The Caucasus
Russia ordered to pay in Chechen disappearances
The European Court for Human Rights ruled that Russia must pay $2.6 million, to the families of 36 Chechen men who disappeared between 2000 and 2006.
Tag: Russia
Central Asia
France to extradite ex-Kazakh energy minsiter
France agreed to exradite the ex-Kazakh energy minister to Russia on corruption charges—despite fears that he will be turned over to Kazakhstan, to face torture.
The Caucasus
Volgograd terror: revenge of ‘Caucasus Emirate’?
In the wake of the Volgograd terror blasts, Putin is preparing a new offensive against Chechen insurgents seeking to rebuild the 19th century "Caucasus Emirate."
Europe
Ukraine, Thailand, Italy: hope and contradiction
In Ukraine, Thailand and Italy, riot police stood down and ceded control of urban space to protesters—yet the demonstrators in all three countries have problematic politics.
Syria
Evo Morales betrays Syrian people
By saying the US “funds rebels that fight against presidents who don’t support capitalism or imperialism,” Evo Morales allies himself with a regime that is committing war crimes.
Greater Middle East
Did climate change spark Syria crisis?
A jet stream blockage related to climate change caused the Russian wheat crop to fail in 2010, halting exports to Syria and the Arab world, and fueling unrest and revolt.
Greater Middle East
Are you ready for World War 5?
The fearful synergy of regional sectarian war and Great Power rivalries holds the menace of the looming Syria intervention setting off a new global conflagration.
The Andes
Latin leaders react to blocking of Bolivian flight
What appeared to be a clumsy effort to catch US secret leaker Edward Snowden seems to have backfired: three Latin American countries have now offered Snowden asylum.
The Andes
Edward Snowden and Ecuador press freedom
Edward Snowden seeks refuge in Ecuador, just as the Andean country has passed a media law protested by the Committee to Protect Journalists as imposing arbitrary censorship.
Greater Middle East
US arms reach Syrian rebels?
The Free Syrian Army boasts of receiving new weapons shipments that could “change” the course of the war—amid revelations that the US has been arming them secretly for a year.
Central Asia
Asia’s secret nuclear arms race
For all the hoopla about North Korea, a far more significant threat on the Asian continent is getting virtually no coverage: the nuclear arms race between China and India.
Greater Middle East
‘Sunni cleansing’ in Syria?
Turkey sees in the battle for Qusayr a strategy to create an Alawite mini-state within Syria, purged of Sunni Muslims, to which the ruling elite can withdraw for a last stand.