In The News

Spread of 'Preemptive-ism' and Indonesia Sovereignty

Mohamad Mova Al Afghani October 7, 2004
Standing upon the precedent of US president George W. Bush, Australian Prime Minister John Howard has also claimed the right of his country to prevent terrorist attacks with preemptive strikes. In this op-ed from neighboring country Indonesia and likely home of many of the “terrorist bases” Howard wishes to target, the writer argues that the “doctrine” of preemption is not widely accepted in the...

Making Globalization Work for All

Jeffrey D. Sachs October 2, 2004
When world leaders met at the UN’s Millennium Assembly four years ago, they laid out ambitious proposals to alleviate global poverty, hunger, disease, and illiteracy. Yet in spite of a rhetorical commitment to development, says economist Jeffrey Sachs, rich nations like the US have been unwilling to commit the necessary aid. Much of the developing world is experiencing rising poverty and needs...

Germany Lobbying for UN Seat

September 24, 2004
This past Tuesday, German Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer joined his counterparts in Brazil, Japan, and India in announcing their intention to seek permanent UN seats. Germany's case to join the five permanent members on the Security Council seems compelling: According to Fischer, Germany, in addition to providing substantial funding, contributes the second-largest number of troops to UN...

The War Was Illegal

September 17, 2004
Kofi Annan, the UN secretary-general, is inherently cautious in his choice of words. In the weeks leading to the Iraq war, Annan refrained from outright criticism of the grounds for invasion, and only recently did he warn of the dangerous precedents established by preemptive action. But in a recent BBC interview, Annan bid farewell to the ambiguity, restraint, and equivocation that usually...

Gathering Nuclear Crisis Calls for a Drastic Policy Overhaul

Ramesh Thakur September 10, 2004
As a growing number of countries flirt with nuclear capabilities, it may be time to reconsider the effectiveness of the current arms-control doctrine. Political scientist Ramesh Thakur asserts that the inconsistencies in the application of non-proliferation policy, as developed by the US and the other four Security Council members, may bring about its collapse. The five nuclear powers, argues...

Too Much Consensus

September 2, 2004
Deciphering world policy jargon is often a daunting task. Fortunately, Foreign Policy magazine clarifies a few key ideas in its "Field Guide to the Consensuses." After the 1990 Washington Consensus, John Williamson's expression of support for market theory, the world has witnessed the births of a few other "consensual" ideas. The Beijing Consensus, antithetical to its...

Countdown in Khartoum

Gamal Nkrumah August 27, 2004
The ongoing humanitarian crisis in Darfur, Sudan, has rendered 1.5 million people homeless and claimed 50,000 lives. Tensions between the Sudan Liberation Army (SLA) and the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) threaten to destabilize the region, with costly consequences for Sudan’s neighbors, and the world at large. Efforts to secure peace have involved diplomats from neighboring Egypt and...