In The News

The Spider's Web

Georg Mascolo September 4, 2006
The secretary general of the Arab League once warned that a war in Iraq would open "the door to hell." As hundreds of civilians die in the Middle East each week, the US struggles to control Iraq, Europe waits on the sidelines and Israel remains anxious about its long-term survival. As the world grows weary with conflict, Iran patiently waits. Even without nuclear bombs in hand, Iran,...

Will Oil Impose US-Iranian Reconciliation?

Hani Asfour September 1, 2006
After the US invasion of Iraq and then the invasion of Lebanon, speculation abounded about possible war between the West and Iran. Diplomacy experts in Europe and the US urge the Bush administration to open negotiations with Iran about ending the latter’s nuclear research and disarming Hezbollah in Lebanon – as well as ensure world energy supplies. Author Hani Asfour argues that the US has ample...

Why Globalization Is in Trouble – Part II

Branko Milanovic August 31, 2006
Globalization has spurred inequality – both among citizens in the wealthiest countries as well as among nations of the developing world. The second of this two-part series by Branco Milanovic explores the growing resentment as only a few poor countries adjust to globalization. China and India compete globally, and yet only a fraction of their citizens prosper. Increasing inequality between rural...

Fruit of the Boom Threatens to Push China's Economy Out of Control

Jonathan Watts August 31, 2006
China has had spectacular growth, so spectacular that consumers cannot keep up. Luxury apartments in Shanghai remain vacant. Overbuilding and overvaluation, combined with increased debt, have contributed to an overheated economy. Not accountable to voters, provincial governments compete to create building booms and demonstrate accomplishments. Supply exceeds demand for about 70 percent of China’s...

Civil War Returns to Sri Lanka

Rüdiger Falksohn August 31, 2006
For more than 20 years, the Tamil Tigers have fought to establish their own state in Sri Lanka. Representing about 18 percent of the small island’s population, the largely Hindu group suffered persecution for years before signing a treaty with the Sri Lankan government in 2002. Not long after the December 2004 tsunami, brutal ethnic violence broke out with assassinations and bombings of schools...

Precious Wetlands Rapidly Disappearing

Hiroaki Sato August 30, 2006
Some deride wetlands as swamps, and others regard them as invaluable habitat providing a buffer during floods, a system that contributes to climate moderation and a habitat for diverse wildlife. The US Clean Water Act was supposed to prevent the discharge of pollutants into rivers, lakes and coastal waters of that nation – and later expanded to include wetlands. In 1988, US Congress devised a...

Pakistan's Awkward Balancing Act on Islamic Militant Groups

Pamela Constable August 30, 2006
Pakistan presents itself as an ally in the US war on terror, but looks the other way when it comes to groups who instigate attacks in Afghanistan and India. But that two-sided approach could become more challenging as more evidence emerges of Pakistani links to recent cases: the July bombing of a commuter train in Bombay and the August arrest of British citizens who planned to bomb airlines over...