In The News

The War on Terror in Southeast Asia Could Hurt Civil Liberties

Sidney Jones December 6, 2002
The war on terror in Southeast Asia has a quickened tempo in the wake of the discovery of a bombing plot in Singapore and the Bali bomb attacks killing nearly 200 people. These heightened anti-terrorist measures come just as countries like Indonesia and the Philippines are emerging from years of despotic rule. According to some observers, already there are worrisome signals that the new...

PAS Gets Tips from Turkey on How to Win Elections

Brendan Pereira December 5, 2002
In our era of super-fast communication and cheap international transportation, even ideas and political strategies are not always wholly domestic. Leaders of an Islamic Malaysian political party just returned home from a trip to Turkey where they consulted with newly-elected Islamic politicians and asked about the secret to political success. "'The victory in Turkey has really inspired...

Turkey Saying No to Accepting G.I.'s in Large Numbers

Michael R. Gordon December 4, 2002
America may be the only superpower left in the world, but it still needs the assistance of other countries to achieve its goals on the world stage. In the latest chapter of the war on terrorism, Turkey’s newly elected government, which has strong Islamic roots, announced its decision to deny access to large numbers of American soldiers in case of war against Iraq. The government reached this...

Pew Survey Finds America’s Global Stature Diminished

December 4, 2002
The globalization of media and the information technology revolution have made American actions visible to the entire world. In a wide-sweeping survey of 38,000 people in 44 countries – a feat accomplished in large part thanks to globalization – the Pew Foundation finds a gloomy image of the US overseas. From the state of American democracy to America's unilateralist stance in the...

Turkey Saying No to Accepting G.I.'s in Large Numbers

Michael R. Gordon December 4, 2002
Turkey’s newly elected government, which has strong Islamic roots, announced its decision to deny access to substantial number of American GI’s in case of war against Iraq. The government reached this decision, officials reported, because of the need to take into consideration public sentiment, even though Turkey considers America to be a very close ally. The agreement is a product of a long...

China Has World's Tightest Internet Censorship, Study Finds

Joseph Kahn December 4, 2002
"Defying predictions that the Internet was inherently too diverse and malleable for state control, China has denied a vast majority of its 46 million Internet users access to information that it feels could weaken its authoritarian power." That's the conclusion of a new survey of internet use in China done by a team of researchers at Harvard University. The six-month study found...

PM: We Will Act Against Those Who Intrude into Our Country

Sim Leoi Leoi December 3, 2002
In the wake of the recent Bali bombing, the US-initiated global war on terrorism has taken unexpected turns in the Asia-Pacific region. Australia's Prime Minister, John Howard, is coming under fire from his Asian neighbors for following the lead of the US and asserting the right to unilateral action against terrorists anywhere. Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad is fuming at the...