In The News

Startling His Neighbors, Australian Leader Favors First Strikes

John Shaw December 2, 2002
Close on the heels of President George W.Bush’s doctrine of pre-emptive attack to deter terrorist strike against the US, a close ally, Australia has adopted the same principle. In a television interview Australian Prime Minister John Howard said he would be willing to strike at terrorists in another country if there were evidence of a plan to attack Australia. . He said that it was necessary...

Whither Arab Independence?

Basheer M Nafi November 27, 2002
What does America's effort to clamp down on Iraq mean for the Middle East as a whole? According to historian and Islamic scholar Basheer M Nafi, the US-led, UN-sanctioned weapons inspection project is simply another attack on the already brittle sovereignty of Arab nation-states. Writing in Egypt's Al-Ahram Weekly, Nafi argues that "Western imperialism has made a comeback in the...

The Globalist Cookbook

Chris Mooney November 24, 2002
Images of American cultural dominance – McDonald’s, Hollywood, and megastores – rile groups as diverse as Muslim fundamentalists, French nationalists, and anti-globalization activists. But Tyler Cowen, a pro-free market cultural economist, sees opportunity in the globalization of culture. “Capitalist multiculturalism” offers consumers different options – in their restaurants, music, and fine...

Job Subsidies May Clash with EU Law

Carola Schlagheck November 15, 2002
EU antitrust regulation has placed strict restrictions on government subsidies to private businesses. The German government’s plan to create jobs by financing job placement agencies and temporary employment contracts may contradict EU policy, and infringement proceedings against the country are pending. For the one million Germans who benefit from publicly-subsidized employment, the results of...

U.S. Is Reported to Kill Al Qaeda Leader in Yemen

James Risen November 5, 2002
American officials claim that they have killed Qaed Salim Sinan al-Harethi, a senior Al Qaeda member who may have had ties to the 2000 bombing of the U.S.S. Cole in Yemen. The American attack was carried out in the Yemeni desert with an unmanned Predator airplane. The attack was also done without the explicit support of the Yemeni government. U.S. officials seem to want to signal to the...

Leftist Brazilian Victor Moves to Calm Nervous Markets

Larry Rohter October 29, 2002
Brazil is suffering a severe economic crisis. In the past year, the value of Brazilian currency has fallen by 30 percent, and the people are hungry and frustrated. Many now look to President-Elect Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva to guide their country out of dire economic straights. da Silva ran a campaign full of populist rhetoric – inspiring to Brazilians, but frightening to foreign investors who...

World Court Rules for Cameroon in Prolonged Oil-Land Border Dispute With Nigeria

Marc Lacey October 11, 2002
The World Court has declared Cameroon the rightful owner of the Bakassi peninsula, ending the country's long-standing dispute with Nigeria. Located in the Gulf of Guinea, the Bakassi area is rich in oil and has provided important naval access for Nigeria. Concern that the Nigerian military might balk at the decision worried some observers, but many are encouraged that the presidents of...