In The News

Back to the Soeharto Years?

May 31, 2004
The Indonesian government has recently taken a hard-line stance in dealing with foreign non-governmental organizations in the country, shutting down one and “closely monitoring” the actions of 19 others. The rationale for the shutdown is based on claims by Indonesia's National Intelligence Agency that the NGOs, through reports on political freedoms, human rights and other issues, aim to...

US Nation-Building Abroad – Part II

Fawaz A. Gerges May 28, 2004
The Abu Ghraib prison, once the stage for atrocities committed by Saddam Hussein, has been turned into a symbol of brutal occupation by a foreign force. The story of abuse by American soldiers broke at the worst possible time for the US-led Coalition Provisional Authority in Iraq, writes Middle East specialist Fawaz A. Gerges, in the second installment of a multi-authored, three-part series on US...

Doubts Remain Over Iraq’s Path to Sovereignty

Roula Khalaf May 25, 2004
13 months after the fall of Baghdad, the city’s residents are frustrated about the direction their nation has taken. Doubts about the competence of both occupying forces and Iraqi leadership have surfaced as the June 30 deadline for transfer of power approaches. Reporters from the Financial Times spoke to young Iraqis, for whom “the joy of freedom… has been overshadowed by anxieties over Iraq...

Washington Hopes for the Best; Beijing Prepares for the Worst

Richard Baum May 24, 2004
In the weeks leading up to Taiwan's presidential election and referendum, China issued repeated warning against any move towards independence. The narrow win by President Chen Shui-bian, considered by Beijing as “splittist” and “troublemaker” has not helped to defuse tension. Leading China scholar Richard Baum of University of California in Los Angeles says that while Chen moderated his...

Paving the Way for a Sustainable Taiwan

Chen Shui-Bian May 20, 2004
Newly-reelected Taiwanese President Chen Shui-Bian delivered an inaugural address this week titled, "Paving the Way for a Sustainable Taiwan." In the speech, Chen assessed the progress of Taiwan's democratization. He said, "Democratic advancement occurs only through constant and gradual endeavor, one step at a time." Chen described Taiwan's new electoral processes,...

US Cannot Tune Out Its Iraq Crisis

Ghida Fakhry May 2, 2004
As the violence in Iraq continues, the Bush administration is faced with a more difficult challenge, says news anchor Ghida Fakhry of Al-Hayat/LBC television network. In addition to the war on the ground, America must also fight its negative media image in the Arab world, which grows by the day thanks to broadcasts by independent Arabic news channels. Stations such as Al-Jazeera and Al-Arabiya...

Learning From Europe

Nader Fergany April 30, 2004
In a time of tremendous scrutiny upon the Arab world, many interpreted the March collapse of the Arab League summit in Tunisia as a sign of Arab impotence. Nader Fergany, the director of Almishkat Centre for Research, and the lead author of the Arab Human Development Report, argues that rather than being discouraged by the failure of the summit, Arabs should push to reform the Arab League itself...