In The News

War in Georgia: How the Caucasus Erupted

Carmen Eller August 8, 2008
The provinces of Abkhazia and South Ossetia struggle to break away from Georgia, and build closer links with Russia. Russia issues passports to residents in the provinces seeking independence and has also built a gas pipeline. Spreading conflict underscores ongoing differences between Russia and the US and the struggle to control energy sources. “Russia does not want to lose its influence on...

Violence Spreads After Kashmir Shrine Siege

Rhys Blakely August 8, 2008
Kashmir, a subject of dispute for nuclear powers India and Pakistan since both states gained independence in 1947, is the home for a growing separatist movement by majority Muslims who would like to shake off Indian rule in that region. Hindu-Muslim clashes increased since June, when Kashmir government leaders backed away from a decision to give 40 acres of forestland to a Hindu shrine. Hindu...

Time to Strengthen the IAEA

Ernesto Zedillo August 7, 2008
The International Atomic Energy Agency established an 18-member commission chaired by Ernesto Zedillo, director of the Yale Center for the Study of Globalization, to reflect on how the nuclear future might unfold, what the world is likely to demand of the IAEA, and what steps must be taken to allow the agency to fill those needs. The result of the commission’s deliberation was presented to the...

Revisiting the “Axis of Evil” – Part III

Shen Dingli August 5, 2008
For more than a half a century, nuclear powers have built enormous stockpiles of weapons in the hope that it would deter military challenges. The same nations have also strenuously tried to prevent others from breaking into the five-member club of nuclear-weapons power. This three-part series examines the US effort at containing three suspected aspirants, called the “Axis of Evil” by President...

CIA Outlines Pakistan Links With Militants

Mark Mazzetti August 5, 2008
Pakistan is a leading partner in the US war against terrorism, but some US officials have produced evidence of disturbing links between Pakistani intelligence officials and militants responsible for violence in Afghanistan, particularly the network of Maulavi Jalaluddin Haqqan. “The C.I.A. has depended heavily on the ISI for information about militants in Pakistan, despite longstanding concerns...

China “Is Fueling War In Darfur”

Hilary Andersson August 1, 2008
For years, the United Nations, suspecting Chinese involvement in Sudan, has searched for military trucks made in Chinese factories and imported directly to Sudan. Preliminary investigations by BBC located some trucks, including one with a Chinese anti-aircraft gun inside. BBC also reports that Chinese fighter jets have been used for missions in the region. China's official stance is that it...

Revisiting the “Axis of Evil” – Part II

Scott Snyder July 31, 2008
North Korea was a thorn in the side of the US long before President George Bush labeled the nation as a member of an “axis of evil,” along with Iraq and Iran, in his January 2002 State of the Union address. This three-part series analyzes the US approach to Iran and North Korea, and in the second article, Asia analyst Scott Snyder reviews the history of North Korea’s antics and crises since 1992...