In The News

Controlling the Flow

Gamal Nkrumah June 27, 2003
In the same week that European Union (EU) leaders met in Thessaloniki, Greece to discuss migration issues, a vessel carrying African migrants trying to enter Europe sank off the coast of Tunisia, killing some 70 people. This was one of the many vessels operated by illegal immigrant-trafficking gangs in Northern Africa who carry Africans to Mediterranean coastlines. Ironically, top on the agenda...

Asia Throws a New Challenge to Washington

Michael Richardson June 25, 2003
Burma's repression of democracy advocates like Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi has won the country infamy in the international human rights community. Even after allowing a free election a decade ago, the military junta that runs Burma ignored the results and refused to give up power. Another brutal crackdown on opposition just weeks ago has brought the country back into the international...

The Selling of the Iraq War

John B Judis June 25, 2003
The first casualty of the Iraq War was intelligence agencies, particularly the CIA, says this article in the New Republic. Another casualty, albeit facing a slower death, may prove to be America’s trust in the decisions of their leaders. According to this article, the Bush Administration misrepresented information about weapons programs, fabricated terrorist links, and suppressed internal...

Hundreds Rally in Aceh Gasfield to Demand Extension of Contracts

June 25, 2003
Residents of Indonesia's Aceh province now fear unemployment in the midst of war and military rule. Oil giant ExxonMobil, which employs about 3000 people in the rebel province, announced that it will not be renewing contracts with up to 1200 workers "due to declining gas production and substantially reduced activities." Amidst the instability of military activity and martial law...

Cargo Ship Raided by Greece Was Going to Sudanese Capital

Frank Bruni June 24, 2003
Greek officials detained a ship carrying several hundred tons of explosives bound for Sudan this weekend. The ship, with a crew of five Ukrainians and two Azerbaijanis, went undetected by marine officials as well as US anti-terrorism intelligence for over six weeks - departing from Albania, collecting its cargo in Tunisia, and stopping in Istanbul - before Greece detained it in response to a tip...

Friends with the Dragon

C.V. Ranganathan June 24, 2003
Indian Prime Minister A.B. Vajpayee’s visit to China has attracted the world's attention. Many are hopeful that a mutual agreement can be reached to thaw cold political relations of the past. In this opinion piece in Outlook India, C.V. Ranganathan, a former Indian ambassador to China, emphasizes the importance of more mutual understanding and cooperation between the two countries....

Insecurity Drives WMD Proliferation – ElBaradei

Roula Khalaf June 23, 2003
After Iraq, Iran has become the new focus in the Middle East. With the US insisting that Iran has been active in building weapons of mass destruction (WMD), UN weapons inspection teams have been called upon to verify the allegations. Mohamed ElBaradei, the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), says a twofold measure is necessary to effectively diffuse the crisis. While continuing...