In The News

FBI Sees Big Threat from Chinese Spies; Businesses Wonder

Jay Solomon August 12, 2005
David Szady, assistant director of the FBI's counterintelligence division claims, "China is the biggest (espionage) threat to the US today." Yet, the bureau's recent campaigns to combat Chinese corporate espionage are receiving mixed reactions, at best. The prosecution of several accused workers has led to anger within the Chinese and Chinese-American communities, as well...

Wiki-mania

Rory O'Connor August 12, 2005
Wikipedia – the free online encyclopedia that allows anyone to create or modify its contents – is revolutionizing information technology. Drawing more traffic than the websites of The New York Times and USA Today combined, Wikipedia has seen explosive growth in merely two years, becoming one of the 50 most-visited websites in the world. In addition to its use of open-source technology, what...

The New Chauvinism

George Monbiot August 10, 2005
Following the bombings in London last month, a national consensus has emerged in Britain that a renewed sense of patriotism is necessary to combat terrorism. Codes of citizenship and a shared belief in Britain's values, proponents argue, will reduce the risk of domestic terrorism. While patriotism makes citizens less likely to attack one another, it may also make the state more inclined to...

The Web as Weapon

Susan B. Glasser August 9, 2005
Islamic militants are often perceived as having an "anti-modernity" platform. Yet certain terrorist leaders are placing an increasing importance on the control and dissemination of information related to their activities. As a result, the internet has emerged as a vital tool of terrorism, creating a union between technology and fundamentalism. More than anyone, Abu Musab Zarqawi, the...

Terrorists Turn to the Web as Base of Operations

Steven Coll August 8, 2005
When Osama bin Laden and other al-Qaida operatives were hiding out in Afghanistan in the 1990s, they were one of the first to adapt to the new technologies of globalization, communicating via commercial satellite telephones and producing video propaganda with hand-held cameras. Today, nearly four years after the 9/11 attacks, al-Qaida has become the first guerilla movement in history to "...

Beijing Clamps Down on Foreign Television

Chris Buckley August 4, 2005
The Chinese government recently announced that it would deny approval for more foreign satellite broadcasters entering the Chinese market, as well as increase restrictions on already existing foreign media. Certain US entertainment companies will still have the right to broadcast to certain Chinese audiences, and to foreigners in hotels and similar multi-cultural spaces. The initiative, however...

China's Cautious Pride in an Ancient Mariner

Wang Gungwu August 4, 2005
Six centuries ago, Chinese Admiral Zheng He embarked on the first voyage of a career that encompassed destinations as far as India, Persia, Arabia, and Africa. Though his achievements were forgotten for centuries, a re-emergence of interest in his story coincides with China's dramatic rise. As historian Wang Gungwu notes, it also coincides with the publication of a controversial theory:...