In The News

Anti-Terror Fight Has to Be a Marathon Run on Wilsonian Principle, Not Cheap Oil

Thomas L. Friedman February 8, 2003
Who were the September 11 hijackers? What impelled them to bring about "such a bursting of the frontiers of civilization"? Thomas L. Friedman, the foreign affairs columnist at The New York Times and author of "The Lexus and the Olive Tree," spent the last fourteen months traveling to find answers to these questions. In an address at Yale University, he offered his personal...

Schröder's back is against the wall

Elise Kissling February 7, 2003
Behind-the-scenes maneuvering by Great Britain, Spain, and several eastern European states has left France and Germany the only major EU opponents of war in Iraq. If France abandons German Chancellor Gerhard Schroder during the next UN war resolution vote, Schroder will be on his own in Europe. Schroder must maintain the support of antiwar Germans while earning the backing of his own Christian...

A Scary Thought: Loose Nukes in North Korea

Ashton B. Carter February 6, 2003
Until recently, North Korea’s plutonium, used to make nuclear weapons, was contained at one site. Now the material is being moved, possible to the couintry’s many caves, where it will be hard to find and destroy. This is only the beginning of the imminent threat posed by the country’s nuclear program. North Korea could sell some of its weapons material, or the material could fall into the wrong...

Preemptive Strikes

February 6, 2003
The rhetoric of the Bush administration about American might and rights may have greatly changed the balance of the international system. In an interview with the BBC, North Korea's Foreign Ministry deputy director, Ri Pyong-gap, says that if more US troops move into Northeast Asia, Pyongyang could make a preemptive strike. "A preemptive attack is not something only the United States...

Lessons from History: Globalization Then and Now

Harold James February 5, 2003
The debate about globalization has changed since September 11th. Princeton University history professor Harold James points out that the terrorist attacks have led to calls for more controls on the free flow of capital, goods, and people, while the Enron scandal has sparked debates about regulation of business practices. Citing numerous historical parallels, James shows how such responses to the...

Pyongyang's Aims Hidden by Veil of Rhetoric

Andrew Ward February 5, 2003
North Korea, often referred to as “the world’s most secretive state”, is distrusted by both South Korea and the United States, who point to the country’s extensive anti-American propaganda within its borders as well as its deceptive statements to outsiders. Even its action are difficult to judge, as some U.S. intelligence officials believe Pyongyang's recent apparent moves to re-start a...

‘Iraq is not so far taking that one last chance' – Colin Powell

Colin Powell February 5, 2003
In a wide-ranging speech, U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell outlines the case against Iraq. His conclusion: Iraq is in further material breach of previous UN resolutions. Providing satellite photos, tape recordings, and human intelligence, Powell says Iraq has misled inspectors, mislaid information, and misplaced weapons of mass destruction (WMD). But more worrying than this, according to...