In The News

North Korea’s Nuclear Gamble

Shim Jae Hoon October 10, 2006
A nuclear test by North Korea has plunged East Asia in a new crisis and brought worldwide condemnation, the strongest being from Japan. Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe supports drafting a resolution calling for tougher sanctions under Chapter 7 of the UN Charter, which authorizes the use of military force should North Korea disregard the UN. Although highly critical of North Korea, China,...

The Jihad and the West – Part II

Mohammed Ayoob September 26, 2006
Jihad as armed struggle was associated with early expansion of Muslim territories and then took on a more defensive connotation in the 19th century, after Muslim nations were subjected to colonization by European powers. This two-part series explores the role of jihad in modern society, and the second article calls on Islamic scholars to consider dispensing with the term when it comes to...

Turkey Toughs Out Terror

September 14, 2006
An offshoot of the separatist Kurdish Workers Party in Turkey has reignited its terrorist campaign, with attacks aimed at foreign tourists, designed to hurt Turkey economically. The government in Ankara has tried to address the group’s grievances by improving Kurdish rights, though investment in the impoverished, mostly Kurdish southeastern region of Turkey is lagging. The Turkish government...

Can a White House Visit Shore Up a Sagging US-South Korea Alliance?

Morton Abramowitz September 14, 2006
North Korea is the biggest common problem for both South Korea and the US, but the two presidents do not agree on strategy. As presidents Roh Moo-hyun and George Bush meet on September 14, their conversation could be awkward. Both men are stubborn about how to end the standoff over North Korea’s nuclear program: the Bush administration favors sanctions or even regime change, while Roh insists on...

No More Chinese Whispers

James McGregor September 12, 2006
Sometimes it’s undiplomatic to point out the obvious. US military spending is highest in the world at $465 billion in 2004, and China comes in second at about $65 billion, and so in an interview, China’s ambassador to the United Nations pointedly advised the US to stop whining about China’s growing military budget. Confident with its rising economic power, China provides quick responses to US...

Will Oil Impose US-Iranian Reconciliation?

Hani Asfour September 1, 2006
After the US invasion of Iraq and then the invasion of Lebanon, speculation abounded about possible war between the West and Iran. Diplomacy experts in Europe and the US urge the Bush administration to open negotiations with Iran about ending the latter’s nuclear research and disarming Hezbollah in Lebanon – as well as ensure world energy supplies. Author Hani Asfour argues that the US has ample...

Iran’s Lebanon Card

George Perkovich August 24, 2006
The growing success of Islamic extremists throughout the Middle East has emboldened Iran. The country flouts demands from the international community and ignores UN Security Council resolutions. As problems mount in the Middle East, Iran can negotiate on several fronts – for example, the country could promise not to interfere in Lebanon or Afghanistan, if it can proceed with nuclear enrichment....