By empty (11/17/2004 issue of the CACI Analyst)

Russian Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov said up to 200 foreign mercenaries are operating in Chechnya. \"Our intelligence suggests there are from 150 to 200 foreign mercenaries in Chechnya,\" Ivanov told a conference of high-level military officials in Moscow on Wednesday. \"The analysis of information we are receiving indicates that mercenaries from more than 50 countries have taken part in the counter- terrorist operation in Chechnya,\" said Ivanov.

By empty (11/16/2004 issue of the CACI Analyst)

Constituent territories of the Russian Federation have no right to decide for themselves which alphabet to choose for the languages of ethnic minorities, the Constitutional Court has ruled. The court upheld the constitution\'s law on the languages of the Russian people, which states that the national languages of ethnic minorities shall rely on the Cyrillic alphabet while other alphabets must be approved by federal law, an Interfax correspondent reported. In this way , the court declined a plea from the State Council and Supreme Court of Tatarstan to declare the provision unconstitutional.

By empty (11/16/2004 issue of the CACI Analyst)

Azerbaijan is not negotiating the deployment of foreign military bases in its territory, Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mamedyarov told Interfax. \"I am telling you that we are not holding any talks on the deployment of foreign military bases in the territory of Azerbaijan,\" he said. \"A military base is a regular facility that cannot be deployed overnight.