The Challenge of Terrorism in Post-Saddam Iraq: A View from Russia
Although terrorism was one of the least plausible causes for the recent U.S. war in Iraq and there was a surprising lack of terrorist acts aimed against the United States or…
From the Courtyard to the Federation: What holds communities together?
We tend to look at social, ethnic, religious, or psychological affinities when we evaluate levels of cohesion in a given community. However, classical thought was more preoccupied with more durable and tangible…
Rejoining Europe?: The Socializing Power of European Institutions
Recent months have witnessed a heated debate between the United States and its European allies over basic foreign policy strategies. Played out largely in discussions over the war on terror, headline stories…
The Future of U.S.-Russian Nuclear Relations: A Rip Van Winkle Approach?
The Strategic Offensive Reductions Treaty (SORT, or the Treaty of Moscow) signed by U.S. president George W. Bush and Russian president Vladimir Putin during their Moscow/St. Petersburg summit in May…
The Bellwether Battle for Bashkortostan (Rage Against the Machine)
On December 7, 2003, Russian voters in some regions will choose not only a parliament, but also a regional leader. For many citizens, the latter contests will mean much more than the…
Some Parallels Between Islamic Radicals in Russia and the United States
The first suicide bombing in Israel occurred in April 1993, and by September 11, 2001, 63 suicide bombings had taken place there. The attack on the World Trade Center, in which a…
Time to Get Off the Putin Path
In the last few years, Russia has become an increasingly hostile place for those who support democracy, human rights, and the rule of law. Political and social activists inside and outside Russia…
The State in the New Russia (1992-2004): From Collapse to Gradual Revival?
The very notion of the state implies that public authorities hold monopolies on three functions: Legitimate use of violence Provision of revenues by collecting taxes Control of monetary emission All…
Ukraine at the Crossroads: Velvet Revolution or Belarusification
The present Ukrainian electoral system is based on a mixed majoritarian/proportional system, with 225 of the Rada’s deputies elected in single-mandate districts (SMD) and 225 elected by party lists. In the March…
Who is in Charge?: Russia Handles Arms Control Negotiations
Russia has always considered arms control negotiations with the United States to be one of the most important elements of its foreign policy. Debates about strategic arms reductions and the…
Political Reform or a Game of Survival for President Kuchma?
Ukrainian President Leonid Kuchma is constitutionally prohibited from running for a third term. Viktor Yushchenko, the leader of the main opposition bloc Our Ukraine, is, according to opinion polls, the best placed…
U.S. Military Bases in Post-Soviet Central Asia: Economic Lessons from Okinawa
The new United States and coalition force military bases in Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan, established in 2002, have not attracted much media attention in the West. Yet as we know from cases elsewhere…