Robert McMahon

Also by Robert McMahon

• October 29, 2005

  Bush Says CIA Leak Indictment 'Serious'

  Analysts have said that the indictment of a senior White House official is a political setback that will distract attention from President Bush's policy priorities.

• October 28, 2005

  Iraq: Volcker Report Links Russian Entities To Abuses Of UN Program

  Paul Volcker speaks to the media after delivering his report (epa) An independent inquiry has found Russian politicians and companies heavily involved in abuses of the UN's oil-for-food program in Iraq. The final report of the commission chaired by former U.S. Federal Reserve Chairman Paul Volcker says more than 2,000 companies worldwide took part in surcharges and kickbacks that benefited Saddam Hussein's regime. But prominent among them were Russian firms, which won the majority of oil and humanitarian contracts with Iraq during the time of sanctions.

• October 27, 2005

  Report Urges Reforms In International Civil-Military Teams

  A respected U.S. policy institute says in a new study that international civil-military teams in Afghanistan need to be better organized and coordinate more closely with Kabul.

• October 25, 2005

  Russia And U.S. Often At Odds In Region

  The U.S.-led war to oust the Taliban regime in Afghanistan four years ago intensified Washington’s engagement with Central Asia. But Russia, an erstwhile ally in the war on terror, has stepped up efforts to restore its influence in the region. Citing recent events in Uzbekistan, analysts see a great advantage for Russia -- Moscow supports the status quo of authoritarian leaders in the region, while Washington is seen as promoting their overthrow. In this third part of our five-part series on the battle for Central Asia, we look at the competing U.S. and Russian interests.

• October 24, 2005

  UN Envoy Recommends Start Of Final Status Talks

  UN envoy Kai Eide is recommending that the Security Council approve final status talks on Kosovo, warning that any further delay would cause problems for the province.

• October 20, 2005

  Afghanistan: PRTs Spreading, Though Impact Remains Unclear

  PRTs are tasked with improving local living conditions (official site) International civilian and military units -- known as Provincial Reconstruction Teams (PRTs) -- have now spread to 22 locations in Afghanistan, a sign of their popularity with Afghan, U.S., and NATO leaders. But it’s unclear how effective the teams are in stabilizing regions and extending Kabul’s control – their main goals.

• October 18, 2005

  Afghanistan: Foreign Minister Cautions Against Drawdown At Central Asian Bases

  Foreign Minister Abdullah (file photo) Afghanistan's foreign minister is urging members of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) not to weaken support for his country's stabilization efforts. Abdullah Abdullah said that, despite a recent communique, the SCO should recognize the importance of maintaining a robust international military presence in Afghanistan. Separately, the country’s women’s affairs minister said the new parliament offers hope for lifting Afghan women out of poverty and a culture of violence.

• October 14, 2005

  Iraq: U.S. Officials Laud Iraqi Referendum

  U.S. and Iraqi troops man a checkpoint (file photo) U.S. officials are portraying the 15 October constitutional referendum in Iraq as a milestone in the country's political progress. Without predicting the outcome, officials say the vote in itself signals the enormous democratic steps the country has taken. The stakes are huge for Washington, which hopes the vote will help bring stability, have a region-wide impact, and hasten an exit strategy for U.S. troops.

• October 12, 2005

  New World Bank Report Shows Mixed Progress On Poverty

  The World Bank's biggest report in five years on Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union says millions in the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) still subsist on only $2 per day and that high-growth countries are not doing enough to improve health and other services.

• October 06, 2005

  Central Asia: Q&A With U.S. Assistant Secretary Of State Daniel Fried

  Daniel Fried (file photo) In this interview, RFE/RL speaks with U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Europe and Eurasian Affairs Daniel Fried about U.S. Policy toward Central Asia. Fried recently made a tour of Central Asia. During the tour he gave voice to increasing U.S. impatience with the refusal of Uzbek President Islam Karimov to permit an international investigation into the May violence in Andijon, and addressed other regional concerns. He spoke with RFE/RL on 5 October in Washington.

• October 05, 2005

  U.S.: Secretary Of State Rice Prepares To Visit Central Asia, Afghanistan

  Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice (file photo) U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice will visit Afghanistan and three Central Asian states next week to try to boost economic and political reforms. State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said Rice will visit Afghanistan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan and Tajikistan to reinforce the administration's democratization aims for the region. She will also discuss efforts to stabilize Afghanistan amid calls in the region for a reduced U.S. military presence.

• October 03, 2005

  Kosovo: RFE/RL Interviews U.S. Official On Status Talks

  On 30 September, RFE/RL's Washington correspondent discussed progress in Kosovo with Rosemary DiCarlo, U.S. deputy assistant secretary for Europe and Eurasian affairs.

• September 30, 2005

  Kosovo: U.S. Official Says Reforms Must Continue Through Status Process

  A top U.S. State Department official says any negotiations on the final status of Kosovo must be accompanied by further reform efforts from ethnic Albanian leaders in the province. Rosemary DiCarlo, deputy assistant secretary for Europe and Eurasian Affairs, said there is a widely held view that an eventual definition of Kosovo's status will help trigger broader stabilization efforts in the Balkans.

• September 27, 2005

  Afghanistan: Foreign Minister Calls For Sustained Engagement

  Foreign Minister Abdullah (file photo) Afghanistan's foreign minister says this month's parliamentary elections showed the will of the Afghan people to create a real democracy. But Abdullah Abdullah also urged the international community to remain engaged in stabilization efforts, saying the country still faces "too many urgent priorities" involving security and reconstruction.

• September 24, 2005

  Iran: World Bank Economist Urges Deep Reforms

  Will the government of new President Mahmud Ahmadinejad undertake real reforms? A senior World Bank economist says Iran has failed to use surging oil revenues to address deep economic problems. The bank's chief economist for the Middle East says Iran typifies countries in the region that have stalled reforms amid rising oil revenues. The bank is set to address these concerns with officials of the new Iranian government at annual meetings of the World Bank and International Monetary Fund in Washington.

• September 23, 2005

  World: Emphasis On Infrastructure Could Boost CIS States

  Construction workers in Tajikistan (file photo) The World Bank annual meetings this week are reviving focus on infrastructure development as a way of lifting countries out of poverty. The new emphasis has special importance for the poorest of the Soviet successor states, which inherited major infrastructure stocks but have been unable to maintain them. This has contributed to a decline in living standards in states from Moldova to Tajikistan.

• September 19, 2005

  UN: Romanian Foreign Minister Expects Eventful Security Council Agenda

  Rozvan Ungureanu in New York on 16 September Romania chairs the United Nations Security Council next month. It will be a time of intensive discussions over Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan, and Kosovo, among other issues. Foreign Minister Mihai Razvan Ungureanu prepared by meeting his counterparts from Arab and Muslim states on the sidelines of the UN summit in New York last week. He told reporters he was encouraged by the growing cohesion on antiterror efforts at the summit, although he said member states need to follow through with genuine reforms to help the UN cope with a range of threats.

• September 17, 2005

  Uzbek Minister Urges Greater Efforts To Stabilize Afghanistan

  United Nations, 17 September 2005 (RFE/RL) -- Uzbek Foreign Minister Elyor Ganiev said yesterday that Central Asia is plagued by a convergence of terrorism, extremism, and drug trafficking.

• September 16, 2005

  Uzbekistan: Foreign Minister Calls For Greater International Effort In Afghanistan

  Uzbek Foreign Minister Elyor Ganiev said in his speech to the UN General Assembly on 16 September that Central Asia is plagued by a convergence of terrorism, extremism, and drug trafficking. Ganiev's speech was dominated by concerns about terrorism and regional instability four months after the government's crackdown on demonstrators in Andijon. He urged greater international action to stabilize Afghanistan but also repeated Tashkent's call for the demilitarization of Central Asia.

• September 16, 2005

  Iran: Europeans Wait To Hear President Ahmadinejad's Ideas On Nuclear Dispute

  President Ahmadinejad speaking at UN on 14 September The foreign ministers of Great Britain, France, and Germany say they are awaiting the speech tomorrow (17 September) by Iran's president to determine the way forward in the dispute over Iran's nuclear program. The ministers reported no progress in two meetings with top Iranian officials on the sidelines of the UN summit in New York. A top U.S. official, meanwhile, has expressed confidence that the international community will unite to pressure Iran to return to negotiations over its uranium-enrichment-related activities.

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