In The News

Europe's Second Thoughts on China Embargo

François Godement March 25, 2005
In a bold statement of its foreign policy independence, the European Union recently announced plans to lift the arms embargo on China. Now, leaks from Britain suggest the EU is having second thoughts. Although the European backtracking is seen as the result of US pressure, writes policy analyst François Godement, Europeans have their own reasons to reassess their decision. Any EU decision must...

Is the Turmoil Good or Bad for Israel?

March 23, 2005
Israel's relations with its Middle-Eastern neighbors are constantly shifting and heavily determined by the Palestinian situation. The recent ceasefire and planned Israeli withdrawal from Gaza have led to a similar thaw with other countries in the region. Egypt has seized the chance to assist Israeli-Palestinian peace talks and intends to strengthen economic ties with Israel. And while...

Old Threats, New Opportunities in Tsunami's Wake

Christopher Jasparro March 23, 2005
The Aceh region of Indonesia, among the hardest hit in last year's tsunami disaster, could be a strategic center in Indonesia's battle with terror – and in the larger struggle for security in Southeast Asia, writes Christopher Jasparro. Several groups with differing political aims – Islamic militants, Acehnese separatists, the Indonesian army, and international relief groups – find...

Off to Algeria

Dina Ezzat March 22, 2005
The Arab League will convene in Algeria this week to mark its sixtieth anniversary and develop a common stance on the Syria-Lebanon conflict and other regional problems. Or so the organizers hope. In fact, representatives from the 22 member states disagree on a number of key issues, making consensus unlikely. Although Arab nations are united in supporting Syrian withdrawal from Lebanon, each has...

Kofi Annan Presents Comprehensive Agenda for Reforming the UN

Kofi Annan March 21, 2005
Following the huge row over the Iraq war and the embarrassing oil-for-food scandal, critics and supporters of the United Nations agree that the body is in dire need of reform. Without reform, both sides fear, the UN risks sliding into irrelevance. UN secretary-general Kofi Annan addressed those concerns today, introducing plans for the most sweeping reforms of the UN since its founding in 1945....

Al Qaeda and its Affiliates

David Ronfeldt March 21, 2005
Al Qaeda and its affiliates are operating much like a global tribe waging segmental warfare, writes David F. Ronfeldt, a senior political scientist at the RAND Corporation, in this independently published paper. Ronfeldt describes the dynamics of classic tribes – what drives them, how they organize, how they fight – and argues that Al Qaeda fits this tribal paradigm. The war they are waging...

Bush's Conversion on the Road to Tehran

Philip H. Gordon March 18, 2005
These days, the competition for the title of "World's Most Pressing Nuclear Threat" seems tight. Weeks ago, North Korea stole the show with its admission of nuclear weapons possession; but in the battle for headline primacy, at least, the Iran issue has emerged as this week's winner. The most recent development involves the United States: On March 11, the Bush...