In The News

Russia Plants Arctic Flag

Randy Boswell August 3, 2007
Canada, Russia, the US, Norway and Denmark all have some overlapping claims throughout the Arctic, each hoping to secure a big share of the rich oil, gas and mineral reserves believed to rest under the ice. “Under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, a country can secure rights to seabed territory reaching far beyond the 200-mile limit if it can prove that a portion of the ocean...

Saudis' Role in Iraq Insurgency Outlined

Ned Parker July 26, 2007
Despite US government complaints that Syria and Iran help Iraqi insurgents, Saudi Arabia is the largest source of foreign fighters in Iraq. Almost half of foreign fighters come from Saudi Arabia, and fighters from the oil-rich country may have carried out more suicide bombings than those of any other nationality. Some analysts report that Saudi Arabia does not properly patrol its border with Iraq...

Denmark Secretly Evacuates Iraqi Aides From Basra

Fred Attewill July 24, 2007
Countries with troops in Iraq rely on Iraqis for many essential tasks, from driving to translating. Insurgents often target such Iraqis with violence, accusing them of collaborating with coalition forces. Denmark, which will withdraw troops from Iraq soon, secretly evacuated 200 interpreters from Basra to Denmark, offering them asylum. Since the invasion began in March 2003, millions of Iraqis...

Interrupting a History of Tolerance – Part II

Riaz Hassan July 24, 2007
The roots of anti-Semitism in the Middle East are based not in Islamic traditions, but in practical opposition to external intervention, argues Riaz Hassan, professor of sociology in Australia. The first two articles of this three-part series analyze historical events that allowed anti-Semitism to permeate the Middle East. In the early 20th century, Palestinians fiercely resisted Jewish settlers...

Interrupting a History of Tolerance – Part I

Riaz Hassan July 19, 2007
Anti-Semitic rhetoric, literature and films emerge from modern Middle Eastern society, and yet Arab nations do not have a long history of intolerance. A three-part YaleGlobal series explores the history of anti-Semitism, with the final part analyzing the delicate task underway in Saudi Arabia to change attitudes and end intolerance. In the first part of the series, Riaz Hassan explains how there...

The Middle East’s Five Crises

Joris Voorhoeve July 16, 2007
The unrest in the Middle East may seem overwhelming, but the key to stability rests in five areas, according to Joris Voorhoeve, former defense minister for the Netherlands – the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, Iran’s nuclear ambitions, the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, and the overall conflict between extremists and the government. Practical solutions are possible for each area: With Iraq troubled by...

Africa and the “War on Terror”: Policing the Undergoverned Spaces

June 26, 2007
Large swaths of land throughout Africa go ungoverned by conventional powers and could offer havens for terrorist groups. A new US command force, known as AFRICOM, plans to unify military deployments in Africa, partner with NGOs and other development agencies, and train local forces, with the goal of creating stability throughout the Saharan belt. Some US analysts worry about terrorists...