The Shanghai Cooperation Organization, a grouping of Russia, China,and several Central Asian states, has an ambitious economic andsecurity agenda infused with Chinese and Russian suspicion of U.S.designs in Eurasia and a desire to reduce U.S. influence in CentralAsia.
On March 25, the Pentagon reported that Russia had given SaddamHussein intelligence about U.S. military plans for the invasion ofIraq back in the spring of 2003.
The pending appeal of Eduard Kokoity, leader of the secessionistterritory of South Ossetia, to the Russian Federation'sConstitutional Court to allow his territory to join Mother Russiacould trigger destabilization in the Caucasus, sparking aRussian-Georgian military confrontation and unpredictableconsequences for the region and the world.