In The News

Thaksin Dismisses 'Time' Terror Report

November 22, 2002
Governments understand the influence of international publications. A Time magazine article disclosing terrorist training bases in Thailand has riled Thai officials. "It is not acceptable that a world-standard magazine like Time would run a report that quoted only a single source. The magazine's report… is close to fiction," said Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra. A Royal Thai...

Crazy in the 'Hood

Thomas L. Friedman November 20, 2002
The power of weapons of mass destruction means their possession concerns not only the immediate neighbor but the neighborhood. How to deal with a country like North Korea, which appears to have developed nuclear weapons, is thus not only a worry to South Korea. But the killing power that North Korea packs vis-à-vis its southern neighbor makes US decision-making more complicated. As Thomas...

North Korea Clarifies Statement on A-Bomb

Howard W. French November 19, 2002
A North Korean weekend radio broadcast presented by South Korean news agency Yonhap confirmed strong suspicions that North Korea possesses nuclear weapons: Or so we thought. With governmental clarification on Tuesday that depended on the translation of one Korean syllable, the North Korean government stated not that it possessed nuclear weapons, but that in light of U.S. imperialist threats, it...

North Korea Admits Nuclear Arsenal

November 17, 2002
orth Korea’s disguise of its nuclear capabilities has always served as the rogue state’s only playing card in negotiations with the US. Today, the state publicized its possession of “powerful military counter-measures, including nuclear weapons" for the first time, possibly in reaction to the recent conditional halt of fuel aid by the US, South Korea, the European Union, and Japan. Pyongyang...

Al Qaeda’s New Tactics

Peter Bergen November 15, 2002
Osama Bin Laden and Al Qaeda’s new tactics are both broader in scope and more focused in purpose. Judging by recent attacks, more countries have been placed on Bin Laden’s hit list. The US was previously Al Qaeda’s bulls-eye, but now most of the West is on the dartboard. Although more countries are now fair game, the targets are more specific: the heart of economic well-being. As noted, Bin Laden...

Arab Journalist Certain Tape Was Made by Bin Laden

November 14, 2002
The U.S. military’s mission to catch Osama Bin Laden after the attacks of 9/11 has met with little success. Of particular interest has been the surfacing of a new audio tape in which a voice, supposedly Bin Laden’s, praises the bombing attacks in Indonesia and promises further vengeance upon the United States. The identity of the voice has been verified by Gulf officials and Muslim activists as...

Text: Alleged Bin Laden Tape

November 12, 2002
In an audio message purported to be of Osama bin Laden, the speaker promises to continue sending the sons of the Muslim nation to carry on jihad. Their goals: to rectify inequality and defeat injustice. The speaker lets it be known that as long as the sons have eyes that see and a heart that beats, jihad will continue. Most of the G8 nations share in the crimes that the speaker wishes to be...