In The News

Bush Administration Launches Latin Outreach Program

Pablo Bachelet September 28, 2004
As the 2004 US presidential elections draw near, the incumbent administration has begun targeting a relatively new constituency: immigrants from Latin America. A series of seminars held by the State Department will brief Central American community organizations on US policies regarding their respective native countries. In addition to warming the voters to the current presidency, government...

Back to Bases

Justin McCurry September 28, 2004
More than a simple holdover from World War II, US troops currently stationed in Japan are a security measure against possible regional conflicts in the Taiwan Strait or in Korea. Civilian residents of Okinawa, home of the largest military base, have long protested the intrusion on their daily life. Recent incidents, including the rape of a young girl by US servicemen and an accidental helicopter...

Tremors of Global Insecurity Reach Shangri-La

Kesang Sherpa September 27, 2004
As the South Asian nation of Nepal has seen, the forces of globalization may be both a blessing and a curse. While open borders helped to develop trade, manufacturing, and tourism as the country's economic pillars, a Maoist insurgency has devastated the country in recent years. Amidst this social and financial crisis, Nepali workers overseas now bear the onus of supporting Nepal's...

Shanghai Cooperation Organization Signs Agreement in Bishkek

Valentinas Mite September 25, 2004
Since the 2001 invasion of Afghanistan, the Bush administration's strategic interest in Central Asia has grown significantly. The region now represents another arena in which the "war on terror" must be waged. Yet the growing influence of the US in Central Asia has alarmed Russia and China, who consider the region their backyard. The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO),...

Running Out of Reasons to Say "No" to Turkey

Philip Robins September 24, 2004
Having inducted ten new members into in May, the European Union (EU) will soon consider Turkey’s case. The EU first granted the candidacy in December 1999, and Turkey immediately set out to meet the accession criteria. In 2002, however, the EU responded to Turkey’s concerted reforms by delaying a decision for two more years. The membership debate commenced within the last six months, leaving the...

Germany Lobbying for UN Seat

September 24, 2004
This past Tuesday, German Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer joined his counterparts in Brazil, Japan, and India in announcing their intention to seek permanent UN seats. Germany's case to join the five permanent members on the Security Council seems compelling: According to Fischer, Germany, in addition to providing substantial funding, contributes the second-largest number of troops to UN...

Even Near Home, a New Front Is Opening in the Terror Battle

Eric Lipton September 23, 2004
Website hosting companies in the US have become the unwitting carriers of terrorist information. Since web postings are hard to trace and can be removed at will, many terrorist groups now use the internet to disseminate information, including specific instructions for carrying out kidnappings and bombings. US prosecutors have begun a controversial campaign to track down - via hosting companies...