In The News

In the Absence of Will

Ibrahim Nafie May 9, 2003
The rapid success of the US in the Iraq War shocked many in the Arab world, says this article in Egypt's Al-Ahram Weekly. But what are the lessons to be learned? Commentator Ibrahim Nafi writes that Arab unity cannot emerge by simply updating old agreements. What's required, he says, is genuine, active engagement with the needs of Arab people as a whole, and that must start with...

Will Vajpayee's Gambit Pay Off?

Edward Luce May 8, 2003
Can a military victory in one part of the world promote peace in another? A writer of the Financial Times thinks that may be happening. With the Iraq War over, India and Pakistan are assessing the long-term impact of the American victory. Although India publicly opposed the war, its leaders may not dislike the message that an American victory sends to countries supporting Islamic terrorists....

New U.S. Concerns on Iran's Pursuit of Nuclear Arms

Steven R. Weisman May 8, 2003
After having dealt with one of the “Axis of Evil” countries Washington is now focusing on the other two- Iran and North Korea. While North Korea’s public threat about its nuclear program has got it the world’s spotlight, the US is concerned that Iran’s quiet work on its nuclear weapon program is not receiving sufficient attention. Iran’s clandestine effort to build a large uranium enrichment...

The Fallout from the Iraq War

Barry Rubin May 7, 2003
During the Iraq War, media reports on American 24-hour news networks mainly reflected the views of US journalists 'embedded' with the US military. In the Middle East, however, Arab-language networks such as Al-Jazeera presented a starkly different image and interpretation of how things were going on the ground. Middle East scholar Barry Rubin writes that regional media led Arab...

North Korea's Missile Trade Helps Fund Its Nuclear Program

Bertil Lintner May 5, 2003
A New York Times article on May 5 says that “tacitly acknowledging that North Korea may not be deterred from producing plutonium for nuclear weapons, President Bush is now trying to marshal international support for preventing the country from exporting nuclear material.” While preventing the export of nuclear material has emerged as the top priority the US government is also considering how to...

Europe's Identity Crisis

Steven Erlanger May 5, 2003
Europe's left wing has given the right a boost. Popular liberal fears of Americanization and "coca-colonization" have fostered the belief that individual cultures are in danger of extinction. And France's extreme right is exploiting this pervasive anxiety in the current presidential elections. Though Jacques Chirac is sure to win ultimately, the neo-fascist Jean-Marie Le...

Iraqi Nuclear Site Is Found Looted

Barton Gellman May 4, 2003
A specially trained US Defense Department team inspected a major Iraqi radioactive waste repository and discovered that the site had been severely looted. Computers, furniture and equipment appear to have been looted by Iraqi civilians since the beginning of US led military action. However, US authorities remain uncertain as to who might have taken the nuclear materials and why. On site...