By empty (1/18/2006 issue of the CACI Analyst)

Abkhazia opposes the idea of sending UN civil police units to its Gali district, the republic\'s Security Council chief Stanislav Lakoba told the press on Wednesday. \"We want to settle our internal state problems on our own,\" he said. Lakoba also said that \"subversive and terrorist operations in the Gali district are being incited by Georgian special services.

By empty (1/18/2006 issue of the CACI Analyst)

Iran has signed a deal worth up to $35 million with China Oilfield Services Ltd to drill the deep waters of the Caspian Sea, an executive of Iran\'s North Drilling Company (NDC) said in a television interview. The Chinese company will be paid not only to drill in the 700-metre deep waters, generally considered by upstream experts as beyond Iran\'s technical capabilities, but will train NDC staff over the next three years. \"The deal will be for three years and be worth some $34 or $35 million dollars,\" NDC Managing Director Heydar Bahmani told state television.

By empty (1/17/2006 issue of the CACI Analyst)

Four public organizations representing the Cherkess community of the Republic of Adygeya have lodged a formal complaint with the republican prosecutor\'s office against what they consider \"chauvinistic and xenophobic\" statements made at a congress last month of the Union of Slavs of Adygeya, kavkazweb.net reported on 17 January, citing the \"Caucasus Times.\" At that congress, the Slavs, who account for some 70 percent of the republic\'s total population of 445,000, pledged to renew their campaign to have Adygeya merged into the surrounding Krasnodar Krai and to arm themselves to defend their interests.