In The News

Pakistani Charity Under Scrutiny in Plot

Dexter Filkins August 14, 2006
The Pakistani charity organization Jamaat ud Dawa won praise for its action in helping victims of the October 2005 earthquake in Kashmir, which killed more than 70,000. But the group also has a militant branch that fights the Indian-controlled part of Kashmir and was labeled a terrorist group by the US in May. Investigators now question whether a group of Britons plotting to blow up commercial...

Heed the Voice of Asia in Peace Talks

Michael Vatikiotis August 7, 2006
Israel’s invasion of Lebanon, combined with the unwillingness of Washington and European capitals to step in to stop the carnage, has reduced the forces of moderation in Southeast Asia, creating another potential haven for extremist activity. With images of the destruction caused by Israel’s campaign against Hezbollah broadcast throughout these largely Muslim countries, groups such as “Jihad...

Money Can’t Buy Us Democracy

Akbar Ganji August 2, 2006
Cash won’t promote democracy in Iran, and anyone who claims it will is a swindler, writes Akbar Ganji, an Iranian journalist. Money from outsiders can support despotism, but democracy must swell from citizens’ hearts and minds. Iran’s oppression has deep historical roots, and the international community can best help Iran, Ganji writes, by creating conduits that allow diverse dissident voices to...

Letter from Britain: Lack of African Dream Lets a Nightmare Prevail

Alan Cowell August 2, 2006
At the 2005 G-8 summit in Gleneagles, Scotland, leaders from the world’s most industrialized nations promised increased aid for the countries of sub-Saharan Africa, while African leaders pledged to clean up corruption in government – kicking off the “Make Poverty History” campaign with high hopes. A year later, donor nations have not followed through on their promises, and some charge that...

How to Deal With NGOs – Part I, China

Paul Mooney August 1, 2006
Both China and Russia sat up and took notice of the role played by nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) in the political unrest and subsequent color revolutions in Georgia, the Ukraine and Kyrgyzstan. This two-part series examines the two governments’ responses to NGO activity within their borders. China dispatched intelligence officers to research the NGO role in Central Asia and also conduct...

US Cuts in Africa Aid Said to Hurt War on Terror

Mark Mazzetti July 27, 2006
The US government has ended military aid for several African countries with governments that refused to sign an “Article 98 agreement” that exempts American soldiers from the jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court (ICC). The 2002 “American Servicemembers’ Protection Act” is a keystone of US opposition to the ICC, but the aid cutoffs have angered some military officials who say that...

Pascal Lamy: What Now Trade Ministers?

Pascal Lamy July 27, 2006
The stalemate in the Doha Round could yet be overcome, suggests Pascal Lamy, director-general of the World Trade Organization. Disputes over subsidies for agriculture and rich nations stalled the trade agreement. According to Lamy, the strongest advocates for slashing subsidies balk at opening markets and vice versa. As a result, poor nations will feel the brunt of unequal trade policies. As a...