In The News

Cannes, a k a Asia West

A. O. Scott May 21, 2004
At this year's prestigious Cannes Film Festival, it may be easy to forget you're in France, not the Far East. With the plethora of entrancing Asian films being screened, says movie critic A. O. Scott, one could be forgiven for walking out of the Palais des Festivals and thinking the sea outside is the Pacific Ocean, not the Mediterranean. A full six out of 19 films in the competition...

Liverpool Bid

May 19, 2004
Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra has recently expressed interest in purchasing a 30 percent stake in England’s Liverpool football club, a move which has raised eyebrows in Thailand. Thai regulatory measures might make such an investment problematic, as there is uncertainty about whether foreign investments undertaken by the government must be approved by the central bank. The proposed bid...

State Department Rights Report Released After Delay

Salamander Davoudi May 18, 2004
The US State Department's annual report on human rights and democracy comes in the wake of the Abu Ghraib prison scandal. The controversial episode, in which Iraqi prisoners were abused by U.S. soldiers, has sparked a worldwide debate about the U.S.'s own human rights record. In fact, says Lorne Craner, assistant secretary for democracy, human rights and labor, the Abu Ghraib prison...

Egyptians decry 'gay' U.S. abusers in Iraq

Patrick Letellier May 17, 2004
Three hundred Egyptians rallied in Cairo last week, blaming the recent abuse at Abu Ghraib prison on “homosexual American executioners.” Graphic photos of American soldiers torturing and sexually abusing Iraqi prisoners have inspired anger across the Middle East. The Cairo protest worries human rights advocates, who say that tying torture to homosexuality fits into a larger political agenda. The...

Some Chinese See Positive Lessons in Iraqi 'Torture Gate'

Anthony J. Spires May 14, 2004
To China, which has repeatedly faced American pressure to respect human rights, the international condemnation of US abuses in Iraq may seem like an ironic role reversal, writes China scholar Anthony J. Spires. While the Chinese government and official media have relished “returning the favor” by calling on the US to respect the Geneva Convention, Chinese internet bulletin boards - a proxy...

A Transatlantic Divide

David Bowen May 13, 2004
David Bowen, a website effectiveness consultant for Bowen Craggs & Co., writes in this article on corporate website management that European companies use their websites to feature self-criticism in addition to standard self-promotion, resulting in effective counter-arguments against their critics. American companies, on the other hand, often omit any acknowledgement of criticism and instead...

The Medium Shapes the Message

Seth Fein May 7, 2004
The fact that US President George W. Bush addressed audiences on Arab television this week made clear to all that Washington sees a need to communicate better with people in the Middle East about its policies and programs. Nonetheless, says Yale historian Seth Fein, past US efforts to promote American foreign policy goals through the media have met only with skepticism and distrust. A news...