In The News

Africa Emerges as a Strategic Battleground

Frederick Kempe April 28, 2006
Africa suffers from a series of humanitarian crises, but the continent also offers tremendous opportunity. Oddly enough, it’s the US general in charge of the Europe Command and NATO who insists that the US must pay more attention on Africa. The Bush administration, distracted with war in Iraq, faces three urgent issues in Africa – Islamic terrorism, energy security and growing Chinese influence...

Stormy Geopolitical Forecast

Arnaud de Borchgrave April 27, 2006
The world has plenty of troublespots, all unsettled and unpredictable. The so-called “US democratic crusade,” according to author Arnaud de Borchgrave, has produced unrest along with some odd and disturbing leaders, ranging from the corrupt to the inept, throughout Central Asia and the Middle East. No clear formula for economic or social progress has emerged, with leaders sharply divided about...

Anti-Christian Extremism Attacked

United Press International April 19, 2006
Newspapers in the Arab world have weighed in on recent attacks against Christian churches in Alexandria, addressing issues of extremism’s threat to Egyptian society. To overcome the forces of ignorance, hatred and sectarian sedition, leading newspapers call for concerted action on the part of government, religious and civil institutions to unify citizens against extremism that could lead to a “...

Indonesia’s Progressive Form of Islam Is Not Something That Thailand Needs to Fear

Don Pathan April 17, 2006
Indonesia is the world’s largest Muslim country and plays a leading role in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. As a result, Indonesians question how Muslims of the Middle East determine international perceptions of Islam and recognize the potential for serving as a guiding force. Indonesia could offer a stabilizing influence in Malay-speaking southern Thailand where 1200 people have...

US Is Its Own Worst Enemy

Kevin Rafferty April 12, 2006
Opposition to the US creates both real and imagined threats to national security, yet the biggest threat for the US and the world comes from US policy and its formulators, both Congress and President Bush. After 9/11, the world displayed sympathy for the US, exemplified by the “Le Monde” headline – “We are all Americans.” Yet President Bush squandered cooperation with unilateral actions that...

Managing Globalization: In Asia, How to Manage the Boom?

Daniel Altman April 10, 2006
Southeast Asian nations have grown fat with international trade – but are they growing too fat? As the region approaches another period of rapid expansion, fears abound that the region’s economy could grow out of control. Demand for Southeast Asian products runs high, and an overheating economy could bring inflation and currency problems, overpowering government attempts at fiscal and monetary...

Dying Swan Dance

Boris Khukov April 5, 2006
As a threat, bird flu elicits different reactions. When a German cat died from the flu, panic spread throughout Europe until scientists explained that a cat spreading the virus to humans was an unlikely scenario. Russians have also been wary about the flu, despite periodic government reassurances, with some conspiracy theorists describing the virus as a “leak from a bioweapons factory” or a...