In The News

US Ceded Control of Ports

William Glanz February 28, 2006
The Bush administration’s approval for a United Arab Emirates company’s takeover of operations at six US ports ignited furious debate in Washington over the threat to national security. Yet the deal only reflects the global nature of today’s shipping industry: A Scandinavian ship – flying a Panama flag, carrying Chinese cargo and a Filipino crew – can dock at a California port managed by a...

Exit Without a Strategy

Sami Ramadani February 24, 2006
After the destruction of Samarra’s sacred al-Askari mosque, media outlets speculated about imminent civil war between Sunni and Shia in Iraq. Since the early days of the American occupation, much ink has been spilt on the supposedly ancient “communal” divisions of Iraq’s population. Sami Ramadani, a political exile during Saddam’s regime, begs to differ. He argues that fair analysis of Iraqis’...

Nepal’s Kingdom of Discontent

Jo Johnson February 2, 2006
Since King Gyanendra seized absolute power in Nepal last February, civil war has paralyzed the country, with palace forces battling the radical Maoists abated only by the Maoists’ recent unilateral ceasefire. Appearing on the scene as rural-based insurgents, the Maoists alone lack mainstream legitimacy as a viable alternative to the monarchy. But after a landmark meeting with eight opposition...

Stopping the Iranian Bomb – Part I

Gary Samore January 24, 2006
In early January, Iran resumed its uranium enrichment program, claiming civilian purposes. Iran’s long record of clandestine activity in this regard, however, leaves only one conclusion – it is the first step toward weapons capability. The challenge that the world now faces is how to stop an oil-rich Iran from exploiting the current nervousness about oil price rise from going ahead. In a series...

A Firebrand in a House of Cards

Dariush Zahedi January 19, 2006
While under the crosshairs of international scrutiny, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad boldly moved to break the seals of his nation’s nuclear facilities, raising the ire of governments from Moscow to Washington and increasing the possibility of large-scale UN sanctions on the Islamic Republic. But an op-ed in the New York Times insists that, despite the longstanding tensions and enmity between Iran...

With Assurances, Iran Might Accept a Nuclear Deal

Sadegh Zibakalam January 11, 2006
While the US prepares to propose UN Security Council sanctions against Iran for its nuclear enrichment program, other Western powers seek a less harsh approach to the issue. On December 21, Britain, France and Germany met a high-level Iranian team to discuss options for defusing international tensions. The main European proposal encourages Iran to allow their nuclear fuel to be manufactured in...

US-German Relations Undermined by CIA Flights

Bertrand Benoit December 5, 2005
US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice’s trip to Europe this week was once thought especially important because it was an opportunity to build ties with Angela Merkel, whose right-of-center leanings were thought to make her a natural ally of the Bush Administration. Merkel, however, faces a firestorm of public outrage at the revelation that the CIA used Germany as a major hub in its secret...