In The News

Bush at the Rubicon

Strobe Talbott January 23, 2003
US President George W. Bush seems to have his heart set on going to war against Iraq. No matter what entreaties for patience are offered, he appears more convinced than ever that military action to bring down Saddam Hussein is the only way to ensure Iraq will not threaten the world with biological and chemical weapons. – YaleGlobal

Divided over War

January 22, 2003
It appears that American unilateralism may rear its head again. In its coverage of the conflict with Iraq, the UK's Economist magazine says "As a massive military build-up continues in the Gulf, France and Germany say they cannot support American military action to topple Saddam Hussein. Russia says it believes the decision to attack Iraq has already been made." France is hinting...

Globalization and the Middle East: Part One

Barry Rubin January 16, 2003
Globalization has been heralded both as the savior and the damnation of the world. Especially the attitude of Islamic countries towards all that globalization brings has been a matter of intense debate. In the first of two-part series, Middle East scholar Barry Rubin argues that unlike regions like Latin America or East Asia the Islamic nations of the Middle East have responded negatively to...

Europe at a Snail's Pace

January 15, 2003
The European Union's experiment in supra-national government continues to face challenges from divergent national-level political and economic interests. This article in the UK's Economist says that yesterday's meeting between France's president and Germany's chancellor "sealed agreement between the two leaders on how the newly enlarged Union… will be governed....

A Discussion On Ethical Globalization

January 15, 2003
Is globalization unethical? That seems to be the view of many critics of globalization. Former President of Ireland and former United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Mary Robinson is taking an initiative to address that concern. The Ethical Globalization Initiative that she directs seeks to integrate human rights norms and standards into a more ethical globalization process and to...

Koizumi Visits Energy-Rich Russian Region, Seeking Oil

James Brooke January 13, 2003
Search for a secure source of energy has been a major concern for industry-rich, resource-poor Japan. It is a concern that has been further heightened by growing insecurity in the world and rising tension in the Middle East -- its principal energy source. A new geopolitical concern about competition from a rising China has now been added to Japan’s foreign policy calculations. In a diplomatic...

Illegal Migration in the 21st Century

Bertil Lintner January 10, 2003
Globalization is often described in terms of increased 'flows' or 'movements' of money, ideas, or goods. But the movement of people across national borders remains highly regulated and a point of major contention between many countries. Governments of rich industrialized nations spend billions of dollars each year to control inflows of poorer people seeking greater economic...