In The News

Australia Plays Down Pacific Union

August 14, 2003
A recent report by the Australian Senate suggested that Pacific micro states should move towards political and economic integration, similar to the European Union. Australian Prime Minister John Howard acknowledged that the report made many important points but denies that the Pacific region is ready or willing to relinquish much national sovereignty. "Let's crawl before we walk,...

Harvesting Poverty

August 11, 2003
Two hundred years ago, the English navy blockaded French ports, cutting the country off from the sugar cane of tropical colonies and forcing Napoleon to push French farmers to grow beet sugar as a replacement. The blockade eventually ended, but the farming of beet sugar did not. Indeed, as this New York Times editorial points out, beet sugar is vehemently protected by EU agricultural policies...

Rogue Nuclear Programs Require Creative Approach

Arch W. Roberts, Jr. August 8, 2003
Iran, Iraq, and North Korea were singled out as comprising George W. Bush's 'axis of evil' for a reason, says nonproliferation expert Arch W. Roberts, Jr. The trio comprises the worst violators of the Non-Proliferation Treaty, an agreement intended to halt the spread of nuclear weapons. To effectively address the threats their nuclear programs pose, Roberts says, traditional...

6-Way Nuclear Talks Might Be Upgraded

Sim Sung-tae August 7, 2003
North Korea finally agreed to multilateral talks last week, raising hopes that the ongoing nuclear crisis in Northeast Asia may soon be resolved. In recognition of the meeting's importance, the six participating countries – including the United States and several of North Korea's neighbors – are planning to send representatives at the vice-ministerial level rather than the bureau...

Warning to Megawati, message to U.S.

Derwin Pereira August 6, 2003
The terrorist group, Jemaah Islamiah, targeted the Jakarta branch of the American owned Marriot Hotel in their attack yesterday as a joint warning to the United States and Indonesia, says this article in Singapore's Straits Times. By targeting American interests on Indonesian soil, the group sent a powerful message to both countries that the network remained strong and that there would be...

Can US Transit Visa Rule Prevent Terrorist Strike?

August 5, 2003
Thousands of air passengers pass through the US each year on their way to other destinations, but after the US begins requiring them to first apply for transit visas, that process won't be so easy. Washington has cited fears of terrorism and the resultant need for increased security as the reason for the new rules, but this editorial in the Khaleej Times is skeptical of that rationale:...

Knock, Knock…Who's There? Many Migrants!

Joseph Chamie August 5, 2003
All people have the right to leave their country, writes Joseph Chamie, Director of the United Nations Population Division, but they do not have the right to enter another without permission. As population growth soars in the developing world, this apparent contradiction is creating a dilemma for developed countries, which are being inundated with illegal migrants. According to Chamie, the...