In The News

6-Way Nuclear Talks Might Be Upgraded

Sim Sung-tae August 7, 2003
North Korea finally agreed to multilateral talks last week, raising hopes that the ongoing nuclear crisis in Northeast Asia may soon be resolved. In recognition of the meeting's importance, the six participating countries – including the United States and several of North Korea's neighbors – are planning to send representatives at the vice-ministerial level rather than the bureau...

Warning to Megawati, message to U.S.

Derwin Pereira August 6, 2003
The terrorist group, Jemaah Islamiah, targeted the Jakarta branch of the American owned Marriot Hotel in their attack yesterday as a joint warning to the United States and Indonesia, says this article in Singapore's Straits Times. By targeting American interests on Indonesian soil, the group sent a powerful message to both countries that the network remained strong and that there would be...

Can US Transit Visa Rule Prevent Terrorist Strike?

August 5, 2003
Thousands of air passengers pass through the US each year on their way to other destinations, but after the US begins requiring them to first apply for transit visas, that process won't be so easy. Washington has cited fears of terrorism and the resultant need for increased security as the reason for the new rules, but this editorial in the Khaleej Times is skeptical of that rationale:...

Talks for Peace Deal

August 4, 2003
North Korea should count its friends carefully, says this editorial in Seoul's Korea Herald. During the upcoming talks with the US, China, Russia, South Korea, and Japan, Pyongyang may not be able to lean so heavily on China and Russia to support its demands for aid, economic assistance, and security guarantees from Washington. Realistically, the paper says, the North must come to the...

North Korea Agrees to Multilateral Talks

Don Kirk August 1, 2003
After months of diplomatic posturing and much bravado, North Korea and the US have agreed to sit down together to find a way to deal with Pyongyang's nuclear ambitions, its security fears, and its urgent need for fuel and food aid. Representatives of China, Russia, South Korea, and Japan will be joining the US and North Korea in multi-lateral talks, a format Washington has insisted upon as...

The Pentagon's Eastern Obsession

Lawrence J. Korb July 30, 2003
Proponents of the US military’s proposed move from bases in Western Europe to Eastern Europe claim that the advantages would include reduced costs and proximity to hotspots like Central Asia and Middle East. However, according to former assistant defense secretary Lawrence Korb, such claims are unfounded. The current bases in Western Europe aren't as expensive to maintain as the numbers may...

Pentagon Prepares a Futures Market on Terror Attacks

Carl Hulse July 29, 2003
A bizarre new strategy in the war on terrorism is emerging from the headquarters of the US military. The Pentagon is creating an online futures market to predict the likelihood of terrorist attacks and assassinations. With the explicit aim of predicting the effects of US involvement in the Middle East, the program's website will begin registering traders on Aug. 1, and trading will begin...