In The News

Kofi Annan May 31, 2005
The wide range of threats afflicting different regions today complicates international collaboration. In an interconnected world, however, these threats are often more closely related than we realize. Extreme poverty and civil conflict in one country, for example, encourage terrorist groups to strike in another; the outbreak of disease in a region with poor health care may spread to wealthier...
Patrick Esteruelas May 25, 2005
Many fear that Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez may successfully create a substantial leftist, anti-American political bloc in South America. But as the Financial Times notes, Chavez's strategies – combining populist rhetoric, left-leaning militarism, and natural resource manipulation – may not be quite so successful. Venezuela's oil has been a key tool in shaping regional politics:...
Timothy Garton Ash May 20, 2005
Recognized internationally as a part of Moldova, the para-state of Transnistria highlights a unique dilemma for the European Union. A microcosm of the former Soviet Union at first glance, this narrow region on the east bank of the Dniestr River is a fusion of communist and Western cultures, a symbolic representation of the decline of the Russian empire. Since 1992, Transnistria has won de facto...
Craig S. Smith May 18, 2005
A recent decision by a tiny transformer factory in the French city of Schirmeck to move its facilities to Romania has energized opponents of the EU constitution. As people become increasingly angered by the loss of jobs to countries new to the EU, the French government has stepped up its campaign to win support of the constitution. Arguing that France cannot match the cheaper production costs...
S. Abdallah Schleifer May 13, 2005
The history of televised news in the Middle East is a checkered yet fascinating one, writes S. Abdallah Schleifer of the Foreign Policy Research Institute. Early news broadcasts relied upon a simple regurgitation of state activity – presidents giving prepared speeches, inaugurating some new public work, or returning from a trip abroad – providing little analysis or variety. Stock footage paired...
Frances Z. Brown May 12, 2005
In the three months since the assassination of Lebanon's former Prime Minister Rafiq Hariri, the Middle Eastern country has seen a remarkable transformation. Large-scale and tenacious street protests resulted in the resignation of the incumbent pro-Syrian prime minister. As Western powers acclaim the "Cedar Revolution" – named after the emblem adorning the Lebanese flag, and...
Immanuel Wallerstein May 9, 2005
The United States has long been the major power influencing Latin American politics and business, encouraging currency ties, controlling natural resources, and at times even helping to depose governments it no longer supports. But recently several small "cuts," as Imanuel Wallerstein writes, have undermined US control in the region. One example is the ouster of Ecuadorian President...