In The News

Modern Mercenaries on the Iraqi Frontier

James Glanz April 4, 2004
In what appears to be a modern manifestation of old mercenary platoons, 'risk management' firms are filling the security gap in a tense Iraq. Former military men from around the world are earning large salaries to protect the development agencies and businesses that have recently entered the post-Saddam state. Though one would think that 'risk management' forces would...

China's Net watchdogs: the Good, the Bad and the Ugly

Liyuan Lu April 3, 2004
Political dissidence in China has long searched for an appropriate outlet. With the advent of the internet, anger at politicians, foreigners, upper classes, and others has moved online. Sometimes, internet news forums have served as forces for progressive change – political prisoners have been released after online petitions and editorials became widespread. But at other times, the internet has...

Arab World Risks Missing its Development Goals

Majdoline Hatoum April 2, 2004
Illiteracy, gender inequality, and unemployment plague Arab countries, despite the region's concentration of oil wealth. Arab leaders addressed these issues at a recent development conference. They proposed various plans and strategies to help Arab countries meet the Millennium Development Goal, which was signed by 189 countries in 2000 as part of the UN's Millennium Declaration. The...

A Normal Country

Andrei Shleifer March 30, 2004
In this Foreign Affairs’ essay, Andrei Shleifer and Daniel Treisman argue that the popular image in the west of Russia as a “disastrous failure” needs to be rethought. General belief holds that Russia has failed to leave its communist past behind, and as a result, has transformed itself into “a collapsed state inhabited by criminals threatening other countries with multiple contagions.” Contrary...

Political Shades of Green Clash

Miguel Bustillo March 24, 2004
Immigration has once again spurred a divisive debate among environmental conservationists in the USA. Even the 112-year-old Sierra Club is facing an 'insurgent' campaign aimed at getting the group to come down hard for immigration restrictions. For decades, population control has featured prominently in the agenda of most environmental groups. Some environmentalists argue that the...

Looking over the Horizon

Robert L. Hutchings March 22, 2004
In assessing American foreign policy and strategy, the intertwined nature of the globe and the fast speed of change make any plan contingent on a variety of factors. In an effort to understand exactly that, the National Intelligence Council has created its '2020 project'. Using assessments of 'drivers' - factors that will affect the way the world changes - and a series of...

Failing Iraq

Graham Usher March 19, 2004
Marking the one year anniversary of the US-led war in Iraq, this week has seen increased violence and anger against the coalition forces. According to reporter Graham Usher, this reaction has been predictable from the offset, for "while the US and Britain knew how to conquer Iraq, they have no idea how to run it." Religious sectarianism, ethnic violence, weakening police power, and...