In The News

The Demise of the NPT: New Players in the Proliferation Game

Chua Hearn Yuit May 16, 2006
To keep their economies rolling, nations race to secure more energy, including that fueled by nuclear sources. Countries like Myanmar, Indonesia and Vietnam have announced ambitions to secure nuclear power with help from countries like China, Russia, South Korea and India. As a result, a growing number of players edge toward nuclear weapons capability. India did not sign the Nuclear...

Cracks in the System

Hassan Nafaa May 12, 2006
Nonproliferation is an admirable goal, but hardly stops the spread of nuclear weapons. Since its inception, the nonproliferation system was designed to be temporary. The Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty (NPT) has flaws and loopholes that make it inadequate and unfair. Dividing the world into two groups – with nuclear capability acceptable for some nations and not for others – is not a viable...

Cheney Has Turkey in His Sights

David Gow May 11, 2006
When US Vice President Dick Cheney denounced Russia’s geopolitical use of its oil and gas reserves, he shed light on an unheralded strategy to turn Turkey into a key supplier of energy. A bridge between Europe and Asia for decades, Turkey is ambitious to expand its international role in the 21st century. In an effort to become the first full EU member with a predominantly Islamic population,...

Cuba Plans Offshore Wells Banned in US Waters

Michael Janofsky May 10, 2006
The US and Cuba partitioned the waters of Florida Straits years ago, and the US never expected that Cuba would hurry to develop the underlying oil and gas fields. Cuba might not have immediate need for the energy supplies, but other nations do. So the Cuban government negotiated a partnership with emerging economic giants China and India to drill and extract oil and gas from the large underwater...

Step 1 in Bolivian Takeover: Audit of Foreign Companies

Juan Forero May 9, 2006
Bolivia is taking steps to nationalize its natural gas industry, announcing plans to revise contracts with foreign energy firms and audit financial records. The multinationals have six months to negotiate new contracts or face takeover with compensation. Landlocked Bolivia has Latin America’s second largest gas reserves, which are largely undeveloped, with Brazil serving as the major market....

Mideast Money Pinch

Yasmine El-Rashidi May 5, 2006
Middle East investors and shoppers are bypassing travel, education or health care in the US for friendlier opportunities in Asia and Europe. In March, the US rejected acquisition of operations for six US ports based on security concerns, but even before that, Saudi tourism to the US was down 75 percent in 2004 from 1999. Obtaining US visas has become more complicated for Arabs since 9/11, with...

The Problem Is: Iran Does Pose a Threat in Every Way Iraq Did Not

Jonathan Freedland May 4, 2006
After pursuing false threats in Iraq, the US and UK may have trouble convincing other countries to sanction or attack Iran. Regularly threatening Israel and boasting about every nuclear breakthrough, Iran’s president certainly does not hesitate in helping the US and UK make a case that the nation is a menace. Yet leaders in the world’s fourth largest oil producer insist that the nuclear research...