The Soviet Military Experience in Afghanistan: A Precedent of Dubious Relevance
The Soviet war in Afghanistan in the 1980s had been largely forgotten until last month, but it is now back in the news. The attacks on New York and Washington,…
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United States
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Why Peace Operations in Afghanistan Should Heed Soviet Lessons Learned
Common wisdom says that the United States has little to learn from studying the military lessons of Soviet intervention in Afghanistan. U.S. military actions have been designed not to encounter…
The ABM Treaty: The End of One Saga and the Start of Another
The November 2001 summit between Presidents George W. Bush and Vladimir Putin marked the end of the lengthy saga of the ABM Treaty. After years of intense conflict, the situation…
U.S. Assistance to Russian NGOs: Securing Global Governance from Below
This memorandum argues that President George W. Bush’s administration should complement its diplomatic rapprochement with Russia with continued, even enhanced, support for nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) in the Russian Third Sector.…
What Happens When Russia is the West’s Ally? Some Historical Geopolitical Regularities
The geopolitical history of balance of power suggests that Russia is simply too big to be the West’s ally in normal times. In a pattern that has held for more…
Central Asia’s Stability and Russia’s Security
In August 2000, as in 1999, Islamic rebels tested the strength of Central Asian government forces. Kyrgyzstan was badly hit again; what is more, Uzbek soldiers struggled to battle the…
Why the United States Should Cede its Russia Policy to Europe
The usual criticism of American policy toward Russia is that it is somehow wrong or misguided. I argue the problem is far more fundamental than that: the United States would…
The Limits of US Influence on Russian Economic Policy
When the Soviet Union broke apart nine years ago, Western observers voiced dire predictions about Russia's fate. Some warned that a quasi-fascist or military dictatorship would seize power; others spoke…
Russia’s Views on Cruise Missiles in the Context
The abysmal state of Russia's conventional forces has caused Moscow to rely on nuclear weapons to ensure its security. This reliance was formalized in Russia's military doctrine, which states that…
Nuclear De-emphasizing in Russia’s Military Thinking: Phantom or Reality?
Shortly after coming into power, Russian President Vladimir Putin's administration significantly changed Moscow's foreign and security priorities. These changes were based upon the realization that the real and present danger…