In The News

The USS Cole and America's Election

Michael Young March 6, 2008
President George W. Bush is in his final year of office, and there are two ways of looking at the administration’s delaying any reduction of troops in Iraq or elsewhere in the Middle East until after the November election. Keeping a large force in place this year could either be a gift or a curse for the next president: The gift is that the next president can perhaps quickly reduce troop levels,...

Chavez Picks a New Fight, With Colombia

Peter Wilson March 4, 2008
Nationalistic economic policies have led to shortages of staples including milk and eggs, and high inflation rates in Venezuela, the highest in South America. Colombia President Álvaro Uribe and Venezuela's President Hugo Chávez have squabbled over both rebels and a recent free-trade pact between Colombia and the US, yet to be approved by Congress. After the killing of a Colombian rebel...

Back to the Great Game in Kazakhstan

Charles Tannock February 29, 2008
Kazakhstan borders two great powers, Russia and China, and lies within Europe’s sphere of influence. Its geography, together with its massive oil reserves and majority Muslim population, make Kazakhstan a point of interest for all three parties. However, the European Parliament has thus far ruled out courting the central Asian state because of human-rights violations. Charles Tannock, member of...

Is the Sun Setting on US Dominance? – Part II

Jiang Qian February 29, 2008
Analysts often question whether the United States can sustain its preeminence in the face of rising competitors like the European Union, China, India, Russia or Japan – as well as the rising prominence of economic power. This two-part series analyzes potential leadership for the 21st century, and in the second article, physicist and political observer Jiang Qian argues that the likelihood of an...

Running for Cover

February 28, 2008
In a relatively rare instance of policy – rather than personal – disagreement, Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama hold differing views on how to make sure Americans have health insurance. While Clinton proposes an individual mandate, Obama contends that making health care affordable is the only way to achieve true universal coverage. Individual mandates have run into trouble, in legislation in...

Is the Sun Setting on US Dominance? – Part I

Joergen Oerstroem Moeller February 27, 2008
As the world’s economic and security interests become increasingly interconnected, many analysts speculate on what global leadership will emerge throughout the 21st century. This two-part series examines the changing role of the United States in the world‘s economic and security scene. In the first part of the series, Joergen Oerstroem Moeller, visiting senior research fellow with the Institute...

Separatist Movements Seek Inspiration in Kosovo

Stephan Orth February 26, 2008
Kosovo has become a rallying cry for minority rights, autonomy and independence in European states such as Spain and Greece, report Stephan Orth, Nadine Michel and Maike Jansen for Spiegel Online. Perhaps more significant, the writers note, is Kosovo’s symbolism in the ethnically diverse and traditionally less powerful Eastern European and Balkan countries such as Bulgaria, Romania and Cyprus....