In The News

The War Was Illegal

September 17, 2004
Kofi Annan, the UN secretary-general, is inherently cautious in his choice of words. In the weeks leading to the Iraq war, Annan refrained from outright criticism of the grounds for invasion, and only recently did he warn of the dangerous precedents established by preemptive action. But in a recent BBC interview, Annan bid farewell to the ambiguity, restraint, and equivocation that usually...

The Day A Nuclear Conflict Was Averted

Strobe Talbott September 13, 2004
In a book to be published this week, former US Deputy Secretary of State Strobe Talbott tells the story of President Bill Clinton’s personal diplomacy in averting a possible nuclear war in South Asia. The conflict began in May 1999, when Pakistani commandos infiltrated the Indian part of Kashmir in the Kargil region. By the end of June, a furious Indian response with air and artillery assaults...

Beijing's Closed Politics Hinders "New Diplomacy"

Minxin Pei September 12, 2004
In the past year and a half, China has become a key player in several difficult international conflicts, including the North Korean missile threats, the Pakistan-India quarrels, and the war in Iraq. However, argues the author of this Financial Times piece, it should come as no surprise that the nation is quickly losing its newly gained respect in a series of foreign policy mistakes. Ever-present...

Gathering Nuclear Crisis Calls for a Drastic Policy Overhaul

Ramesh Thakur September 10, 2004
As a growing number of countries flirt with nuclear capabilities, it may be time to reconsider the effectiveness of the current arms-control doctrine. Political scientist Ramesh Thakur asserts that the inconsistencies in the application of non-proliferation policy, as developed by the US and the other four Security Council members, may bring about its collapse. The five nuclear powers, argues...

European survivors of 9/11: Torn 2 ways

Katrin Bennhold September 10, 2004
Tomorrow, three years will have passed since Europe stood beside the US in the aftermath of the most traumatic event ever to occur on American soil. Today, after European outrage over the US-led invasion of Iraq and American jabs at the cowardice of "Old Europe," the former allies are drifting ever further apart. Painfully stranded in the middle of this rift are three European survivors...

Anchor the Black Sea Region to the West

Ronald D. Asmus September 8, 2004
Recent violence in the Black Sea region has highlighted the urgency of the area's political instability. Geographically situated at the intersection of Europe, Eurasia, and the Middle East, this region is invaluable to the West, both economically and politically. For this reason, argues policy expert Ronald D. Asmus, both NATO and the EU must reach out to Black Sea countries, bolstering...

Kabul Needs Good Neighbours

Stanley A. Weiss September 7, 2004
Afghanistan's upcoming presidential election has many observers discussing the country's future. The author of this Asian Age op-ed piece asserts that Afghan success and regional stability hinge on "neighborly" support. In addition to security concerns, nearby nations also share economic interests in Afghan development. As potential host to gas pipelines and emerging cross-...