In The News

Quo Vadis America?

Immanuel Wallerstein July 13, 2004
The world has long been divided between those who hail the US as a leader of global forces for human freedom and those who see it as an imperialist power. It is only recently, however, under the presidency of George W. Bush, that those who had negative feelings about the US were mostly citizens of Western countries, including the US itself. Social theorist Immanuel Wallerstein argues that an...

US Troop Pullout Will Hit South Korean Economy

Lee Tee Jong July 13, 2004
Plans to slash the number of American troops stationed in South Korea may have adverse economic effects on an already ailing local economy. Though a timetable has not yet been set, the current troop presence of 37,000 is to be cut by 12,500. The withdrawal, says this article in Singapore's Straits Times, will likely result in a loss of jobs by thousands of Koreans employed by the US and...

Japan's Equivocal Defence Posture

July 13, 2004
Japan’s most recent defense report states that the greatest threats to Japanese security are diffuse and include terrorism and the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. As such, the new Defense White Paper recommends Tokyo pursue regional cooperation. At the same time, however, the paper also cites regional powers such as North Korea, China, and Russia as potential security threats. By...

Schröder's Agenda

Aaron Kirchfeld July 9, 2004
During NATO’s Istanbul Summit from June 28 to 29, member countries agreed to expand the alliance’s presence in Afghanistan and consented to take on a training role for officers of the new Iraqi army. On both accounts, however, NATO’s commitment fell short of what was hoped for by the US, perpetuating the feeling that a rift has developed between the US, on one side, and France and Germany on the...

U.S. Is seen Losing Its Moral Authority

Thomas Fuller July 5, 2004
Many diplomats, academics, and human rights groups claim that recent American policies and blunders have “eroded the moral leadership that Washington has pursued without embarrassment for years.” Citing the Iraq war, prisoner detention at Guantánamo Bay, the promulgation of the Patriot Act, and the Abu Ghraib prison scandal, critics charge that America’s newly tarnished image has harmed its...

Security Above All

July 2, 2004
With the coming into force of a United Nations-initiated shipping code a new barrier has been erected in global trading. The International Ships and Port Facility Security Code which was adopted by the UN members in 2002 requires countries to undertake security measures to prevent terrorist use of international shipping. This editorial in a South African newspaper echoes the mixed reaction the...

Blair: NATO Lacks Sense of Urgency

Matthew Tempest June 30, 2004
With the handover of sovereignty to Iraq now officially complete, UK Prime Minister Tony Blair is calling on NATO to step up to the plate. In Iraq and Afghanistan, Blair said today, the transatlantic alliance must act soon and show resolve to build a peaceful and democratic polity. Currently, he said, NATO "lacked the right sense of urgency" in these two hot spots. Lamenting the fact...