In The News

The Fallout from the Iraq War

Barry Rubin May 7, 2003
During the Iraq War, media reports on American 24-hour news networks mainly reflected the views of US journalists 'embedded' with the US military. In the Middle East, however, Arab-language networks such as Al-Jazeera presented a starkly different image and interpretation of how things were going on the ground. Middle East scholar Barry Rubin writes that regional media led Arab...

Why the Security Council Failed

Michael J. Glennon May 1, 2003
The UN was weak and irrelevant long before the divisive US-led war on Iraq made this painfully obvious, International Law scholar Michael Glennon maintains. He explains that Iraq is more a symptom of UN structural problems and changes in its geopolitical environment than a cause.. The UN was created to preside over a multi-polar world and now finds itself dealing with an unrivalled US hegemony...

The Roots of Anti-Americanism in Germany

Dominic Sachsenmaier April 30, 2003
Media coverage of the Iraq War varied to such an extent that viewers in the US and in Europe were left with distinctly different understandings of what was going on. Some Europeans claimed that America's 'embedded journalists' were simply 'in bed with' the US military, acting as propaganda machines for the US government. Meanwhile, massive and constant anti-war...

2 Koreas Struggle Over Nuclear Issue

Joint Press Corps April 29, 2003
Divergent opinions regarding the nuclear weapons program in North Korea undermined the recent Inter-Korean ministerial talks between North and South Korea. South Korea advocates a dismantling of the North Korean nuclear weapons development program. North Korea however, insists that it will only discuss the issue with the United States. The contentiousness of this issue undermines on-going...

U.S. Troops Fire on Iraqi Protesters, Leaving 15 Dead

Ian Fisher April 29, 2003
Violent clashes between American troops and Iraqis continue even as the United States moves from a military offensive to a humanitarian and reconstruction phase in Iraq. According to a US official account, a group of mostly armed Iraqis began unprovoked fire at the US troops who were stationed at the US Army headquarters in a largely Sunni neighborhood. US troops returned fire in self defense...

Winning the Postwar

Suzanne Nossel April 28, 2003
The Bush Administration has thus far opposed the authority of an International Law regime. However, the current job of rebuilding and democratizing Iraq provides the US with an opportunity to change its policy toward International codes of conduct. If the US were to adhere to the International Law of Occupation, which has been in effect since 1907, perhaps they could convince a wary world that...

Blast Rocks Jakarta's Airport

April 28, 2003
It does not appear that international efforts to prevent terrorist attacks have had much effect in Southeast Asia. A recent bombing of the International Airport in Jakarta, Indonesia follows several prior attacks on high profile public places, including an attack on a United Nations office in Jakarta. Although security has been tightened around such public venues, the perception remains that no...