DOCSLIB.ORG

Suspicion, Uncertainty Cloud Chechen Murder in France

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Suspicion, Uncertainty Cloud Chechen Murder in France MONDAY, FEBRUARY 10, 2020 11 Suspicion, uncertainty cloud Chechen murder in France Lille | France Russia and is now safely back in ‘Political motivation’ Chechnya. President Lille prosecutors have opened t the end of January, an investigation against “X” French emergency ser- Asylum in Belgium Vladimir Putin for murder. Such investiga - Avices found the body of a Aliev’s video blogs, usually in tions against “X” are opened in man in a hotel room close to the Chechen language rather than has vowed to France when prosecutors be- train station in the northern city Russian, were marked by strong lieve the crime was pre-med- of Lille, mutilated with scores of diatribes against Kadyrov who help Germany itated but don’t yet know by stab wounds. stands accused by rights groups who. The man was Imran Aliev, 44, of using a personal militia to with the Lille police are carrying out originally from Russia’s restive attack opponents. the investigation and no arrest northern Caucasus region of But according to the Cauca- investigation has been made yet. Chechnya but who had lived for sian Knot Russian-language The murder “bears all the the last few years in Belgium. news site, Aliev’s comments but has characteristics of having a po- He had gained a following as were often vulgar, expletive-rid- litical motivation” but “it is wise a video blogger at times critical den and also inconsistent. In described to be prudent”, said a source of the Chechen leadership un- one video, rather than criticising Khangoshvili close to the investigation. “Many der its strongman ruler Ramzan Kadyrov he had even sworn an people could have wanted him,” Kadyrov. oath of allegiance to him. as a “fighter, added another source. Suspicion immediately Chechnya’s leadership, under Ramzan Kadyrov (pictured here), had been the According to the source close Attention on the case in emerged that the killing was a target of criticism by Imran Aliev, whose mutilated body was found in the French to the investigation, Aliev had very cruel and Lille has been magnified by political assassination and could city of Lille in January obtained the status of a political a row between Germany and be the latest in a series of sus- refugee in Belgium at the end of bloody” who Russia over the killing of the pected moves against trouble- Travelled with killer? found in the room. 2012 after making a second re- former Chechen rebel com - some figures living in exile in Aliev had arrived in Lille from A prominent exiled Chechen quest for asylum -- a first request had taken part mander in a Berlin park in late Europe critical of the Kremlin or neighbouring Belgium on the blogger based in Europe who in 2011 had not succeeded. 2019. Russia’s regional leaders. night of January 29 to January goes by the name of Tumso Ab- Refugee status was granted to in separatist Zelimkhan Khangoshvili, a Sources close to the inves - 30 along with another man who durakhmanov swiftly wrote on all his family, including his wife. 40-year-old Georgian national, tigation told AFP in Lille that was also travelling on a Russian his Telegram channel he be - He has several children born activities and was shot twice in the head at the murder bore the hall - passport. They both checked lieved the killer had flown to between 2002 and 2008. close range in Kleiner Tiergar- marks of having a political into a room in a hotel in the Spain from Russia, then moved The source said that Aliev has also been ten park on August 23, allegedly motive. square in front of the Lille-Flan- on to Berlin, before going to Bel- the profile of a figure who is by a Russian man who was ar- But caution has also been dres train station. gium by train on January 20. violent and aggressive. involved in rested shortly afterwards. urged due to the lack of clear The emergency services en- The men then spent a week Nonetheless, he was never the President Vladimir Putin has evidence so far and the com - tered the room around 1030 GMT in Belgium before travelling to- subject of a criminal conviction blasts on the vowed to help Germany with the plexity of Aliev himself, who on January 30 and discovered gether with Aliev to Lille, where in Belgium, although he did investigation but has described was prone to unpredictable and Aliev’s body. The source close he allegedly murdered his com- spend several months in prison Moscow metro. Khangoshvili as a “fighter, very vulgar outbursts on his YouTube to the investigation said that the panion. in 2015 for making threats and cruel and bloody” who had taken and Facebook video channels, crime scene was marked by ex- Abdurakhmanov claimed that carrying a banned weapon, an- part in separatist activities and where he went by the pseudo- treme savagery and Aliev had the man, whom he even identi- other source close to the inves- also been involved in blasts on nym of Mansur Stariy. 100 stab wounds. A knife was fied by name, then returned to tigation said. the Moscow metro. Four rare mountain gorillas ‘killed by lightning’ in Uganda Britain, Ireland hit as Storm Ciara whips over northwest Europe London ritain and Ireland were Blashed by howling winds and inundated with driving rain yesterday as Storm Ciara left homes without power, wiped out sports events and disrupt- ed travel around northwestern Europe. The bad weather also hit France, Belgium, the Nether- lands, Switzerland and Ger- many throughout Sunday, causing scores of flights to be cancelled. In Britain, more than 30,000 Thanks to conservation efforts and anti-poaching patrols, the population of homes were left without power, mountain gorillas has grown to more than 1,000 largely in eastern England. The highest wind speed re- Kampala GVTC executive secretary An- corded was 93 miles (150 kilo- In Britain, more than 30,000 homes were left without power, largely in eastern England drew Seguya told the BBC. metres) per hour at Aberdaron, our endangered mountain “The potential of the three on the tip of northwest Wales’s due to attract a 20,000-plus among those affected, while 90 and 110 kph, higher in Atlan- Fgorillas, including three females for their contribution Llyn peninsula. crowd to Goodison Park. at Dusseldorf, 111 flights were tic coastal areas,” it said. adult females, have been killed to the population was im - At Wet Sleddale Reservoir in In London, organisers can- scrapped on Sunday. “A combination of spring tides by an apparent lightning strike mense.” northwest England’s Lake Dis- celled a 10-kilometre race in In Belgium, the Royal Meteor- and high seas will result in a sig- in a Ugandan national park, a The other 13 members of the trict national park, 151.8 milli- which 25,000 runners were due ological Institute issued an alert nificant risk of coastal flooding.” conservation group has said. group had been found. metres of rain fell in a 24-hour to take part, while major city for Sunday of winds reaching Saturday’s opening ceremony A post-mortem examina- In 2008, there were estimat- period. parks closed. 130 kph, or more, with the risk of Galway’s year as European tion has been performed on ed to be only 680 of the great Rail companies urged passen- In rugby league, both Super of property damage nationwide. Capital of Culture, was scrapped the four, including a male in- apes left but thanks to conser- gers not to travel and operated League fixtures were post - Some 60 flights departing or due to bad weather buffeting fant, who died on February 3 vation efforts and anti-poach- reduced timetables and speed poned. arriving at Brussels Airport have Ireland’s west coast. in Mgahinga National Park in ing patrols, their population restrictions. Meanwhile Queen Elizabeth been cancelled as a precaution, Earlier French forecast - southwest Uganda. has grown to more than 1,000. In the central Scottish city of II, staying at her Sandringham according to an airport spokes- er Marion Pirat told AFP that “Based on the gross lesions Due to these efforts, in 2018 Perth, three people were injured country residence in eastern man, who said further delays high winds were expected in from the post-mortem... the the mountain gorilla, a sub- after part of a pub roof collapsed England, did not go to church were possible. the north and northwest of the tentative cause of death for all species of the eastern gorilla, on Saturday. due to the high winds. The In Ireland, around 14,000 country, potentially strengthen- four individuals is likely to be was moved from “critically Sports events were also hit. 93-year-old is the supreme gov- homes and businesses were ing to 120 kph overnight Sunday. electrocution by lightning,” the endangered” to “endangered” The English Premier League ernor of the Church of England. without power, national broad- In the Vosges, winds could hit Greater Virunga Transbounda- on the IUCN’s “Red List” of fixture between champions caster RTE said, as the republic speeds of 140 kph. ry Collaboration (GVTC) said in threatened species. Manchester City and strugglers Flights grounded began counting ballots in its The storm could make tough a statement Saturday, although Covering the northern West Ham was called off due to About 120 flights to and general election. going for the Six Nations rug- laboratory confirmation will slopes of three volcanoes, “extreme and escalating weath- from Amsterdam Schiphol, the Ireland’s Met Eireann mete- by clash between France and take two to three weeks.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • The Trump-Russia Collusion Case
    The Trump-Russia Collusion Case Updated to August 2020 Source: http://www.scaruffi.com/politics/trumptraitor.html For those who have been following this page for a while: my main target is not Trump, my target is Putin. Putin, not Trump, is the most dangerous person in the world. Trump is just a lackey, a small-time crook and bit-time liar whom Putin is using to attack the USA. The problem is not that there is no evidence of Trump-Putin collusion, the problem is that there is too much of it. I have added some background about the motive of Russia's interference in US politics. In my opinion, it was not only a general attempt at undermining US institutions (that came later) but originally it was a determined effort to make sure that Hillary Clinton did not become president. Putin feared her more than anyone else. For those who have NOT followed this page from the beginning: this website was one of the first to talk about the Trump-Russia collusion at a time when few dared mention the Steele dossier. Just to be very clear: this is not about whether Russia's interference changed the results of the election (i personally think that the FBI investigation into Clinton's email server had a much bigger impact). It is about Putin's strategy to attack the USA, and, secondly, it is about the extent of Trump's collaboration with Putin. And, just to be fair, Putin's Russia is not the only country that ever interfered in US politics.
    [Show full text]
  • Les Assassinats Et Tentatives De Meurtres Visant Les Opposants Tchétchènes Dans Les Pays Européens Depuis 2009 FEDERATION DE
    FEDERATION DE RUSSIE 30 mai 2020 Les assassinats et tentatives de meurtres visant les opposants Tchétchènes dans les pays européens depuis 2009 Avertissement Ce document a été élaboré par la Division de l’Information, de la Documentation et des Recherches de l’Ofpra en vue de fournir des informations utiles à l’examen des demandes de protection internationale. Il ne prétend pas faire le traitement exhaustif de la problématique, ni apporter de preuves concluantes quant au fondement d’une demande de protection internationale particulière. Il ne doit pas être considéré comme une position officielle de l’Ofpra ou des autorités françaises. Ce document, rédigé conformément aux lignes directrices communes à l’Union européenne pour le traitement de l’information sur le pays d’origine (avril 2008) [cf. https://www.ofpra.gouv.fr/sites/default/files/atoms/files/lignes_directrices_europeennes.pdf ], se veut impartial et se fonde principalement sur des renseignements puisés dans des sources qui sont à la disposition du public. Toutes les sources utilisées sont référencées. Elles ont été sélectionnées avec un souci constant de recouper les informations. Le fait qu’un événement, une personne ou une organisation déterminée ne soit pas mentionné(e) dans la présente production ne préjuge pas de son inexistence. La reproduction ou diffusion du document n’est pas autorisée, à l’exception d’un usage personnel, sauf accord de l’Ofpra en vertu de l’article L. 335-3 du code de la propriété intellectuelle. Fédération de Russie : Les assassinats et tentatives de meurtres visant les opposants Tchétchènes dans les pays européens depuis 2009 Table des matières Introduction ......................................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • Aleko Elisashvili, Ana Dolidze and Levan Koberidze Create a New
    “Impartial, Informative, Insightful” GEL 3.00 #108 (4665) FRIDAY, JUNE 19, 2020 WWW.MESSENGER.COM.GE POLITICS Aleko Elisashvili, Ana Dolidze and German ambassador explains the German Prosecutor’s Office’s Levan Koberidze create a new platform comment regarding the murder of Zelimkhan Khangoshvili FULL STORY ON Page 2 ECONOMICS NBG publishes conclusion on 2020 draft budget Leaders of a new political platform. Photo: IPN agencies has the authority to remove Dolidze from the post of the High Council of Justice. Nazi Janezashvili, another a non- FULL STORY ON Page 3 judicial member of the High Council of Justice, demanded that her colleague, Dolidze, explains who is funding her or- ganization and why? Janezashvili wrote BY NATALIA KOCHIASHVILI on the social network Facebook that if Dolidze resigns today, she has already epresentatives of the civil move- violated the law. In the post, she made R ment Aleko Elisashvili and Levan an extensive explanation of the conflict Ioseliani, a non-judicial member of the of interest and listed 3 main limitations, Council of Justice and one of the found- which, in her estimation, does not allow ers of the Movement for the People, Ana Dolidze to carry out political activities. Dolidze and independent MP Levan She also responded to the new political Koberidze formed the ‘New Platform’ platform: “After that, are there still ques- and confirmed their commitment by the tions about Dolidze’s political activities? Memorandum of Understanding. I repeat, the law prohibits non-judicial According to the memorandum, the members of the High Council of Justice New Platform is a union that gives new NGOs say if Ana Dolidze is going to be involved in politics, she should resign.
    [Show full text]
  • MONTHLY August 2020 CONTENTS
    MONTHLY August 2020 CONTENTS 7 16 28 LUKOIL REDUCES RUSSIAN BUDGET GETS FEWER WAR IN THE RUSSIAN FUEL HYDROCARBON OUTPUT PETROROUBLES MARKET? THE MOSCOW PATRIARCHATE HAS A 3 RUSSIA WON IN BELARUS 18 PROBLEM IN BELARUS RUSSIA’S FAST-TRACK COVID-19 VACCINE 4 POSES BIG RISK 20 LUKASHENKO’S LESSON FOR PUTIN 6 SCARED LUKASHENKO, A RISK FOR RUSSIA 21 TURKEY IMPORTS LESS GAS FROM RUSSIA 7 LUKOIL REDUCES HYDROCARBON OUTPUT 23 RUSSIA INTERFERES IN GEORGIA POLLS RUSSIA BECOMES WORLD’S SECOND- PUTIN THREATENS HE COULD SEND 9 LARGEST OIL PRODUCER 24 MILITARY SUPPORT TO BELARUS BELARUS STARTS MILITARY DRILLS, ATTACK ON NAVALNY: POISON THE SERVICE LUKASHENKO THREATENS NATO WITH 10 OF THE KREMLIN 26 RUSSIA MAJOR OIL COMPANIES COMPLAIN TO 12 PUTIN ABOUT GOVERNMENT TAX HIKES 27 RUSSIAN PROBLEMS IN SYRIA ARMENIA-AZERBAIJAN BORDER FIGHTING BULGARIA BUYS MORE LNG, GAZPROM 14 PROMPTS RUSSIA TO CHANGE STRATEGY 28 WILL LOSE SALES MARKET RUSSIAN BUDGET GETS FEWER MOSCOW APPOINTS NEW HEAD OF 16 PETROROUBLES 30 BELARUSIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH EUROPEAN COUNTRIES EXPEL RUSSIAN PUTIN USES BIRTHDAY PHONE CALL TO 17 DIPLOMATS 32 INVITE LUKASHENKO TO MOSCOW 2 www.warsawinstitute.org SOURCE: KREMLIN.RU 12 August 2020 RUSSIA WON IN BELARUS What might seem is that Alexander Lukashenko will make a successful bid to stay in power, though an overwhelming majority of Belarusians are visibly fed up with him as the leader. Certainly, Lukashenko’s rigged victory and violent crackdowns would not keep him in power if it were not for Russia’s stance. The Kremlin believes that it is best to see Lukashenko stay in power, yet his ratings have never been so weak for a quarter of century.
    [Show full text]
  • Getting to “Da” Ence According to Its Own Agenda
    October 2020 The German Times • Politics 3 PICTURE ALLIANCE/RUSSIAN FOREIGN MINISTRY PRESS O/TASS/DPA PICTURE ALLIANCE/RUSSIAN FOREIGN MINISTRY World War II, the Soviet Union And both also reject the prin- BY MICHAEL THUMANN was effectively a conservative ciple of extraterritorial sanctions. power seeking to maintain all that For Russia and Germany, the US here are Russians who it had conquered or controlled. At government’s attempt to use sanc- see German hospitals as that time, the Federal Republic of tions to force countries and com- Ta salvation, and there are Germany was revisionist in that, panies to toe the American line Russians who see them as a curse. although as of 1970 it accepted is an attack on their sovereignty. The family of Alexei Navalny, Germany’s external borders, it did Accordingly, they both are resist- Russia’s foremost opposition not formally accept the internal ing the ever-new rounds of US leader, arranged for him to be partition of the country. Today, sanctions concerning the Nord treated at Berlin’s Charité hospital Germany seeks to preserve the Stream 2 pipeline. after being subject to an apparent order established in 1990 along These US sanctions have forced poison attack in August. The Rus- with the Charter of Paris, while Berlin and Moscow into a com- sian government and its media Russia is engaged in persistent munity of action. Even if many empire have cast doubt upon the revolt against this order. German politicians are question- findings and diagnoses of his Moscow sees the conflicts in ing Nord Stream 2 in the wake German doctors.
    [Show full text]
  • Russian Military Intelligence: Background and Issues for Congress
    Russian Military Intelligence: Background and Issues for Congress November 24, 2020 Congressional Research Service https://crsreports.congress.gov R46616 SUMMARY R46616 Russian Military Intelligence: Background and November 24, 2020 Issues for Congress Andrew S. Bowen Following Russia’s occupation of Ukraine’s Crimea region and invasion of eastern Ukraine in Analyst in Russian and 2014, many observers have linked Russia to additional malicious acts abroad. U.S. and European European Affairs officials and analysts have accused Russia of, among other things, interfering in U.S. elections in 2016; attempting a coup in Montenegro in 2016; conducting cyberattacks against the World Anti- Doping Agency and the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons in 2016 and 2018, respectively; attempting to assassinate Russian intelligence defector Sergei Skripal in the United Kingdom in 2018; and offering “bounties” to Taliban-linked fighters to attack U.S. personnel in Afghanistan. Implicated in all these activities is Russia’s military intelligence agency, the Main Directorate of the General Staff (GU), also known as the GRU. The United States has indicted GRU officers and designated the GRU for sanctions in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, cybercrimes, and election interference. The Department of Justice has indicted GRU officers for cyber-related offenses against the World Anti-Doping Agency and the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, NotPetya malware attacks in 2017, various cyberattacks against the 2018 Olympics, and interference in the 2016 U.S. elections. The GRU as an agency has been designated for sanctions under Executive Order 13694, as amended, and Section 224 of the Countering Russian Influence in Europe and Eurasia Act of 2017 (CRIEEA; P.L.
    [Show full text]
  • Russia to Help Breakaway Abkhazia Modernize Its Armed Forces Continued from Page 1 Drew Its Recognition in 2013
    Issue no: 1181 • AUG. 30 - SEP. 2, 2019 • PUBLISHED TWICE WEEKLY PRICE: GEL 2.50 In this week’s issue... Ambulatory Clinic Rehabilitated by JSC Nenskra Hydro Opens in Chuberi NEWS PAGE 2 VP of Int’l Federation of Red Cross & Red Crescent Visits Georgia NEWS PAGE 3 FOCUS Khazaradze’s ON GEOARTMOOD Dignifi ed Georgia A look at another entrepreneur POLITICS PAGE 4 trying to inspire visitors to come to Georgia PAGE 11 General Manager of Hilton Batumi: Georgia is among the Fastest Growing Russia to Help Breakaway Abkhazia Tourism Destinations BUSINESS PAGE 6 Modernize Its Armed Forces HUAWEI P30 Pro Users First BY THEA MORRISON to Experience the EMUI 10 BUSINESS PAGE 7 he Russian Federation is to fi nan- cially assist Georgia’s breakaway Deputy Minister: region of Abkhazia to modernize its armed forces. Georgian Model of The relevant agreement was signed Ta few days ago during a meeting between de Fighting the Stink Bug is facto minister of defense of the “Republic of Abkhazia,” Mirab Kishmaria and Minister of an Example to the World Defense of the Russian Federation, Army Gen- SOCIETY PAGE 8 eral Sergey Shoigu, in Moscow. Russian and Abkhazian media report that the agreement envisages further development of Party Time: Etseri, Svaneti their military-technical cooperation and the modernization of the armed forces of Russian- occupied Abkhazia. Shoigu said that Russia and Abkhazia enjoy a Image source: Russian Defense Ministry Press Offi ce common defense and security space. “We were the fi rst to recognize the republic’s independ- of great importance,” he noted.
    [Show full text]
  • Testimony of Ambassador Michael Mcfaul1 Subcommittee on Europe
    Testimony of Ambassador Michael McFaul1 Director of the Freeman Spogli Institute, Professor of Political Science, and Hoover Institution Senior Fellow at Stanford University Subcommittee on Europe, Eurasia, Energy, and the Environment House Committee on Foreign Affairs “Exposing and Demanding Accountability for Kremlin Crimes Abroad” July 7, 2020 According to detailed reporting informed by U.S. intelligence officials in the New York Times, and then confirmed by several other news outlets in the United States, including The Wall Street Journal and The Washington Post, as well as corroborated by British officials speaking to their media, Russian President Vladimir Putin paid Taliban rebels in Afghanistan to kill American soldiers.2 U.S. intelligence officials revealed to The New York Times that they had traced the transfer of funds for these bounties from a bank account controlled by the Russian 1 Michael McFaul is the Ken Olivier and Angela Nomellini Professor of International Studies in Political Science, Director and Senior Fellow at the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies, and the Peter and Helen Bing Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution, all at Stanford University. McFaul served for five years in the Obama administration, first as Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director for Russian and Eurasian Affairs at the National Security Council at the White House (2009-2012), and then as U.S. Ambassador to the Russian Federation (2012-2014). His most recent book is From Cold War to Hot Peace: An American Ambassador in Putin’s Russia (2018). 2 https://www.wsj.com/articles/russian-spy-unit-paid-taliban-to-attack-americans-u-s-intelligence-says- 11593214584; https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/russian-bounties-to-taliban-linked-militants- resulted-in-deaths-of-us-troops-according-to-intelligence-assessments/2020/06/28/74ffaec2-b96a-11ea-80b9- 40ece9a701dc_story.html; and https://news.sky.com/story/russia-paid-taliban-fighters-to-attack-british-troops-in- afghanistan-12016425.
    [Show full text]
  • Crisiswatch Tracking Conflict Worldwide
    CrisisWatch Tracking Conflict Worldwide BROWSE MAP SCROLL DOWN TO READ TRENDS & OUTLOOK SHARE CrisisWatch is our global conict tracker, a tool designed to help decision-makers prevent deadly violence by keeping them up-to-date with developments in over 70 conicts and crises, identifying trends and alerting them to risks of escalation and opportunities to advance peace. Learn more about CrisisWatch GLOBAL OVERVIEW SEARCH DATABASE PRESIDENT'S TAKE USING CRISISWATCH ABOUT SUBSCRIBE Global Overview AUGUST 2019 In August, deadly clashes in Yemen between southern separatists and forces aligned with the internationally- Outlook for This Month September 2019 recognised government dimmed prospects for ending the war. Suspected Israeli drone strikes on Iran-backed militias in Iraq Conflict Risk Alerts and Lebanon ramped up regional tensions. Fighting intensied Cameroon, Malawi, Kashmir, in Libya’s south, north west Syria, and Myanmar’s northern Shan Lebanon, Yemen State, and in Colombia senior FARC leaders returned to armed struggle. Security in El Salvador improved, but murder rates Resolution Opportunities climbed in Mexico. In Asia, tensions rose in the South China Sea, Afghanistan clashes erupted in Indonesia over the treatment of Papuans, and India’s change to Kashmir’s status could fuel violence. Presidential polls in Somalia’s Jubaland state deepened Trends for Last Month divisions, intercommunal attacks rose in eastern Chad, and August 2019 violence in Cameroon’s Anglophone west could increase in the coming month. Repression intensied in Burundi, authorities Deteriorated Situations cracked down on protesters in Zimbabwe, and friction between Burundi, Cameroon, Chad, Somalia, Zimbabwe, Kashmir, opposition protesters and Malawi’s security forces could rise in Indonesia, Myanmar, This site uses cookies.
    [Show full text]
  • With Friends Like These
    JULY 2020 With Friends Like These Assessing Russian Influence In Germany AUTHOR Jeffrey Mankoff A Report of the CSIS Europe, Russia, and Eurasia Program JULY 2020 With Friends Like These Assessing Russian Influence in Germany AUTHOR Jeffrey Mankoff A Report of the CSIS Europe, Russia, and Eurasia Program About CSIS The Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) is a bipartisan, nonprofit policy research organization dedicated to advancing practical ideas to address the world’s greatest challenges. Thomas J. Pritzker was named chairman of the CSIS Board of Trustees in 2015, succeeding former U.S. senator Sam Nunn (D-GA). Founded in 1962, CSIS is led by John J. Hamre, who has served as president and chief executive officer since 2000. CSIS’s purpose is to define the future of national security. We are guided by a distinct set of values—nonpartisanship, independent thought, innovative thinking, cross-disciplinary scholarship, integrity and professionalism, and talent development. CSIS’s values work in concert toward the goal of making real-world impact. CSIS scholars bring their policy expertise, judgment, and robust networks to their research, analysis, and recommendations. We organize conferences, publish, lecture, and make media appearances that aim to increase the knowledge, awareness, and salience of policy issues with relevant stakeholders and the interested public. CSIS has impact when our research helps to inform the decisionmaking of key policymakers and the thinking of key influencers. We work toward a vision of a safer and more prosperous world. CSIS is ranked the number one think tank in the United States as well as the defense and national security center of excellence for 2016-2018 by the University of Pennsylvania’s “Global Go To Think Tank Index.” CSIS does not take specific policy positions; accordingly, all views expressed herein should be understood to be solely those of the author(s).
    [Show full text]
  • Germany: Extremism & Counter-Extremism
    Germany: Extremism & Counter-Extremism Overview Germany has long endured violence from various forms of extremism including ultra-right, far-left, and faith-based. More recently, Islamism has posed a large and growing threat to Germany, and 2016 was marked by a series of Islamist-inspired terrorist attacks. Since September 11, 2001, more German citizens have died in Islamist terror attacks than in the entire history of violence perpetrated by the Red Army Faction, a far-left German terror group that operated in Germany for over thirty years. As early as 2014, the Federal Criminal Police has warned that the largest threat in Germany emanates from Islamist terror attacks perpetrated by fanatic individuals or small groups. According to the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (Bundesamt für Verfassungsschutz or BfV), there are an estimated 25,810 followers of Islamism or Islamist terrorism in Germany as of April 2018. German authorities have identified approximately 760 individuals as “islamistische Gefährder,” who are believed to be motivated and capable of executing a terrorist attack. More than half of them reside in Germany, while 153 are currently detained. (Sources: Reuters [1], Miko and Froehlich (Congressional Research Service) [2], Deutsche Welle [3], Bundesamt für Verfassungsschutz [4], Focus [5]) Germany has experienced an influx of refugees from the Middle East and North Africa in recent years, with more than 44 percent originating from Syria, Iraq, and Nigeria. As of July 2018, approximately 110,000 asylum seekers have arrived in Germany, representing a decrease of 15 percent compared to the previous year. Germany, at its peak, processed approximately 746,000 asylum applications in 2016.
    [Show full text]
  • Russia: Foreign Policy and U.S
    Russia: Foreign Policy and U.S. Relations Updated April 15, 2021 Congressional Research Service https://crsreports.congress.gov R46761 SUMMARY R46761 Russia: Foreign Policy and U.S. Relations April 15, 2021 Since Russian President Vladimir Putin’s rise to leadership more than 20 years ago, tensions have increased steadily between Russia and the United States. Some observers attribute Russian Andrew S. Bowen foreign policy actions to the personality and individual interests of Putin and certain hawkish Analyst in Russian and advisers. Some contend Russian authorities are focused mainly on reclaiming Russia’s status as a European Affairs great power. Others argue Russian foreign policy is centered on protecting the country’s status as the dominant power in the post-Soviet region and defending against foreign interference in Russia’s domestic affairs. Whatever the motivations, most observers agree Russia’s natural Cory Welt resources and military modernization program, launched in 2008, provide Russia’s leadership the Specialist in Russian and European Affairs means to conduct a flexible and often aggressive foreign policy, as well as to project force in neighboring countries and further afield (such as in the Middle East). Russia’s foreign policy priorities traditionally have focused on the post-Soviet region and the West, including relations and tensions with NATO, the United States, and Europe. However, Russia under Putin (like the Soviet Union before it) also pursues a global foreign policy. As relations with its neighbors and Western countries have become more adversarial, Russia—seeking to balance against U.S. and European power and interests—has cultivated deeper relations with China and other countries.
    [Show full text]