Headliners

In the wake of its week long war with Georgia, questions still remain about how the international community should react to Russia's blatant show of force. The events surrounding the conflict have marked a new and serious turn in east-west relations and escalated old tensions between the U.S. and Russia. Is the clash between Russia and Georgia a conflict over "democracy" and "sovereignty" as portrayed by Washington? Or is the U.S. mixing into the volatile politics of the Caucasus to preserve access to Caspian oil and to establish strategic staging areas for a possible attack on Iran?
Dr William Beeman, U of M anthropology chair and president of the Middle East Section of the American Anthropological Association, explored the geopolitical implications of this invasion.