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By shipping arms and providing military experts to Central American governments, Israel is repaying an historic debt to these nations for the role they played in the UN in promoting Israeli statehood in the wake of the Second World War. Yet, whereas the debt is owed to liberal Central American regimes, it is being repaid to military dictatorships and to rightist opposition forces like the Nicaraguan Contra rebels

The author concentrates on the development of Norway's relations with Central America. From virtually non-existing connections, the 1980s have seen the establishment of a Norwegian embassy in Costa Rica, and a substantial growth in aid to Sandinist Nicaragua. The political debate in Norway over Nicaragua is outlined, as is the anger provoked in the US government by the Central American policy of its NATO ally

The article contributes insights into the rise of the Russian empire based on Mongolian and Byzantine imperial traditions in contrasts to empires based on Roman imperial traditions. The history and traditions of the Mongolian and Byzantine empires are briefly discussed, and it is argued that the Russian empire was primarily based on Byzantine traditions where religion was a central principle for territorial expansion and the imposition of laws by a central power was the primary political practice. A history of the rise and fall of the Russian empire is included. It is argued that although the Napoleon wars were a military triumph for Russia, but also marked the beginning of the fall of the Russian tsarist empire due to a lack of central control of military operations and alliances. The author also gives attention to that the Russian empire has only been analyzed according to imperial theories upon being dissolved, but also that the concept is relevant as it has returned in present-day Russian political debate. This article is one in a series of articles on the topic of empires. References. E. Sundby

The Norwegian Institute of International Affairs (NUPI) can be seen as the most central agent in the Norwegian foreign policy scene and is known for its many good seminars and talented researchers. A researcher from the Institute for Labour and Social Research (Fafo) congratulates NUPI for its achievements and hopes for a continuing good relationship between the institutes. L. Pitkaniemi

The author reviews the threats to the rainforests of Brazil and Central America by cattle raising for mostly US-based fast food chains and by efforts to solve the urban over-population by allowing large-scale resettling of marginal city populations in deforested areas. The author calls for international collaboration to prevent the destruction of the earth lungs in Amazonia

Norway's efforts in Afghanistan have been marked by special Norwegian processes and interests, but is of course also shaped by the major international project that was part of. Two questions are central here: How to make peace in a time of war? How Norway remained to this conflicting objective in its involvement in Afghanistan? Adapted from the source document.

The existence of private organizations such as Blackwater, Red Cross and Standard & Poor's has been criticized by various authors for taking away the central role of the state in the global decision making process. Their solution has been global governance, where transnational and international government driven organizations, such as the European Union or United Nations take the lead. It is argued that the Norwegian debate around this issue is, unfortunately, ill-equipped for tomorrow's challenges. L. Pitkaniemi

Grannes, A.: Mosaikk og konflikt i post-sovjetisk Sentral-Asia: Historie, etnisk, spraklig, religioes og annen bakgrunn for dagens konfliktbilde. S. 5-56. Koelberg, A.: The great game - et spill uten deltagere? S. 57-74. Neumann, I. B.: Russland i Sentral-Asia. S. 75-80. Thordarson, F.: Etnisk konflikter i Kaukasus. S. 81-94. Heradstveit, D.: Konfliktar i Kaukasus. S. 95-110. Robins, P.: "Silent competition": Iran and Turkey in Azarbaijan and Central Asia. S. 111-124. Heradstveit, D.: Etno-nasjonalismen i eks-Soviet. S. 125-148