In The News

What a Howler

December 9, 2002
Australian Prime Minister John Howard said recently that he favors preemptive strikes against terrorists in Asian nations, unleashing a flood of criticism from within Australia and without. This commentary in Singapore's Straits Times argues that the notion of preemption must be examined by the international community. The United Nations must be consulted before preemptive strikes occur...

Immigrants Stoke Fears in New Delhi

Nirmal Ghosh December 9, 2002
Porous borders allow useful goods and new ideas to travel the world, but when they're carried by migrants with destructive intent, locals become worried. According to this article in Singapore's Straits Times, Maoist rebels from Nepal are crossing the border into India and causing great concern for Indian authorities. "There is an imminent danger that the Maoist insurgency in...

Dhaka Arrests Activists After Cinema Deaths

Alastair Lawson-Tancred December 9, 2002
At the end of Ramadan, terrorists bombed four Bangladeshi cinemas, killing 17 people. In response to the bombing, government officials have vigourously denied that the terrorist network Al Qaeda is to blame, even arresting several opposition activists as if to prove the point. The Indian government, however, has long claimed that Al Qaeda cells may be operating out of neighboring Bangladesh....

The War on Terror in Southeast Asia Could Hurt Civil Liberties

Sidney Jones December 6, 2002
The war on terror in Southeast Asia has a quickened tempo in the wake of the discovery of a bombing plot in Singapore and the Bali bomb attacks killing nearly 200 people. These heightened anti-terrorist measures come just as countries like Indonesia and the Philippines are emerging from years of despotic rule. According to some observers, already there are worrisome signals that the new...

Turkey Saying No to Accepting G.I.'s in Large Numbers

Michael R. Gordon December 4, 2002
Turkey’s newly elected government, which has strong Islamic roots, announced its decision to deny access to substantial number of American GI’s in case of war against Iraq. The government reached this decision, officials reported, because of the need to take into consideration public sentiment, even though Turkey considers America to be a very close ally. The agreement is a product of a long...

Freeze on Thai Labour Going to Gaza Strip

December 4, 2002
Governments of some developing countries encourage and tangibly assist their citizens who are willing to serve as laborers overseas. In Thailand's case, though, the safety of Thai laborers abroad is also garnering the government's attention. After three Thai workers were involved in a shooting in the Jewish settlement of Dolah last week, the Thai government is taking action. The Labor...

Turkey Saying No to Accepting G.I.'s in Large Numbers

Michael R. Gordon December 4, 2002
America may be the only superpower left in the world, but it still needs the assistance of other countries to achieve its goals on the world stage. In the latest chapter of the war on terrorism, Turkey’s newly elected government, which has strong Islamic roots, announced its decision to deny access to large numbers of American soldiers in case of war against Iraq. The government reached this...