In The News

Iraqi Planners Hope to Start Trial by Spring

Rajiv Chandrasekaran December 16, 2003
Only days after the capture of deposed Iraqi president Saddam Hussein, Iraqi leaders have already begun planning for his legal prosecution in an Iraqi courtroom. Vowing to choose only a manageable number of charges to bring against the former dictator, Salem Chalabi said the process would not be rushed, but that the trial could begin as early as the spring of 2004. "We don't want to...

Editorial: Window of hope opens for Iraq

December 15, 2003
Saddam Hussein's capture by US forces has taken the world by storm. For Iraqi politics, says this editorial in the United Arab Emirates' Gulf News, the news could not be better. The paper encourages Iraqis to take control of their own political futures and "build a new political momentum looking for peaceful political development." Noting that the Iraqi Governing Council...

Justice for Saddam

Harold Hongju Koh December 15, 2003
The capture of Saddam Hussein on December 13, 2003 marks an historic moment in the US-led effort to re-shape Iraq and the Middle East. To many of his foes and friends alike, Saddam's ignominious surrender to US forces was unexpected. Now, says Harold Koh, Dean-Designate of the Yale Law School, the world must face the question of what to do with this former dictator who chose to go...

'Key' Terrorists Passing Through Kingdom

Prayuth Sivayaviroj November 26, 2003
220 people suspected of engaging in international terrorism are now on Thailand's immigration watch-list. After a check of border crossing records from the last 3 years, Thai authorities discovered the names of over two hundred people who were on most-wanted lists of the US FBI, the US CIA, and other international security organizations. Sources told Thailand's "The Nation"...

After the Crossing, Danger to Migrants Isn't Over

Charlie LeDuff November 11, 2003
A wave of violence has hit the Southwest US that is reminiscent of the drug wars of years past. But the victims now are illegal immigrants, caught in the crossfire of competing gangs, not members of rival drug cartels. Because of increased security after September 11, the price demanded for human smuggling across the US-Mexico border has increased drastically, rendering such operations almost...

Draft Law Would Expand Rights

Ko Shu-ling November 5, 2003
Taiwan's cabinet is considering a human rights bill that would enact sweeping changes in its official treatment of a variety of issues. The version of the bill now before the Cabinet would establish the right to vote through referendums on issues of public policy and constitutional reform. The right to hold a referendum has been contentious since Taiwan began its push to democratization,...

Yukos Names Kukes as New CEO

Arkady Ostrovsky November 4, 2003
An American citizen, Simon Kukes, was named the new chief CEO of the Russian oil company, Yukos, after his predecessor was arrested on charges of tax evasion, embezzlement, and theft. When the Yukos scandal first broke, foreign investors became wary that Russia would begin rolling back privatization measures made during the 1990s. To ease such concerns, the Kremlin has reiterated its commitment...