In The News

US Attempt at Domination Hobbled by Contradiction

Michael Kraig April 19, 2004
Critics point to the war in Iraq and President Bush's subsequent denial of reconstruction contracts to dissenting nations as proof of Washington's hegemonic tendencies. However, argues security expert Michael Kraig, the Iraq War is just the latest manifestation of a US foreign policy that has been deeply contradictory since the fall of the Berlin Wall. During the Cold War, a...

Democracy Gains in Southeast Asia's Islamic Nations

Goenawan Mohamad April 16, 2004
The rise of Al Qaeda has led many in the West to conflate Islam with anti-democratic political views. This is a mistake, argues Jakarta-based writer Goenawan Mohamad, given that the world's two largest Muslim countries - Indonesia and Malaysia - are solidly democratic. In Malaysia, the March elections yielded victory for pluralist parties and defeat for those advocating state adoption of...

SKBRI Not Required by Chinese: Megawati

Fabiola Desy Unidjaja April 15, 2004
Historically, Indonesian laws have reflected a pervasive worry about Chinese influence. It was not until 2000 that then-president Abdurrahman Wahid revoked laws prohibiting the display of Chinese culture and restricting the movement of Chinese-Indonesians. In spite of these changes, Indonesians of Chinese descent often complain that they are asked to produce special identification when applying...

The Trouble with Civilian Casualty Stories

Jefferson Morley April 15, 2004
A controversy is raging between the US military and several Arab news outlets over their coverage of the siege of Fallujah. General John Abizaid, head of the US Central Command, criticized the Qatar-based Al Jazeera for portraying US military action "as purposely targeting civilians." "We absolutely do not do that, and I think everybody knows that," Abizaid said. "They...

'The World Stood by for Too Long'

April 8, 2004
Around the world, commemoration of the ten year anniversary of the Rwandan genocide has taken a variety of turns. Some, particularly within the US and Europe, have used the opportunity to recognize that the failure to intervene was a profound failure of foreign policy. To some, however, "Never again" rings empty after 800,000 people were killed in 100 days. Others, in Africa...

Nationalism in Sports

Cho Se-Hyon April 6, 2004
In the US, spectators applaud excellent athletes regardless of national origin or race, according to the author. However, he says, this is not the case in South Korea, where national pride compels spectators to call foreign players "mercenaries" and domestic athletes to hinder their foreign teammates from excelling on the playing field. Not only are such reactions unsportsmanlike, they...

Modern Mercenaries on the Iraqi Frontier

James Glanz April 4, 2004
In what appears to be a modern manifestation of old mercenary platoons, 'risk management' firms are filling the security gap in a tense Iraq. Former military men from around the world are earning large salaries to protect the development agencies and businesses that have recently entered the post-Saddam state. Though one would think that 'risk management' forces would...