In The News

Let's Face the New “Core Facts”

Roger Cohen November 15, 2007
The United States attempts to exercise global leadership in a world that has changed dramatically in recent years. With the spread of new technologies to developing nations has come an explosion of information from sources other than Voice of America. With such a wide range of options and rapidly growing anti-Americanism, disaffected people in the Middle East and elsewhere see little reason to...

How Not to Repeat the Mistakes of the Kyoto Protocol

Scott Barrett November 14, 2007
Most countries recognize the need for a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions. But for any climate treaty to succeed at reducing emissions, all countries – especially the big emitters – must participate. Otherwise, trade leakage will result, as emitting industries concentrate in the nations with the fewest restrictions. For such reasons, the Kyoto Protocol to the UN Framework Convention on...

Asia's Space Race

Dingli Shen November 13, 2007
Nearly four decades after the first man walked on the moon, Asia's major powers hurry in their own space race. China and Japan both recently launched spacecraft to the moon, and India has sent satellites into orbit since 1975. The latest missions and future ambitions raise eyebrows, particularly since China's January 2007 test, in which a rocket was used to destroy an old weather...

Emergency for Pakistan – and the World

Ahmed Rashid November 12, 2007
The United States has long considered Pakistani President-General Pervez Musharraf an essential ally in its war on terror and provides more than $1 billion in annual foreign aid, most of which goes to the military for fighting terrorism. But Pakistan’s constitution prohibits Musharraf, who took office by coup in 1999, from serving another term as president while also serving as army chief. With...

India Holds Its Tongue on Pakistan

Amelia Gentleman November 9, 2007
India and Pakistan have engaged in three wars and ample animosity since 1947, when the two nations achieved independence from Great Britain. But the relationship between the two nuclear powers improved since 2004, with the start of peace talks, and so India’s response to recent turmoil in Pakistan has been cautious. Constitutional crisis has erupted in Pakistan as General Pervez Musharraf...

Dialogue of Democracy: Indian Muslims Visit Israel

Tufail Ahmad November 7, 2007
Many Muslim nations, including Indonesia, Bangladesh and Malaysia, decline diplomatic relations with Israel, and the president of Iran has gone so far as to call for eradication of Israel. Yet refusing to meet with an opponent is not statesmanship. Last August, a visit of Indian Muslims to Israel was the first of its kind, meant to nurture a connection based on democracy. Muslims in India have...

Meet the New Boss, Same as the Old Boss

Paula Newberg November 6, 2007
Pervez Musharraf, Pakistan's president and army commander, declared martial law on November 3, 2007, anticipating the country's highest court ruling that he may not hold those two posts simultaneously. Some analysts call this his second coup. By shutting down media, lining streets with soldiers, arresting opposition politicians, suspending rights, firing the chief justice of the...