In The News

A Beleaguered Hemisphere

November 22, 2002
Hailed as a shining example of the merits of free trade and democratic reforms in the early 1990s, Latin America has become burdened by a series of economic downturns and tumultuous political conditions. Addressing its concerns in isolation does not seem like a viable option. With events in other world regions demanding attention from the United States, the problems of its southern neighbor have...

War and Politics: Islamists Gain Votes as U.S. Acts

Neil MacFarquhar November 6, 2002
Democratic elections, like the ones recently held in Bahrain and Turkey reflect a turn away from American influence and towards religious leadership. The public interpretation of the US war against terrorism as a war against Islam and Arab culture has been exploited by religiously-oriented political parties to bring about recent victories in the Middle East. Some observers argue that voters in...

Iran's President Presses for Dialogue in Spain

Camelia Entekhabi-Fard November 5, 2002
Iran's President Khatami recently became the first Iranian leader to visit Spain since the 1979 revolution. The mere fact of his visit was made even more significant by productive dialogue between President Khatami and Spanish leaders on issues of trade, security, Islam, and democracy. Iran is eager to win the respect of European Union countries, especially after President Bush made it...

US Takes Place of Saddam as Saudi 'Threat'

Roula Khalaf October 20, 2002
As the US moves toward military action against Iraq, many people in Saudi Arabia are adamantly opposed to Saudi assistance of the US. Dismissing the idea that the US wishes to spread democracy, ordinary Saudis see an anti-Muslim and pro-Israel agenda in America's every move in the region. Indeed, some would rather see a Middle East with Saddam Hussein in power than an American "puppet...

Cybercafe Crackdown May Trip up Leering Boys

Ian Fisher August 1, 2002
In the name of fighting terrorism, the Government of Pakistan has imposed new regulations that would keep track of cybercafe users. The new rules require cybercafes to register with the government and to ask every customer for proof of identity so as to track terrorists and deny them access to public computers. However, like the rest of the world, porn sites, email accounts and chat sites are...

America Aloof

July 12, 2002
Since the fall of the Soviet Union as a counter superpower, the United States has found itself in the singular position of global super power – which has also come with its own contradictions. This op-ed article from the New York Times argues that while the Bush administration has been good at working with Russia on global terrorism, for example, it has not been as good when it comes to dealing...

How to Rig a Democracy

Susan Sachs June 30, 2002
President Bush's ultimatum to Palestinian leadership that it must democratize raises an interesting quesion: “What if the United States were as serious about saving the Arabs from corrupt autocrats and radical Islam as it once was about saving the world from communism?” If the US were to employ all of its Cold War methods, it could make inroads in bringing democracy to the region. However...