In The News

On NATO's future

Mohamed Sid-Ahmed March 18, 2005
The bipolar geopolitical order of the Cold War is no longer relevant, and one of the major military organizations of that era is preparing to shift its identity accordingly. Al-Ahram Weekly commentator Mohamed Sid-Ahmed opines about the nature of NATO's transformation, and how Arab states – Egypt, in particular – might approach collaboration with the group. Even the name, North Atlantic...

The Piracy Threat to Japan

March 17, 2005
In this age of global trade, the logical arena for international anti-piracy efforts would be intellectual property. Yet after a recent incident of maritime piracy in the Strait of Malacca, the world may be forced to recognize that the sea buccaneers of yore are not a thing of the past. Though the tsunami significantly reduced piracy in local sea lanes, the Malacca Strait remains one of the world...

The Atlantic Divide over Fighting Terrorism

Jonathan Schell March 16, 2005
Spain recently commemorated the first anniversary of the March 11 terrorist train bombings. With an international conference on terrorism and five minutes of nation-wide silence, Spain's conduct one year after the tragedy is markedly different from the US declaration of war in response to 9/11, writes Jonathan Schell. As the world grapples with the terrorist challenge, Spain demonstrates an...

A Global Strategy for Fighting Terrorism

Kofi A. Annan March 15, 2005
UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan proposes a series of five strategies to fight global terror in this article, which is adapted from a public address in Madrid, Spain. The "five D's" include "dissuading" discontented groups from engaging in terrorist tactics; "denying" terrorists the weapons of attack, including nuclear arsenal; "deterring" states from...

A World Without the UN?

Ernesto Zedillo March 14, 2005
Critics of the United Nations point to its failure to intervene in humanitarian crises and to maintain global peace and security. Some claim that the organization has reached its expiration date, that the world no longer needs such an impotent governing body. Yet despite the significant changes in world politics in the last 60 years, collective action among nations is still necessary to assure...

Indian Diplomacy Energized by Search for Oil

Pramit Mitra March 14, 2005
China and India have faced parallel challenges attendant to their booming economies; the most recent is energy security. As Pramit Mitra writes, India will emerge as the fourth-largest energy consumer by 2010. And like China, in its quest to secure adequate resources, India has forged strategic alliances, several of which may render the United States none-too-pleased. On the plus side, India...

China's Latin Influence Is Growing, General Says

Pablo Bachelet March 10, 2005
Recent US sanctions against several Latin American and Caribbean countries may come back to haunt it. US Army General Bantz Craddock testified before a Congressional panel that cuts in military aid may have alienated several countries – and that China has stepped in to fill the void. The Asian giant aggressively pursued economic ties with several Latin American countries, in order to support...