In The News

Lost in Translation

Gregory Kulacki June 30, 2006
Pundits and politicians often raise China as a possible military threat for the US and other neighbors– but the characterization could be inaccurate. The US intelligence community must revise its techniques for gathering reliable information about the Chinese military apparatus, argues security analyst Gregory Kulacki. US strategy vis-à-vis China could be culled from scattered and unofficial...

Chinese Premier Boosts Trade with Seven-Nation Africa Tour

Rory Carroll June 29, 2006
Chinese foreign policy officials have dubbed 2006 “the Year of Africa,” a policy in action as Wen Jiabao, China’s premier, visits with leaders of seven countries on the continent. While Africa’s natural resources pose the most obvious interest for the Chinese, Wen will also conduct talks on issues as varied as nuclear power, textile imports, regional alliances, and investment and trade. African...

North Korean Nuclear Conundrum

Chung Min Lee June 29, 2006
As North Korea plans to launch a long-range missile, the US threatens sanctions and military intervention. But public policy Professor Chung Min Lee asserts that it may be too late to dismantle North Korea’s nuclear arsenal. Analysts suggest that the country has enough weapons-grade plutonium for a dozen nuclear weapons. Since the early 1990s, North Korea has worked with highly enriched uranium...

China’s Portuguese Connection

Loro Horta June 22, 2006
Patience is power, suggests a Chinese proverb, and that describes how China pursues diplomacy. The Community of Portuguese Language Countries (CPLP) consists of eight states around the world, encompassing 230 million people – but is rarely regarded as a priority in global politics. Bucking conventional thinking, China diligently pursues diplomacy with the CPLP, foreseeing benefits such as new...

US Competes With China for Vietnam’s Allegiance

Jane Perlez June 22, 2006
It has taken Vietnam a mere 15 years to develop from a low-income country to one that is middle-income. As a result, Vietnam has emerged as a regional economic power in Asia, its growth only trailing that of China. The US and China are both eager to counter the other’s influence in Vietnam – increasing imports of goods, industry and culture to the nation. China last fought with Vietnam in 1979...

Our Failure in Somalia

John Prendergast June 20, 2006
Rather than help root out terrorists finding refuge in war-torn Somalia, the US support of warlords against Islamist militias has created what analyst and former US National Security Council official John Prendergast calls “an al-Qaeda recruiter’s dream.” The Islamists have gained control of the capital, and the relative security that their rule promises has swung Somalia public opinion in their...

Washington’s Tactical Error in Somalia

Jen Alic June 17, 2006
Naivité is not particularly helpful in the war on terror. When Somali warlords extended the tempting offer of capturing several fugitive Al Qaeda operatives suspected of hiding in Somalia, the US government funneled hundreds of thousands of dollars to the cause. The cause turned out to be bloody conflict with Islamic militias who have emerged victorious, controlling Somalia and riding a wave of...