Russian interests in the Eastern Mediterranean have been highlighted both by the country’s diplomatic and naval activity related to the Syrian crisis as well as by its stance on economic and energy issues in Cyprus. During the 2000s, Moscow’s influence on the island has steadily increased, making Cyprus a new Russian foothold in the Eastern Mediterranean. While Moscow’s ties with Nicosia have served Russia’s Mediterranean energy interests, they have also revived tensions with Turkey. In … [Read more...]
WESTERN INFLUENCE ON ARAB MILITARIES: POUNDING SQUARE PEGS INTO ROUND HOLES
By March 18, 2021
This article is a personal account of U.S. Army Colonel Norvell DeAtkine’s experience in dealing with Arab militaries for over 40 years. Based on observation and study of Arab military establishments, he concludes little of significance has happened to change the deeply embedded character of the Arab military mindset. While there is some evidence that Arab soldiers historically performed better under European officers, there is no evidence that the Western tradition of command ethos outlived … [Read more...]
RUSSO-TURKISH DIVERGENCE (PART II): THE ENERGY DIMENSION
By November 14, 2020
Part I of this article is available here. Energy issues figure prominently in the Russo-Turkish relationship. Their impact is not nearly as clear-cut as are the Iranian and Syrian issues. Turkey and Russia have a complex, evolving relationship characterized by mutual dependencies in the oil and gas spheres. As Richard Weitz stated, “Energy relations between Russia and Turkey have long been characterized by overt friendship and subtle competition.”[1] In the first part of this … [Read more...]
RUSSO-TURKISH DIVERGENCE (PART I): THE SECURITY DIMENSION
By April 27, 2021
Since the early 1990s, Turkey and Russia's strategic outlooks have gradually been converging. The two countries have incrementally shed their mutual apprehensions and started a comprehensive and multifaceted cooperation. Turkish–Russian interaction in the Middle East, Caucasus, and Mediterranean reveals that there might be limits to the future expansion of their partnership. Russo-Turkish relations encompass a multi-regional agenda from the Balkans to Central Asia, including the … [Read more...]
BETWEEN TURKEY, RUSSIA, AND PERSIA: PERCEPTIONS OF NATIONAL IDENTITY IN AZERBAIJAN AND ARMENIA AT THE TURN OF THE NINETEENTH AND TWENTIETH CENTURIES
By April 27, 2021
This article traces the emergence of the modern national identities of Azerbaijanis and Armenians back to the last quarter of the nineteenth century. In doing so, it emphasizes the ways national identities were shaped by Azerbaijani and Armenian intellectual elites, reflecting their historical heritage of being parts of Turkish, Persian, and Russian empires. Accordingly, the evolution of mutual perceptions of Azerbaijanis and Armenians vis-à-vis their imperial neighbors--and vice versa--is … [Read more...]
CHECHNYA, WAHHABISM, AND THE INVASION OF DAGESTAN
By December 4, 2020
“We are like a herd of horses. When we sense danger, we unite immediately in order to confront it. As soon as the danger disappears, however, we start turning on one another.” --Chechen proverb Between 1996 and 1999, Chechnya enjoyed a de facto independence. This experiment, however, failed due to many factors, including the triumph of loyalty to the clan (which undermined any chance to establish a strong central authority), a lack of state institutions capable of effectively … [Read more...]
The Russia-Iran Nuclear Connection and U.S. Policy Options
By March 7, 2021
Volume 8, No. 1 - March 2004 THE RUSSIA-IRAN NUCLEAR CONNECTION AND U.S. POLICY OPTIONS By Victor Mizin Russian involvement in Iran's nuclear program has long been one of the most controversial aspects of Moscow's Middle East policy. This article evaluates the nature of this cooperation, especially in regard to its effect on U.S.-Russian relations and options for having an effective non-proliferation strategy on this front. On October 21, 2003, as part of a deal … [Read more...]
