such as Internet cafe ´s, where the reasons for filtering were more benign (conserving
bandwidth) or left to the discretion of the Internet cafe ´ owners themselves.
The ONI methodology makes it difficult to detect second- or third-generation techniques, which often involve DoS attacks, or other means of eliminating or silencing
Web sites that do not rely on filtering. In these cases, which include Kyrgyzstan,
Armenia, Belarus, Estonia, and the Russian-Georgian war, the ONI relied on a network
of researchers within these countries to run ad hoc and one-time tests, as well as to
investigate specific instances where DoS attacks, or other forms of technical manipulation, were used to silence Web sites or other Internet-based communication tools.
The CIS Region: Ethnocultural Diversity and a Shared Historical Space
The CIS—a loose and largely ineffectual political organization—occupies most of the
territory that once constituted the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR). Straddling a swath of Eurasia from the Pacific to the doorsteps of Europe, the Arctic Circle,
and the deserts of Central Asia, this vast land mass encompasses 12 time zones, some
350 million people, and more than 100 distinct ethnic groups including all the world’s
major religions and at least three major linguistic communities (Slavic, Turkic, Farsi).
The CIS remains dominated by the Russian Federation, which maintains its influence
through economic, political, and defense ties, as well as popular culture that continues
to predominate within the region. Russia is currently a major energy supplier to many
CIS states, giving it considerable political muscle in the region.
The region’s shared political heritage, together with the fact that many present-day
leaders in the CIS governments and economies were also in positions of authority
during the Soviet era, means that much formal and informal coordination continues
to exist among and between member states, despite political differences that are at
times difficult. On some occasions, this coordination has led to the adoption of similar
approaches in legal and political development. Furthermore, the loose, informal coordination among officials is helped along by the fact that most countries share the same
legal tradition, as well as similar organizational characteristics of the security forces and
the distribution of powers among the judicial, executive, and legislative branches of
government.
Notwithstanding their shared past, over the past few years CIS governments have
not hesitated to challenge Russia’s hegemony by seeking other political and military
alliances with Western Europe and the United States. At an accelerating pace, governments are looking beyond their traditional partners to discover new international
trade and economic routes. This approach even more distinctively defines the CIS as a
quickly changing region: although CIS countries share a common cultural heritage,
they are increasingly taking diverging paths in their political and economic development, mainly because of foreign influence and an emerging rivalry among them.
CIS Overview
121
bandwidth) or left to the discretion of the Internet cafe ´ owners themselves.
The ONI methodology makes it difficult to detect second- or third-generation techniques, which often involve DoS attacks, or other means of eliminating or silencing
Web sites that do not rely on filtering. In these cases, which include Kyrgyzstan,
Armenia, Belarus, Estonia, and the Russian-Georgian war, the ONI relied on a network
of researchers within these countries to run ad hoc and one-time tests, as well as to
investigate specific instances where DoS attacks, or other forms of technical manipulation, were used to silence Web sites or other Internet-based communication tools.
The CIS Region: Ethnocultural Diversity and a Shared Historical Space
The CIS—a loose and largely ineffectual political organization—occupies most of the
territory that once constituted the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR). Straddling a swath of Eurasia from the Pacific to the doorsteps of Europe, the Arctic Circle,
and the deserts of Central Asia, this vast land mass encompasses 12 time zones, some
350 million people, and more than 100 distinct ethnic groups including all the world’s
major religions and at least three major linguistic communities (Slavic, Turkic, Farsi).
The CIS remains dominated by the Russian Federation, which maintains its influence
through economic, political, and defense ties, as well as popular culture that continues
to predominate within the region. Russia is currently a major energy supplier to many
CIS states, giving it considerable political muscle in the region.
The region’s shared political heritage, together with the fact that many present-day
leaders in the CIS governments and economies were also in positions of authority
during the Soviet era, means that much formal and informal coordination continues
to exist among and between member states, despite political differences that are at
times difficult. On some occasions, this coordination has led to the adoption of similar
approaches in legal and political development. Furthermore, the loose, informal coordination among officials is helped along by the fact that most countries share the same
legal tradition, as well as similar organizational characteristics of the security forces and
the distribution of powers among the judicial, executive, and legislative branches of
government.
Notwithstanding their shared past, over the past few years CIS governments have
not hesitated to challenge Russia’s hegemony by seeking other political and military
alliances with Western Europe and the United States. At an accelerating pace, governments are looking beyond their traditional partners to discover new international
trade and economic routes. This approach even more distinctively defines the CIS as a
quickly changing region: although CIS countries share a common cultural heritage,
they are increasingly taking diverging paths in their political and economic development, mainly because of foreign influence and an emerging rivalry among them.
CIS Overview
121