In The News

North Korea Curbs Brinksmanship During Iraq War

Doug Struck April 8, 2003
Since the Iraq War began, North Korea has been waiting its turn, expecting to become either a target or a dialogue partner for the US. Notably, Pyongyang hasn't made any moves to further develop nuclear weapons, in what one observer describes as "an unspoken pact" to keep the peace while the US focuses on Iraq. "The bottom line is they want to have talks with the U.S. That...

North Korea Says Its Arms Will Deter U.S. Attack

Howard W. French April 7, 2003
After having been virtually silent since the US-led invasion of Iraq began, North Korea's government is once again proclaiming the right to protect itself against any US aggression. "The Iraqi war shows that to allow disarming through inspection does not help avert a war but rather sparks it," say the latest statement from Pyongyang's Foreign Ministry. "This suggests...

Agency Wages Media Battle

Bob Kemper April 7, 2003
If you think the Bush administration's spokespeople sound just like the US military officials speaking about the war on Iraq, there's a reason. When the Pentagon tried to launch an Office of Strategic Influence last year, the idea was shot down after cries of media manipulation from a broad spectrum of the US public. But since January, the White House has been running a similar...

Use SARS as Excuse to Reinvest in Taiwan

Huang Tien-lin 黃天麟 April 7, 2003
SARS is frightening, but so is the 'economic Sinocization' that threatens Taiwan, says Huang Tien-lin, a national policy adviser to Taiwan's President Chen Shui-bian. In this opinion piece from the Taipei Times, Huang suggests that by encouraging Taiwanese businesspeople to stay home in relatively safe Taiwan, "the [SARS] crisis will not only boost the nation's GDP but...

Chinese Tourists Touch Down in Germany

Hugh Williamson April 6, 2003
Until recently, the Chinese middle class was able to visit only a few countries due to strict travel regulations by the Chinese State. A recent bilateral agreement between China and Germany that gave Germany the "approved destination status" has implications for tourism industries in both countries. This is the first such agreement between China and a European Union State. The...

And Now, the Battle for the Mother of all Contracts

James Buchan April 6, 2003
The US has already offered contracts to American companies to rebuild Iraq even before the war has been won. And despite calls for more international involvement, it seems that the US ultimately intends to employ only American companies – the House of Representatives has already voted not to let any money for reconstruction go to companies from the countries that opposed the war. Yet, Iraq...

Yale Discusses the Implications of the Iraq War

April 4, 2003
Whether one is for or against the war in Iraq, one cannot underestimate the immense significance of the event to world affairs.. Hosted by the interdisciplinary program in Ethics, Politics and Economics at Yale University, six professors reflected on the war in Iraq, its buildup, and its aftermath. All felt that this would be a watershed event in world order and in the ways in which war is...