In The News

Mixing Oil, Gas, and Politics

June 21, 2005
The Russian government has become a majority shareholder in Gazprom, one of the country's largest oil producers. The buyout is aimed at opening the company up to foreign investment and bolstering the Russian stock market. The move was also likely designed to put the government in a more favorable position to purchase large blocks of other oil companies, with the goal of creating an enormous...

Japan's Beneficent Potential

Makoto Taniguchi June 14, 2005
Regional cooperation is essential to the development of the Asian economy, but discord among the region's top three actors – Japan, China, and South Korea – is hindering the process of integration. The lack of a common historical perspective has led to a political impasse between Japan and both China and South Korea, making it difficult to foster mutual understanding. Former ambassador...

Wanted: A Roadmap for North Korea

Michael O'Hanlon June 9, 2005
With North Korea hinting at the possibility of a return to six-party talks amidst speculation about its testing a nuclear device, the long-simmering issue of non-proliferation is back in the limelight. On June 10, South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun arrives in Washington to discuss a possible solution to the crisis. While Pyongyang prefers bilateral talks, the US has insisted on the six-party...

A Revolution in American Nuclear Policy

Jonathan Schell May 27, 2005
In this editorial, Jonathan Schell calls attention to "a revolution in US nuclear policy" – a revolution that was virtually ignored by the media. For the first time, the US president has the capability to launch a pinpoint nuclear strike anywhere in the world within a few hours. Why has President Bush sought a nuclear program that is sure to encourage proliferation elsewhere? In...

The Need to Cooperate on Oil Policy in East Asia

Makmur Keliat May 26, 2005
For the rapidly modernizing countries of East Asia, oil resources are necessary to sustain industrialization. This editorial in The Jakarta Post predicts that competition for these resources will continue to increase, and national policies will be directed at securing an adequate oil supply. Oil competition, exacerbated by rising prices and political uncertainty in the Middle East and Central...

Washington and the Chavez Question

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:...

The Black Gold's Curse

R.K. Pachauri April 28, 2005
The recent record surge in oil prices has led many OPEC countries to re-evaluate their energy demand. This Outlook India commentary suggests that these newfound concerns are only the beginning of a worldwide reckoning of oil security. Rising prices are a symptom not of an impending global supply crisis, but of a concentration of reserves and an enormous projected leap in production in primarily...