In The News

NATO Role in Darfur on Table

Bradley Graham April 13, 2006
The Bush administration has proposed sending several hundred North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) advisors to the Darfur region of Sudan. The advisors would aid African Union troops in protecting civilians in Darfur from the ongoing clash of government-supported Arab militias and rebel fighters. This stage of conflict in Darfur originated in 2003 when rebels initiated combat with the Arab-...

US Plans Strike to Topple Iran Regime - Report

Julian Borger April 10, 2006
An investigative article in the US magazine “The New Yorker” reports that President George Bush is seriously considering military strikes against Iran – strikes aimed not only at preventing Tehran from acquiring a nuclear weapon, but also at achieving “regime change.” The White House assumes that Iran will retain its nuclear weapons program as long as it retains its current government, writes...

Iran’s Nukes in a Power Game

Ehsan Ahrari April 6, 2006
World leaders disagree about how to control Iran’s nuclear program. With respect to Iran’s steadfast dedication to preserving its uranium-enrichment program, the US and the EU-3 countries are upfront – they want to halt Iran before the program advances any further. China and Russia agree that Iran should not acquire nuclear weapons, but disagree with the US and Europe about how to contain Iran....

Afghanistan: The Long Road Ahead

Richard Holbrooke April 3, 2006
Plotting attacks against US, NATO and Afghan forces, US enemies in the war on terror continue to make Afghanistan a source of conflict. Unspoken publicly, but increasingly obvious, is that the US presence will be required in Afghanistan for years, probably long after troops leave Iraq, according to Richard Holbrooke, former US ambassador to the UN. Afghanistan’s border areas are particularly...

A New Challenge for Bangladesh

Sumit Ganguly March 30, 2006
Preserving democracy in an impoverished Muslim nation is no easy task. After separating from Pakistan in 1971, Bangladesh created a constitution embracing secularism and democracy. A 1982 military coup suspended the constitution, and Islam was eventually named the state religion. Extremists instigate violence against politicians with a secular platform, thus contributing to the government’s...

Terrorism and the Message of Carnage

Norman Solomon March 29, 2006
“Fighting terror” has become a rational for the war in Iraq, and author Norman Solomon argues that the US President George Bush views the war on terror as black and white, good versus evil conflict. Without doubt, terrorism is pure evil, but Solomon points out that a terrorist attack doesn’t take place in a vacuum. He identifies the post-9/11 trend in the government and media that neglect...

In Afghan Christian, Story of a Larger Conflict

Roger Cohen March 28, 2006
The public demand in Afghanistan for a death sentence on Abdul Rahman, an Afghan man who converted to Christianity 15 years ago, has excited outrage on the part of the West. Germany, in particular, with more than 2000 troops in Afghanistan and a fervent regard for religious choice, has expressed discontent. The US has weighed in as well, upset about the “flouting of universal democratic values.”...