In The News

As Baghdad Awaits Aid, Feeling Grows Against U.S.

Jane Perlez April 23, 2003
While the US shifts from war to reconstruction in Iraq, many worries surface. Maintaining stability between the competing Islamic sects of Shia and Sunni is one problem, especially as Iran sends agents to promote its cause amongst Iraqi Shias. Settling the issue of UN involvement and sanctions is another since Russia has asserted that sanctions only be lifted once UN inspectors have confirmed the...

U.S. Officials Consider Ways to Punish France

Brian Knowlton April 23, 2003
The French reacted “brusquely” to recent discussions of consequences for its behavior throughout the Iraq crisis. Countering US Secretary of Defense Colin Powell’s remarks that France would suffer consequences for its opposition in the UN Security Council, French officials stated that they will continue in their commitment to defend international law. Despite this apparent rift, US President...

'Worse than 1967'

Amira Howeidy April 23, 2003
Twenty-nine Egyptian intellectuals have protested Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak’s statement that Saddam Hussein was the cause of the American invasion of Iraq. Instead, this disparate group of thinkers have offered other reasons for the war—the inherent weakness of authoritarian governments, the need for political liberalization in some Arab states, or even the ‘fall’ of Arab power after the...

Hunt for Iraqi Arms Erodes Assumptions

Barton Gellman April 21, 2003
The Bush administration justified the Iraq war on the certainty that the Hussein regime was developing weapons of mass destruction. Now that the war has ended, little evidence has been found to support those claims, leading U.S. officials to call for new search tactics and increased resources. Some analysts worry that if these weapons or the means to produce them are no longer under the control...

Clashing Agendas Threaten Start of North Korea Talks

Doug Struck April 20, 2003
American leadership in the world is being tested in Asia. A Wednesday meeting between the US, China, and North Korea is still on schedule, but it's not clear what – if anything – will come of it. The US wants Pyongyang to give up its nuclear program and re-submit to UN inspections, but observers say that's unlikely unless the US gives something in exchange to North Korea. Within the...

The Perils of Empire

Paul Kennedy April 20, 2003
Historian Paul Kennedy argues that the perception of the United States as the world leader is borne out by its current economic, military and political strength and influence. At this historical juncture, the United States can use its military success in Iraq to push for democratic reforms in Iran, Syria and Saudi Arabia. The United States also aspires to positively affect the conflict between...

New Reality of American Power

Paul Reynolds April 19, 2003
American power is the most important new reality of the 21st century, says Paul Reynolds, world affairs correspondent for the BBC News Online. Despite the continued relevance of alliances and multi-lateral organizations such as the UN, the massive show of force in Iraq should be a warning to all – including North Korea and Iran – that the Washington carries a very, very big stick. While the...