In The News

Russia Reaches Out to Venezuela

Alan Cullison August 1, 2006
Opposed to US foreign policy promoting democracy, leading to political unrest and conflict throughout the Middle East and Central Asia, the Kremlin has become more assertive. Russia has signed a deal with Venezuela, offering the small nation advanced fighter aircraft, helicopters and assault rifles. The Bush administration – wary of the leftist movement throughout South America, and Venezuela in...

The Next Steps With Iran

Henry A. Kissinger August 1, 2006
The US, the UK, France, Germany, Russia and China, also known as the Six, still await an answer from Iran on a proposed package that would curb nuclear development. Iran poses “twin challenges” that the Six can no longer avoid: Iran’s desire for nuclear weapons symbolizes its reach for modernity, while fostering a religious extremism that resists modernization. So far, the Six have not issued a...

The Core Issue: Musharraf

V. Sudarshan July 31, 2006
As recently as 2005, Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf declared an “irreversible” peace process between their two countries. However, terrorist attacks in a series of Indian cities undermined that accord, and the G-8, abiding by India’s request, has put the Pakistani government on watch. Government sources in India speculate on potential connections...

A New Middle East, or Rice’s Fantasy Ride?

Rami G. Khouri July 31, 2006
US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice described the escalating violence between Lebanon and Israel as “birth pangs of a new Middle East.” The US has vested interests in its support of Israel, and its alliances with Arab nations such as Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Jordan, as well as the eventual eradication of Islamic Jihadist groups like Hezbollah and Hamas. However, columnist Rami G. Khouri for...

A Week of Reckoning; A New Enemy Gains on the U.S.

Thom Shanker July 30, 2006
Both the US and Israel have fought armies of nation-states as well as terrorist organizations. But Hezbollah blends the advanced army of a state with the invisibility of a guerilla force. Given this combination, defeating Hezbollah with conventional tactics will prove difficult. As a network, the Hezbollah strategy depends on a flattened command structure. With no generals or privates, the...

The Call That Tells You: Run, You're About to Lose Your Home and Possessions

Conal Urquhart July 28, 2006
With a relentless bombing campaign on two fronts, in Gaza and Lebanon, Israel tries a new tactic. Israeli intelligence officers make telephone calls across enemy lines to warn targets that their homes are about to be bombed. Sometimes attacks follow the calls and sometimes not. The Israeli telephone warnings are brief but friendly, with one officer urging her Palestinian target to “Be safe.”...

US Cuts in Africa Aid Said to Hurt War on Terror

Mark Mazzetti July 27, 2006
The US government has ended military aid for several African countries with governments that refused to sign an “Article 98 agreement” that exempts American soldiers from the jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court (ICC). The 2002 “American Servicemembers’ Protection Act” is a keystone of US opposition to the ICC, but the aid cutoffs have angered some military officials who say that...