In The News

Not a good recipe for happy times

Rami G. Khouri June 16, 2004
Against the backdrop of the ever-worsening drama of bombings, killings and hostage-taking in Iraq and Saudi Arabia, the price of oil has shot up to a record high. Rami Khouri, Executive Editor of the Daily Star and a veteran commentator of the Middle East, says this may be the first peek at a Doomsday scenario for the region. Khouri writes that Saudi Arabia, the world’s leading oil supplier...

The War on Terror Yet to Be Won in Southeast Asia

Zachary Abuza June 15, 2004
Since the much-hyped global ‘war on terror', the human rights situation in Southeast Asia has taken a turn for the worse. In the name of fighting Islamic terrorist groups in the region, says political scientist Zachary Abuza, governments are using state power to repress political opposition by targeting political dissidents and making widespread arrests without trial. Malaysia and Singapore...

U.S. Nuclear Inquiry Finds China-Iran Link

June 15, 2004
An American congressional commission responsible for investigating security and economic issues in the US-China relationship is giving Bejing poor marks on cooperation and honesty. The commission charged yesterday that China is transferring nuclear technology to Iran in exchange for much-needed oil. It also said China continues to allow North Korean missiles and nuclear technology to traverse...

Red Cross Ultimatum to US on Saddam

Jonathan Steele June 14, 2004
Amidst growing international and domestic criticism of human rights abuses in Iraq, the International Committee of the Red Cross is calling on the White House to clarify the status of deposed leader Saddam Hussein. Hussein and many Iraqis who served in his government have been held without being charged for any crime since their capture by the US. According to the Red Cross, international law...

State Dept. Concedes Errors in Terror Data

R. Jeffrey Smith June 10, 2004
In its 2003 report titled “Patterns of Global Terrorism”, the US State Department failed to give a true account of global terrorism, says this Washington Post article. The report stated that 2003 saw a significant decrease in terrorist activities largely due to US involvement in global counter-terrorism efforts. However, academics, a lawmaker, and others argue that the figures presented by the...

Rumsfeld Approved Methods for Guantanamo Interrogations

Jess Bravin June 10, 2004
According to a memo reviewed by the Wall Street Journal, US Secretary of State Donald Rumsfeld agreed in December 2002 to allow for a variety of harsh interrogation methods at Guantanamo Bay. "Mild non-injurious physical contact," "stress positions", and forced nudity were among the techniques approved for interrogating prisoners held at the US military installation, this...

New Violence, Old Problem

Neil MacFarquhar June 6, 2004
The last two terrorist attacks on Saudi Arabian soil left over two dozen people dead, including 25 foreigners. In both attacks, the corpse of a Westerner was dragged behind a car in apparent celebration. As gruesome as this sounds, writes Neil MacFarquhar, it is only a symptom of the times in Saudi Arabia. The ruling House of Saud, he says, officially maintains that the terrorists responsible...