In The News

Russian Oil ‘Can Ease Reliance on Mideast’

Nancy Dunne September 13, 2002
In an effort to decrease dependency on oil sources in the Mideast, US Senator Conrad Burns called for increased cooperation with Russian officials and oil companies. The senator hopes the development of Russian oil infrastructure will reduce the U.S.’s reliance on “rogue-oil” – an issue of particular sensitivity in light of President George Bush’s recent talk of war with Iraq. On October 1-2, the...

Chinese Will Move Waters to Quench Thirst of Cities

Erik Eckholm August 27, 2002
The Chinese have a history of monumental construction projects. Now the Beijing government is planning one of the largest industrial endeavors in history in which millions of gallons of water from the Yangtze River basin will be rechanneled over one thousand miles to parched northern cities. While the need for more water in the north is unquestioned, how Beijing will overcome the heavily...

Central Asian University Aims to Train Region's Next Leaders

Barbara Crossette August 26, 2002
The new Central Asian University will soon educate students of this multilingual region in a language that goes beyond borders—English. The liberal arts and strong science curriculum contrasts with the specialized Soviet curriculum offered in the past and will be preceded by English lessons and computer-training courses. Some have questioned the choice of language, arguing that Russian is already...

US Coordinates Drug Sweep in the Balkans and Central Asia

David Binder August 25, 2002
In an era in which technology has made physical distance seem irrelevant, drug enforcement officials must find newer methods to compete with the increasingly flexible and multinational drug trade network. In the summer of 2002, the Drug Enforcement Administration, working with 25,000 officials in 15 nations, managed to prove the effectiveness of multinational operations in combating the trade in...

Arise, Ye Prisoners of Starvation

Bill Keller February 23, 2002
In the uncertain days of communism's collapse, Russian farmers were unmotivated and struggling. When McDonald's decided to take a chance on them, enlisting Russians to provide beef, milk, and pickles for the new restaurants, the farmers were astonished. In the last decade, though, McDonald's has thrived in Russia, offering novelty, dependable jobs, and a clean place to eat for a...

India Asked to Join Central Asian Grouping

Atunl Aneja February 13, 2002
Kazakhstan wants India to join the security group Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) which was originally founded to protect against terrorism flowing out of Afghanistan. Reasons for Kazakhstan’s support of India include geographical proximity and future predictions that India will be one of the largest consumers of engery in the world. Kazakhstan has large deposits of oil and natural gas....