In The News

America in Africa: Addressing a Mix of Islam and Oil

Ricardo Rene Laremont February 6, 2007
Amidst the lingering turbulence in the Middle East, US policymakers look to Africa as an alternative source of petroleum. Washington has launched military training operations in a number of African nations in an effort to combat Islamic terrorism and secure oil supplies. While there is no doubt that such military investments are necessary in the post-9/11 world, Ricardo Rene Laremont expresses...

Obama's International Background an Asset, Not a Flaw

Donald K. Emmerson February 5, 2007
Global exchange of all sorts is a prerequisite for the future, and parents should prepare their children. An international education – attending public school with ordinary children, not cloistered away with children of the elite – can be the best preparation for a global career and an antidote for racism, xenophobia or other forms of social tension. Isolationists in the US try to stoke fear of...

Climate Panel Issues Urgent Warning to Curb Gases

Elisabeth Rosenthal February 2, 2007
Human activities are almost certainly the main cause of global warming since 1950 and immediate action will only blunt some of the damage, reports the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Humans must strive for conservation and slow use of carbon-based fuels, such as oil and gas. Severe weather patterns, deteriorating habitats and species decline are accelerating as a result of climbing...

A Global Mission for China and America

Robert Zoellick February 1, 2007
Cooperation and fair play do more to promote mutual and global prosperity than bickering or conflict. Former US Trade Representative Robert Zoellick points out seven concrete steps that China and its economic partners can take to ensure sustainable, responsible growth that minimizes harm both inside of China and outside. Among his recommendations, Zoellick proposes more international private-...

India: Poverty Retreats with Globalization’s Advance

Baldev Raj Nayar February 1, 2007
As globalization gained speed during the latter part of the 20th century, so too did India’s integration with the world economy. Baldev Raj Nayar, emeritus professor of political science at McGill University, counters critics who suggest that globalization has increased instability or poverty. By opening the door to multinational firms, India strengthened and diversified the country’s economy. He...

Democrats Give Bush the Business on Trade

Peter S. Goodman February 1, 2007
To avoid petty special-interest confrontations, the US Congress can extend authority to the president to negotiate trade deals. Congress retains final approval, voting yes or no on deals negotiated by the president. But a Democratic Congress at odds with the Republican president has demanded guarantees on labor and environmental protections in any future negotiations. Otherwise, Congress will...

With Iran Ascendant, US Is Seen at Fault

Anthony Shadid January 31, 2007
The US invasion of Iraq four years ago was supposed to spread democracy throughout the Middle East – not strengthen Iran. Arab allies to the US resent Iran’s growing influence in Palestine, Lebanon, Iraq and Afghanistan. Iran is one of the few Shiite-dominated nations in a world where almost 9 out of every 10 Muslims are Sunnis. Much of the violence in Iraq stems from bitter conflict between the...