In The News

Schooled For a House of Islam

Noor Huda Ismail August 25, 2005
In analyzing the motives of terrorists who act in the name of global jihad, it is important to understand why many Muslims choose to lead partially secular lives – while others with the same education and background embrace extremism and violence. Educated in one of Indonesia's many Islamic schools, Noor Huda Ismail describes how many of his classmates opted to join a radical movement, Darul...

Russia and China Rattle Sabers with Joint War Games

Tom Parfitt August 19, 2005
Russia and China recently began a series of joint military exercises, marking the countries' first cooperative military action. Officials on both sides explained that the collaboration was designed to protect against international terrorism and provide security for the region and the world. Some analysts believe there are some ulterior motives, but one thing is clear: Russia and China are...

Tehran Is Using Iraq to Steadily Penetrate the Arab World

Kamran Taremi August 18, 2005
Relations between Iran and Iraq have been marked for decades by hostility, erupting most drastically in the infamous and bloody war following the success of Ayatollah Khomeini's Islamic revolution. Now, with a Shiite victory in the Iraqi elections, the two countries have found common ideological ground and have taken steps towards cooperation. An alliance with Iraq would provide Iran with...

Washington Grapples with Uzbekistan's Eviction Notice

Ariel Cohen August 17, 2005
On July 31, Uzbek officials gave the US military six months to vacate the Karshi-Khanabad (K-2) air base. While the eviction does not represent a major setback to US strategic interests, it does highlight the tense political atmosphere in Central Asia. The region, comprised largely of former Soviet republics, has been the focus of a quiet tug-of-war between the United States and Russia – now...

How to Be Weapon-Ready NPT Members

Leonard S. Spector August 16, 2005
The simmering trouble with the North Korean and Iranian nuclear programs has come to a head, raising serious questions about the future of nonproliferation. These two countries' – one former and one current signatory of the nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty (NPT) – new demands that bend, but do not explicitly break, the NPT rules have resulted in a dangerous standoff. Nonproliferation expert...

An Islamic Alienation

David Rieff August 15, 2005
The London bombings perpetrated by native-born Muslims have forced Europeans to take a serious look at the status of the Continent’s Muslim minority. Suggestions that the Muslim alienation is due to anger in Muslim communities over the Iraq war and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, do not provide an adequate answer. Rieff argues that the reasons of alienation run much deeper than this. Europe’...

FBI Sees Big Threat from Chinese Spies; Businesses Wonder

Jay Solomon August 12, 2005
David Szady, assistant director of the FBI's counterintelligence division claims, "China is the biggest (espionage) threat to the US today." Yet, the bureau's recent campaigns to combat Chinese corporate espionage are receiving mixed reactions, at best. The prosecution of several accused workers has led to anger within the Chinese and Chinese-American communities, as well...