In The News

The Cheonan Attack: Torpedoing Chance of Peace?

Scott Snyder May 27, 2010
North Korea – impoverished and isolated – depends on others for basic needs and lashes out with a series of provocations, most targeting economically vibrant South Korea. The most recent was the March 26 firing of a torpedo at the ROK Navy corvette Cheonan in disputed waters; 46 crew members died. For many years, South Korea aimed for good relations with a sunshine policy, explains Scott Snyder,...

US Is a Top Villain in Pakistan’s Conspiracy Talk

Sabrina Tavernise May 27, 2010
Pakistan and the US are allies in a war against extremism in Afghanistan, with the US providing more than $1 billion in annual aid, but mutual trust remains low. A US citizen originally from Pakistan was accused of placing a failed car bomb in New York’s Times Square. But many in Pakistan are convinced that his plan was devised inside the US. “Conspiracy theory is a national sport in Pakistan,...

Moscow Furious, Says US Not Pushing Drug War in Afghanistan

Fred Weir May 25, 2010
Perhaps better than anyone, veterans of the Soviet war in Afghanistan understand the challenges confronting NATO in its attempt to stabilize the region. But Russians express concern that more drugs from Afghanistan cross over their borders and those of former Soviet satellites. Russian authorities suggest that the drug trade is linked to terrorism and NATO could do more to control and destroy...

Gap in Rules on Oil Spills From Wells

Kate Galbraith May 21, 2010
Nations may stake territorial claims to waters off their coast, but once an accident occurs, authorities can do little to slow the spread of polluted water to other jurisdictions. Since the April 20 explosion on a drill platform in the Gulf of Mexico, just off the coast of Louisiana, oil has steadily gushed from several pipes and will soon join currents leading to the Atlantic Ocean....

A Giant Compromise?

May 6, 2010
One of the many promises of globalization is that multi-governmental organizations will be able to better manage international issues that simultaneously affect the interests of many countries. The International Whaling Commission is one such body, but it has been hampered in recent years by countries like Japan that are exploiting a loophole to overcome the IWC's putative moratorium on...

International Adoption: A Big Fix Brings Dramatic Decline

Scott Baldauf, Sarah E. Burton, Ezra Fieser, Kathie Klarreich, Fred Weir March 26, 2010
In recent years, increased publicity has both heightened demand for adoption and exposed the sometimes-dark underbelly of international adoption agencies. The ongoing case of American missionaries accused of trafficking children in quake-stricken Haiti serves as a prime example of the shadier side of an often unregulated industry prone to corruption. Overall, the trend is for adoption hubs like...

Globalization and Crime

John J. Metzler March 15, 2010
A new report from the UN concludes that the same forces that make globalization so appealing, such as unfettered travel and communications, are also providing a huge boost to narcotics traffickers, who take advantage of porous borders to ply their trade. This is particularly true in the European Union, where people can move freely within the EU's member states. In addition, drug traffickers...