In The News

The Arab Connection to Chechen Conflict

Faryal Leghari March 21, 2006
An Arab influence continues to transform secessionist efforts in Chechnya into a drive for an Islamic state. Islam, long part of the region’s identity, however, was not the impetus for nationalistic movement to separate from Russia, underway since the 1991 breakup of the Soviet Union. Al Qaeda has funded Chechen rebels and also trained many in Afghanistan, and the Russian government has taken...

Hacking Made Easy

Brian Krebs March 17, 2006
Russia has a work force that is technologically skilled and underemployed. As a result, some savvy tech workers turn to crime, creating web sites and software aimed to collect financial details from unsuspecting victims in the US, Europe and South America. The Russian internet is home to sites that can break into computers abroad through a security hole in Microsoft's Internet Explorer web...

US Backs First-Strike Attack Plan

March 16, 2006
The Bush administration has released a document outlining its national security strategy - one that touches on many sensitive points all over the world. The document is released as polls continue to show a majority of US citizens questioning the war in Iraq and the direction of their own country. Singling out Iran as the greatest single current danger, the document defends the Bush administration...

This Is Why the Islamists Are Winning

Rami G. Khouri March 16, 2006
Conservative Islamist candidates have met with success in Palestine, Iraq, Egypt and other countries, leaving Western analysts to speculate about Islamist motives and platforms. Author Rami G. Khouri analyzes the Islamist political success and suggests that Western pundits are confused by the integration of factors such as religion, national identity, good governance, and resistance to foreign...

The Bolton Archipelago

Ian Williams March 16, 2006
The UN General Assembly's majority vote to create a new Human Rights Council reduced US global prestige as well as some maneuvering by John Bolton, US ambassador to the UN. The US was one of only four votes opposing a plan to replace the former Commission on Human Rights, widely regarded as ineffective. Notably, the other three votes came from Israel, the Marshall Islands and Palau - major...

After Rush to China, Manufacturers Look Back to Southeast Asia

Wayne Arnold March 16, 2006
China has been a formidable competitor to its neighbors in Southeast Asia as well as the West. Since China's entry into the WTO in 2001, jobs and manufacturing plants from Southeast Asia were moved to low-cost China. Unlike China, Southeast Asia has not created a single international brand, whereas China invests in research and development. But nations like Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia,...

Negative Perception of Islam Increasing

Claudia Deane March 15, 2006
As the war in Iraq enters its fourth year, a majority of US citizens express unfavorable views of Muslims, surpassing levels just after the 9/11 attacks, according to a Washington Post – ABC News poll. Most respondents noted that Islam contributes to violence. US citizens with an understanding of Islam stated that the religion is essentially peaceful, but were as likely as other respondents to...