In The News

Germany's "Project Cleanup" Could Deport Hundreds of Radical Muslims

Markus Deggerich February 1, 2005
With the passage of a tougher immigration law, Germany is waging its own kind of pre-emptive strike in the war against terror: It will now have the ability to deport people suspected of possibly committing a terrorist act in the future. The burden of proof for deportation will employ a lower standard than the current one. As one government official said, "The fact that someone spent time...

Voting, Not Violence, is the Story for Arab Press

Hassan M. Fattah January 31, 2005
Yesterday's historic elections in Iraq proved, by many accounts, to be a relative success, but the story of the day may be the measured reaction of the Arab press. Popular news outlets Al-Arabiya and Al-Jazeera, who have spent most of the last two years broadcasting images of violence to the Middle East and the rest of the world, took a step back from this type of coverage to provide...

Critics See Hypocrisy in China's Support for Baghdad Elections

Mark Magnier January 28, 2005
China contributed US$1 million to help ensure the success of Iraq's upcoming election this Sunday. But at home, democracy is still something to which leaders have a serious aversion. Chinese officials argue that their country's history provides a tenuous foundation for democracy and that their people are too poor and uneducated to participate in the electoral process. Yet neighboring...

Read My Ears

Thomas L. Friedman January 27, 2005
As President Bush prepares for his visit to Europe next month, he faces widespread criticism across the continent. In this New York Times op-ed, Thomas Friedman writes that Bush has one good option if he wants to truly mend relations: He should talk less and listen more. Most Europeans believe that Bush does not take their opinions seriously enough. According to Friedman, Bush could change...

Preparing for a New Global Threat – Part I

David Heymann January 26, 2005
From the historic Spanish Flu to the recent SARS outbreak, communicable diseases have periodically challenged the world community. SARS was caused by a new strain of coronvirus that was identified and stopped. But the latest threat comes from avian influenza virus of the type that could mutate and pass on to humans. Due to their genetic instability and swift multiplication, influenza viruses are...

Humanitarian Stain

Justin McCurry January 26, 2005
Strict immigration policies in Japan have changed the lives of one Kurdish family - and may have a lasting effect on Japan's relations with the international humanitarian and diplomatic communities. For a decade, the family of seven has been subject to countless obstacles from the Japanese government. After separation, multiple refusals, and deportations, their story became a rallying point...

Putin's Wary Reconciliation

Liliana Proskuryakova January 24, 2005
Although the newly elected Ukraine president Victor Yushchenko arrived in Moscow today in a gesture of reconciliation, Russia's ill-disguised attempt to defeat him in the election has left a bad taste in the mouth. It has not only soured relations between these two historically close partners giving rise to anti-Russian sentiment in Ukraine, but also further complicated Russia's...