GEORGIA’S PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS: MOVING TOWARD A FOURTH, DEMOCRATIC PHASE?
By Andrea Filetti (8/22/2012 issue of the CACI Analyst)
Elections have repeatedly played an important role in the evolution of the Georgian political system, far more so than for example in neighboring Azerbaijan. Georgia's twenty-year republican experience can be analyzed through the lens of a three-phase evolution, where each phase has been characterized either by continuity or discontinuity with the Soviet period, though not representing decisive steps toward the full democratization of the country. The parliamentary elections scheduled for October 1, 2012, can potentially become a new “critical juncture” toward a fourth phase, a democratic one, thanks to particular new elements that distinguishes it from previous phases.
RUSSIAN CONVERTS JOIN NORTH CAUCASIAN RESISTANCE
By Dmitry Shlapentokh (8/22/2012 issue of the CACI Analyst)
Conversion to Islam and the related spread of Islamism has a long history in Russia; however the North Caucasus and jihadists from this region are playing an increasingly important role in this process. While small in number, converts are important assets for jihadists as they provide a cadre of dedicated terrorists who are difficult to detect.
RARE EARTHS INVESTMENT RACE CONFRONTS RISKY CENTRAL ASIAN MARKETS
By Myles G. Smith (8/22/2012 issue of the CACI Analyst)
Since China imposed export restrictions on Rare Earth Elements (REEs) in 2010, investors have flooded the sector in search of an alternative supplier of these elements, which are critical in high-tech manufacturing. Kyrgyzstan, home of the Soviet Union’s primary REEs industrial complex and one of the world’s few previously-proven asset sets outside China, appeared set to capitalize. Kazakhstan, already a global mining hub, signed investment deals with German and Japanese interests early in 2012.
KAZAKH JIHADISTS INTENSIFY INTERNET PROPAGANDA
By Jacob Zenn (8/22/2012 issue of the CACI Analyst)
Jund al-Khilafah (JaK) claimed responsibility for three terrorist attacks carried out by separate cells in Atyrau, Taraz and Almaty between October and December 2011. JaK caught Kazakhstani and foreign governments by surprise since the attacks, which targeted and killed state officials, were unprecedented in the country.
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