In The News

The Perils of Underestimating Ahmadinejad

Simon Tisdall July 3, 2006
Iran’s President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is not an easy foe for the US, and it would be a mistake to underestimate him as a “wildman” or “loose cannon.” Even as Ahmadinejad has let loose with extremist statements that are alarming, his political power is based on real concerns of the Iranian people. Despite the widespread perception that he is a mouthpiece for religious clerics, Ahmadinejad’s...

Mexican President Rivals Both Claim Win in Tight Vote

Manuel Roig-Franzia July 3, 2006
Mexican presidential candidates Andrés Manuel López Obrador and Felipe Calderón both claim to have won the election, but exit polls show the race too close to call. López Obrador, former mayor of Mexico City, whose progressive government policies are popular with Mexico’s working-class population, argues that domestic initiatives like improving public transportation and social services will...

Distempered Days

Declan Walsh June 28, 2006
Chaos is on the rise in Afghanistan as violent attacks by the Taliban increase, and corruption and the drug trade run rampant through the country. Four years ago, Hamad Karzai was viewed as Afghanistan’s best hope for rebuilding the country, but now many question his leadership. Afghans contend that their president has failed to meet basic needs, and most still live in poverty. Western officials...

Arcelor Deal With Mittal Creates New Steel Giant

Heather Timmons June 28, 2006
Despite vigorous protest, a global steel giant emerges, now that the controversial merger between India’s Mittal Steel and Luxembourg-based Arcelor is signed and sealed. Arcelor executives and even European government officials rejected the original Mittal offer with stinging insults that revealed the anxieties behind Europe’s protectionist trend. Difficult negotiations followed, leading to a bid...

Washington’s Tactical Error in Somalia

Jen Alic June 17, 2006
Naivité is not particularly helpful in the war on terror. When Somali warlords extended the tempting offer of capturing several fugitive Al Qaeda operatives suspected of hiding in Somalia, the US government funneled hundreds of thousands of dollars to the cause. The cause turned out to be bloody conflict with Islamic militias who have emerged victorious, controlling Somalia and riding a wave of...

Outsourcing of Indian Education

Pratap Bhanu Mehta June 15, 2006
Despite high marks that India gets in the world media for an educated labor force, its sclerotic institutions of higher education are facing many challenges from globalization. While many extraordinarily successful doctors, businesspeople and scientists are from India, only three Indian institutions rank among the world’s top 500 universities. Since the market for talent has gone global, many of...

The Geopolitics of Football

Pascal Boniface June 14, 2006
Can sports – and football in particular – be globalization’s answer to deeply rooted conflict? Do football matches unleash or build tensions between countries who struggle diplomatically? Rituals of the match, such as waving flags or singing anthems, can inject new passion into national rivalries or also diffuse hostility. Games reflect larger issues and allow “for symbolically limited...