Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty

What Does Holbrooke's Past As Bosnia's 'Bulldozer' Say About Future In South Asia?

Mon, 09 Feb 2009 18:36:26 +0000

Richard Holbrooke, who today begins a regional tour as Barack Obama's special envoy to Afghanistan and Pakistan, is best known as the pushy, hard-nosed diplomat who brokered a peace deal for Bosnia in 1995. But 14 years later, the Balkan nation is again torn by ethnic and political tensions. What does Holbrooke's legacy in the Balkans mean for the daunting task ahead in South Asia?

Rising Star Says Georgian President 'Fundamentally Misguided'

Mon, 05 Jan 2009 16:47:50 +0000

Mikheil Saakashvili still has four years in office. But as disenchantment grows with the former darling of the Rose Revolution, his most strident critics are already on the lookout for a possible counterweight. Could 35-year-old Irakli Alasania be their man?

2008 In Review: Was This The Year That Russia Peaked?

Sat, 03 Jan 2009 11:26:23 +0000

The year 2008 began with Russia continuing its upward trajectory. Oil prices were high, foreign policy unaccommodating, and a critical political transition passed without incident. But after years of walking tall, Russia now appears to be falling hard under the weight of the global economic crisis.

Azerbaijan Bans RFE/RL, Other Foreign Radio From Airwaves

Tue, 30 Dec 2008 09:08:29 +0000

Rights watchdogs are criticizing a decision by Azerbaijan to ban international radio stations from broadcasting on national frequencies. Beginning January 1, broadcasts by RFE/RL, the BBC, and Voice of America will end in Azerbaijan, where radio remains one of the primary sources of information.

2008 In Review: Kosovo, Karadzic Dominate Restive Year In Balkans

Sat, 27 Dec 2008 10:41:12 +0000

Past and present are deeply intertwined in the Balkans. But in 2008, the region appeared to look in a new direction -- the future. With independence in Kosovo and the arrest of Radovan Karadzic, the region seemed ready to shrug off the weight of history. But is it?

OSCE To Dissolve Georgia Mission After Russia Blocks Extension

Mon, 22 Dec 2008 12:09:30 +0000

The civilian mission in Georgia of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) is to be dissolved after 16 years, after Russia blocked the extension of the mission's mandate at a meeting in Vienna.

Rights-Watchers Say New Russian Treason Legislation Harkens Back To '30s Terror

Thu, 18 Dec 2008 13:29:01 +0000

Rights activists in Russia say proposed legislation broadening the definition of espionage and treason will return Russia to the darkest days of the Stalinist regime. The legislation -- backed by Prime Minister Vladimir Putin and the ruling Unified Russia party -- was submitted to the State Duma last week. Critics say the bill, if passed, could subject anyone who criticizes the government to treason charges.

Surviving Generations Recall 'Forgotten Genocides,' Famines

Mon, 08 Dec 2008 17:24:14 +0000

Ukraine's 1932-33 famine is just one of many human catastrophes to emerge from the Stalin era. As the world marks the 60th anniversary of the UN Genocide Convention, debate continues about the millions more who died in the Soviet Union's ethnic deportations and purges recalled by surviving generations as "forgotten genocides."

EULEX Launches, But Devil Is In The Details

Mon, 08 Dec 2008 15:09:20 +0000

The European Union is set on December 9 to launch its law-and-order mission in Kosovo. EULEX is tasked with helping the new state meet European standards in its police, judicial, customs, and penitentiary bodies. But just a day before its work is set to begin, troubling questions remain about the EULEX mandate -- and Kosovo's future.

Is The Bloom Off The Rose In Georgia?

Sat, 22 Nov 2008 15:55:34 +0000

Georgia is marking the fifth anniversary of its Rose Revolution, the peaceful public rebellion that sought a clean break from a corrupt and undemocratic past. But the events of 2003 have lost much of their promise to creeping authoritarianism and a ruinous war with Russia. Can Tbilisi preserve its 'rose' legacy?

Kosovo Fights Serbia -- As Serbia Fights Everybody

Thu, 20 Nov 2008 17:05:03 +0000

Tempers in Serbia and Kosovo are once again at the boiling point over the configuration of Kosovo's next international law-and-order mission. The dispute comes as Belgrade finds itself increasingly at odds with nearly all of its Balkan neighbors.

Amnesty Says No Side Blameless In Russia-Georgia War

Tue, 18 Nov 2008 08:51:12 +0000

Three months after the Russia-Georgia war, a new report by watchdog group Amnesty International suggests that all sides to the conflict may be guilty of violating human rights. The group calls on both Moscow and Tbilisi to support an independent investigation into the conduct of all parties during the fighting.

With Obama Win, NATO Prospects For Ukraine, Georgia Appear To Shift

Fri, 07 Nov 2008 16:17:47 +0000

Barack Obama's election may have prompted celebrations from Chicago to Nairobi. But in Tbilisi, it was disappointment that carried the day, with many Georgians ruefully contemplating what John McCain's defeat would mean for them.

Feeling Expansive, Moscow Looks To U.S. 'Backyard': Latin America

Thu, 09 Oct 2008 12:48:14 +0000

Meetings between officials of Russia and Venezuela have become so frequent as to barely merit a headline.

Once Diplomat's Diplomat, Lavrov Now Kremlin's Advance Guard

Wed, 24 Sep 2008 19:27:37 +0000

Sergei Lavrov arrives at the United Nations as the Kremlin's point man, the most visible face of Russia's more aggressive foreign policy. Previously seen as an urbane, soft-spoken diplomat, will he continue to present his new tougher side?

Nikolic At Center Of Serbia's Nationalist Meltdown

Mon, 22 Sep 2008 15:01:15 +0000

When the year began, Tomislav Nikolic appeared poised to take the Serbian presidency. Now, the future of the ex-Radical Party leader appears in doubt -- and with it, the role of the nationalists in Serbia's highly fluid political arena.

Russia's Ekho Moskvy Under Mounting Pressure

Thu, 18 Sep 2008 13:46:06 +0000

The radio station Ekho Moskvy, seen as one of the last remaining sources of independent news and public debate in Russia, is coming under increasing pressure from the Kremlin. Prime Minister Vladimir Putin has singled out the station for criticism over its coverage of the Georgian war and, this week, nationalist and Orthodox protesters publicly called for the station's closure.