twokopecks

This week in DC.

2008-03-10T04:37:00.002+06:00

Monday, March 10

The George Washington University (GW) and the World Bank
Global finance forum on "Oil Price Volatility, Economic Impacts, and Financial Management: Risk Management Experience, Best Practice, and Outlook," March 10-11. Events begin at 8:30 a.m. Highlights:

8:30 a.m.: Steven Knapp, president of GW; Graeme Wheeler, managing director of the World Bank; and Alex Fleming, manager of the World Bank, delivers opening remarks
12:30 p.m.: Jim Burkhard, managing director of Cambridge Energy Research Associates, delivers remarks at a luncheon. Location: World Bank MC Building, 1818 H St., NW
5:30 p.m.: Shigeo Katsu, vice president of the Europe and Central Asia Region at the World Bank, delivers remarks [Note: RSVP to Katerina Svirina at, 202-458-1042 or esvirina@worldbank.org by March 6 at 5 p.m.]
Location: GW, 805 21st St., NW, Washington, D.C. or as noted.

The American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research (AEI)
Discussion on "What Now for Russia? The Regime and Opposition After the Presidential Election." [Note: Register online: http://www.aei.org/event1680]
Participants: Oleg Buklemishev, adviser to former Prime Minister Mikhail Kasyanov; Vladimir Kara-Murza, former presidential campaign manager for Vladimir Bukovsky; Boris Nemtsov, former first deputy prime minister and co-founder of the Union of Right Forces; Vladimir Ryzhkov, co-chairman of the Republican Party of Russia; Michael McFaul, director of the Center on Democracy, Development, and the Rule of Law at Stanford University; and Leon Aron of AEI
Location: AEI, 1150 17th St., NW, Wohlstetter Conference Center, 12th Floor, Washington, D.C.. 9 a.m.

The American Foreign Policy Council
Conference on "Missile Defenses and American Security." Highlights:

9 a.m.: Ilan Berman, vice president for policy at the American Foreign Policy Council, delivers remarks
9:15 a.m.: Former CIA Director James Woolsey delivers remarks on "21st Century Threats and Responses"
10 a.m.: Senate Minority Whip Jon Kyl, R-Ariz., delivers remarks on "Missile Defense Priorities: The View from Congress"
10:45 a.m.: Keith Payne, president of the National Institute for Public Policy, delivers remarks on "New Requirements for Deterrence and Defense"
11:30 a.m.: Peter Brookes, senior fellow at the Heritage Foundation, delivers remarks on "The Case for European Missile Defense"
12:15 p.m.: Ilan Berman, vice president for policy at the American Foreign Policy Council, delivers concluding remarks [Note: RSVP required.]
Location: 902 Hart Senate Office Building. 9 a.m.

The Woodrow Wilson Center (WWC)
Discussion on "The Geography of North Caucasian Conflicts (1999-2007): Analysis of 14, 000 Violent Incidents" with John O'Loughlin, professor of geography and faculty research associate at the Institute of Behavioral Science at the University of Colorado.
Location: WWC, One Woodrow Wilson Plaza, Ronald Reagan Building, 1300 Pennsylvania Ave., NW, Washington, D.C.. 12 noon

The Johns Hopkins University Paul Nitze School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS)
Discussion on "Kosovo, Serbia and the Balkans: Where Does Europe Go From Here?" with David Kanin, adjunct professor of European studies and senior analyst at the CIA. [Note: RSVP to ntobin@jhu.edu]
Location: SAIS, Rome Building, 1619 Massachusetts Ave., NW, Room 806, Washington, D.C.. 12:30 p.m.

Tuesday, March 11

Foreign Aid - Millennium Challenge Compact Countries
Millennium Challenge Corporation (F.R. Page 11155)
Meeting to discuss and consider selection issues that were deferred from its December 12, 2007 meeting; implementation issues affecting a number of MCC's compact countries; and certain administrative matters.
Location: State Department, 2201 C St., NW, Washington, D.C.. 10 a.m.

The Heritage Foundation
Discussion on "The Rise of Global Civil Society: Building Nations from the Ground Up."
Participants: Don Eberly, author and Civil Society scholar; and Jennifer Marshall, director of the DeVos Center for Religion and Civil Society at the Heritage Foundation
Location: Heritage Foundation, 214 Massachusetts Ave., NE, Lehrman Auditorium, Washington, D.C.. 12 noon

Senate Foreign Relations Committee
NATO Expansion
Full committee hearing on "NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization): Enlargement and Effectiveness."
Witnesses: Acting Undersecretary of State for Political Affairs Daniel Fried; Gen. John Craddock of the U.S. European Command and supreme allied commander for Europe at NATO Headquarters, Mons, Belgium; Ronald Asmus, executive director of the Transatlantic Center of the German Marshall Fund, Brussels, Belgium; Philip Gordon, senior fellow for U.S. foreign policy at the Brookings Institution; and Bruce Jackson, president of the Project on Transitional Democracies
Location: 419 Dirksen Senate Office Building. 2:30 p.m.

The Heritage Foundation
25th Anniversary of President Reagan's Strategic Defense Initiative with Vice President Dick Cheney. [Note: Media credential requests must be faxed to 202-456-2973 with name and title on company letterhead by 5 p.m. on March 10. Valid media credentials and photo ID required for entry. Pre-set for all media is 2 p.m.]
Location: Four Seasons Hotel, 2800 Pennsylvania Ave., NW, Washington, D.C.. 7:20 p.m.

Wednesday, March 12

House Appropriations Committee
International Affairs Budget
State, Foreign Operations and Related Programs Subcommittee hearing on the "International Affairs Budget."
Witnesses: Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice testifies
Location: 2359 Rayburn House Office Building. 10 a.m.

House Foreign Affairs Committee
The Balkans and NATO Enlargement
Full committee hearing on "The Balkans after the Independence of Kosova and on the Eve of NATO Enlargement."
Witnesses: Assistant Secretary of State Daniel Fried of the Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs
Location: 2172 Rayburn House Office Building. 10 a.m.

The American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research (AEI)
Discussion on "What if Reagan had not Run and the Soviet Union Still Existed? The Twenty-Fifth Anniversary of Two Speeches that Changed History" with former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich, R-Ga. [Note: Register online: http://www.aei.org/event1684]
Location: AEI, 1150 17th St., NW, Wohlstetter Conference Center, 12th Floor, Washington, D.C.. 5 p.m.

The Johns Hopkins University Paul Nitze School of Advanced International Studies' (SAIS) Central Asia-Caucasuses Institute
Discussion on "From Illicit to Licit Livelihoods: Understand the Changing Role of Opium in Rural Livelihoods in Afghanistan and One Possible Alternative Crop." [Note: RSVP to 202-663-7721 or caci2@jhu.edu; The speakers' comments will be off the record.]
Participants: David Mansfield, consultant at the Department of International Development in the United Kingdom; and Keith Disselkoen, contractor at the U.S. Agency for International Development
Location: SAIS, Rome Building, 1619 Massachusetts Ave., NW, Auditorium, Washington, D.C.. 5:30 p.m.

Thursday, March 13

Senate Armed Services Committee
Nuclear Nonproliferation Programs Budget
Emerging Threats and Capabilities Subcommittee hearing on the Cooperative Threat Reduction Program and the Proliferation Security Initiative at the Defense Department, and nuclear nonproliferation programs at the National Nuclear Security Administration, in review of the Defense Authorization Request for FY2009 and the Future Years Defense Program.
Witnesses: William Tobey, deputy administrator for defense nuclear nonproliferation at the National Nuclear Security Administration at the Energy Department; and Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary Joseph Benkert, for global security affairs
Location: 222 Russell Senate Office Building. 2:30 p.m.

The Woodrow Wilson Center (WWC)
Discussion on "Returned from Russia: Nazi Archival Plunder in Western Europe and Recent Restitution Issues."
Participants: Patricia Grimstead, associate at the Harvard Ukrainian Research Institute; Michael Kurtz, assistant archivist for records services at the National Archives; and Robert Wolfe, retired senior archivist of the National Archives
Location: WWC, One Woodrow Wilson Plaza, Ronald Reagan Building, 1300 Pennsylvania Ave., NW, Washington, D.C.. 3:30 p.m.

Friday, March 14

The National Press Club Noon Newsmaker Program
Discussion on "What We Have Learned from Afghanistan-And the Future of NATO" with Danish Defense Minister Soren Gade.
Location: National Press Club, 14th and F Sts., NW, Washington, D.C.. 10 a.m.

The two-headed Russian eagle.

2008-03-03T22:09:00.003+06:00

Now with new meaning.

Congratulations Mr. President.

2008-03-03T01:29:00.006+06:00

Medvedev winning big in exit polls, which show him garnering 69.6% of the vote, and early returns, which have him at 65%.

Not 91% like Nazarbayev, 89% like Berdymukhamedov, 89% like Bakiyev, 88% like Karimov, 79% for Rakhmon, but pretty darn good, I'd say, as far as facade democracy goes.

This week in DC.

2008-03-01T20:18:00.003+06:00

Monday, March 3

The Woodrow Wilson Center's (WWC) Kennan Institute
Lecture on "Is Russia Entering the Post-Putin Era?" with Thomas Graham, senior director of Kissinger Associates and former special assistant to President Bush and senior director for Russian affairs for the National Security Council.
Location: WWC, One Woodrow Wilson Plaza, Ronald Reagan Building, 1300 Pennsylvania Ave., NW, Washington, D.C.. 12 noon

The German Marshall Fund
Discussion on "A Challenge to Transatlantic Burden Sharing."
Participants: Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Europe and Eurasia Kurt Volker; German Ambassador to the U.S. Klaus Scharioth; and Guy Saint-Jacques, deputy chief of mission at the Canadian Embassy
Location: The German Marshall Fund, 1744 R St., NW, Washington, D.C.. 12 noon

The Johns Hopkins University Paul Nitze School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS)
Discussion on "Strengthening U.S. Foreign Assistance: Proposals for a More Effective Strategy."
Participants: Leo Hindery, vice chairman of the Helping to Enhance the Livelihood of People Around the Globe (HELP) Commission on U.S. foreign assistance; Nancy Birdsall, president of the Center for Global Development; and Roger Leeds, director of the SAIS Center for International Business and Public Policy
Location: SAIS, Rome Building, 1619 Massachusetts Ave., NW, Auditorium, Washington, D.C.. 5 p.m.

Tuesday, March 4

The Woodrow Wilson Center (WWC)
Briefing on Kosovo's recent independence. [Note: Reservations required to Erin Mosely at 202-691-4266 or erin.mosely@wilsoncenter.org by March 3 at noon.]
Participants: Martin Sletzinger, director of East European Studies at WWC; Mario Zucconi, public policy scholar at WWC; and Ina Merdjanova, policy scholar at the Southeast Europe Project
Location: WWC, One Woodrow Wilson Plaza, Ronald Reagan Building, 1300 Pennsylvania Ave., NW, Washington, D.C.. 9 a.m.

Senate Foreign Relations Committee
Kosovo
Full committee hearing on "Kosovo: The Balkans' Moment of Truth?"
Witnesses: Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs Daniel Fried testifies
Location: 419 Dirksen Senate Office Building. 9:30 a.m.

The George Marshall Institute
Discussion on "Is An Outer Space Arms Control Treaty Verifiable?" with Assistant Secretary of State for Verification, Compliance and Implementation Paula DeSutter. [Note: RSVP to 202-296-9655 or info@marshall.org]
Location: National Press Club, 14th and F Sts., NW, First Amendment Lounge, Washington, D.C.. 1 p.m.

Senate Appropriations Committee
USAID Budget
State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Subcommittee hearing on the proposed budget request for FY2009 for the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID).
Witnesses: USAID Administrator and Director of Foreign Assistance Henrietta Fore testifies
Location: 138 Dirksen Senate Office Building. 2:30 p.m.

The Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe (Helsinki Commission)
Hearing on enlargement issues for the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.
Participants: Michael Haltzel, senior fellow at the Center for Transatlantic Relations at the Paul Nitze School for Advanced International Studies at Johns Hopkins University; Steven Pifer, former U.S. ambassador to the Ukraine; Jausz Bugajski, director of the New European Democracies Project
Location: B-318 Rayburn House Office Building. 3 p.m.

Wednesday, March 5

Senate Foreign Relations Committee
National Security through Smart Power
Full committee hearing on "Strengthening National Security Through Smart Power - A Military Perspective."
Witnesses: Retired Gen. Anthony Zinni, former commander of the U.S. Central Command; and retired Adm. Leighton Smith, former commander of U.S. Naval Forces Europe
Location: 419 Dirksen Senate Office Building. 9:30 a.m.

The Jamestown Foundation
Discussion on "Russia After the Presidential Elections: Challenges and Constraints in Russia's Domestic and Foreign Policy." [Note: RSVP required to rsvp-mar5@jamestown.org with your name and affiliation.]
Participants: Glen Howard, president of the Jamestown Foundation; Pavel Baev, research professor of the International Peace Research Institute; Jonas Bernstein, senior research associate at the Jamestown Foundation; and Stephen Blank, professor of Strategic Studies Institute at the U.S. Army War College
Location: The Jamestown Foundation, 1111 16 St., NW, Suite 320, Washington, D.C.. 10 a.m.

The United States Institute of Peace (USIP)
Discussion on "The Role of Independent Diplomat: A New Approach to Diplomacy and Conflict." [Note: RSVP required to Elizabeth Jones at ejones@usip.org]
Participants: Carne Ross, founder of the Independent Diplomat; Soren Jessen-Peterson, guest scholar at USIP and director of Independent Diplomat's Washington, D.C. Office; and Daniel Serwer, vice president of Post-Conflict Peace and Stability Operations at USIP
Location: USIP, 1200 17th St., NW, 2nd Floor Conference Room, Washington, D.C.. 11 a.m.

The Center for U.S. Global Engagement
News conference to launch a National Security Advisory Council and to "call for a new foreign policy direction."
Participants: retired Marine Corps Gen. Anthony Zinni; retired Navy Adm. Leighton Smith Jr.; former Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage; and Liz Schrayer, executive director for the Center for U.S. Global Engagement
Location: Mayflower Hotel, 1127 Connecticut Ave., NW, Washington, D.C.. 12:15 p.m.

House Homeland Security Committee
Nuclear Smuggling Detection Technology
Emerging Threats, Cybersecurity, and Science and Technology Subcommittee hearing on "Nuclear Smuggling Detection: Recent Tests of Advanced Spectroscopic Portal Monitors."
Witnesses: Deputy Homeland Security Undersecretary for Management Elaine Duke; George Thompson, deputy director of programs at the Homeland Security Institute; and Vayl Oxford, director of the Homeland Security Department's Domestic Nuclear Detection Office
Location: 311 Cannon House Office Building. 2 p.m.

House Oversight and Government Reform Committee
Ballistic Missile Defense Oversight
National Security and Foreign Affairs Subcommittee hearing on "Oversight of Ballistic Missile Defense (Part I): Threats, Realities, and Tradeoffs."
Witnesses: TBA
Location: 2154 Rayburn House Office Building. 2 p.m.

Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee
Russian Unanium Antidumping Investigation
Full committee hearing on the impacts of the capability of the United States to maintain a domestic enrichment capability as a result of the recently initiated amendment between the United States and the Russian Federation on the Agreement Suspending the Antidumping Investigation on Uranium from the Russian Federation.
Witnesses: David Spooner, assistant secretary of the Import Administration at the Commerce Department; William Tobey, deputy administrator for defense nuclear nonproliferation at the National Nuclear Security Administration of the Energy Department; Marvin Fertel, executive vice president of the Nuclear Energy Institute; Reinhard Hinterreither, president and CEO of Louisiana Energy Services; and John Welch, president and CEO of USEC Inc.
Location: 366 Dirksen Senate Office Building. 3 p.m.

The Johns Hopkins University Paul Nitze School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS)
Discussion on "Kazakhstan's Emerging Middle Class" with John Daly, international correspondent for United Press International. [Note: The public should RSVP to 202-663-7721 or caci2@jhu.edu]
Location: SAIS, Rome Building, 1619 Massachusetts Ave., NW, Auditorium, Washington, D.C.. 5:30 p.m.

Thursday, March 6

The United States Institute of Peace (USIP)
Discussion on "A World Without Nuclear Weapons: The International Dimension." [Note: RSVP required to rsvp@usip.org with your name, affiliation, daytime phone number and name of the event.]
Participants: Max Kampelman, of counsel at Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver and Jacobson; James Goodby, research fellow at the Hoover Institution; and George Perkovich, vice president of studies of global security and economic development at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
Location: USIP, 1220 17th St., 2nd Floor Conference Room, Washington, D.C.. 10 a.m.

House Foreign Affairs Committee
Central Asia
Asia, the Pacific, and the Global Environment Subcommittee hearing on "Central Asia: An Overview."
Witnesses: Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Pamela Spratlen, for the Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs testify
Location: 2200 Rayburn House Office Building. 2 p.m.

Friday, March 7

The Woodrow Wilson Center (WWC)
Book discussion of "On Nuclear Terrorism" with author Michael Levi.
Location: WWC, One Woodrow Wilson Plaza, Ronald Reagan Building, 1300 Pennsylvania Ave., NW, Washington, D.C.. 12 noon

The Johns Hopkins University Paul Nitze School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS)
Discussion on "If Foreign Aid Doesn't Achieve Economic Development, Then What Does?" [Note: The public should RSVP to 202-663-5943 or developmentroundtable@jhu.edu]
Location: SAIS, Rome Building, 1619 Massachusetts Ave., NW, Auditorium, Washington, D.C.. 12:30 p.m.

The Iraq War's impact on the US economy.

2008-02-29T14:00:00.005+06:00

I am no economist, but I have been trying to make the argument to my friends and colleagues over the last few months that US reckless spending on the War in Iraq has been a major, albeit hidden, factor in causing the US economic slowdown. Most news coverage I watch carries an undertone of blaming irresponsible consumers who borrowed money they couldn't pay back, without a fair enough dose of blaming irresponsible lenders, regulators, and government leaders for allowing it to happen. But now, I have a Nobel Prize-winning economist helping me make my argument, placing a healthy dollop of blame on the Bush Administration's nearly unlimited spending on the War in Iraq.

Potentially paid internship in DC.

2008-02-27T00:35:00.001+06:00

Spring/Summer Semester
A small stipend may be available.

The Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars is looking for qualified students (advanced undergraduate or graduate) interested in being part-time (15-20 hours/week) research assistants to visiting scholars working on the following topics:

Russia and the Moslem World : Dilemmas Resulting from the Chechen Wars and the Aftermath of 9/11” with Professor Jacques Lévesque, Professor of Political Science, Université du Québec á Motréal. Applicants should have a background in International Relations, Political Science or Russian Studies. Russian language skills desired. MA or PhD student preferred. Dates: March 24, 2008-June 24, 2008.

Interested candidates should email or fax a cover letter and resume, by March 3, to:

Melaney Monreal, Intern Coordinator
E-mail: internships@wilsoncenter.org
Fax: (202) 691-4001

Job board.

2008-02-25T23:23:00.007+06:00

Eurasia Foundation is looking for a Regional Development Manager for Central Asia to be based in Almaty.

USAID is looking for a Country Office Deputy Director for Kyrgyzstan.

US DOJ is looking for a Program Manager for its Criminal Division, International Criminal Investigative Training Assistance Program (ICITAP) in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan.

US DOJ is looking for a Program Analyst in its Office of Overseas Prosecutorial Development, Assistance and Training (OPDAT) in Washington, DC

American Councils is looking for a Program Officer for its Future Leaders Exchange Program in Washington, DC.

American Councils is looking for an Administrative Assistant in Washington, DC.

US Holocaust Museum is looking for a Director of its Visiting Scholars Program.

Olympiada is looking for a Summer Resident Director for a one-month position in Vladimir, Russia

Now if we can only get one of them to wear...

2008-02-25T21:22:00.003+06:00

...a kalpak. New Clinton smear of Obama.

Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan.

2008-02-25T19:51:00.004+06:00

I'm a little late catching this story from neweurasia, but I think it is important to link anyway. Turns out Kyrgyzstan has decided to stop supplying electricity to Tajikistan, which is in the middle of an energy crisis and its most severe winter since independence.

Despite having no long-standing ethnic or cultural ties other than a shared Soviet experience, I have long thought that Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan should be natural allies. Both are very weak and very poor mountainous nations, with little major economic prospects outside of hydroelectricity and potentially mining (and perhaps tourism, too), surrounded by wealthier and much more powerful neighbors. With virtually the same prospects for any kind of economic growth and the same potential buyers and investors for their hydroelectricity, I think Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan would have a lot to gain by working together and coordinating their economic and foreign policies. When Tajikistan President Emomali Rakhmon visited Bishkek last September for a two-day summit, I saw this as a sign of things moving in the right direction. However, this energy shut-off at the worst possible time does not bode well for my high hopes for Kyrgyz-Tajik cooperation.

Congratulations Josh Marshall.

2008-02-25T18:14:00.004+06:00

While I certainly don't have any ambitions (read: illusions) that my website would ever reach this or any level of success, it was because of the professionalism of people like Josh Marshall and Steve Clemons that I even considered starting this page. Congrats Josh. You earned it.

Job opening in Kyrgyzstan.

2008-02-25T14:14:00.001+06:00

JOB- Vice Pres. for Academic Affairs, American Univ. of Central Asia, Bishkek

Applications due before 31 March 2008.

Description:

American University of Central Asia seeks an exceptional leader to
serve as the next Vice President for Academic Affairs. The University
invites nominations of and applications from outstanding collaborative
and transformational leaders with excellent management skills and the
ability to organize the academic development of a young University.
AUCA is international in scope, interdisciplinary in practice and
distinctively multicultural, bringing critical thinking and
interactive learning to the educational traditions of Central Asia.
Strong preference will be given to those with significant teaching and
learning experience in an English-speaking University and with a deep
understanding of learning and living in Central Asia. Fluency in
Russian and English are essential. The Vice President will oversee
academic affairs, admission, student affairs and information
technology, report directly to the President and be the primary
representative of the President in her absence.

Send applications and nominations to the Office of the President -
Rustam Niyazov at auca.vpaasearch@gmail.com. The Search Committee will
give priority to applications and nominations received before March
31, 2008, but will continue accepting them until the position is
filled. The Vice President will be expected to commence duties on
June 1 or as soon thereafter as possible.

This sums up my thoughts nicely.

2008-02-24T23:35:00.001+06:00

This week in DC.

2008-02-24T22:49:00.004+06:00

Monday, February 25

Defense Secretary Robert Gates' Schedule
On foreign travel to Australia and Asia, February 20-29
Locations Not Listed.

Georgetown University
Discussion on "Why Religious Freedom? The Origins and Promise of U.S. International Religious Freedom Policy," as a part of a series on "Religious Freedom and U.S. Foreign Policy: Taking Stock, Looking Forward." Highlights:

8:30 a.m.: Nina Shea, veteran religious freedom expert at the Center for Religious Freedom; Laura Bryant Hanford, principal author of the 1998 International Religious Freedom Act; Allen Hertzke, author of "Freeing God's Children: The Unlikely Alliance for Global Human Rights"; and Michael Cromartie, vice president of the Ethics and Public Policy Center, participate in a panel discussion on "The Sources of U.S. International Religious Freedom Policy"
Noon: Liu Peng of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences; Viktor Yelensky of the Ukrainian National Academy of Sciences; and Lauren Homer of the International Law Group, participate in a panel discussion on "International Perspectives: China, Russia, and Central Europe" [Note: RSVP requested.]
Location: Georgetown University, 37th and O Sts., NW, Copley Formal Lounge, Washington, D.C.. 8:30 a.m.

The Hudson Institute
Discussion on "Russia's Presidential Transition: Will We See a Medvedev Thaw?" [Note: RSVP to Richard Weitz at Weitz@hudson.org with your name and affiliation.]
Participants: Daniel Kimmage, senior analyst at Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty; Andrei Piontkovsky, visiting fellow at the Hudson Institute; and Richard Weitz, senior fellow at the Hudson Institute
Location: Hudson Institute, 1015 15th St., NW, Sixth Floor, Betsy and Walter Stern Conference Room, Washington, D.C.. 10 a.m.

The Woodrow Wilson Center (WWC)
Discussion on "Up in Smoke? The Politics and Health Consequences of Tobacco in Today's Russia," with Judyth Twigg, associate professor of government and public affairs at Virginia Commonwealth University.
Location: WWC, One Woodrow Wilson Plaza, Ronald Reagan Building, 1300 Pennsylvania Ave., NW, Washington, D.C.. 12 noon

The Council on Foreign Relations (CFR)
Briefing on "Global Challenges and Opportunities in U.S. Foreign Policy." [Note: This event is open to media only. RSVP required by noon to DCpressRSVP@cfr.org or call Aerica Kennedy at 202-518-3448.]
Participants: Undersecretary of State for Political Affairs Nicholas Burns; and Doyle McManus, Washington bureau chief of the Los Angeles Times
Location: CFR, 1779 Massachusetts Ave., NW, Washington, D.C.. 6 p.m.

Tuesday, February 26

The United States Institute of Peace (USIP)
Discussion on "Kosovo: What Next?" [Note: RSVP required.]
Participants: Frank Wisner, special representative of the secretary of state to the Kosovo status talks; Dimitri Simes, president of the Nixon Center; and Daniel Serwer of USIP
Location: USIP, 1200 17th St., NW, 2nd Floor Conference Room, Washington, D.C.. 9 a.m.

The Brookings Institution
Discussion on "Weak and Failed States: What They Are, What They Matter and What to Do About Them." [Note: Register online: http://www.brookings.edu]
Participants: Rep. Adam Smith, D-Wash.; Lael Brainard, vice president and director of global economy and development at the Brookings Institution; Carlos Pascual, vice president and director of foreign policy at the Brookings Institution; Stewart Patrick, research fellow at the Center for Global Development; and Susan Rice, senior fellow of foreign policy, global economy and development at the Brookings Institution
Location: Brookings Institution, 1775 Massachusetts Ave., NW, Washington, D.C.. 9:30 a.m.

House Appropriations Committee
Millennium Challenge Account
State, Foreign Operations and Related Programs Subcommittee hearing on the Millennium Challenge Account.
Witnesses: Millennium Challenge Corporation Director John Danilovich testifies
Location: 2362-A Rayburn House Office Building. 10 a.m.

The Heritage Foundation
Discussion on "The Value of Transatlantic Partnership in the 21st Century." [Note: RSVP to 202-675-1752.]
Participants: Mirek Topolanek, prime minister of the Czech Republic; and Michael Franc, vice president of government relations at the Heritage Foundation
Location: Heritage Foundation, 214 Massachusetts Ave., NE, Lehrman Auditorium, Washington, D.C.. 11 a.m.

The Woodrow Wilson Center (WWC)
Discussion on "The Ghost of Freedom: Writing a History of the Caucasus," with Charles King, Ion Ratiu professor of Romanian studies, government, international affairs, and faculty chair at the Edmund Walsh School of Foreign Service.
Location: WWC, One Woodrow Wilson Plaza, Ronald Reagan Building, 1300 Pennsylvania Ave., NW, Washington, D.C.. 3:30 p.m.

Wednesday, February 27

Senate Armed Services Committee
World Wide National Security Treats
Full committee hearing on current and future worldwide threats to the national security of the United States.
Witnesses: National Intelligence Director Mike McConnell; and Defense Intelligence Agency Director Lt. Gen. Michael Maples
Location: 106 Dirksen Senate Office Building. 9:30 a.m.

House Foreign Affairs Committee
Pending Business
Full committee markup of the "Global HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria Reauthorization Act of 2008"; legislation authorizing assistance for the export of independent documentaries regarding the United States; H.Res.185, expressing the sense of the House of Representatives regarding the creation of refugee populations in the Middle East, North Africa, and the Persian Gulf region as a result of human rights violations; H.Res.854, expressing gratitude to all of the member states of the International Commission of the International Tracing Service (ITS) on ratifying the May 2006 Agreement to amend the 1955 Bonn Accords granting open access to vast Holocaust and other World War II related archives located in Bad Arolsen, Germany; H.Res.865, expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that the March 2007 report of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime and the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development makes an important contribution to the understanding of the high levels of crime and violence in the Caribbean, and that the United States should work with Caribbean countries to address crime and violence in the region; H.Con.Res.154, expressing the sense of Congress that the fatal radiation poisoning of Russian dissident and writer Alexander Litvinenko raises significant concerns about the potential involvement of elements of the Russian Government in Mr. Litvinenko's death and about the security and proliferation of radioactive materials; H.Con.Res.255, expressing the sense of Congress regarding the United States commitment to preservation of religious and cultural sites and condemning instances where sites are desecrated; and H.Con.Res.278, supporting Taiwan's fourth direct and democratic presidential elections in March 2008.
Location: 2175 Rayburn House Office Building. 9:30 a.m.

House Appropriations Committee
USAID Budget
State, Foreign Operations and Related Programs Subcommittee hearing on the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) budget.
Witnesses: Henrietta Fore, USAID administrator, and director of U.S. foreign assistance
Location: 2358-A Rayburn House Office Building. 10 a.m.

The Heritage Foundation
Discussion on "Russian Presidential Transition: From Putin.. to Putin." [Note: RSVP to 202-675-1752.]
Participants: Helle Dale, deputy director of the Kathryn and Shelby Cullom Davis Institute for International Studies at the Heritage Foundation; Ariel Cohen, senior research fellow of Russian and Eurasian studies and international energy security at the Douglas and Sarah Allison Center for Foreign Policy Studies at the Heritage Foundation; Ian Kelly, director of the Office of Russian Affairs at the State Department; Andrei Illarionov, senior fellow at the Center for Global Liberty and Prosperity at the Cato Institute; Anders Aslund, senior fellow at the Peterson Institute; Donald Jensen, director of research and analysis at Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty; Blair Ruble, director of the Kennan Institute at the Woodrow Wilson Center; Sarah Mendelson, director of the Human Rights and Security Initiative and senior fellow of Russia and Eurasia at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS); and Simon Serfaty, chairman in global security and geostrategy and senior advisor of the Europe Program at CSIS
Location: Heritage Foundation, 214 Massachusetts Ave., NE, Lehrman Auditorium, Washington, D.C.. 10 a.m.

The Woodrow Wilson Center (WWC)
Discussion on "The New Political Dynamics of Southeastern Europe," with Gordon Bardos, assistant director of the Harriman Institute at Columbia University.
Location: WWC, One Woodrow Wilson Plaza, Ronald Reagan Building, 1300 Pennsylvania Ave., NW, Washington, D.C.. 12 noon

House Foreign Affairs Committee
Afghanistan Taliban Resurgence
Middle East and South Asia Subcommittee hearing on "Strategic Chaos and Taliban Resurgence in Afghanistan."
Witnesses: Retired Army Lt. Gen. David Barno, director of the Near East South Asia Center for Strategic Studies at the National Defense University; and Seth Jones, political scientist at the RAND Corporation
Location: 2200 Rayburn House Office Building. 2 p.m.

Georgetown University's Institute for the Study of Diplomacy
Discussion on its new working group report, "America's Role in the World: Foreign Policy Choices for the Next President." The report identifies foreign policy issues facing the presidential candidates and their staffs, as well as the country at large. [Note: RSVP to Andrea Fereshteh at, 202-687-4328 or aes54@georgetown.edu; Media credentials required.]
Participants: Former Undersecretary of State for Political Affairs Thomas Pickering; former Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs Chester Crocker; Institute for the Study of Diplomacy Director Casimir Yost; former Deputy Administrator of the Agency for International Development Harriet Babbitt; and former United Nations Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process Alvero De Soto
Location: Georgetown University, 37th and O Sts., NW, Bunn Intercultural Center Auditorium, Washington, D.C.. 6 p.m.

Thursday, February 28

No Eurasia-related events.

Friday, February 29

The Johns Hopkins University Paul Nitze School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS)
Discussion on "A Preview of the Bucharest NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) Summit: Afghanistan, Enlargement and the Future of the Alliance." [Note: RSVP to 202-663-5880 or transatlanticrsvp@jhu.edu]
Participants: Kurt Volker, principal deputy assistant secretary of state for European and Eurasian affairs; and Michael Haltzel, senior fellow at SAIS Center for Transatlantic Relations
Location: SAIS, Bernstein-Offit Building, 1717 Massachusetts Ave., NW, Room 500, Washington, D.C.. 10:30 a.m.

The Woodrow Wilson Center's (WWC) Kennan Institute
Discussion on "Russian-Iranian Relations in the Ahmadinejad Era," with Mark Katz, professor in the Department of Public and International Affairs at George Mason University and former short term scholar at the Kennan Institute. [Note: RSVP online: http://www.wilsoncenter.org]
Location: WWC, One Woodrow Wilson Plaza, Ronald Reagan Building, 1300 Pennsylvania Ave., NW, Washington, D.C.. 12 noon

Busboys and Poets
Book discussion on "Blue Covenant: The Global Water Crisis and the Coming Battle for the Right of Water," with author Maude Barlow. The book discusses the politics surrounding the world's water supply.
Location: Busboys and Poets, 1390 V St., NW, Washington, D.C.. 6:30 p.m.

A few links for my nonexistent readers.

2008-02-20T12:37:00.006+06:00

Foreign Policy magazine's piece on the US military is worth a read.

And here's to hoping that Mark Medish is right about Medvedev.

Bloomberg picks up the Clinton/Giustra story.

About everything you ever wanted to know about the cotton industry in Central Asia.

Obama's "plagiarism" of Tatarstan PM

2008-02-19T15:34:00.004+06:00

Ben Smith at Politico points us to this amusing story in the Moscow Times. Apparently, Hillary Clinton is right. Obama does lift his material. It cannot be an coincidence that Barack Obama's slogan "Yes We Can!" is a direct translation of Tatarstan Prime Minister Mintimer Shaimiyev's "Bez Buldyrabyz!"

What a week. And it's only Tuesday.

2008-02-19T15:02:00.005+06:00

Kosovar independence. Castro steps down. Musharraf's party losing in Pakistani elections. Let's hope U.S. policy-makers take this time to reexamine some of the long-held pillars of U.S. foreign policy.

Update: Steve Clemons says it better (and quicker) than I can re: Cuba.

Dmitri Peskov on HARDtalk today on BBC.

2008-02-18T10:41:00.007+06:00

While I usually don't recommend watching Stephen Sackur or getting your Russian news from British sources in general, today's HARDtalk is worth a watch if you want to see Vladimir Vladimirovich's Spokesman Dmitri Peskov spin the latest Kremlin lines.

Update: could someone teach Sackur how to ask follow up questions?

For learners and lovers of geography.

2008-02-18T09:59:00.005+06:00

If you are anything like me, this website will suck hours of life away. It has hands-down the best web-based geography games I've played. Enjoy.

New Kosovar Flag.

2008-02-18T09:10:00.003+06:00

This week in DC.

2008-02-18T01:15:00.003+06:00

Monday, February 18

The Johns Hopkins University Paul Nitze School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS)
Discussion on "The New Cold War: Putin's Russia and the Threat to the West." [Note: RSVP to AmericanForeignPolicy@jhu.edu]
Participants: Edward Lucas, deputy editor of the international sector and Central and Eastern European correspondent for the Economist; and Michael Mandelbaum, Christian Herter Professor of American foreign policy and director of the SAIS American Foreign Policy Program
Location: SAIS, Rome Building, 1619 Massachusetts Ave., NW, Rome Building Auditorium, Washington, D.C.. 5:30 p.m.

Tuesday, February 19

The Center for National Policy
Discussion on "Grassroots Jihad? Mapping al-Qaeda's Present and Future," with Marc Sageman, author of "Leaderless Jihad." [Note: RSVP online: http://www.cnponline.org]
Location: Center for National Policy, 1 Massachusetts Ave., NW, Third Floor, Suite 333, Washington, D.C.. 12 noon

The American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research (AEI)
Discussion on "Iranian Influence in the Middle East and Beyond." [Note: Register online: http://www.aei.org/event1670]
Participants: Frederick Kagan, Ali Alfoneh, and Danielle Pletka of AEI; and Kimberly Kagan of the Institute for the Study of War
Location: AEI, 1150 17th St., NW, Wohlstetter Conference Center, 12th Floor, Washington, D.C.. 2 p.m.

The Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS)
Discussion on the book, "The New Cold War: Putin's Russia and the Threat of the West." [Note: RSVP to 202-457-8741 or rep@csis.org]
Participants: Edward Lucas, deputy editor of the International Section, Central and Eastern Europe Correspondent at the Economist; Sarah Mendelson, director and senior fellow of the human rights and security initiative at CSIS; Janusz Bugajski, director of the New European Democracies Project and senior fellow of the Europe Project at CSIS; and Andrew Kuchins, director and senior fellow of the Russia and Eurasia Program at CSIS
Location: CSIS, 1800 K St., NW, B-1 Conference Level, Washington, D.C.. 5 p.m.

The Council on Global Terrorism, Georgetown University's Center for Peace and Security Studies and the Woodrow Wilson Center (WWC)
Book discussion on "The Five Front War: The Better Way to Fight Global Jihad," with Daniel Byman, director of the Center for Peace and Security Studies and associate professor at the Edmund Walsh School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University. [Note: RSVP to iss.email@wilsoncenter.org with your name, institutional affiliation, address, phone and fax number, and email address.]
Location: WWC, One Woodrow Wilson Plaza, Ronald Reagan Building, 1300 Pennsylvania Ave., NW, Washington, D.C.. 9 a.m.

Wednesday, February 20

The Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe (Helsinki Commission)
Briefing on the current political events in Russia, the upcoming presidential elections on March 2, as well as Moscow's relations with the international community during President Putin's era and beyond, with Edward Lucas, Central and Eastern Europe correspondent and former Moscow bureau chief for the Economist.
Location: B-318 Rayburn House Office Building. 10 a.m.

The New America Foundation (NAF)
Book discussion on "Leaderless Jihad," which looks at Jihad and the 21st Century. [Note: RSVP to communications@newamerica.net with your name, affiliation and contact information.]
Participants: Marc Sageman, senior fellow at the Foreign Policy Research Institute and author of "Leaderless Jihad"; and Peter Bergen, senior fellow at NAF and CNN terrorism analyst
Location: NAF, 1630 Connecticut Ave., NW, 7th Floor, Washington, D.C.. 12:15 p.m.

The Johns Hopkins University Paul Nitze School of Advanced International Studies' (SAIS) Russian and Eurasian Studies
Discussion on "The Credos of Glasnost: Ideals and Ideas that Shaped the 1987-1991 Russian Revolution," with Leon Aron, director of Russian Studies at the American Enterprise Institute. [Note: RSVP to 202-663-5795 or egerasimov@jhu.edu]
Location: SAIS, Rome Building, 1619 Massachusetts Ave., NW, Room 534, Washington, D.C.. 12:30 p.m.

Thursday, February 21

The International Spy Museum
Book discussion on "Comrade J," which discusses an agent working in the United States as a Russian spy from 1997-2000, with author Pete Earley.
Location: International Spy Museum, 800 F St., NW, Washington, D.C.. 12 noon

Quick question re: Kosovo.

2008-02-18T00:09:00.008+06:00

What does Russia's opposition of Kosovo's independence say to their friends in Tiraspol, Sukhumi, and Tskhinvali?

Happy Independence Day Kosovars.

2008-02-17T22:28:00.003+06:00

Kosovo finally declares independence.

Georgia's United Opposition?

2008-02-14T18:00:00.001+06:00

Recent statements by members of various opposition parties have shown that as parliamentary elections approach, Georgia’s ‘united’ opposition is yet grappling over whether to run a united, single party list or split, separate one.

Davit Usupashivili, the leader of the Republican Party and affiliate in the opposition coalition (United National Council) recently stated that within his party, discussions over this issue are soon to begin. In his view, the opposition should opt for whichever approach is likely to yield the best possible outcome.

“It is important that to ensure that the entire opposition works in a coordinated manner in parliament. We need to develop relations with other opposition forces, so that the opposition is able to form a constitutional majority in parliament and implement a constitutional reform. It is better to reach an agreement now instead of wasting time on these issues later”, he noted.

In contrast to Usupashivili, New Right MP Manana Nachqebia emphasized that separate opposition blocks should be formed according to left or right wing affiliations.

“Naturally, it is difficult to say today whether we are going to form a single coalition or separate blocks for left-wing and right-wing parties, but these consultations will definitely take place”, Nachqebia expressed.

The Labor Party of Georgia, while not formally a part of the nine member United Opposition, is also set to soon discuss whether to join such an arrangement. Labor Party member Soso Shatberashvili emphasized that while in the past, his party has abstained from such alliances, it will nonetheless collaborate with the other opposition groups on various other levels should it opt out of any unified block.

Shatberashvili said that “We [the Labor Party] will need to call a convention in order to make this kind of decision because it was a convention that decided that we were not to join any blocks.” He further added that “As for the consultations, we collaborate with the United National Council whenever we organize protest rallies.”

On January 15, former United Opposition presidential candidate Levan Gachechiladze voiced his hope that the opposition would be able to run on a single unified party list which encompasses the nine parties in the United Opposition as well as the Labor Party, the New Rightists and other opposition parties.

Later in January while on ‘Primetime’, the late night political talk show on Rustavi 2, Gachechiladze was more reserved on the issue. He refused to comment on whether there would be a joint opposition electoral campaign and instead focused on what he held the opposition’s main priorities at that point were: ensuring condition for the parliamentary election are free and fair.

Gachechiladze further added to the discourse that night when expressed his personal view that should opposition’s demands go unanswered, participating in parliamentary elections will be pointless. He said that “If we see a repetition of January 5 [the presidential elections], the opposition should not participate in the parliamentary elections at all. “

On January 29, the United Opposition plus three other parties submitted a seventeen point memorandum to the speaker of the parliament Nino Burjanadze. According to Gachechiladze, the three main goals of this memorandum are “a just judiciary; parity in the elections administrations and a free broadcast media.”

Koba Davitashvili, leader of the Party of People which is part of the United Opposition, was recently on MZE TV where, similar to Gachechiladze, he emphasized that the possibility of forming a single party list hinges on whether the government fulfills the requirements specified in the opposition’s recently submitted memorandum.

When asked about uniting on a single list, Davitashvili was quick to link the issues. “This depends on the electoral law, the electoral code, on the creation of a normal electoral environment, that is, on whether the demands laid out in the memorandum will be fulfilled. If the government behaves reasonably and makes appropriate concessions during the transitional period, then the parliamentary list will be completed and there will be a united struggle too.”

Since the delivery of the memorandum, a first round of dialogue between the opposition and the government has taken place and a second is scheduled for February 5. Both sides held that while progress was made in the first discussion many contentious issues remain.

While speaking to parliament Mrs. Burjanadze expressed optimism following the talks but emphasized the difficulties that lie ahead. In response to the opposition’s demand that all issues be resolved by February 15, she underscored that this time frame is unrealistic given the complexity of some of the issues, particularly those related to the constitution.

In recent days the opposition has been focused on this second round of talks. Once these commence opposition leaders will have a better idea of what concessions they have gained and where they stand against the incumbent government. At that point, they will likely reengage and move forward on their internal, unity-related issues.

Who needs your own website...

2008-02-13T21:29:00.005+06:00

...when you can just get other more popular websites to post your ideas? Thank you, Mr. Sullivan. Next time, I'll be smart enough to include a link to my own website--maybe I'll actually get some traffic some day.

Nothing like a nice cup of provocation in the morning.

2008-02-12T14:27:00.000+06:00

Russian bombers "buzz" a US aircraft carrier in the Pacific. But the US Navy "intercepts" them. Could the AP have written this article in any more vague language? The BBC uses much more comprehensible language in its piece posted 5 hours later. They write that the bombers were escorted out of the area by US fighter jets.

Job board.

2008-02-11T23:57:00.000+06:00

NDI is looking for a Resident Director in Azerbaijan, a Regional Administrative Assistant for Eurasia, and a temporary Program Assistant for Eurasia.

NED is looking for a Program Officer and Program Assistant for Europe and Eurasia.

Lonely Planet is looking for a Uighur speaking author for Xinjiang.

VOA is looking for two Russian speaking International Broadcasters.

Caspian moves continue.

2008-02-11T22:40:00.000+06:00

Now might it be a good time for the U.S. to reinstitute the post of Special Advisor on Caspian Energy Issues?

Politics...

2008-02-10T17:30:00.000+06:00

...Kyrgyzstan style. Another sad moment in a very sad year.

This week in DC.

2008-02-08T14:16:00.000+06:00

Monday, February 11

The Woodrow Wilson Center's (WWC) Kennan Institute
Discussion on "Systemic Transformations and the Drift Toward Fascism in Russia," with Alexander Motyl of Rutgers University.
Location: WWC, One Woodrow Wilson Plaza, Ronald Reagan Building, 1300 Pennsylvania Ave., NW, Washington, D.C.. 12 noon

The Woodrow Wilson Center (WWC)
Director's forum on "Finland's Foreign Policy: European Ambitions and Global Challenges," with Ilkka Kanerva, foreign minister of Finland and 2008 chairman in office of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE). Minister Kanerva's will discuss his priorities for the OSCE and confronting global challenges in Kosovo and Afghanistan, and will also provide his views on Russia and its future developments. [Note: RSVP required to Maria-Stell.Gatzoulis@wilsoncenter.org]
Location: WWC, One Woodrow Wilson Plaza, Ronald Reagan Building, 1300 Pennsylvania Ave., NW, Washington, D.C.. 1 p.m.

The Heritage Foundation
Discussion on the "Anniversary of the Agreement to Denuclearize North Korea: Assessing the Six Party Talks." [Note: RSVP online: http://www.heritage.org]
Participants: Victor Cha, director of Asian studies and D.S. Song chair at Georgetown University; Michael Green, associate professor at Georgetown University and senior adviser and Japan chair of the Center for Strategic and International Studies; Gordon Flake, executive director of the Mansfield Foundation; Alan Romberg, senior associate and director of the East Asia Program at the Henry Stimson Center; and Bruce Klingner, senior research fellow of Northeast Asia at the Heritage Foundation
Location: Heritage Foundation, 214 Massachusetts Ave., NE, Lehrman Auditorium, Washington, D.C.. 2 p.m.

The Woodrow Wilson Center's (WWC) Asia Program and the Asia Society Washington
Book discussion on "Asia's New Regionalism."
Participants: Ellen Frost, visiting fellow of the Peter Peterson Institute for International Economics; and Tion Kwa, senior writer of the Straits Times and Asia Society fellow
Location: WWC, One Woodrow Wilson Plaza, Ronald Reagan Building, 1300 Pennsylvania Ave., NW, Washington, D.C.. 3:30 p.m.

Tuesday, February 12

The National Press Club Morning Newsmaker Program
Discussion on "Russian Policies in Europe and the North Atlantic," with Vytautas Landsbergis, former head of state for the Republic of Lithuania and member of the European Parliament.
Location: National Press Club, 14th and F Sts., NW, Zenger Room, Washington, D.C.. 10 a.m.

Wednesday, February 13

Senate Foreign Relations Committee
Foreign Affairs Budget
Full committee hearing on "The President's Foreign Affairs Budget."
Witnesses: Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice testifies
Location: 419 Dirksen Senate Office Building. 9:30 a.m.

The Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe (Helsinki Commission)
Hearing to focus on Finland's plans and priorities as well as challenges confronting the OSCE (Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe) in 2008 and beyond, "Finland's Leadership of the OSCE," with Finland's Minister of Foreign Affairs Ilkka Kanerva.
Location: B-318 Rayburn House Office Building. 11 a.m.

The New America Foundation (NAF)
Discussion on the book, "How We Missed the Story of Afghanistan: Osama bin Laden, the Taliban, and the Hijacking of Afghanistan." [Note: RSVP to communications@newamerica.net with your name, affiliation and contact information.]
Participants: Roy Gutman, author and foreign editor of McClatchy Newspapers; and Peter Bergen, Schwartz senior fellow at NAF and terrorism analyst at CNN
Location: NAF, 1630 Connecticut Ave., NW, 7th Floor, Washington, D.C.. 12:15 p.m.

The Center for National Policy
Discussion on "Opinions of the U.S. in the Islamic World." [Note: RSVP online: http://www.cnponline.org]
Participants: James Zogby of the Arab American Institute; and Dalia Mogahed of the Gallup Center for Muslim Studies
Location: Center for National Policy, 1 Massachusetts Ave., NW, Third Floor, Suite 333, Washington, D.C.. 12:30 p.m.

House Foreign Affairs Committee
International Relations Budget
Full committee hearing on the "International Relations Budget for FY2009."
Witnesses: Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice testifies
Location: TBA. 2:30 p.m.

The Johns Hopkins University Paul Nitze School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS)
Discussion on "Gawadar Deep Sea Port: A New Transformation Hub for Central Asia" with Mahmud Ali Durrani, ambassador of Pakistan to the U.S. The Gawadar Deep Sea Port is off the coast of Pakistan. [Note: The public should RSVP to 202-663-7723 or caci2@jhu.edu]
Location: SAIS, Rome Building, 1619 Massachusetts Ave., NW, Washington, D.C.. 5:30 p.m.

Thursday, February 14

Senate Armed Services Committee
Afghanistan Strategy
Full committee hearing on the strategy in Afghanistan and recent reports by the Afghanistan Study Group and The Atlantic Council of the United States.
Witnesses: Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs Richard Boucher; a representative from the Office of the Secretary of Defense for Policy; and a representative from the Joint Chiefs of Staff
Location: 106 Dirksen Senate Office Building. 9:30 a.m. [Note: There will be a second session on February 14, with different witnesses starting at 2:30 p.m.]

House Oversight and Government Reform Committee
Defeating al Qaeda
National Security and Foreign Affairs Subcommittee hearing on "Six Years Later (Part III): Innovative Approaches to Defeating al Qaeda."
Witnesses: TBA
Location: 2247 Rayburn House Office Building. 10 a.m. [Note: Part one of this hearing took place on October 10, and part two of this hearing took place on November 6.]

Senate Armed Services Committee
Afghanistan Strategy (Part II)
Full committee hearing on the strategy in Afghanistan and recent reports by the Afghanistan Study Group and The Atlantic Council of the United States. (Part Two)
Witnesses: Retired Marine Corps Gen. James Jones, president and CEO of the Institute for 21st Century Energy, United States Chamber of Commerce, and chairman of the board of directors of The Atlantic Council of the United States; and Karl Inderfurth, professor of the practice of international affairs at George Washington University
Location: 106 Dirksen Senate Office Building. 2:30 p.m.

Friday, February 15

The American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research (AEI)
Discussion on "The Implications of Kosovo's Independence for U.S. Foreign Policy." [Note: Register online: http://www.aei.org/event1668]
Participants: Former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations John Bolton; Gary Schmitt of AEI; and Bruce Jackson of the Project on Transitional Democracies
Location: AEI, 1150 17th St., NW, Wohlstetter Conference Center, 12th Floor, Washington, D.C.. 2:30 p.m.

The Johns Hopkins University Paul Nitze School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS)
Discussion on "The Power of Elections" as a part of the Year of Elections and Foreign Policy series. [Note: The public should RSVP to 202-663-5636 or saisevents@jhu.edu]
Participants: Francis Fukuyama, director of the SAIS International Policy Program; Ruth Wedgwood, director of the SAIS International Law and Organizations Program; Sunil Khilnani, director of the SAIS South Asia Studies Program; and David Lampton, director of the SAIS China Studies Program and dean of faculty
Location: SAIS, Rome Building, 1619 Massachusetts Ave., NW, Rome Building Auditorium, Washington, D.C.. 5 p.m.

SAIS Political Russian Summer Language Institute

2008-02-08T14:01:00.000+06:00

I highly recommend Johns Hopkins' School of Advanced International Studies' (SAIS) Summer Language Institute in Political Russian. The 8-week intensive evening course I took there was probably the best Russian language course I ever took. They are now accepting applications for the Summer 2008 term here.

If you cannot attend, I recommend picking up the book they use for the course: Political Russian: An Intermediate Course in Russian Language for International Relations, National Security and Socio-Economics.

Grant Opportunity: OSI Central Eurasia Project

2008-02-08T13:57:00.000+06:00

Application deadline: February 29, 2008

The Central Eurasia Project (CEP) of the Open Society Institute is
pleased to announce its 2008 grant application schedule. Through
grantmaking, CEP strives to increase awareness of human rights
violations and the availability of reliable information on the social
and economic health of the South Caucasus, Central Asia, and Mongolia,
within the region and around the world, in order to shape policies
that foster open societies. CEP provides programmatic and general
operating support grants to organizations focused on advancing civil
society and development in the region. In the context of this Call for
Proposals, Central Eurasia encompasses Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia,
Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan.

To read the full Call for Proposal guidelines and download an
application please visit here.

2 Research & Teaching Fellowships at the OSCE Academy in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan

2008-02-08T13:47:00.000+06:00

Application Deadline: May 15, 2008

The OSCE Academy in Bishkek is a public foundation designed to promote
and enhance the principles and aims of the OSCE in the Central Asian
region, enshrined in its fundamental idea of comprehensive security.
Located in Bishkek, the OSCE Academy is strongly embedded in the wider
Central Asian academic and political context and follows a distinctive
regional approach in its activities. The Academy is looking for two
research and teaching fellows in the MA Program Political Science 2008/2009.

Requirements:

The qualified candidate holds at least an MA/MSc but preferably a PhD
degree in Political Science or a related field and has teaching experience.

The fellowship has the following terms and components:

1) A teaching assignment of a course on either Approaches & Issues in
International Relations or Approaches & Issues in Political Theory.
These are a 3 credit hour courses, meeting twice a week for 90 min
sessions from September 1, 2008 through December 19, 2008. The period
of contract is from August 25 to December 24, 2008. The idea behind
the Approaches & Issues courses are to provide a survey of these
fields introducing the students to major approaches and theories,
important topics, and the contemporary developments. As such, these
should be introductory courses at a graduate level involving lectures,
seminars, research assignments, and individual student mentoring.
Additionally, we expect the fellow to spend 6 hours per week for
personal preparation to the courses with lecture/seminar notes,
preparation of assignments, and grading/evaluation of students.

2) The fellowship also includes office hours for students of
approximately 4 hours a week. Depending on other events at the
Academy, such as workshops, conferences, meetings, research
presentations, 2-4 hours of additional time will be needed.

4) Overall, the commitment at the Academy will not exceed the load of
20 hours per week. However, due to the nature of an academic
environment, the load may vary from about 15 to 25 hours per week.
During the rest of the time, the fellows are encouraged to conduct
their research and will receive full support of the Academy and our
partners. We expect the fellows to present their research to the
students and the greater audience during the fellowship period with us.

The OSCE Academy will provide/cover - a) Economy class roundtrip
airfare from the city of current residence to Bishkek; b) Entry visa
expenses to Kyrgyzstan, if any; c) Housing will be provided by the
Academy; d) Honorarium of 750 Euros per month for teaching the 3
credit hour course; e) 100 Euro one-time settling-in fee; f) office
space and a computer, as well as access to all of our facilities.
NOTE: The Academy will not be able to provide health insurance.

Interested applicants should submit their CV, letter confirming
availability of funds for research, a short summary of their research
project, and two letters of reference from people familiar with the
candidate's academic work to until May
15, 2008. With any questions on this call, please contact
t.epkenhans@osce-academy.net

The OSCE Academy in Bishkek is an equal-opportunity institution. It
operates on the principle of non-discrimination. All recruitment
decisions are taken on the basis of best qualification of the
candidates, with consideration of regional and gender balance.

"Нет или слабый сигнал"

2008-02-06T05:32:00.000+06:00

That's what my screen says right now. A guy waits up all night to watch the Super Tuesday returns on CNN and the signal goes kaput 30 minutes before polls close. Dave is grumpy in Kyrgyzstan this morning.

Hillary responds...

2008-02-05T20:46:00.001+06:00

...to Bill's dealings in Kazakhstan here.

Finally some new voices and new thinking about the SCO.

2008-02-05T18:43:00.000+06:00

Yesterday the Woodrow Wilson Center hosted a discussion by Hokkaido University's Akihiro Iwashita on the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO). I wasn't able to attend, as I am a few thousand miles away in Kyrgyzstan, but it got me thinking nonetheless. Unfamiliar with Iwashita's work, I took a few minutes to read an article he's written for Brookings, where he is currently a visiting fellow.

Like Alexander Cooley, Iwashita appears to be part of a growing group of scholars who see the SCO in a more nuanced (and in my opinion correct) way than those who have set the conventional wisdom in recent years. A welcome development to be sure. Cooley takes aim at both extreme viewpoints of the conventional wisdom: those who see the SCO as just another nonfunctioning post-Soviet organization like the CIS and those who fear the SCO becoming a NATO of the East serving Russian and Chinese imperial ambitions. Iwashita takes aim at the latter group.

I'll let you read the piece for yourself and I'll post information about his discussion when its available, but I want to highlight one nugget from Iwashita's article. On the topic of U.S. expulsion from K2, which was announced at the 2005 SCO summit, Iwashita writes, "the SCO decision on limiting the U.S. presence in Central Asia was unexpectedly demanded by Uzbek President Islam Karimov, while Russia and China both sought to tone down the terms of the declaration."

This point cannot be repeated enough, in my mind. Uzbekistan wanted the U.S. out regardless of the positions of Russia and China. Remember, Uzbekistan left GUAM (then GUUAM) and kicked out U.S. Peace Corps volunteers in the month before Andijon. Uzbekistan had made the decision to orient away from the U.S. following the March 2005 "Tulip revolution" in Kyrgyzstan. Andijon was either a convenient excuse or the straw that broke the camel's back and the SCO was the vehicle, not the cause, of the U.S. expulsion.

I should have been a geography major.

2008-02-03T15:59:00.000+06:00

The publication of a new Central Asia atlas and reading this Atlantic article on the future of the Middle East has reacquainted me with my long lost love of geography. The article is worth a quick read (and some deep thinking), and map lovers out there should check out this link from the piece.

This week in DC.

2008-02-02T16:19:00.000+06:00

Monday, February 4

The Woodrow Wilson Center (WWC)
Discussion on "The Shanghai Cooperation Organization and the West: Confrontation or Cooperation in Eurasia?" with Akihiro Iwashita, visiting fellow at the Brookings Institution and professor at the Slavic Research Center.
Location: WWC, One Woodrow Wilson Plaza, Ronald Reagan Building, 1300 Pennsylvania Ave., NW, Washington, D.C.. 12 noon

Tuesday, February 5

The Johns Hopkins University Paul Nitze School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS)
Discussion on "The Struggle for Independent Media in Russia: Beyond the Headlines," with Maria Eismont, director of the New Eurasia Foundation's Russian Independent Print Media Program. [Note: The public should RSVP to events@eurasia.org]
Location: SAIS, 1740 Massachusetts Ave., NW, Bernstein-Offit Building, Washington, D.C.. 3 p.m.

Wednesday, February 6

Senate Foreign Relations Committee
Korean Peninsula Denuclearization
Full committee hearing on "Status of the Six Party Talks for the Denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula."
Witnesses: Assistant Secretary of State for East Asia and Pacific Affairs Christopher Hill
Location: 419 Dirksen Senate Office Building. 9:30 a.m.

The Johns Hopkins University Paul Nitze School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS)
Discussion on "Russian Energy as a Foreign Policy Tool." [Note: The public should RSVP to 202-663-5795 or egerasimov@jhu.edu]
Participants: Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs Matthew Bryza
Location: SAIS, Rome Building, 1619 Massachusetts Ave., NW, Room 534, Washington, D.C.. 12:30 p.m.

The Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe (Helsinki Commission)
Hearing on ramifications of presidential elections in the Republic of Georgia.
Participants: Matthew Bryza, deputy assistant secretary of State for Europe and Eurasia; Vasili Sikhuralidze, ambassador of Georgia to the U.S.; and Salome Zurabishvili, former foreign minister of Georgia, now opposition leader and head of the "Georgia's Way" Party
Location: B-318 Rayburn House Office Building. 2:30 p.m.

Thursday, February 7

House Foreign Affairs Committee
Pending Business
Full committee markup of the "Global HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria Reauthorization Act of 2008"; legislation authorizing assistance for the export of independent documentaries regarding the United States; H.Res.185, expressing the sense of the House of Representatives regarding the creation of refugee populations in the Middle East, North Africa, and the Persian Gulf region as a result of human rights violations; H.Res.854, expressing gratitude to all of the member states of the International Commission of the International Tracing Service (ITS) on ratifying the May 2006 Agreement to amend the 1955 Bonn Accords granting open access to vast Holocaust and other World War II related archives located in Bad Arolsen, Germany; H.Res.865, expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that the March 2007 report of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime and the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development makes an important contribution to the understanding of the high levels of crime and violence in the Caribbean, and that the United States should work with Caribbean countries to address crime and violence in the region; H.Res.909, commemorating the courage of the Haitian soldiers that fought for American independence in the "Siege of Savannah" and for Haiti's independence and renunciation of slavery; H.Con.Res.154, expressing the sense of Congress that the fatal radiation poisoning of Russian dissident and writer Alexander Litvinenko raises significant concerns about the potential involvement of elements of the Russian Government in Mr. Litvinenko's death and about the security and proliferation of radioactive materials; H.Con.Res.55, expressing the sense of Congress regarding the United States commitment to preservation of religious and cultural sites and condemning instances where sites are desecrated; and H.Con.Res.278, supporting Taiwan's fourth direct and democratic presidential elections in March 2008.
Location: 1100 Longworth House Office Building. 1 p.m.

NATO in the Southern Caucasus.

2008-02-01T18:57:00.000+06:00

Here's a fairly balanced, if at times simplistic, article in this quarter's Caucasian Review of International Affairs regarding NATO's involvement in the southern Caucasus. It's a good primer, though not as in-depth as I would like.

This one's got legs?

2008-02-01T13:53:00.001+06:00

NBC Nightly News picks up where the New York Times leaves off on Clinton re: Kazakhstan.

I haven't fully got my head around this yet, but one question Josh Marshall makes resonates well with me: how is the story any different from what Bush Sr. has been up to in his post-presidency, even with his son as President?

That said, as an Obama supporter, I don't really mind that this story is coming out right before super Tuesday. As a rule in general though, I would just like to see much more light shed on both former presidents' activities.

CLS expands its Russian program by 150%.

2008-02-01T13:26:00.000+06:00

Sure it would have been better for me to post about this before the application deadline (Jan. 25), but I just want to voice my approval of the State Department's expansion of the Russian language program of its Critical Language Scholarship. Also, I am pleased that they moved their programs from St. Petersburg to Nizhney Novgorod, Samara, and Tomsk. I imagine the academic environment in these cities will be better than in St. Petersburg, considering the cities are smaller, there are less foreigners, and students presumably will get better host families (instead of the entrenched extra-income seeking host "families" in St. Petersburg I've heard so much about).

Now if they could just expand the program even more. They took 30 people last year, with presumably 75 to be accepted this year. But when you consider the remarkable interest in the program from students (in 2007, they received over 6000 applications, 550 of which were for the Russian program; yes that's a 5% acceptance rate), and the stark need for more critical language speakers in the US, there should be no reason that the program could not triple or quadruple in size. But considering no such program existed at all in 2006, I wont get too upset about a 150% increase.

One last note: CLS's Farsi program in Tajiksitan, where students learn a bit of Tajik as well, was not expanded from last year.

New Central Asia Atlas just published.

2008-02-01T12:00:00.000+06:00

I can't wait to get my hands on this.

My two favorite topics converge...

2008-01-31T23:26:00.001+06:00

I have no comments on this for now--I am still shell-shocked that the intrigues of the 2008 presidential campaign have intertwined with the intrigues of Central Asia.

Shovels, please.

2008-01-30T19:36:00.000+06:00

Any international development professionals or just good ole fashioned humanitarians out there who want to put together a project to deliver a whole bunch of snow shovels to the government of Kyrgyzstan? Your help would be greatly appreciated. Let me explain.

I've got my gripes about daily life in Kyrgyzstan (burning garbage, absence of street signs, inattentive waitresses, etc.), and don't really like to voice them--above parentheses notwithstanding--but hey what is the point of having a website if you can't vent every now and then, right?

Today's gripe:

While certainly I thought it was a little weird that nobody shovels snow from their driveways, sidewalks, or parking lots here, I didn't have any major reason to be grumpy about it... until today... when I had a near paralyzing experience, slipping cartoon-style on some icy steps cracking my back and head, then proceeding to slide down the remaining steps landing in a cold, dirty puddle. Painful and a tad humiliating. One passerby did stop to see if I was okay. She was kind, but her comment, "I can't believe they didn't shovel these steps," was pretty absurd considering the situation--as far as the eye could see, there was not an inch of snow or ice that had been removed from the sidewalks. Of course I am upset about my sore back and wet pants, but the real losers here are the elderly, who must be breaking hips left and right.

And it's not like the country is completely opposed to the idea of public works. While I don't exactly know what I think about the policy, here grade-schoolers are sent out every saturday to sweep the streets in their school's neighborhood. Couldn't we just replace their brooms with shovels?

(note to anti-child labor advocacy groups: that was sarcasm)

Potentially paid internship opportunity for grad students.

2008-01-30T00:47:00.001+06:00

Spring Semester: position is from January 28, 2008 to May 9, 2008
A small stipend may be available.

The Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars is looking for a qualified graduate student interested in being a part-time (15 hours/week) research assistant to a visiting scholar working on the following topic:

“Islam and Empire in the Northern Caucasus” with Dr. Alexander Knysh, Professor of Islamic Studies, University of Michigan (http://www.umich.edu/~neareast).
Applicants should have a background in Russian and East European Studies and Russian language skills. Knowledge of any language of the Northern Caucasus is a plus. http://www.wilsoncenter.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=sf.profile&person_id=274808

Interested candidates should email or fax a cover letter and resume, by February 4, to:

Melaney Monreal, Intern Coordinator
The Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars
One Woodrow Wilson Plaza
1300 Pennsylvania Avenue N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20004-3027
Tel: (202) 691-4053
E-mail: internships@wilsoncenter.org
Fax: (202) 691-4001
www.wilsoncenter.org

This week in DC.

2008-01-30T00:18:00.000+06:00

Well I'm not in DC right now, but I thought I would try to keep up with my DC events board as best as I can for those of you lucky enough to reside in the nation's capital.

Wednesday, January 30

Senate Foreign Relations Committee
Afghanistan Update
Full committee closed hearing on "An Afghanistan Update."
Witnesses: Members of the intelligence community testify
Location: S-407, U.S. Capitol. 3:30 p.m.

The United States Institute of Peace (USIP)
Discussion on "Intelligence and the Prevention of Conflict: The National Intelligence Estimate Process and Iran's Nuclear Ambitions." [Note: RSVP required.]
Participants: William Burr, senior analyst at the National Security Archive of George Washington University; Avner Cohen, senior fellow at the Jennings Randolph Fellowship Program of USIP; former United Nations Chief Weapons Inspector David Kay, senior fellow of the Potomac Institute for Policy Studies; Jeffrey Lewis, deputy director of the Nuclear Strategy and Nonproliferation Initiative at the New America Foundation; George Perkovich, vice president of studies for global security and economic development of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace; Paul Pillar, associate professor of Georgetown University and former national intelligence officer for the Near East and South Asia at the CIA; Leonard Spector, director of the Center for Nonproliferation Studies at Monterey Institute of International Studies; and Steven Heydemann, vice president of the Grants and Fellowships Program and special adviser of the Muslim World Initiative of USIP
Location: USIP, 1200 17th St., NW, 2nd Floor Conference Room, Washington, D.C.. 10 a.m.

The Institute for Policy Studies (IPS)
Book discussion on "The Iran Agenda: The Real Story of U.S. Policy and the Middle East Crisis" with author Reese Erlich.
Location: IPS, 1112 16th St., NW, Suite 600, Washington, D.C.. 12 noon

The Afghanistan Study Group
News briefing to introduce three major reports on Afghanistan.
Participants: Senate Small Business Chairman John Kerry, D-Mass.; Sen. Norm Coleman, R-Minn.; Gen. James Jones, co-chair of the Afghanistan Study Group and chairman of the Atlantic Council of the U.S.; former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Thomas Pickering, co-chairman of the Afghanistan Study Group; Harlan Ullman, author of the National Defense University report; David Abshire, president and CEO of the Center for the Study of the Presidency; Fred Kempe, president and CEO of the Atlantic Council
Location: 419 Dirksen Senate Office Building. 2 p.m.

The New America Foundation (NAF)
Discussion on "The Threat of Nuclear Terrorism: Overblown or Understated?" [Note: RSVP to communications@newamerica.net with your name, affiliation and contact information.]
Participants: Michael Levi, fellow in science and technology at the Council on Foreign Relations and director of the Program on Energy Security and Climate Change at the Council on Foreign Relations; Priscilla Lewis, director of the U.S. World Initiative at NAF; and Jeffrey Lewis, director of the Nuclear Strategy and Nonproliferation Initiative at NAF
Location: NAF, 1630 Connecticut Ave., NW, Seventh Floor, Washington, D.C.. 2:30 p.m.

The University of Maryland (UMD)
Book discussion on "The Iran Agenda: The Real Story of U.S. Policy and the Middle East Crisis."
Participants: Reese Erlich, author of "The Iran Agenda"; and Hannes Artens, author of "The Writing on the Wall"
Location: The University of Maryland, Tydings Hall, College Park, Md.. 7 p.m.

Thursday, January 31

Senate Foreign Relations Committee
Afghanistan
Full committee hearing on "Afghanistan: A Plan to Turn the Tide?"
Witnesses: Assistant Secretary of State Richard Boucher of the Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs; retired Marine Corps Gen. James Jones, former commander of the European Command and supreme allied commander Europe; former Undersecretary of State for Political Affairs Thomas Pickering; and former Undersecretary of State for Political Affairs Richard Holbrooke
Location: 419 Dirksen Senate Office Building. 9:30 a.m.

The Brookings Institution
Discussion on "Back to the Future: U.S.-Turkish Relations After the Bush Presidency." [Note: Register online: http://www.brookings.edu]
Participants: Mark Parris, visiting fellow of foreign policy at the Brookings Institution; Gundez Aktan, member of Turkish Parliament, the National Movement Party; Emre Gonensay, former foreign minister of Turkey; and Suat Kiniklioglu, member of Turkish Parliament, the Justice and Development Party
Location: Brookings Institution, 1775 Massachusetts Ave., NW, Washington, D.C.. 10:30 a.m.

The Cato Institute
Policy forum on "NATO's (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) New Troubles: Afghanistan, Kosovo and the Future of the Alliance." [Note: Register to, 202-789-5229, events@cato.org, or online: http://www.cato.org]
Participants: Stanley Kober, research fellow in foreign policy studies at the Cato Institute; Susan Eisenhower, chairman emeritus of the Eisenhower Institute; Lawrence Kaplan, director emeritus of the Lemnitzer Center for NATO and European Union studies at Kent State University; and Jeremy Shapiro, fellow and director of research at the Center on the United States and Europe at the Brookings Institution
Location: Cato Institute, 1000 Massachusetts Ave., NW, F.A. Hayek Auditorium, Washington, D.C.. 11 a.m.

The William Penn House
Book discussion on "The Iran Agenda: The Real Story of U.S. Policy and the Middle East Crisis," with author Reese Erlich.
Location: William Penn House, 515 East Capitol St., SE, Washington, D.C.. 6:30 p.m.

The World Affairs Council (WAC)
Discussion on "Kosovo: A New East-West Crisis?" [Note: Register online: http://www.worldaffairsdc.org]
Participants: Janusz Bugajski, director of the New European Democracies Project at CSIS; Michael Haltzel, senior fellow at the Center for Transatlantic Relations at Johns Hopkins University SAIS; Daniel Serwer, vice president at the Center for Post-Conflict Peace and Stability Operations at the United States Institute of Peace; and Dimitri Simes, founding president of the Nixon Center
Location: WAC, 1800 K St., NW, Suite 1014, Washington, D.C.. 6:30 p.m.

Food for thought re: Manas Base

2008-01-29T23:55:00.000+06:00

I had the chance to meet Columbia Professor Alexander Cooley the other day here in Bishkek. He was here to do some research and lead a discussion about the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO). I intend to write a bit about the SCO discussion, but for now I just want to point my readers to a helpful article Cooley wrote a few years back for Foreign Affairs, Base Politics.

The article, written in the aftermath of the US-Uzbek split, gives a good history of US foreign military basing policy and some much needed context for understanding how the Karshi-Kanabad (K2) and Manas bases in Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan, respectively, fit into overall US policy.

NATO shenanigans

2008-01-29T23:11:00.000+06:00

Here's the headline I saw scrolling across the bottom of my CNN World screen today: NATO's Afghan mission 'in jeopardy'

But then I read the article at CNN.com, which states, "Canadian forces will remain in Afghanistan beyond February 2009 only if another NATO nation sends an additional 1,000 combat troops..."

Not sure who to be madder at here: CNN or Canada? I'm not one to quarrel with Canadian foreign policy very often (as they are a mild bunch up there) and I have no problem quarreling with CNN... but this time I have to pick Canada.

What is Canadian Primer Minister Stephen Harper thinking? Who runs their foreign policy shop like this? Shouldn't troop levels and military commitments in general be based on something a bit more solid, like say strategic interests or military objectives, than on what other countries are going to bring to the table? I understand that Mr. Harper is just endorsing a panel recommendation here and that politically he arguably had to make some sort of response to US Defense Secretary Robert Gates' boneheaded remarks last week, but this move just seems like, for lack of a better term, playground diplomacy. Of course it is reasonable for NATO members committed in Afghanistan to want other NATO members to step up their troop commitments to Afghanistan, and I don't fault Canada for using its troop levels as negotiating leverage in this effort. Instead, I fault Mr. Harper for doing so publicly, signaling to all (including its own troops) how non-strategically Canada makes its military decisions.

As for CNN, what an alarmist and misleading headline. Sure Harper used the term "jeopardy," but where do they get the idea that the whole NATO mission is in jeopardy? Harper certainly didn't say that.

twokopecks.com is back (again).

2008-01-29T22:57:00.000+06:00

Welcome (back) to twokopecks.com, a website about Eurasia. I intend to use this space to bring to light important and/or interesting news and information about Russia and the greater Eurasian region through casual freelance journalism and commentary. I will primarily focus on US relations with Eurasian countries, but really anything Eurasia-related goes. The name "two kopecks" is a reference to the casual nature of the observations welcomed by this site. A kopeck is the smallest piece of Russian currency, a coin presently worth about 1/27th of a cent. So, whether you are a professional Kremlin-watcher, or merely a student or casual observer of the region, please feel free to contribute. After all, you don’t even have to offer your two cents, just 1/27th of them.

twokopecks

This week in DC.

The two-headed Russian eagle.

Congratulations Mr. President.

This week in DC.

The Iraq War's impact on the US economy.

Potentially paid internship in DC.

Job board.

Now if we can only get one of them to wear...

Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan.

Congratulations Josh Marshall.

Job opening in Kyrgyzstan.

This sums up my thoughts nicely.

This week in DC.

A few links for my nonexistent readers.

Obama's "plagiarism" of Tatarstan PM

What a week. And it's only Tuesday.

Dmitri Peskov on HARDtalk today on BBC.

For learners and lovers of geography.

New Kosovar Flag.

This week in DC.

Quick question re: Kosovo.

Happy Independence Day Kosovars.

Georgia's United Opposition?

Who needs your own website...

Nothing like a nice cup of provocation in the morning.

Job board.

Caspian moves continue.

Politics...

This week in DC.

SAIS Political Russian Summer Language Institute

Grant Opportunity: OSI Central Eurasia Project

2 Research & Teaching Fellowships at the OSCE Academy in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan

"Нет или слабый сигнал"

Hillary responds...

Finally some new voices and new thinking about the SCO.

Recommended reading.

I should have been a geography major.

This week in DC.

NATO in the Southern Caucasus.

This one's got legs?

CLS expands its Russian program by 150%.

New Central Asia Atlas just published.

My two favorite topics converge...

Shovels, please.

Potentially paid internship opportunity for grad students.

This week in DC.

Food for thought re: Manas Base

NATO shenanigans

twokopecks.com is back (again).