In The News

America’s China Worries – Part I

Joan Johnson-Freese February 6, 2007
For more than a decade, the US was a lone superpower in terms of economic, diplomatic and military might. But China has steadily stepped up to the challenge, demonstrating its intent to serve as a counterweight to US influence when it comes to global affairs. In the first of this series of articles about challenges to US-China relations, Joan Johnson-Freese, chair of the US Naval War College’s...

ASEAN Pursues EU-Style Regional Integration

Carlos H. Conde January 15, 2007
Once a good idea is out in the open, the benefits visible to all, others will rush to copy. The European Union organized a group of nations with different currencies and languages – and profits followed. Now the Association of South-East Nations (ASEAN) explores if its members can’t try the same integration. First ASEAN must draft a charter, but in the past, the organization has resisted...

African Search for Peace Throws Court into Crisis

Chris McGreal January 11, 2007
The International Criminal Court’s first indictment was against the leader of the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) of Uganda, Joseph Kony and four other commanders. The Ugandan government requested that the ICC investigate the matter, expecting that neighboring governments would withdraw support of the LRA. But the Ugandan government has reversed itself, now asking the ICC to drop the indictments if...

Hussein Era Secrets May Lie Buried

Solomon Moore January 5, 2007
Investigators continue to seek answers regarding Saddam Hussein’s activities over the years, including hidden graves of his victims, missing government funds that amount to billions of dollars, hidden foreign bank accounts and clandestine support from Western corporations and governments on weapons programs. In controlling Iraq, the former dictator kept many secrets; for example, his own generals...

Lawsuit Called Opening Salvo in Chinese Media War

Howard French January 3, 2007
A major Chinese newspaper is seeking damages from Tom.com, which republishes articles and photographs without authorization – and that could open a new frontier for intellectual-property rights protection in a country that has long been known for its free-for-all ways. Industry leaders in film, music and design have long complained about Chinese copycat firms that immediately steal and duplicate...

Will Guns Fall Silent in South Asia?

Paula R. Newberg December 5, 2006
Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf’s recent announcement that Pakistan is willing to give up its claim to Kashmir under certain conditions has rekindled hopes for a settlement. It also underlines the need for finding peace in Kashmir if South Asia is to break out of the grip of misery. Violent conflict changes the basic equations of governance, and sustained violence makes it all the more...

Why Churchill Opposed Torture

Niall Ferguson November 26, 2006
While the US Military Commissions Act is considered more liberal than previous US congressional proposals concerning prisoners of war, it still opens the door to torture and long periods without trial. With the act, the US president assumes the right “‘to interpret the meaning and application of the Geneva Convention.’” The Geneva Convention, adopted in 1929, influenced the treatment of war...