New Caucasus Leader

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has appointed Alexander Khloponin as the Kremlin's envoy to the newly created North Caucasus Federal District, which encompasses Chechnya, Ingushetia and Dagestan. Khloponin had previously served as governor of the Siberian region of Krasnoyarsk and maintains no connections to the North Caucasus. We believe the appointment and the creation of the new district are intended to strengthen Moscow's control of the North Caucasus, especially as local leaders loyal to the Kremlin have been unable to adequately stem a tide of terrorist violence originating in the region. It remains to be seen though, how successful Khloponin will

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