In The News

Searching For Justice

Khaled Fahmy July 29, 2005
The American-led war in Iraq has led to the trial of Saddam Hussein, currently under way. But many academics who see the war in Iraq as an egregious violation of international law have convened a tribunal of their own – the World Tribunal on Iraq (WTI) – which just held its final session in Istanbul. While critics believe that the WTI is merely an opportunity for anti-Americans to vent their...

Un nouveau grand jeu en marche

Ahmed Rashid July 26, 2005

Great Game Reloaded

Ahmed Rashid July 26, 2005
Central Asia has historically been a stage for strategic power games involving Russia and Europe. Russia and China, who have inherited the mantle of earlier imperial powers, conceded the US a foothold in the wake of the September 11 attacks when the US needed Central Asian bases for its operation in Afghanistan. But nearly four years later, with the Afghan government still in turmoil and no end...

Iraq: This Is Now an Unwinnable Conflict

Patrick Cockburn July 25, 2005
The Iraq war, predicted to be an easy victory, has instead become further confirmation of the Duke of Wellington’s sage warning nearly two centuries ago against getting involved in guerilla war, “Great nations do not have small wars.” As the fighting drags on with no end in sight, reporter Patrick Cockburn argues that it has become a “demonstration of weakness” and stoked the flames of terrorism...

Nothing Will Change Until Musharraf Closes Pakistan's Militant Madrassas

Ahmed Rashid July 22, 2005
After the terrorist attacks on London two weeks ago, British Prime Minister Tony Blair vowed to fight Muslim extremism directly. But as Ahmed Rashid writes, until Pakistan's Pervez Musharraf shuts down his country's extremist madrassas – schools of Islam – all promises of resolve like Blair's will prove fruitless. Particularly because the militant education is not limited to South...

Why Do They Hate Us? Not Because of Iraq

Olivier Roy July 22, 2005
In response to the recent bombings in London and Madrid, many have speculated that Al-Qaida is punishing the supporters of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. This theory seems reasonable, based on the assumption that the roots of Islamic terrorism lie in Middle Eastern conflicts. Scholar Olivier Roy, however, argues that Al-Qaida's references to Iraq are merely a bid for legitimacy among...

Good Day for India, Bad for Nonproliferation

Strobe Talbott July 21, 2005
Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's visit to Washington last week was hailed as a major step forward in US-India relations. India was finally "decoupled" from Pakistan in American foreign policy, and recognized as a nascent "superpower" in its own right. However, as Brookings Institution president and former US special envoy to South Asia Strobe Talbott cautions, the...