Ukraine, Georgia for NATO Membership -- Source

Thu, 4 Jun 2009 12:42:07 -0400

BY SHAHIN ABBASOV A senior source within the North Atlantic Treaty Organization��s Joint Force Command has told EurasiaNet that Azerbaijan stands a better chance of gaining NATO membership in the near future than either Georgia or Ukraine.

Iran: Reformists Take Action to Frustrate Ahmadinejad Dirty Tricks

Thu, 4 Jun 2009 12:39:30 -0400

BY KAMAL NAZER YASIN The leading presidential challenger, Mir Hussein Mousavi, appears to be gaining a head of steam leading up to Iran��s election on June 12. Even though some polls now show Mousavi to be leading the incumbent, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, some experts in Tehran maintain that political change in Tehran is unlikely. Some powerful forces in Iranian politics are unwilling to see Ahmadinejad lose.

Kazakhstan: Conflict-of-Interest Debate Flares in Washington

Thu, 4 Jun 2009 12:35:20 -0400

BY JOSHUA KUCERA The government of Kazakhstan is paying an influential Washington think tank to write a series of reports and policy recommendations for the US and Kazakhstani governments concerning Astana��s upcoming role as chairman of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe.

Armenia: Trying to Find a Balance Between Economic Need and Environmental Responsibility

Thu, 4 Jun 2009 12:35:03 -0400

BY GAYANE ABRAHAMYAN A Russian-owned mining company��s plan to build a gold processing plant near Armenia��s legendary Lake Sevan has raised concerns about additional contamination of the lake, the source for 90 percent of Armenia��s fresh water supplies.

Georgia: Tbilisi Looks to Pablo Picasso for Positive Post-War PR

Thu, 4 Jun 2009 12:34:19 -0400

A EURASIANET PHOTO ESSAY BY MOLLY CORSO Forty Pablo Picasso drawings, sketches and linocuts from France's Zervos Museum are spending the summer in Georgia. It marks the country's first high-profile art exhibit since the fall of the Soviet Union, and seeks to burnish the Caucasus country's image as a regional cultural hub.

Kazakhstan: Close Encounters with Camels on the Aral Sea Bed

Fri, 29 May 2009 14:48:16 -0400

A EURASIANET DIARY BY DAVID TRILLING Bactrian Camels are endangered in the wild, but domesticated breeds have long plied the trade routes of Central Asia. Well-adapted to the demands of dry steppe living, they are a common site in Kazakhstan and other arid regions of Central Asia, from Afghanistan and China to the Caspian shore. Domesticated or not, the two-humped beasts have wicked tempers, as EurasiaNet��s David Trilling learned at the bottom of the Aral Sea.

Armenia: Is President Sargsyan��s Amnesty Offer Politics or PR?

Fri, 29 May 2009 14:48:03 -0400

BY MARIANNA GRIGORYAN Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan��s recent announcement that he is prepared to consider a prisoner amnesty has fueled debate about his motivations. Some Armenians believe it is a tactical maneuver designed to influence the outcome of Yerevan��s May 31 City Council elections. Opposition politicians, meanwhile, suggest the president is trying to burnish Armenia��s international human rights record.

Azerbaijan: Youth Groups Look to Pre-Soviet Past to Build Democratic-Secular Future

Fri, 29 May 2009 14:47:49 -0400

BY MINA MURADOVA They say they have no interest in politics. Just in promoting social change. Youth groups that promote Azerbaijan��s pre-Soviet Azerbaijani Democratic Republic have become a fresh force in Azerbaijan��s public life, but one that the government isn��t embracing.

Afghanistan: Civil Casualties Remains a Divisive Issue for Kabul and Washington

Thu, 28 May 2009 15:39:32 -0400

BY AUNOHITA MOJUMDAR Despite US efforts to minimize accidents, the issue of civilian deaths remains a source of tension between American forces and the Afghan government, and it appears to be eroding popular support for coalition forces fighting Islamic militants. Afghan officials contend that US commanders need to shift their combat priorities to ensure civilian safety. US military representatives counter that it is the Taliban that does not value life, adding that the insurgents are using civilians as "human sacrifice."

Uzbekistan: Political Persecution Prompts Rise in Refugees

Thu, 28 May 2009 15:39:10 -0400

A EurasiaNet Q&A with Human Rights Activist Nadezhda Atayeva Human rights activist Nadezhda Atayeva is president of the Paris-based Association for Human Rights in Central Asia. Her association assists refugees and asylum seekers from Central Asia -- especially Uzbekistan -- understand their international legal rights and gain protection. EurasiaNet asked Atayeva about conditions in Uzbekistan and the difficulties encountered by Central Asian refugees and asylum seekers abroad.

Tajikistan: Uzbekistan Proves Unlikely Friend in Time of Need

Thu, 28 May 2009 15:38:51 -0400

To the surprise of some Tajiks suffering from recent mudslides and floods, an unlikely friend has extended a helping hand. Uzbekistan, which for much of the post-Soviet era has had bitter relations with Tajikistan, recently delivered emergency food and reconstruction aid to help its blighted neighbor.

Kyrgyzstan: Radioactive Legacy Vexes Bishkek

Wed, 27 May 2009 15:22:20 -0400

A EURASIANET PHOTO ESSAY BY DAVID TRILLING For a generation, Toko and his extended family have grown tomatoes, apples and strawberries along the Mailuu Suu River in southern Kyrgyzstan. Their little plot was a form of insurance, looked upon as a reliable food source that could help feed the family and produce some income amid the post-Soviet era��s economic uncertainty. But for the past year, an infernal legacy of the Soviet era has haunted Toko��s household. A new sign across the muddy lane tells the story: it displays the fearsome international trefoil symbol for radioactivity and reads, "Keep Out!"

Uzbekistan: Kyrgyz Officials Deny Islamic Militant Raids Originated in Kyrgyzstan

Wed, 27 May 2009 15:22:03 -0400

BY DEIRDRE TYNAN Kyrgyz officials are adamantly disputing the Uzbek government��s contention that May 26 violence in the Uzbek portion of the Ferghana Valley can trace its origins to Kyrgyzstan.

Azerbaijan: Mosques Close in Baku, "Capital of Islamic Culture"

Wed, 27 May 2009 15:21:49 -0400

BY MINA MURADOVA Baku may have the designation of this year��s "Capital of Islamic Culture," but a recent series of mosque closures and fresh requirements for registration of religious organizations has prompted concern about how Azerbaijan is living up to its title.

Uzbekistan: If a Taliban Outpost Falls in Pakistan, Is the Ripple Felt in the Ferghana Valley?

Tue, 26 May 2009 17:14:02 -0400

Updates with suicide bombing in Andijan Are anti-Taliban operations in far-away Pakistan prompting Uzbek Islamic militants to flee safe havens in the Southwest Asian nation��s tribal areas and to return to Central Asia? A suicide bombing in Andijan, as well as an armed clash between gunmen and security forces in the Uzbek border town of Khanabad, suggests this may be a possibility.

Tajikistan: Are Islamic Militants Trying to Make a Comeback in Central Asia?

Tue, 26 May 2009 17:13:46 -0400

Officials in Tajikistan are adamantly denying a large-scale government security operation in the eastern Rasht Valley has anything to do with reports that a notorious Islamic militant commander has returned to the area from Pakistan. Authorities are sticking with the story that the beefed up security presence in the mountainous region is connected with a government anti-drug offensive.

Uzbekistan: Tashkent��s Job-Creation Plans May Stoke Rural Discontent

Fri, 22 May 2009 15:22:43 -0400

Amid a worsening financial picture in Uzbekistan, President Islam Karimov is pulling out his old Soviet playbook and trying to give new meaning to the concept of a command economy. But there appears to be a sizeable chance that the Uzbek government��s policy prescriptions could end up exacerbating social tension in the Central Asian nation.

Armenia: Government Coalition Parties Duke It Out over Yerevan Vote

Fri, 22 May 2009 15:22:34 -0400

BY MARIANNA GRIGORYAN With the election for Yerevan��s City Council 10 days away, the campaign is becoming bruising. But it��s not jockeying between the government and opposition that has emerged as the chief source of rancor. Instead, the campaign has opened a window on a simmering power struggle within the governing coalition.

Afghanistan: Could Afghan Resupply Efforts Promote US-Iranian Cooperation?

Thu, 21 May 2009 16:17:49 -0400

BY DEIRDRE TYNAN The Defense Department��s US Transportation Command is leaving no stone unturned in its efforts to find alternative routes of supply to Afghanistan. Documents obtained by EurasiaNet indicate that efforts to both ease and widen the flow of non-lethal materiel to NATO and US troops fighting the Taliban could potentially require cooperation between the United States and Iran.

Georgia: Suspected Mutiny Mastermind Killed in Shootout

Thu, 21 May 2009 16:17:36 -0400

BY GIORGI LOMSADZE Georgian police have shot dead one of the accused masterminds of a military mutiny and badly wounded his two accomplices. The incident is sparking fresh controversy over a tank battalion rebellion against President Mikheil Saakashvili earlier in May.

Georgia: Tbilisi Woos Arab Investment

Wed, 20 May 2009 15:53:51 -0400

A EURASIANET PHOTO ESSAY BY MOLLY CORSO Eager to carve out cheaper trade routes, Georgia is becoming a favored destination for Middle East investors. Arab executives say the benefits of Georgia��s location outweigh the risks of basing operations in a country that recently fought a war with Russia.

Azerbaijan: Government Opts Not to Mourn Baku School Shooting Victims

Wed, 20 May 2009 15:53:37 -0400

BY JESSICA POWLEY HAYDEN In Azerbaijan, a tragedy is threatening to turn into a public relations problem for President Ilham Aliyev��s administration. Young Azerbaijanis have started to voice displeasure over the government��s refusal to declare a public mourning period for the victims of the recent mass murder at Baku��s State Oil Academy.

Potential Iraq Connection Keeps Nabucco Pipeline Project on Life Support

Tue, 19 May 2009 16:39:54 -0400

BY YIGAL SCHLEIFER Could supplies from gas fields in northern Iraq breath new life into the troubled Nabucco pipeline, a project designed to free the European Union from Russia��s virtual gas supply monopoly?

Iran: Did Ahmadinejad Use Saberi in Attempt to Score Diplomatic Coup?

Tue, 19 May 2009 16:39:37 -0400

A EURASIANET COMMENTARY BY KAMAL NAZER YASIN Circumstantial evidence suggests that Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad may have provoked an incident involving the United States -- specifically, the recent jailing of Iranian-American journalist Roxana Saberi -- in a twisted effort to promote a rapprochement with Washington.

Tajikistan: French Air Detachment in Dushanbe Quietly Carries Out Afghan Mission

Mon, 18 May 2009 17:00:38 -0400

A EURASIANET PHOTO ESSAY BY DAVID TRILLING Dushanbe��s ramshackle airport is the only facility in the world that is hosting NATO and Russian troops simultaneously. Both unassuming military outposts outside the capital of Tajikistan share the same single airstrip and sit quietly at the same end of the airfield.

Armenia and Azerbaijan: Eurovision Contest Puts Musical Twist on Nagorno-Karabakh Dispute

Mon, 18 May 2009 17:00:26 -0400

BY GAYANE ABRAHAMYAN AND JESSICA POWLEY HAYDEN For most television viewers, Eurovision 2009, with all its spangled costumes and schmaltzy tunes, was nothing more than a light-hearted, fun-filled singing contest. But for those watching in Armenia and Azerbaijan, the show became another front in the long-running struggle over Nagorno-Karabakh.

Georgia: Villagers Want Jobs, Not Protests

Mon, 18 May 2009 17:00:12 -0400

A EURASIANET PHOTO ESSAY BY MOLLY CORSO Kiosk owner Dali Maghlabeli makes just two lari per day - a little over $1 - from the snacks and inflatable balls displayed in her tin hut on Georgia��s main East-West highway. For Georgia��s assertive opposition, people like Maghlabeli are targets of opportunity. But so far, Maghlabeli and others from the ranks of Georgia��s impoverished have shunned opposition efforts to recruit them for the campaign to force President Mikheil Saakashvili from power.

Caspian Basin: Which Way is Up for Regional Energy Development?

Mon, 18 May 2009 16:59:32 -0400

A EURASIANET COMMENTARY BY ARIEL COHEN May 15 could become the official birth date of a pipeline that would help Russia maintain its virtual monopoly of natural gas exports to Europe. Whether the energy export project grows to maturity remains to be seen.

Central Asia: Washington Boosts Aid to Region to Bolster Afghan War Effort

Wed, 13 May 2009 00:19:12 +0300

BY JOSHUA KUCERA The United States is proposing significant increases to its aid packages for Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan in the hopes that stabilizing those countries will enhance US efforts to defeat the Taliban insurgency in Afghanistan. More broadly, however, regional experts say the aid amounts that Washington is extending to the countries of the Caucasus and Central Asia in 2009 are insufficient to secure desired US diplomatic objectives in those regions.

Iran: An Unlikely Political Alliance Taking Shape

Wed, 13 May 2009 00:18:51 +0300

BY KAMAL NAZER YASIN With one month to go before Iran��s June 12 presidential election, incumbent Mahmoud Ahmadinejad��s reelection chances seem high. But his candidacy is proving so polarizing that the election campaign could bring about lasting changes to Iran��s political landscape.

Uzbekistan: Karimov Gives Washington the Air Base It Needs for Afghan Operations

Mon, 11 May 2009 21:47:09 +0300

BY DEIRDRE TYNAN With a helping hand from South Korea, the United States has reestablished a strategic presence in Uzbekistan - sort of. The development provides a boost for US efforts to press an offensive against Islamic militants in Afghanistan, and offers evidence that Russia��s influence in Central Asia is waning.

Georgia: No Breakthrough in Saakashvili-Opposition Talks

Mon, 11 May 2009 21:46:47 +0300

After a month of street demonstrations during which protesters have agitated for President Mikheil Saakashvili��s resignation, the Georgian leader and opposition envoys sat down for talks on May 11. The discussions did not appear to resolve any of the issues dividing the two sides.

Nagorno-Karabakh: Baku and Yerevan Downbeat on a Possible Solution

Mon, 11 May 2009 21:46:27 +0300

BY SHAHIN ABBASOV AND GAYANE ABRAHAMYAN While international mediators give an upbeat assessment to the May 8 t��te-��-t��te between Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, within Azerbaijan and Armenia there is a scarcity of optimism.

Central Asia and Caucasus: Terrorist Threat on Rise in Ferghana Valley - US State Department

Fri, 8 May 2009 17:27:08 -0400

BY JOSHUA KUCERA The threat posed by Islamic militant groups in Central Asia, especially in the Kyrgyz and Tajik portions of the Ferghana Valley, appears to be growing, according to the US State Department��s recently released annual report on terrorism.

Azerbaijan: Diaspora Organization Tries to Counter Armenian-American Influence in Washington

Fri, 8 May 2009 17:26:42 -0400

BY JESSICA POWLEY HAYDEN A new front has opened in the Azerbaijan-Armenia conflict and it is centered in Washington, DC. Frustrated by the effectiveness of Armenian-American advocacy groups to shape debates in the United States, Baku is now looking to its diaspora for a little public-relations support.

Turkey: Can Turkey��s Main Secularist Party Make a Comeback?

Fri, 8 May 2009 17:26:08 -0400

BY NICHOLAS BIRCH Nationwide, the CHP only managed to get 2 percent more votes than in general elections in 2007. But in Istanbul, Turkey��s biggest city, it increased votes by 10 percent, losing by a neck to a popular mayor from the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP). "Win Istanbul and you are half way to winning Turkey", says Adil Gur, a leading pollster. "A CHP victory would have been a huge coup."