In The News

Post-election America Is a Deeply Divided Nation

January 24, 2005
President George Bush’s inauguration last week ushered in a second term that seems poised for deep divisions in both the domestic and foreign arena. The Pew Research Center has released the results of polling about US public opinion in the wake of 9/11 and a highly contentious election. The survey showed a remarkably partisan voting population. Despite the tight race, the report concludes that...

New Bush Policy Not to Affect Ties with Pakistan

Anwar Iqbal January 24, 2005
In his inauguration speech from last Thursday, President Bush echoed the theme of his first term in linking US foreign policy to the spread of freedom and democracy. Bush spoke forcefully throughout, declaring the end of tyranny to be the ultimate goal of the United States. Despite the tone of the speech, top Bush officials have assured foreign leaders that it marks no change in relations with...

Fried Rice

M.J. Akbar January 23, 2005
During her confirmation hearings with the Senate Foreign Relations committee last week, US Secretary of State nominee Condoleeza Rice said that the Bush administration had a “contingency plan” in the event of a coup in Pakistan. She implied that if something “happened” to President Pervez Musharraf, and “Islamic fundamentalists” obtained access to Pakistan’s nuclear weapons, the United States...

AIDS: Facing the Second Wave

Pramit Mitra January 20, 2005
As AIDS starts to spread into "second-wave" countries, governments and health organizations alike are struggling to find the most effective ways to cope with the pandemic. Pramit Mitra examines India's challenges in confronting the disease, noting lessons other countries can garner from India's experience. With the second largest infected population in the world – at 4.58...

Poverty Breeds Insecurity

January 19, 2005
At the United Nations Millennium Summit in September 2000, world leaders placed development at the heart of the global agenda by adopting the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), which set clear targets for reducing poverty, hunger, disease, illiteracy, environmental degradation, and discrimination against women by 2015. To devise a plan for implementation and recommend strategies for developing...

Spies Are Us: Interest in Arabic Soars

Benjamin Sutherland January 19, 2005
The skyrocketing number of American and Europeans studying the Arabic language is a trend affecting relations between Arabic-speaking lands and the rest of the world. While some Arabic students seek business opportunities, the majority aim for language proficiency to obtain work in some political or governmental capacity. The students recognize the need for advanced speakers by US and European...

Russia Faces Foreign Policy Debate for 2005

Igor Torbakov January 18, 2005
The Ukraine elections debacle was the most recent Russian foreign policy misstep. And according to this EurasiaNet commentary, the Kremlin now faces some important policy decisions. As its influence throughout the Caucasus and Central Asia wanes, the Putin administration may be losing the battle for regional influence – and its primary competitor is the West. Experts, however, disagree as to...