In The News

Turkey-Syria-Iran Triangle Is Being Redrawn

Nihat Ali Özcan June 26, 2011
Turkey as a moderate Islamic nation tried to foster good relations with both Sunni - and Shiite - majority countries, even after the US-led invasion of Iraq in 2003 exposed, perhaps even exacerbated, Sunni-Shiite polarization. But the Arab uprisings this year have not only pushed Iraq into the background, but compelled nations like Turkey to take sides, explains Nihat Ali Özcan in an opinion...

China Warns Outside Nations to Stay Out of Sea Dispute

Chris Buckley June 24, 2011
The South China Sea serves as a crucial link between the Pacific and Indian oceans in a region rich with trade. Territorial disputes over the sea, particularly its potential oil and gas reserves, are common. The US has urged a collective solution among China, Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan, reports Chris Buckley for Reuters. Vietnam proposed that including the US and other...

Kissinger, Huntsman – US and China Need Cyber Detente

Paul Eckert, Daniel Magnowski June 15, 2011
The US and China would both benefit from a treaty designating some areas as off limits from cyber-attacks, pointed out former US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger and former US Ambassador to China Jon Huntsman, who is also planning to run for the US presidency. In recent weeks, the International Monetary Fund, the US Senate and major corporations have been victims of hacking, and according to...

People on the Move – Part I

Joseph Chamie June 14, 2011
Waves of desperate migrants cross the Mediterranean, fleeing the repression, poverty and war gripping North Africa. Immense inequalities in living standards between the two zones draw migrants to Europe: Global media display stark contrasts between wealthy and poor, and internet sites lay out itineraries for affordable transport, shelter and job contacts. In the first article of a two-part series...

Why Syria Will Get Away With It

Gideon Rachman June 14, 2011
Deep in debt, the US struggles to end three wars. At the same time, the departing US secretary of defense criticized European NATO allies for a lack of commitment and poor military preparation. The combination of a lack of funds and fortitude has complicated Libyan intervention, which could allow the Syrian regime to get away with its brutal repression of its own citizens. Gideon Rachman of the...

From Abbottabad to Worse

Christopher Hitchens June 10, 2011
A rise of extremism signals a society that is deeply insecure and troubled. In a provocative essay for Vanity Fair, Christopher Hitchens blasts Pakistan for refusing to confront forces that weaken the nation, including the failure to resolve the assassination of Benazir Bhutto, strip extremist elements from the military and intelligence service, or quell hatred for the US while accepting billions...

Can Anyone Control Pakistan's ISI Spies?

Aamer Ahmed Khan June 9, 2011
Pakistanis' trust in the country’s intelligence service, the ISI, has been shaken by recent events, but last month reached an all-time low, after the corpse of journalist Saleem Shazad was found with signs of torture. Shazad, the Pakistan bureau chief with Asia Times Online, who had previously been warned by ISI, disappeared shortly after publishing an investigative piece connecting...