In The News

Monitoring America

Dana Priest, William M. Arkin December 30, 2010
The US is assembling a vast data collection on its citizens, including those who haven’t committed crimes, relying on the FBI, local police, state homeland security offices and military investigators, report Dana Priest and William Arkin in an investigation for the Washington Post. One agent describes the process as looking for “dots” to connect. The Department of Homeland Security has provided...

Christians of the Levant on the Brink of Extinction

May Akl December 10, 2010
Christianity emerged in the Middle East some 2000 years ago, spreading rapidly throughout the Levant countries along the Mediterranean, then beyond, to become a global force. But in the Middle East, the numbers of Christians dwindle, with rights of Levant Christians trampled since the 2003 invasion of Iraq by the US and its allies, explains May Akl, 2010 Yale University World Fellow and...

Fighting Terrorism in Yemen Requires Patience and Partners

November 10, 2010
Countries with high rates of poverty and lax central governments provide ideal settings for those intent on committing acts of terrorism. The most recent try was printer cartridges, loaded with explosions, in overseas packages addressed to Chicago synagogues, mailed from Sana’a, Yemen's capital. Yemen has severe water shortages, low rates of literacy, high rates of child hunger, with nearly...

Extremist Websites Booming, But Hard to Police

Michael Holden October 6, 2010
The internet is a double-edged sword for militant extremists – the websites propaganda and chats stir hate and recruitment, but also leave trails for law-enforcement agencies. Like the internet itself, extremist sites expand their content and reach. A seven-person counterterrorism unit in London relies on tips on sites that pose threats from the public and other police agencies for investigations...

Iran’s Global Ambitions – Part III

Bruce Stokes September 17, 2010
The UN Security Council has imposed a series of sanctions on Iran for failing to cooperate with the International Atomic Energy Agency. Iran insists it complies with the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. In the third and final article of this YaleGlobal series on Iran’s ambitions, Bruce Stokes reports on a survey in 22 nations by the German Marshall Fund, including questions on Iran. Majorities...

Iran’s Global Ambitions – Part II

Willem van Kemenade September 15, 2010
Holding the third largest oil reserves in the world, Iran is an attractive trade partner, giving it an edge in the world economy. This YaleGlobal series examines Iran’s big power ambitions and its ability to divide the international community to achieve its goal. As Iran rejects demands to end high level enriching nuclear fuel, the UN Security Council in June approved a fourth round of sanctions...

Iran’s Global Ambitions – Part I

Jamsheed K. Choksy September 13, 2010
Iran has pursued global influence while the US busied itself with war east and west of the nation. This YaleGlobal series suggests that, in a global game of chess, Iran is no pawn. As major powers impose sanctions for violation of its non-proliferation commitment, Iranian leaders cultivate ties with developing nations, explains Jamsheed Choksy in the first of three articles. Messages drawing on...