In The News

Arab Presence at G-8 Summit

Mohammed A. R. Galadari May 25, 2004
This year’s G8 summit, held in The United States, may be punctuated, for the first time, by the conspicuous presence of leaders of Arab states. This is a departure from the last meeting of world powers, held in France in 2003, which featured discussions that did not directly involve the Middle East and included little input from the Arab community – only Egyptian and Saudi Arabian delegations...

Doubts Remain Over Iraq’s Path to Sovereignty

Roula Khalaf May 25, 2004
13 months after the fall of Baghdad, the city’s residents are frustrated about the direction their nation has taken. Doubts about the competence of both occupying forces and Iraqi leadership have surfaced as the June 30 deadline for transfer of power approaches. Reporters from the Financial Times spoke to young Iraqis, for whom “the joy of freedom… has been overshadowed by anxieties over Iraq...

Paving the Way for a Sustainable Taiwan

Chen Shui-Bian May 20, 2004
Newly-reelected Taiwanese President Chen Shui-Bian delivered an inaugural address this week titled, "Paving the Way for a Sustainable Taiwan." In the speech, Chen assessed the progress of Taiwan's democratization. He said, "Democratic advancement occurs only through constant and gradual endeavor, one step at a time." Chen described Taiwan's new electoral processes,...

Burma: Feel-Good US Sanctions Wrongheaded

David I. Steinberg May 19, 2004
President Bush's recent decision to extend sanctions against Burma for another year is emotionally satisfying but ineffective as a means of promoting democracy in the military-ruled state, argues David I. Steinberg, Director of Asian Studies at Georgetown University's School of Foreign Service. Although US allies like India or Southeast Asian nations share its concern about the junta...

State Department Rights Report Released After Delay

Salamander Davoudi May 18, 2004
The US State Department's annual report on human rights and democracy comes in the wake of the Abu Ghraib prison scandal. The controversial episode, in which Iraqi prisoners were abused by U.S. soldiers, has sparked a worldwide debate about the U.S.'s own human rights record. In fact, says Lorne Craner, assistant secretary for democracy, human rights and labor, the Abu Ghraib prison...

Globalisation in African continent

Syed Jamaluddin May 18, 2004
A host of factors, including the continent-wide financial, industrial, and political difficulties since the end of the colonial age have reduced economic performance in Africa to often pitiable levels. Despite starting “from behind” and the current obstacles to economic growth, this editorial highlights progress Africa has made, and the future development that can be speeded up by proper...

Indian Election: Of Computer Mice and Men

S. Nihal Singh May 17, 2004
India's surprise election results from last week have left everyone struggling to understand how the powerful BJP could lose so decisively in a time of economic prosperity. The answer, suggests S. Nihal Singh, a former editor of the Statesman of Calcutta and the Indian Express, lies in the unequal distribution of India's growth. Though the globalization of India's technological...