In The News

No More Chinese Whispers

James McGregor September 12, 2006
Sometimes it’s undiplomatic to point out the obvious. US military spending is highest in the world at $465 billion in 2004, and China comes in second at about $65 billion, and so in an interview, China’s ambassador to the United Nations pointedly advised the US to stop whining about China’s growing military budget. Confident with its rising economic power, China provides quick responses to US...

Losing the War on Terror

Ahmed Rashid September 11, 2006
Extremists continue to demonstrate that they can thwart the technological superiority of the modern world. The radicals may not gain much in the way of territory or even converts to their cause, but they certainly needle world leaders and instigate fear among substantial segments of populations of the most comfortable nations in the world. The guerilla fighters hide among civilians, thus...

9/11: Historic Turning Point, or Bump in the Road?

Brendan Simms September 11, 2006
For many, 9/11 marked a turning point in history, for both the US and the world. Initially, the world came together in condemning the attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. But eventually, some analysts suggested the attacks resulted from the US ignoring the plight of marginalized people, and other analysts claimed that the US had appeased Islamic fundamentalism for too long and...

The Basis for Iran's Belligerence

Shlomo Ben-Ami September 8, 2006
Without doubt, Israel has some dangerous foes. Attempts to remove those foes by military means and regime change, without efforts at diplomacy, have only strengthened old enemies and created new ones. Israel has good reason to worry about Iran, as the country develops nuclear capability and the president calls for Israel’s destruction. Israel cannot really depend on the US, which now struggles...

Pakistan's Awkward Balancing Act on Islamic Militant Groups

Pamela Constable August 30, 2006
Pakistan presents itself as an ally in the US war on terror, but looks the other way when it comes to groups who instigate attacks in Afghanistan and India. But that two-sided approach could become more challenging as more evidence emerges of Pakistani links to recent cases: the July bombing of a commuter train in Bombay and the August arrest of British citizens who planned to bomb airlines over...

A Muslim Militancy Born in Modernity Not Mosques

Faisal Devji August 29, 2006
After the surprise attacks of 9/11, the world has made great strides in the technical aspects of security, but stalled when it comes to the complex politics that lead to radical thinking. British police were successful in foiling a plot to attack planes traveling from the UK to the US. But more frightening is the fact that instigators were citizens of the UK, educated in a democratic society that...

Look Who's Fair and Balanced

Lawrence Pintak August 28, 2006
If modern journalists went back in time to cover the American Revolution during the late 1770s, many would call the fighters “terrorists” or “martyrs,” depending on which side they supported. That’s because many journalists simply accept the language provided by their government sources. Unlike the US journalists, Arab media such as Al Jazeera or Al Arabiya resist using labels to describe...