In The News

Palestine Papers Are Distortion of Truth, Say Palestinian Officials

Ian Black, Seumas Milne, Harriet Sherwood January 26, 2011
Another round of sensitive documents – confidential Palestinian records on a decade of Middle East peace talks – were leaked to Al Jazeera, based in Qatar, which then shared them with the Guardian in the UK. The initial document releases suggest that Palestinian negotiators went to great lengths to make concessions during meetings with US and Israeli officials – including acceptance of Israel’s...

US-Chinese Relations Take a New Direction? – Part II

Harsh V. Pant January 26, 2011
Elections and turnover in administrations can abruptly shift US foreign policy, as onlookers throughout the Asia Pacific have observed in recent years. The US-Chinese relationship is of global consequence, and this two-part series analyzes reaction to the two-nation summit for any signs of warmth or strain. Shortly after entering office, President Barack Obama went all out to secure good ties...

How to Keep the Nuclear Genie in the Bottle

Richard Weitz January 19, 2011
Following a series of agreements with the US, Russia and former Soviet states, the global stockpile of nuclear warheads has dropped from 70,000 to 22,000 since 1987, reports the World Nuclear Association. The Association says, “Highly-enriched uranium in US and Russian weapons and other military stockpiles amounts to about 2000 tonnes, equivalent to about twelve times annual world mine production...

Imperial by Design

John Mearsheimer January 18, 2011
US involvement in Afghanistan and Iraq has hampered its efforts to contain nuclear programs in North Korea and Iran or resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, increasing pessimism about US foreign-policy goals or capabilities. The US was wrong to pursue a grand strategy asserting global dominance, argues scholar John Mearsheimer for the National Interest. Policymakers miscalculated, by...

Tunisia Protests Serve Warning to Autocratic Regimes

Kristen Chick January 14, 2011
Following days of protest in Tunisia that turned violent after security forces shot scores of people, the country’s long-time president Ben Ali has gone in to exile. Facing the fury of the protesters demanding his resignation, President Ben Ali, in power since 1987, promised not to seek re-election in 2014. Instead of pacifying the protesters, his response has further strengthened the...

Hackers Crack Open Mobile Network

January 12, 2011
As soon as any technology is unveiled, the adept and curious test its boundaries, often discovering flaws. Using four phones and open-source software, a pair of researchers demonstrated how they could monitor targeted mobile calls and texts at the Chaos Computer Club Congress in Berlin. Any call made over the Global System of Mobile Telecommunications, or GSM – about 5 billion devices in all – is...

Egypt's Muslims Attend Coptic Christmas Mass, Serving as "Human Shields"

Yasmine El-Rashidi January 10, 2011
Egyptians vehemently oppose the extremism targeting Coptic Christian churches in recent months, and Muslims organized for Coptic Christmas Eve mass and candlelight vigils throughout the nation, volunteering as human shields. The movement pledges “to collectively fight the threat of Islamic militants” and keep “Egypt free from sectarian strife,” explains Yasmine El-Rashidi for Ahram Online. Film...