In The News

A Taliban Comeback?

Ahmed Rashid May 23, 2006
Almost five years after the US invaded Afghanistan in retaliation for 9/11, the Taliban appears on a comeback trail, sparking a renewal of ethnic and warlord-based conflict with an overlay of ambition from neighbors. In confronting a powerful Taliban resurgence in southern Afghanistan, the Pakistan-US alliance is also at odds. Complicated politics and unrest place Afghanistan’s moderate...

A New Rival to “Regime Change”

Howard LaFranchi May 23, 2006
The US invasion of Iraq secured the illusion throughout the world that the US reacts to hostile nations with regime change. The US has many methods at its disposal for regime change, but the common thread was that the leader was a threat and had to be removed. Yet a new approach to US foreign policy regarding hostile nations is gaining momentum in Washington. This approach hinges on the idea that...

Islamist Threats to Dutch Politician Bring Chill at Home

Andrew Higgins May 18, 2006
Born in Somalia, Ayaan Hirsi Ali grew up in Muslim countries, escaped an arranged marriage and arrived in the Netherlands as a refugee disgruntled about women’s rights in Islamic culture. She soon emerged as a member of Dutch parliament and a formidable critic of Islamic extremism. After extremists targeted Hirsi Ali with death threats, her fearful neighbors demanded that she be ousted from her...

Iraq Black Hole: The $2 Trillion War

Craig Lambert May 18, 2006
Before the US invaded Iraq, the Pentagon and the US Office of Management and Budget estimated that the war could cost up to $60 billion and that Iraqi oil revenues would cover the costs. The Congressional Budget Office now estimates the war will cost $500 million. However, Harvard and Columbia professors have teamed up to prepare a true cost-benefit analysis based on government sources – and...

Pakistan’s Obedient Son

Susanne Koelbl May 17, 2006
Both the US and Afghanistan pressure Pakistan to capture suspected terrorists hiding along its borders. Pakistan’s President Pervez Musharraf and Afghanistan’s president Hamid Karzai once had strong ties, but the relationship is unraveling over the issue. Meanwhile warlords challenge Musharraf’s authority and promote domestic unrest, motivated by the desire for control of Pakistan’s rich natural...

The Demise of the NPT: New Players in the Proliferation Game

Chua Hearn Yuit May 16, 2006
To keep their economies rolling, nations race to secure more energy, including that fueled by nuclear sources. Countries like Myanmar, Indonesia and Vietnam have announced ambitions to secure nuclear power with help from countries like China, Russia, South Korea and India. As a result, a growing number of players edge toward nuclear weapons capability. India did not sign the Nuclear...

Cracks in the System

Hassan Nafaa May 12, 2006
Nonproliferation is an admirable goal, but hardly stops the spread of nuclear weapons. Since its inception, the nonproliferation system was designed to be temporary. The Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty (NPT) has flaws and loopholes that make it inadequate and unfair. Dividing the world into two groups – with nuclear capability acceptable for some nations and not for others – is not a viable...