In The News

A New Rival to “Regime Change”

Howard LaFranchi May 23, 2006
The US invasion of Iraq secured the illusion throughout the world that the US reacts to hostile nations with regime change. The US has many methods at its disposal for regime change, but the common thread was that the leader was a threat and had to be removed. Yet a new approach to US foreign policy regarding hostile nations is gaining momentum in Washington. This approach hinges on the idea that...

“We the Japanese People” – A Reflection on Public Opinion

Hikari Agakimi May 22, 2006
For more than 60 years following its devastation in World War II, Japan has held onto an intense fear of militarism, renouncing the right to wage war and limiting its self-defense force. A side effect of such pacifist policies, according to scholar Hikari Agakimi, is a carefree people who struggle to find a national identity. In a 2005 survey of high school students, only 13 percent reported...

The Palestinian Tipping Point

Anna Coote May 22, 2006
Even as much of the world shuddered at implications for the Palestinian-Israeli peace process, Hamas took power in Palestine with a platform of provision. Despite widespread international distrust for Hamas, Palestinians democratically voiced a longing for basic services. Sadly the Palestinian-Israeli conflict supersedes education, economic and other goals in Palestine and infiltrates most...

For Outsourcing, Bulgaria Is “In”

Juliette Terzieff May 19, 2006
Bulgaria – with an education system ranking fifth in the world and students ranking 11th in mathematics – has the highest number of IT professionals per capita in the world. As a result, multinational firms look to Eastern Europe for relocation and labor. Other advantages of Eastern Europe include a developed infrastructure, economic and political stability as well as a central location to Africa...

Iraq Black Hole: The $2 Trillion War

Craig Lambert May 18, 2006
Before the US invaded Iraq, the Pentagon and the US Office of Management and Budget estimated that the war could cost up to $60 billion and that Iraqi oil revenues would cover the costs. The Congressional Budget Office now estimates the war will cost $500 million. However, Harvard and Columbia professors have teamed up to prepare a true cost-benefit analysis based on government sources – and...

Pakistan’s Obedient Son

Susanne Koelbl May 17, 2006
Both the US and Afghanistan pressure Pakistan to capture suspected terrorists hiding along its borders. Pakistan’s President Pervez Musharraf and Afghanistan’s president Hamid Karzai once had strong ties, but the relationship is unraveling over the issue. Meanwhile warlords challenge Musharraf’s authority and promote domestic unrest, motivated by the desire for control of Pakistan’s rich natural...

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...