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Both Russia and the US are interested in partnership, yet, they make different choices when it comes to their friends and enemies. Countries that the US considers as "rogue states" or "axis of evil" are Russia's friends. This paper will focus on Russian foreign policy toward one of those states - Iran. One of the major concerns for Russian foreign policy since the disintegration of the USSR in 1991 has been the spread of terrorism from its Southern borders. Yet, Russia supplies nuclear technology to Iran, a country in its Southern backyard. The US has a major concern over Iran potentially becoming a nuclear power, and yet Russia continues supporting Iran's nuclear program despite the US objections. Why is Russia so much less fearful of nuclear Iran, the state that is much closer to it than the US which is separated from it by thousands of miles? Why Russian foreign policy toward Iran so different from that of the United State's? What does Russia have at stake in Iran? All of these questions will be addressed within the broader subject of cooperation. I will compare different treatment of cooperation by major schools of international relations and how it applies in the case of Russian foreign policy toward Iran. I will argue that constructivism offers an explanation of Russia's cooperation with Iran that encompasses both neorealist and neoliberal treatment of cooperation. ..PAT.-Unpublished Manuscript [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Several competing schools of thoguht seek to explain U.S. policy in the South Caucasus. Is this policy designed primarily to minimize Moscow's influence on the strategically located Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia and to encircle Russia with a "NATO belt" ..PAT.-Unpublished Manuscript [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Does realist theory predict a constant struggle for influence between Washington and Moscow on the international political stage? Serious competition will remain a fixture in the U.S.â€"Russian relationship for the foreseeable future. ..PAT.-Unpublished Manuscript [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article explores the role of terrorism in election campaigns in Russia and the U.S. in 2003-2004. Content analysis of nightly election news on major television networks and focused group discussions found that political parties and candidates used terrorism to incite fear among voters. They offered no rational policy suggestions or solutions to the issue. In addition, the coverage of terrorism in media outlets left voters worried rather than informed, which resulted in support for strong leaders.

In this study we examine the Russian - United States rivalry focusing on relations since 1991 to 2006. Current literature has placed the termination of the rivalry anywhere from 1986 to 1991. We argue that current rivalry datasets have ignored important domestic political changes relevant to the termination of international rivalries. After a short period of initial cooperation, the rivalry resumed in 1993 due to domestic political concerns and regional politics. During the period from 1991 to 1993, the Russian - U.S. rivalry changed from a worldwide, geopolitical rivalry to a regional rivalry, but never terminated. A regime change or statements of cooperation are not a sufficient condition for the termination of a rivalry, one must look at the actual state of relations between states. The end of a long-standing enduring rivalry requires both agreements with domestic actors and the settlement of all outstanding disputes to achieve termination status. ..PAT.-Unpublished Manuscript [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]