Fw: PUBL.- Central Asia-Caucasus Analyst, 28 August 2002 Issue on Web

----- Original Message -----
From: "Svante Cornell" <[email protected]>
To: <[email protected]>
Sent: Thursday, August 29, 2002 2:01 PM
Subject: PUBL.- Central Asia-Caucasus Analyst, 28 August 2002 Issue on Web


> A distribution of: CentralAsia-L - Announcement List for Central Asian
Studies
>
>
> PUBL.- Central Asia-Caucasus Analyst, 28 August 2002 Issue on Web
>
> The 28 August 2002 Issue of the Central Asia-Caucasus Analyst, a
subscription
> free Web journal with over 122,000 visitors to the site since January 2000
is
> now on-line at http://www.cacianalyst.org/
>
> The Central Asia-Caucasus Institute of The Johns Hopkins University-The
Nitze
> School of Advanced International Studies is proud to announce the
publication
> of the 28 August 2002 issue of its biweekly Web-Journal, The Central
> Asia-Caucasus Analyst.
>
> The Institute also offers its readers the option of downloading The
Analyst in
> PDF format, enabling readers to view and print out the entire issue of The
> Analyst. The html version will, of course, remain available.
>
> THE ANALYTICAL ARTICLES INCLUDE:
>
> GUNBOATS IN THE GREAT ANTI-TERRORIST GAME
> Pavel Baev
> The beauty of the global war against terrorism for many of its part-time
> participants is exactly in the opportunities to reward themselves along
the way
> with many long-coveted prizes. Nobody is more aware of that than Russia's
> President Vladimir Putin who in fact had started his own counter-terrorist
> crusade two years prior to 9/11 and now keeps flashing the
'I-have-warned-you'
> Cheshirean smile. He is into much more than just 'bandwagoning'. While
> proclaiming the desire to ally Russia with the West, he wastes no chance
to
> advance its strategic interests in the Caspian area and - unlike in his
> European offensive - much prefers power instruments to diplomacy.
>
> INDIA AND THE POLITICS OF THE TRANS-AFGHAN GAS PIPELINE (TAGP)
> Aftab Kazi and Tariq Saeedi
> Although for the first time an Indian official has recognized the gross
root
> realities of seriously needed Turkmenistani gas, particularly the gas
supply
> transition to India via Pakistan, growing India Pakistan tensions added
with
> hostile statements by India's Deputy Prime Minister question  India's
> participation in TAGP. Conflicting statements are likely to change
Pakistan's
> previously unconditional offer on gas supply transition to India into a
> conditional one, delaying India's serious gas supply needs.
>
> STILL ONLY SHALLOW: EMERGING NEW POLITICAL NETWORKS AND STRATEGIES IN
> KAZAKHSTAN
> Michael Denison
> The seven year prison sentence handed down to leading opposition
politician
> Ghalymzhan Zhaqiyanov, former regional governor of Pavlodar, on 2nd August
is
> the culmination of what many observers agree has been an unprecedented
period
> of political repression in Kazakhstan's first decade of independent
statehood.
> The neutralization of opposition through dubious criminal proceedings, the
> closure of independent media outlets and a stringent new law on the
> registration of political parties that could wipe out all constitutional
> opposition to the Nazarbayev regime, indicate a conscious attempt to
flatten
> the political landscape in Kazakhstan. Yet, many in the democratic
opposition
> sense that the clampdown has engendered a sea change in the organization
and
> focus of opposition activity that may actually serve to enhance the
prospects
> of democratic change.
>
> IS AMERICA'S POLICY CHANGING IRAN'S STANCE ON AFGHANISTAN?
> James Purcell Smith
> Recent weeks were marked by an increasing war of words between Iranian
> officials and the U.S. as well as debates in Washington on the practical
> strategy of military action against Iraq's Saddam Hussein in Iraq. The
emphasis
> that Saddam should be ousted by US troops due to Iraq's program of
development
> of weapons of mass destruction and Baghdad's support for anti-Israeli
terrorist
> groups in the Middle East, makes Tehran nervous about the future course of
> Washington policies, since the same accusations have already been voiced
by US
> officials against Tehran. All these may force Tehran to re-consider its
policy
> in Afghanistan and to look for new means and resources in possible
standoff
> with America.
>
> THE FIELD REPORTS INCLUDE:
>
> AZERBAIJANI REFERENDUM: SOVIET LEGACY CONTINUES
> On August 24, the  people of Azerbaijan went to the polling stations to
cast
> their vote on the constitutional amendments proposed by President Aliyev
on
> June 22, 2002. Nearly 40 changes to 23 articles of the Constitution were
put on
> the ballot for the choice of the voters. Although simple and logical at
first
> sight, these proposed amendments caused much controversy in the political
> circles in Azerbaijan and further widened the gap between the opposition
and
> the ruling party.
>
> MEETINGS IN SUPPORT OF PRESIDENT AKAEV IN KYRGYZSTAN
> President beleaguered President Askar Akayev has staged a number of
meetings in
> support of his position in various parts of the country. Bored public
servants
> or workers were forced to attend, but enthusiasm among the people remained
> scarce.
>
> RELIGIOUS EDUCATION SPARKS CONTROVERSY IN AZERBAIJAN
> Lately, debates at government level regarding the introduction of a
special
> discipline on religious issues in secondary schools' curriculum have
become
> noticeable in Azerbaijan. Discussions on this theme gained salience with
the
> new educational year approaching, as religious authorities conflicted with
the
> Ministry of Education on the teaching of religion in secondary schools.
>
> GRAIN SURPLUS THREATENS SMALL FARMS IN KAZAKHSTAN
> Far from being a boon, last year's record harvest turned into a major
headache
> for grain producers in Kazakhstan. While agricultural officials are
racking
> their brains over how to sell off millions of tons of grain from last
years
> stock, disenchanted farmers doubt the ability of the government to
effectively
> handle the situation on the market.
>
> The Analyst provides a rigorous, concise and nonpartisan forum where
> specialists can assess issues and events in the Central Asia-Caucasus
region
> for a broad audience of business people, journalists, policy makers,
government
> officials, diplomats and academics.  The Analyst seeks regional
specialists,
> journalists, economists, and political scientists to join its pool of
authors
> who are then asked to contribute short, timely, analytical articles, ca.
> 900-1000 words in length. The institute pays a honorarium to the authors.
The
> Analyst also seeks local experts, corporate representatives and NGO
> representatives from the region to write Field Reports for a modest
honorarium.
>
> The Analyst provides factual, objective and analytical articles valuing
fresh
> insights rather than the conventional wisdom.  We welcome readers and
writers
> from various perspectives and viewpoints.  We value your comments and
> suggestions.
>
> Those interested in joining The Analyst's pool of authors to contribute
> articles, field reports or contacts of potential writers, please send your
CV
> to: [email protected] and suggest some topics on which you would
like to
> write. Please remember that The Analyst does not accept double
submissions.
>
>
> Dr. Svante E. Cornell, Editor
> Central Asia-Caucasus Analyst
> Central Asia-Caucasus Institute
> The Johns Hopkins University
> Nitze School of Advanced International Studies
> 1619 Massachusetts Avenue, NW
> Washington, DC 20036
> Tel. 1-202-663-7712
> Fax. 1-202-663-7785
> [email protected]
>
>
>
>