In The News

Relax, Democrats Might Not Be So Protectionist After All

Edward Gresser November 14, 2006
Pundits worldwide suggest that Democratic control of the US Senate and House of Representatives after the November 7 election spells doom for free trade. But the Democratic Party has a tradition of economic internationalism, beginning with presidents such as Woodrow Wilson who served from 1913 to 1921. The party’s leaders have put forward a domestic agenda that aims at calming the anxiety of...

Tripping on the Tightrope

Graham Usher November 13, 2006
Citizens of Muslim countries increasingly question who exactly are the targets in the US-led “war on terror.” In late October, three US-made missiles struck a madrassa in Bajaur, not far from the border of Afghanistan, killing more than 75 men under the age of 20. US and Pakistan leaders insisted the religious school was a training site for suicide bombers. Pakistani citizens suspect that the US...

Protectionist Stance Is Gaining Clout

Gregg Hitt November 13, 2006
With Democrats in charge of Congress, a protectionist sentiment could envelope Washington, DC, with politicians eager to prove that they are protecting US borders, firms, jobs and wages. The business community spent large sums to defeat candidates opposed to business interests: Executives identify protectionism as the biggest threat to growth after terrorism, and the US Chamber of Commerce spent...

The Al Qaeda Challenge

November 10, 2006
Intelligence officers in the UK have investigated 200 extremist networks operating in the UK and thwarted at least five terrorist attacks since the London bus bombings in summer 2005. Many suspects are British citizens, and public officials reflect on their society and its policies, trying to determine why so many British youth join extremist causes. Statistics released by MI5 Security Service...

Bad Trade-Off

Stuart Anderson November 10, 2006
Analysts anticipate that a US Congress controlled by Democrats will scrutinize and even stall free-trade agreements. Under Democrats, Congress will probably not extend the Republican president’s fast-track authority for approving trade agreements, which expires in July 2007. Democrats criticized the Bush administration for allowing manufacturing firms to invest in overseas plants, particularly...

Viewed From Chinese Border, North Korea Is More Curiosity Than Threat

Lauren Keane November 9, 2006
Beijing has declared its official opposition to the nuclear tests conducted by North Korea and even responded to international calls to impose partial economic sanctions on its historic ally. Despite their government’s seemingly forceful reaction, however, the Chinese people seem largely unconcerned about a nuclear North Korea. Many cite the historically friendly relationship between the two...

Unifying the UN

Shaukat Aziz November 9, 2006
An increasingly interconnected world cannot withstand enormous inequality. An overhaul of the UN system is in order or the international body will be marginalized, warn prime ministers from Pakistan, Mozambique and Norway, who were charged by the UN secretary general to offer recommendations on improving policies in three key areas: sustainable development, response to world crises and...