In The News

Apples and Oranges Are Both Fruit, But…

William S. Turley October 24, 2003
Many US analysts have compared the current conflict in Iraq to the Vietnam War, citing similar trends - lack of support from allies, initial domestic support followed by growing doubt, and faulty intelligence. But, says Indochina expert William S. Turley, the two countries and their respective conflicts are strikingly different, making comparisons to Vietnam quite un-useful in analyses of the...

Most Iraqis Unhappy with Coalition Forces

Maureen Fan October 24, 2003
A poll by an independent think tank shows that Iraqis are less and less enamored of their American 'liberators'. Over half the Iraqis surveyed seriously doubted that US-led coalition forces could improve safety conditions and worried about deteriorating security conditions. When asked about their preferred political model for a post-Saddam Iraq, more chose Iran than the US, although...

Coming Clean or Playing for Time?

October 23, 2003
Iran will allow a tougher UN nuclear inspection regime to confirm that it is not attempting to build nuclear weapons. Issuing a declaration that Iran says outlines all of its nuclear activities, the country aims to fend off economic sanctions promoted by the United States. Skeptics argue, however, that Iran is only buying time with an extraordinarily vague and voluntary agreement. In fact, says...

Coming Clean or Playing for Time?

October 23, 2003
Iran will allow a tougher UN nuclear inspection regime to confirm that it is not attempting to build nuclear weapons. Issuing a declaration that Iran says outlines all of its nuclear activities, the country aims to fend off economic sanctions promoted by the United States. Skeptics argue, however, that Iran is only buying time with an extraordinarily vague and voluntary agreement. In fact, says...

Pyongyang Derides US Treaty Offer

October 22, 2003
The North Korean government is calling a US pledge not to invade North Korea a 'laughing matter'. US President George W. Bush had earlier offered the isolated communist country a written guarantee that the US and four other countries would not attack North Korea if Pyongyang agreed to give up its nuclear weapons development program. "We have demanded that the United States drop...

Iran to Suspend Uranium Enrichment Programme

Mohsen Asgari October 21, 2003
Bowing to pressure from the US and other nations, Iran has announced that it will suspend nuclear enrichment for "an interim period" to help "create a new atmosphere of trust and confidence between Iran and the international community". Meeting with the foreign ministers of France, Germany, and the UK, a top Iranian official also said that Iran would sign an additional...

The Bigger Problem: Weapons of Individual Destruction

Raenette Taljaard October 15, 2003
The American hunt for weapons of mass destruction in Iraq has turned up little so far, but in the meantime coalition soldiers and Iraqi civilians continue to be victims of armed violence. By ignoring the proliferation of small arms and light weapons, says Raenette Taljaard, a member of the South African Parliament, the international community is failing millions of people around the world....