In The News

Marching Towards a High-Risk War in Iraq

Richard K. Betts February 22, 2003
Now that a US-led war against Iraq is a near certainty - unless a coup d'etat removes Saddam Hussein - the focus is shifting to the question of its consequences. Political and strategic analyst Richard Betts looks at the possible outcomes of the war, which he thinks is a "bad idea" to begin with, and sees the risks as very high to catastrophic. He reckons there is thirty percent...

Washington Needs a Roadmap to Peace in North Korea

Larry A. Niksch February 21, 2003
Despite persistent reluctance from China, Russia, and South Korea, the US has continued to call for a multi-lateral effort to dissuade North Korea from expanding its nuclear program. Why are these countries - North Korea's closest neighbors - dragging their feet on addressing the issue? Because, writes Larry Niksch, the US has yet to spell out exactly what negotiations with North Korea...

U.S. Combat Force of 1,700 is Headed to the Philippines

Eric Schmitt February 21, 2003
Within days, the United States plans to deploy troops to the Philippines in order to "disrupt and destroy" the extremist group Abu Sayyaf. The Abu Sayyaf, with its goal of establishing Islamic states across Asia, has been aided in the past by terrorists across the world, including Osama Bin Laden. The latest US move shows that the war on terrorism is truly a global effort. – YaleGlobal

Road to Pyongyang through Beijing?

William C. Triplett II February 21, 2003
China and North Korea have had a close relationship since the Korean War, making it unlikely that North Korea could have developed a Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) program without China’s knowledge. Does that mean that China knew—and presumably approved—of North Korea’s weapons development? The author’s answer is yes. He suggests that the Bush administration should be wary of treating China...

Unaddressed Concerns

February 21, 2003
The global debate over a possible war in Iraq has occurred largely without the voice of the Indian government. The Indian Parliament has been largely silent on the subject, despite popular opposition to unilateral war and support for the role of the U.N. The government’s vagueness is unacceptable, this editorial in The Hindu argues. Furthermore, it says, with the opposition of France and...

North Korean Fighter Intrudes on South’s Airspace

Don Kirk February 20, 2003
The entry into South Korean airspace by a North Korean fighter plane raises already-high tensions between the United States and North Korea. The timing of the maneuver, as well as its route, seems to imply a deliberate act on the part of North Korea to remind the U.S. of its military capabilities. North Korea’s decision to pull out of the armistice treaty, along with the reactivation of its...

China's Win-Win Globalization

Michael Yahuda February 19, 2003
Since the early 1990s, China has been making a concerted effort to integrate itself into the world economy and cultivate relations with its Asian neighbors, as well as the U.S., in order to promote stability and prosperity in the region. Michael Yahuda, professor of international relations at the London School of Economics and Political Science, explains how China's stance towards...