A Feasibility Study I cannot forecast to you the action of Russia. It is a riddle, wrapped in a mystery, inside an enigma; but perhaps there is a key. That key is Russian national interest. -Winston Churchill Every proposed solution to the Chechnya situation encompasses its own degree of varying feasibility and complications, particularly in […]
Troubleshooting Chechnya, Chapter IV Read More »
Tucked behind the circa 1764 Smolny Cathedral sits the Political Science department of the St. Petersburg State University. The vast convent, considered to be one of the architectural masterpieces of the famed Italian Francesco Bartolomeo Rastrelli, is situated on the shore of the Neva River, just before it swoops westward and dissipates into the Gulf
St. Petersburg State University’s Courageous Voices Read More »
Imagining Workable Solutions Why don’t you meet Osama bin Laden, invite him to Brussels or to the White House and engage in talks, ask him what he wants and give it to him so he leaves you in peace? You find it possible to set some limitations in your dealings with these bastards, so why
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The Unforeseen Consequences of War “’Are you okay, man?’ ‘Yeah, I’m good.’ It’s a lie. I wonder if I will ever be good again.” –David Bellavia Multiple consequences stem from Russia’s appointment of an autonomous Chechen leader. This, coupled with Moscow’s lack of recognition of the Chechen people’s only true representative, indirectly led to the
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Chechnya’s Geopolitical Landscape We’ll follow terrorists everywhere. We will corner the bandits in the toilet and wipe them out. –Vladimir Putin In November of 1991, soon after the dissipation of the Soviet Union, Chechnya declared their independence from Russia. Consequently, in 1994, Boris Yeltsin sent troops into Chechnya, attempting to maintain access to oil pipelines
Troubleshooting Chechnya, Chapter I Read More »
Early in the morning of February 28th, 2015 Moscow time, unknown assailants gunned down Boris Nemtsov – physicist and strong supporter of liberal democratic reforms – on a popular bridge just down the hill from the Kremlin and Red Square. This is the same bridge where, in 1993, Boris Yeltsin positioned tanks in an attempt
Boris Nemtsov’s Untimely Death and the Ongoing Threat to Dissidence in Russia Read More »