1. Caspian Sea Region and Oil A modern Silk Road or The next conflict zone?

3. Caspian Sea Region-Historical Background

4. Spread of Islam

5. Mongol Empire

6. Ottoman Empire

8. The Caucasus

9. Chechnya

10. Conflict in Chechnya Mid 19 th Century: mid Caucasian wars with Russian Empire. 50 years to subdue Chechens Sufism Bolshevik Revolution: promised autonomy Soviets: NOT. 1944: 100,000 Chechens (along with 7 other ethnic groups deported to Kazakstan) Repression of Islam in USSR, but not in Chechnya Wahhabism-linked to Bin Laden 1994-1996 war: stalemate 1999: war resurfaces due to bombings in Moscow (politically determined?) –Young Russian conscripts –Enormous devastation and ruthlessness by Russia

11. Russia invades Chechnya

12. Grozny, Chechnya after 1999-2000 bombing

13. Russia’s motivation for persistence Nationalism –1 st domino in potential string of secessions: Dagestan, Ingushetia, Osettia, Tatarstan in north Fear of Islamic world –Would allow development of another Islamic state on its frontier –Wahhabism and political Islams Oil: –Oil + Gas= 40% of Russian export value –= 44% of gov’t revenues

15. Prisoner of the Mountains