In The News

A Revolution in American Nuclear Policy

Jonathan Schell May 27, 2005
In this editorial, Jonathan Schell calls attention to "a revolution in US nuclear policy" – a revolution that was virtually ignored by the media. For the first time, the US president has the capability to launch a pinpoint nuclear strike anywhere in the world within a few hours. Why has President Bush sought a nuclear program that is sure to encourage proliferation elsewhere? In...

Arab Satellite Television and Democracy in the Arab World

S. Abdallah Schleifer May 13, 2005
The history of televised news in the Middle East is a checkered yet fascinating one, writes S. Abdallah Schleifer of the Foreign Policy Research Institute. Early news broadcasts relied upon a simple regurgitation of state activity – presidents giving prepared speeches, inaugurating some new public work, or returning from a trip abroad – providing little analysis or variety. Stock footage paired...

Preparing for the Next Pandemic

Michael T. Osterholm, Ph.D, M.P.H. May 5, 2005
Periodic influenza outbreaks over the past few centuries have resulted in high mortality and enormous damage. Unfortunately, according to Dr. Michael T. Osterholm, the world is still grossly under-prepared to cope with such pandemics. Recent concerns over the possibility of a large avian flu outbreak mean that this global lack of response capability to public health crises is an urgent problem....

More Creative Thinking Needed On Drug R&D

Priya Shetty May 4, 2005
Countries worldwide are investing more and more in research and development on diseases and drugs to fight them. But few of these projects are aimed at illnesses afflicting the world's poorest regions – illnesses which account for widespread death and devastation. A major reason for this neglect is the patent system, which prioritizes duplication over innovation; new global intellectual...

Terrorism and the Computer

Mohamed Sid-Ahmed April 26, 2005
This month's bombing in Cairo's Islamic Al-Azhar quarter illustrates the degree to which technology and terrorism are growing in concert. The man who detonated the bomb, Hassan Raafat Basha, was an engineering student who spent hours on his computer, a member of a generation that is no stranger to technology. Bashandi's attack may well have been ordered by a hidden terrorist...

Susilo Wants Asia, Africa to Lead Energy Revolution

Leony Aurora April 19, 2005
Speaking before the upcoming Asian-African Summit, Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono called on leaders from the two continents to initiate increased use of renewable energy. High investment costs and limited incentives make renewable energy a tough sell across the region. Yet as conventional energy resources decline, nations are increasingly engaged in conflict over resource-rich...

Untapped Potential: US Science and Technology Cooperation with the Islamic World

Michael A. Levi April 19, 2005
The US relationship with the Islamic world, particularly the problem of terrorism, is a crucial issue. In order to combat terrorism, says this Brookings Institution report, the US must enact policies that address the causes of radicalism, improve the perception of the US in Muslim eyes, and drain support for terrorists in Islamic society. Although there is widespread hostility towards the US in...