Afghanistan: A Down Year for Opium Production, But Is the Trafficking Threat Receding?
BY AUNOHITA MOJUMDAR
Afghanistan experienced a 19 percent decrease in the land under opium poppy cultivation in 2008 in comparison with the previous year, according to a report prepared by the UN Office on Drugs and Crime. But even as the Afghan government lauds the decline, UN experts worry about another spike in production. This concern is underscored by the fact that actual production of opium declined only by 6 percent in 2008 over the previous year, the UNODC report states.
A EurasiaNet Q&A with UNODC Afghanistan Country Chief Christina Oguz

Iran’s Supreme Leader Appears to Endorse Ahmadinejad for Another Term
BY GOLNAZ ESFANDIARI
Who will be Iran’s next president? Even though the elections are still some nine months away and the candidates’ names have not yet been put forward, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei seems to have already made up his mind about who should win.
A EurasiaNet Partner Post from RFE/RL

Georgia: With Shooting Over, the Spin War Rages
A EURASIANET PHOTO ESSAY
TEXT BY ELIZABETH OWEN; PHOTOS BY SOPHIA MIZANTE
It is early morning at the new Russian peacekeeping post at Karaleti, a few kilometers north of Gori, and one senior Russian officer is feeling philosophical. "The war is over," he tells a group of foreign journalists with a wry grin. "Now, it’s time for the information war to begin."

EURASIANET AUDIO-VISUAL FEATURE

Conflict in Georgia: Akhalgori, Tskhinvali and Hetagurovo

Russia on August 27 dismissed Western criticism of its move to recognize the independence of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, Georgia’s two separatist territories. EurasiaNet Sophia Mizante recently returned from a Russian government-sponsored tour of South Ossetia. A selection of her images are contained in this photo slideshow.

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Diplomatic Standoff over Georgia Heads to Kyiv, Dushanbe
The diplomatic standoff over Moscow’s conflict with Tbilisi looks set to move to two other capitals today, amid Western condemnation of Russia’s recognition of Georgia’s two rebel regions.
A EurasiaNet Partner Post from RFE/RL

Russia Likely to Find Succor at Shanghai Cooperation Organization Summit
A EURASIANET COMMENTARY BY STEPHEN BLANK
While coming under increasing criticism from the West over its truculent behavior in Georgia, Russia looks set to garner support from other Shanghai Cooperation Organization members when the group holds its annual summit in Dushanbe on August 28-29. The gathering will be watched closely by the United States and European Union for insight into Russia’s diplomatic intentions on an array of fronts, especially the Iranian nuclear question.

Georgia: Russia Formally Recognizes Separatist Regions, Drawing US, EU Criticism
BY MOLLY CORSO
Brushing aside international calls for restraint, Russian President Dmitri Medvedev on August 26 approved a parliamentary resolution to formally recognize the independence of Georgia’s two separatist regions -- Abkhazia and South Ossetia. The move is sure to inflame tension in the Caucasus and accelerate the deterioration of Russia’s relations with the West. A White House spokesman denounced Russia for "making a number of irrational decisions."

Caspian Basin: Russia Uses Its Georgia Position to Enhance Its Energy Leverage
The contest over Caspian Basin energy finds itself at a potentially decisive point. Russia’s incursion into Georgia has caused disruptions in the only export routes for oil and natural gas that are not under Moscow’s control. The Kremlin is now moving to parlay its gains in Georgia into a total monopoly over Caspian energy supplies.

Day Of National Mourning Declared For 65 Killed In Kyrgyz Plane Crash
Kyrgyz President Kurmanbek Bakiev has declared a national day of mourning on August 26 in memory of the 65 people who died in the crash of a Kyrgyz airliner.
A EurasiaNet Partner Post from RFE/RL

Iran: US-Russian Tension Creates New Diplomatic Options for Tehran
BY KAMAL NAZER YASIN
The ongoing crisis in the Caucasus, sparked by Russia’s incursion into Georgia, can open new diplomatic opportunities for Iran. Officials in Tehran are currently treading cautiously, however, keeping their options open as they seek to maximize the benefits of renewed confrontation between the United States and Russia.