By Kevin Daniel Leahy (11/29/2006 issue of the CACI Analyst)

BACKGROUND:This past April, the speaker of Chechnya’s pro-Moscow parliament, Dukvakha Abdurakhmanov, publicly suggested the formation of a new super-republic in the North Caucasus which would include Chechnya, Ingushetia, and possibly Dagestan. The same individual, known to be a close confidant of Prime Minister Ramzan Kadyrov, repeated this ambitious proposal in August. For his part, Kadyrov gave Abdurakhmanov’s initiative a tentative welcome, remarking that unification was possible “if the peoples of Ingushetia, Chechnya, and Dagestan want it, and when Chechnya becomes prosperous”.

By Ryan Kennedy (11/29/2006 issue of the CACI Analyst)

BACKGROUND:Borat, the popular and controversial character developed by British comedian Sasha Baron Cohen, has given the Kazakhstan government plenty of reasons not to like him. While claiming to be Kazakhstan\'s second more popular news personality, Borat has said that Kazakhstan\'s national drink is fermented horse urine, that the national game involves throwing Uzbeks into a pit, and that, for 3/4 the price of a prostitute in Amsterdam, a person could purchase the same services from Kazakhstan\'s president. Not surprisingly, the reaction of Kazakhstan\'s government to Borat\'s appearance at the MTV Europe Music Awards in November 2005 was very negative.

By Hooman Peimani (11/15/2006 issue of the CACI Analyst)

BACKGROUND: Asia’s economy has been growing since the end of the second world war to turn it into a trading house accounting presently for over a quarter of global trade, a trend that is certain to continue in the foreseeable future. The rise of Asia as a major and growing trade hub has necessitated an appropriate cargo transportation infrastructure to facilitate its trade, especially with Europe. While much of the transport is done by lengthy sea routes, numerous projects are at the planning stage to link Europe to Asia through the Caucasus and Central Asia.