· August, 2007

Stories about Central Asia & Caucasus from August, 2007

Afghanistan: Errors of Judgment

  30 August 2007

In his first roundup for Global Voices, Joshua Foust takes a tour of mostly Western experts on Afghanistan to see where and how things are changing. This week, he focuses on the newly unveiled American opium eradication campaign.

Azerbaijan: Building collapse

  30 August 2007

Having lived and worked in Azerbaijan, Carpetblogger is not surprised by the news that a newly-built highrise collapsed in the capital Baku due to poor building standards.

Kyrgyzstan: Labour migration

  30 August 2007

Scraps of Moscow links to an IWPR article about the impact of labour migration on the healthcare system in Kyrgyzstan, and finds many similarities to problems elsewhere in the developing world.

Azerbaijan: Radical islam

  30 August 2007

Christine Quirk received a reader's comment to one of her earlier posts (GV reported) about the imaginary threat of radical political Islam in Azerbaijan. The commentator is a well-known Azeri Imam, who thanks the blogger for bringing up important issues. In turn, Quirk lists those players who benefit from the...

Georgia: UFO in Abkhazia

  30 August 2007

At Steady State, rindi is amused about conflicting reports of a mysterious object falling from the sky in the breakaway province of Abkhazia. Was it a Russian or a Georgian airplane? Or a US spy drone? Or even a “cosmic object”?

Afghanistan: Hostage deal

  30 August 2007

Although 11 hostages still remain in the hands of their kidnappers, Carl Robichaud speculates why the Taliban agreed to release the Korean missionary workers who have been held hostage for over a month.

Russia: Mistreatment of Foreigners

  29 August 2007

Window on Eurasia reports: “Foreigners working in the Russian Federation are far from likely to be mistreated by government officials and employers than they are to be attacked by skinheads and other Russian nationalist groups, according to a poll of Tajiks now living in Tajikistan with direct experience in the...

Mongolia: Kazakh eagle hunters

  29 August 2007

American filmmaker Joseph Spaid tells readers about his film Kiran over Mongolia over at neweurasia. The documentary portrays a young Mongolized Kazakh youth from the urban capital who is taken into an apprenticeship by a true Kazakh eagle master.

Kyrgyzstan: Threat of Islamisation?

  29 August 2007

Some Kyrgyzstani bloggers are worried about the threat of Islamisation in their country, while others do not share their concerns. This debate was the result of an commission's decision to allow Muslim women to wear hijabs for their passport photographs.

Afghanistan: Releasing the hostages

  29 August 2007

Although the Korean hostages are likely to come free after more than a month in custody in Afghanistan, OneFreeKorea is unhappy with the deal struck with the Taliban. In the blogger's opinion, this will “stamp “kidnap me” in fluorescent letters in every Republic of Korea passport”.

Afghanistan: Replacing a minister

  28 August 2007

From Afghanistan, Sanjar reports that he and his colleagues have launched a petition demanding the removal of the current Minister for Information and Culture. Rumours have it that a successor has already been chosen, and Sanjar voices his discontent over President Karzai's choice.

Armenia: Election update

  28 August 2007

Onnik Krikorian posts the latest developments in the run-up to next year's presidential elections in Armenia. This week's news include the growing rumours that a successful ex-politician might enter the scene to compete against the ruling Republican Party.

Tajikistan: Getting a haircut

  28 August 2007

John Musarra retells his ordeal of trying to get a haircut in downtown Dushanbe. Tajikistan's summers are hot, dusty and difficult to cope with. The barbershop John chose, however, proved equally difficult to cope with.

Uzbekistan: Sarcastic sociologists

  28 August 2007

Jamiyat doesn't find much else than sarcasm in a recently published opinion poll that says, above all, that the president of Uzbekistan, Islam Karimov, is doing an astonishingly good job.

Kazakhstan: Kashagan Showdown

  28 August 2007

Bonnie Boyd has a comprehensive background post on the current crisis involving the Kazakh government and the international consortium developing the country's biggest oil field, Kashagan.

About our Central Asia & Caucasus coverage

Nurbek Bekmurzaev
Nurbek Bekmurzaev is the Central Asia editor. Email him story ideas or volunteer to write.

Arzu Geybullayeva
Arzu Geybullayeva is the South Caucasus editor. Email her story ideas or volunteer to write.