Author Archive | Ariel Cohen

Iran marked the 30th anniversary of the Islamic Revolution with a successful launch of its first indigenous satellite on Feb. 2. The Omid — “Hope” in Farsi — satellite was launched via the Iranian-produced satellite carrier Safir-2 — translated as Ambassador-2. According to the Iranian Space Agency, the Safir-2 weighs 26 tons, is 22 meters [...]

On Aug. 8, Russia decided to rewrite the rules of post-World War II European security. It repudiated the Helsinki Pact of 1975, which recognized the sanctity of borders in Europe, and violated the sovereignty and territorial integrity of NATO aspirant Georgia, whose troops had attacked South Ossetia the day before. In the process, Russia also [...]

The Alexander Litvinenko murder by radiation in London is mysterious — and important. Has Russia entirely left the Western orbit, reverting to its old Soviet era, Stalinist practices? Is Vladimir Putin, approaching the end of his two terms in office and thinking of a new career, interested in being seen worldwide as having blood on [...]

In Russia these days, a lot of old is new again. In fact, the Russian oil and gas sector’s new paradigm can be summarized in two words: “state domination.” The free market has been abandoned. For example, last December the tax authorities bankrupted YUKOS, a major oil company, for allegedly failing to pay taxes. The [...]

The Bush Administration has accused Moscow of selling sensitive military equipment to Saddam Hussein in violation of U.N. Security Council sanctions. During a March 24th telephone conversation, President George W. Bush discussed the sales of night vision goggles, anti-tank Kornet missiles, and Global Positioning System (GPS) jamming equipment with Russian President Vladimir Putin. All information [...]

As the Israelis were busy hosing pools of blood off the streets after the latest murder-suicide bombing at Jerusalem’s Machane Yehuda market, the Palestinian propaganda machine was busy churning out yet another Big Lie: the “massacre of Jenin.” Palestinian mouthpieces claim that the Israeli military killed as many as 500 civilians in Jenin, a stronghold [...]

The expulsion of Russian intelligence officers and diplomats by the Bush administration did not kick off a new Cold War, but it is a symptom of deteriorating U.S.-Russian relations. Moscow stands to lose much more than Washington if the relationship goes sour. Senior Russian officials believe that the expulsions are intended either to provoke Russia [...]

Russia is in the news: a crackdown on the media and the oligarchs; the Kursk submarine disaster; restructuring of the Federation, including the creation of seven federal superdistricts headed mostly by generals; and a change in the way members of the upper house of the Federal Assembly are appointed. President Vladimir Putin has visited London, [...]