In The News

Making Innocents Pay for Other's Sins

October 6, 2004
The continually fragile security situation in Iraq has bred a climate of fear for most foreigners present there. Soldiers, journalists, and independent civilian workers have all been the victims of kidnappings by insurgent groups in Iraq. Some of the kidnapped make it back to their countries or families, but many abductions have ended in execution, complete with grisly recordings. In light of the...

Lack of Arabic Speakers is a Crack in US Security

Daniel Sneider October 5, 2004
The growing realities of world geopolitics have given non-traditional languages an elevated profile in the US-waged war on terrorism. The recent revelation that over 123,000 hours of FBI-collected audiotapes of terrorist "chatter" had been left untranslated has further sparked a movement toward developing competent translation and cultural agents. The US Army's Defense Language...

Turkey: EU Reports Pave Way for Qualified Approval of Entry Talks

Ahto Lobjakas October 4, 2004
For over a decade, Turkey has tried to force the issue of its accession into the European Union (EU) onto the agenda of the European Commission. With the recent release of two draft progress reports, serious discussions seem imminent. While the reports laud the country's social and political reforms, Turkey still fails to meet certain entry requirements. At issue are the country's...

Making Globalization Work for All

Jeffrey D. Sachs October 2, 2004
When world leaders met at the UN’s Millennium Assembly four years ago, they laid out ambitious proposals to alleviate global poverty, hunger, disease, and illiteracy. Yet in spite of a rhetorical commitment to development, says economist Jeffrey Sachs, rich nations like the US have been unwilling to commit the necessary aid. Much of the developing world is experiencing rising poverty and needs...

States Pressing for Right to Set Shopping Hours

William Pratt October 1, 2004
Most Americans take for granted that they can stop by their local mini-mart anytime, day or night. Now, some German officials want their citizens to enjoy the same simple convenience – but not on Sundays. The idea of allowing stores to stay open 24 hours a day, six days a week represents one of the latest plans aimed at unlocking the legal padlock on German store owners. This effort, led by the...

Where Did All the Jobs Go? Nowhere

Daniel W. Drezner September 29, 2004
The issue of outsourcing has figured quite prominently in US electoral politics this year. Despite the headlines and political rhetoric, points out political scientist Daniel Drezner, outsourcing is really a minor issue, accounting for less than one percent of mass layoffs last year. Technological innovation has a far larger impact on the American job market, though few pundits argue that...

Fifty Dollar Oil

September 29, 2004
Forecast violence in the Niger Delta recently startled an already jumpy oil market. The double-punch of this insurgency and other negative news has brought the cost of oil in the United States close to US$50 per barrel, the highest price recorded to date. Why the extraordinary spike? Oil traders may be partially to blame. Opec nations, who import in foreign currency, may have difficulty...