In The News

U.S. Set to Get Tougher on Cuba

Nancy San Martin February 10, 2004
As part of its ongoing battle to isolate the communist regime of Fidel Castro, the United States plans to crack down on companies and people that do business with Cuba in contravention of US law. The US Treasury Department has identified ten Cuban companies that have helped US citizens travel to Cuba without the proper licenses as well as deliver goods via the Internet. At the urging of the White...

Lessons from an Unpunished Crime in Pakistan

Michael Krepon February 9, 2004
When A. Q. Khan, the 'father of Pakistan's nuclear bomb', spoke publicly last week, he urged the world to believe that only he - not his president or his country's government - was responsible for selling technology and know-how to aspiring bomb makers in Libya, North Korea, and Iran. Yet despite Khan's best efforts, says nuclear arms expert Michael Krepon, his story...

AQ Khan Issue Settled: Jamali

February 9, 2004
Four days ago, Pakistani President Musharraf pardoned nuclear scientist Dr. Abdul Qadeer Khan, called him a national hero, and declared that Pakistan would not allow International Atomic Energy Agency inspectors to inspect its nuclear sites. Several members of Musharraf's government have praised his stance on the 'AQ Khan issue' - in which the chief designer of Pakistan's...

At Least 7 Nations Tied To Pakistani Nuclear Ring

Peter Slevin February 7, 2004
US and Pakistani intelligence officials recently denounced the founder of Pakistan's nuclear program Dr. Abdul Qadeer Khan for illegally trading nuclear technology to other nations. After Dr. Khan's confession, officials now find themselves confronted with the terrible realizations this new information. Dr. Khan's network to sell nuclear materials seems to have extended to, at...

The Underbelly of Globalisation

Tony Woodley February 7, 2004
17 men and 2 women from China died off Morecambe Bay in northwest England when they were out picking cockles (bivalve mollusks found in wet sand). "This is not a migration issue. It is an exploitation issue." says Tony Woodley, general secretary of the UK's Transport and General Workers' Union. He criticizes both the "reckless employers" who benefit most from hiring...

Thai Credibility Shattered by Deceit

February 7, 2004
When David Byrne, EU Commissioner for Health and Consumer Protection, visited Thailand in mid-January to discuss agriculture and trade issues, his meeting with Thai leaders was considered a mutual success. At the time, Byrne had said EU food safety regulations posed no barrier and that the European market is a lucrative one for Thai exporters. Thai officials gave Byrne the impression that all...

Democrat Hopefuls, Lawmakers Denounce Outsourcing

February 7, 2004
The outsourcing of high-tech jobs to the developing world has become a potent issue in U.S. electoral politics. As job growth remains stagnant, politicians are turning on corporations that outsource to save money and evade American taxes. John Kerry, the frontrunner for the Democratic presidential nomination, has criticized CEOs who move “profits and jobs overseas”. US politicians from both...