By Kevin Daniel Leahy (7/24/2008 issue of the CACI Analyst)

Chechen President Ramzan Kadyrov appears sanguine about the new-look Medvedev-Putin partnership that has emerged in Moscow. However, despite significant personnel changes in the presidential administration and a parallel government reshuffle, certain powerful politicos in Moscow, who have opposed Kadyrov over the past four years, have managed to retain much of their pre-election power and influence. Disagreements between Kadyrov and this constituency are manifold, but it is the dispute concerning where ownership of Chechnya’s natural resources should reside that is perhaps the greatest point of contention.

By John C.K. Daly (7/24/2008 issue of the CACI Analyst)

On July 1 voter unrest over Mongolia’s recent parliamentary elections boiled over into street demonstrations during which five people were killed, 300 injured and more than 700 arrested, leading the government to declare a state of emergency. Underlying voter unrest were concerns about economic issues, including record-high inflation and contracts with foreign mining concerns eager to exploit the country’s vast mineralogical wealth. Seizing on the issue of imminent massive foreign investment both leading parties promised voters a “share of the treasure” equivalent to the average worker’s annual salary.

By Erica Marat (7/24/2008 issue of the CACI Analyst)

At the July 2008 Council of CIS Defense Ministers in Bishkek, members agreed to boost air defenses and jointly celebrate the 65th anniversary of the Soviet Union’s victory in the Second World War. Both agreements exposed the CIS’s wish to follow the abrupt success of its smaller branch, the CSTO, whose structures multiplied and military cooperation have widened. While being a military organization, the CSTO’s formation was primarily driven by the common Soviet identity among its members, therefore allowing further expansion of its functions beyond military cooperation.