In The News

Humiliation and Rage Stalk the Arab World

Neil MacFarquahar April 13, 2003
The current Arab attitude toward the American occupation of Iraq is skeptical, at best. Many suspect that America fought the war for oil and "to castrate the one country that remained a potential threat to Israel." In contrast, only a small minority of Arabs believes America will actually create a better Iraq. While few would openly support Saddam Hussein, they see him as a much more...

No Regrets in a Suburb Named After the Despot

Andrew Buncombe April 10, 2003
Ironic that a Baghdad suburb named after Saddam Hussein is home to a population that vehemently opposes him. The residents of Saddam City belong to the minority Shia sect and live in poverty. The attack on Iraq has provided the residents with a much over-due opportunity to publicly denounce Saddam. For the poor in Saddam City, the attacks are also an occasion to celebrate, by mass lootings of...

Al-Jazeera Site Experiences Hack Attack

Peter Svensson March 25, 2003
The newly launched English language version of Al-Jazeera’s Web site was hit by a "bombardment of data packets." Known as a "denial-of-service attack," the bombardment has rendered the site intermittently unavailable. American hackers are suspected because only the site's American server is affected. The attack may be a response to Al-Jazeera's broadcast of U.S....

World Court for Crimes of War Opens in The Hague

Marlise Simons March 12, 2003
"The most ambitious initiative in the history of modern international law" begins today in the Hague. Charged with prosecuting crimes against humanity, genocide, and other grave atrocities when national governments refuse or are unable to seek justice, the new International Criminal Court has been ratified by only 89 signatory countries. Notable exceptions include the United States,...

EU to Rule the High Seas?

David Hughes March 12, 2003
Why should a Singapore-based business daily express concern over a proposal drafted by the European Commission (EC) on pollution violations in EU waters? David Hughes argues that the new proposal is noteworthy precisely because it does not take geography or nationality into account. Therefore, he posits, "a Singapore flagged ship putting into Rotterdam could be prosecuted for an alleged...

Al Qaeda Hobbled by Latest Arrest, U.S. Officials Say

Don Van Natta Jr. March 3, 2003
Al Qaeda’s chief of operations, Khalid Shaikh Mohammed, was recently arrested in Pakistan. Shaikh Mohammed was a key player in the day-to-day operations of Al-Qaeda’s global network of operatives in countries across Europe and the Middle East. His arrest is being hailed as a important achievement in the ongoing war on terrorism, as it casts doubt on the continuing sustainability and viability...

U.S. Hackers Told to Leave Iraq Alone

February 14, 2003
The FBI is telling Americans not to hack into and sabotage Iraqi websites. There is a possibility that such patriotic hacking could backfire, doing more harm to U.S. computer systems than to Iraqi systems. Nationalistic ‘cyber wars’ launched by patriotic citizens of one country against websites of other countries are increasing, and the U.S. is now drawing up guidelines to deal with them. In...