Moscow’s muted reaction to North Korea’s missile launches on July 4 comes as somewhat of a surprise. North Korea endangered Russian commercial vessels, the Russian Navy in the Sea of Japan, and Russian citizens in the Far East. Its calm response to the missile tests... MORE

Russia's natural gas giant Gazprom has plans to expand to Central Asia, the Caucasus, and Iran in pursuit of “global market leadership,” Gazprom CEO Alexei Miller announced at the company's annual shareholders meeting on June 30. Gazprom is exploring hydrocarbon reserves in Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, and... MORE

Kidnappings and executions in war-torn Iraq are hardly a novelty, but last month Moscow had its first brush with the problem. On June 3, one Russian diplomat was shot dead and four others kidnapped; on June 19, the Mujahideen Shura Council, a grouping linked to... MORE

Russia’s current campaign strategy in Chechnya relies on security agencies and the local government to the region as having a normal, controlled security environment. Russian security structures operating in Chechnya continue to find large weapons caches, making much of the attending publicity to show that... MORE

The escalating insurgency in Pakistan's southwestern province of Balochistan and neighboring regions receives extensive media coverage. Aside from the need to root out radical Islamist opposition movements tied to al-Qaeda and the Taliban, Pakistan faces a series of domestic threats based on ethnic, sectarian and... MORE

The September 11 attacks precipitated the uncovering of extensive al-Takfir wa al-Hijra (Excommunication and Exile) networks across Europe specialized in logistical support to terrorist groups. While the obscure group had been previously encountered by law enforcement, many were surprised at the extent and reach of... MORE

Presidents Vladimir Putin of Russia, Alexander Lukashenka of Belarus, Robert Kocharian of Armenia, Nursultan Nazarbayev of Kazakhstan, Kurmanbek Bakiyev of Kyrgyzstan, Imomali Rahmonov of Tajikistan, and Islam Karimov of Uzbekistan met on June 23 in Minsk for a dual summit of the Collective Security Treaty... MORE

Much has been written about the Aleppo-based Syrian preacher Abu al-Qaqa since Syrian security apprehended an armed group on June 2 that was attempting to carry out a terrorist attack at early dawn on the Ummayad Square in the heart of Damascus (Terrorism Focus, June... MORE

The growing furor over North Korea's preparations for a missile test has evoked only a tepid response in Moscow. Beijing only weighed in publicly on June 21, with a typically restrained statement of its being very concerned about a possible test (Xinhua, Chinadaily.com, June 22).... MORE