Backgrounder posted September 25, 2002 by Dr. Ariel Cohen, Gerald O'Driscoll
The Road to Economic Prosperity for a Post-Saddam Iraq
As the Bush Administration and Iraqi opposition groups plan the
future of a post-Saddam Hussein Iraq without its menacing arsenal
of weapons of mass destruction (WMD), economic issues loom large.
Iraq's economy has been grossly mismanaged for 40 years, and its
people desperately need an alternative strategy to supplant the
failed policies of its dictator.…
Backgrounder posted November 30, 1999 by Ariel Cohen, Ph.D., Dr. Ariel Cohen
The War in Chechnya: What Is At Stake?
Since late September, Russian troops have been
bombing and shelling the territory of Chechnya, a secessionist,
self-proclaimed "independent" republic in the Northern Caucasus.
Although this second Russo-Chechen war was triggered by a number of
security challenges to Russia, it has escalated to a point where
the West must act to curtail the carnage. If…
Executive Memorandum posted October 21, 1999 by Brett Schaefer, Dr. Ariel Cohen
Increase Oversight to Prevent Loans to Corrupt Governments
Members of Congress are rightly outraged over
evidence that Russian officials have misused and diverted
International Monetary Fund (IMF) loans that were intended to help
Russia recover from its economic turmoil and institute reforms.
However, such abuse of IMF assistance transcends the problems in
Russia. Immediate congressional action is needed to restrict loans
by international…
Backgrounder posted September 22, 1999 by Ariel Cohen, Ph.D., Dr. Ariel Cohen
Russian Money Laundering: Questions Congress Should Ask
The
U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the New York Federal
Reserve Board, the New York Banking Commission, and British law
enforcement and national security agencies are undertaking a
massive investigation of money laundering and diversion of
international financial assistance. The investigation is currently
addressing the diversion of between $4.5 billion and $10…
Backgrounder posted July 26, 1999 by Ariel Cohen, Ph.D., Dr. Ariel Cohen
New Prime Minister's Visit Is an Opportunity to Improve U.S.-Russia Relations
On July 27, 1999, Russia's new Prime Minister,
Sergei Stepashin, will visit Washington, D.C. Stepashin, who
succeeds Evgeny Primakov, is a former Minister of the Interior and
of Justice. Many in the Clinton Administration saw Stepashin's
appointment by President Boris Yeltsin and Primakov's removal as an
attempt to salvage Russia's relations with the West…