In The News

Timetabling Elections

Jihan El-Alaily August 12, 2003
The UN’s senior political advisor on Iraq, Ghassan Salame, is supportive of Iraq’s Interim Governing Council (IGC) and optimistic about US efforts to establish a democracy in the country. In an interview with the prominent Egyptian weekly, Al-Ahram, Salame admonishes Arab nations that criticize the US run interim government, saying they should not pass judgment without "first hand knowledge...

New Activism by African Nations: Joining Forces to Solve Disputes

Marc Lacey August 12, 2003
Charles Taylor resigned the presidency of Liberia yesterday in front of leaders from Nigeria, South Africa, and Ghana. The president of Ghana announced the terms of Taylor's succession, while troops from Nigeria and South Africa stood guard in the city of Monrovia to ensure that the civil war had truly come to a close. Once, says this article in the New York Times, African nations would...

Rogue Nuclear Programs Require Creative Approach

Arch W. Roberts, Jr. August 8, 2003
Iran, Iraq, and North Korea were singled out as comprising George W. Bush's 'axis of evil' for a reason, says nonproliferation expert Arch W. Roberts, Jr. The trio comprises the worst violators of the Non-Proliferation Treaty, an agreement intended to halt the spread of nuclear weapons. To effectively address the threats their nuclear programs pose, Roberts says, traditional...

6-Way Nuclear Talks Might Be Upgraded

Sim Sung-tae August 7, 2003
North Korea finally agreed to multilateral talks last week, raising hopes that the ongoing nuclear crisis in Northeast Asia may soon be resolved. In recognition of the meeting's importance, the six participating countries – including the United States and several of North Korea's neighbors – are planning to send representatives at the vice-ministerial level rather than the bureau...

Jakarta Blast May Deter New Investors

John Burton August 7, 2003
Before this week's bombing of the Marriott Hotel in Jakarta, Indonesia's economy had been steadily recovering from the 1997 Asian financial crisis, and foreign investors have been arriving in droves. Singaporean companies in particular have been attracted to the country because of increased political stability and a lack of ties to the US economy. The Indonesian government has courted...

Warning to Megawati, message to U.S.

Derwin Pereira August 6, 2003
The terrorist group, Jemaah Islamiah, targeted the Jakarta branch of the American owned Marriot Hotel in their attack yesterday as a joint warning to the United States and Indonesia, says this article in Singapore's Straits Times. By targeting American interests on Indonesian soil, the group sent a powerful message to both countries that the network remained strong and that there would be...

Knock, Knock…Who's There? Many Migrants!

Joseph Chamie August 5, 2003
All people have the right to leave their country, writes Joseph Chamie, Director of the United Nations Population Division, but they do not have the right to enter another without permission. As population growth soars in the developing world, this apparent contradiction is creating a dilemma for developed countries, which are being inundated with illegal migrants. According to Chamie, the...