In The News

Iran, Sept. 11 and the Repercussions of ‘Regime Change'

Abumohammad Asgarkhani September 15, 2003
Iran stands increasingly big potential new target for America's fight against terrorism. As the US's new foreign policy—outlined after September 11th by the Bush administration—continues to take shape, Iran finds itself under (verbal) attack from the US and UK as a nation with a radical government, nuclear dreams, and a strong regional presence. Whether or not fears of Iranian power...

The War on Terror is Not a Clash of Cultures

Alexander Downer September 15, 2003
Following the violence of September 11th and the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, it has become common to hear that Samuel Huntington's "The Clash of Civilizations" thesis (presented over a decade ago in a Foreign Affairs article) has come to pass. Australian Minister for Foreign Affairs Alexander Downer is not so quick to agree. Rather than see the war on terror as a vindication of...

Why America Still Can't Find Osama bin Laden

David Rohde September 14, 2003
Osama bin Laden, thought to be still alive and well, remains a dark spot on America's 'fight against terrorism' record. Officials from Pakistan and the United States seem certain that bin Laden has found strong support in areas of Northwestern Pakistan, a region that shares tribal associations with Afghanistan and where no Pakistani army had ever gone before December 2001. With a...

Lonely at the Top

Clyde Prestowitz September 13, 2003
Although the US experienced an outpouring of sympathy from much of the world after the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, over the past two years it has encountered much resistance to its leadership on issues from Iraq to free trade. The US has lost any goodwill it received after the attacks, says former Reagan administration official and author Clyde Prestowitz, because Washington has pursued a...

Australians Wake Up to Risks of Air Travel

Ross Peake September 13, 2003
The Australian government is considering subsidizing decoy systems to protect against missile attacks on its commercial airliners. The move comes in the wake of government reports that such an attack is more likely than a traditional hijacking. At least 24 terrorist organizations are said to possess shoulder-launched missiles. Terrorists have already fired the weapons at an Israeli charter plane...

Taliban Officials Tell of Plans to Grind Down the Americans

David Rohde September 12, 2003
Taliban fighters still alive in Afghanistan plan to wage a grinding guerilla war against US troops, similar to the strategy waged against the Soviets during their occupation in the 1980s. Such fighters claim that Taliban leader Mullah Muhammad Omar still resides in Afghanistan, hidden and directing operations. Fighters also foresee growing support for their cause as a result of the lack of...

Two Years on, ASEAN Breaks Terrorism’s Deadly Lock

Daljit Singh September 11, 2003
In the two years since the September 11 attacks on the US, Southeast Asian nations have taken significant steps to eliminate terrorism, despite the serious obstacles that they must contend with. Many governments have struggled to crack down on terrorism and maintain relations with Muslim groups. For example, Thailand and Indonesia have made some headway with the recent arrests of Al-Qaeda and...