In The News

The Siren Song of a Two-Speed Europe

Heather Grabbe December 16, 2003
In a caustic critique of France and Germany's proposal to form a 'core Europe', Heather Grabbe, deputy director of the Center for European Reform, argues that such a plan would only damage the dream of an integrated Europe. The economic viability of the European Union is already under threat from Berlin and Paris' refusal to pay fines for economic transgressions earlier this...

Among Arabs, Embarrassment Over the Surrender of a Figure Who Once Defied the West

Neil MacFarquhar December 15, 2003
Across the Arab world, reaction to the capture of Saddam Hussein ranged from joy to frustration, according to this New York Times article. That Saddam was captured with no resistance – despite having weapons at his side – shocked and embarrassed many who had for decades looked to him as a leader of anti-foreign resistance for the region. "He did not fight like his sons; he went like a dog...

America's Vulnerable Imperialism

Jonathan Schell November 24, 2003
'American imperialism' has become a common refrain for people seeking to understand the glue holding together the current international order. A variety of scholars and commentators claim authority on the topic, says author Jonathan Schell. But, he cautions, in their rush to proclaim the rise or decline of an American empire, they consistently overlook a crucial aspect of true empire...

Antiglobalism's Jewish Problem

Mark Strauss November 12, 2003
Anti-Semitism is again on the rise, says Mark Strauss, a senior editor for Foreign Policy. Globalization is being pinned on the Jews – the traditional 'villain' of capitalism – and thus the Jewish people are being blamed for all perceived negative effects of increased market integration, Strauss writes. In the Middle East especially, where economies are stagnant everywhere but Israel,...

Privatization vs. Democracy

Salah Hemeid October 13, 2003
The chief US Administrator in Iraq, Paul Bremer, recently announced that Iraq's state-owned industries will be sold off to private investors in an effort to boost the country's struggling economy. The new policy also allows for 100 percent foreign ownership of all industries except for oil, which will remain under government control for the time being. Iraqis view their oil reserves as...

German Sundays Stay Truck-Free

Kristina Merkner October 10, 2003
In an apparent last-minute save, Germany's transportation minister persuaded his Italian counterpart to join Berlin in blocking other EU countries from granting more authority to Brussels over transportation rules. The German government fears that if the EU Commission acquires more authority, it could require Germany to end its ban on heavy truck traffic on Sundays. According to this...

A Bird With Just One Wing

Mustafa El-Labbad October 10, 2003
Iran's enrichment of depleted uranium has been the subject of increasing concern in the international community recently, particularly by the US. This article in Egypt's Al-Ahram Weekly argues that by using the UN's nuclear inspection arm, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), to put pressure on Tehran, Washington is not only seeking to force Iran to reveal its nuclear...