In The News

Ahmadinejad’s Challenge to the World

Dieter Bednarz December 19, 2005
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has expressed more religious fanaticism than any Iranian president since Khomeini’s revolution. His campaign promises included a pledge to close the stock exchange (it violates the Islamic prohibition of gambling) and during a speech before the UN, he claimed enlightenment. While his behavior may seem absurd, his increasingly inflammatory rhetoric worries Western politicians...

Encouraging ASEAN

December 15, 2005
Three primary issues emerged this week in Kuala Lumpur: First, ASEAN confronted member state Myanmar over its human rights violations, marking what may be the first such criticism levied against a member. In the past ASEAN has overlooked and defended Myanmar’s junta even as human rights violations ignited international protests and damaged ASEAN credibility. But the patience of the other...

Malaysia Delivers a Short, Important Face-Slap

Connie Levett December 15, 2005
Malaysia has refused to regard Australia as a part of East Asia, and stated that Australia should not expect to become part of any future East Asian community. The leader of Malaysia, Abdullah Badawi, who served as chairman of the recent inaugural East Asia summit, offered geography as a primary reason for rejecting Australian participation. Australia has been jockeying to join the East Asian...

Russian Civil Society Will Find It Harder to Breathe

Liliana N. Proskuryakova December 8, 2005
Since 1991, hundreds of thousands of non-governmental orgnanizations (NGOs) have sprung up in Russia, enjoying a level of freedom unthinkable in the Soviet years. Yet following the pro-democratic revolutions in the former members of the Soviet Union, that freedom may be disappearing, says Liliana N. Proskuryakova. Russian civil society will face a host of new restrictions under new legislation...

Rice Visit Fails to Build Bridges

David Crossland December 7, 2005
Condoleezza Rice’s visit to Berlin was quickly derailed from its purpose of establishing a harmonious trans-Atlantic relationship by the sensitive and inflammatory issue of torture. German Chancellor Angela Merkel reported that Rice had admitted the US made a mistake by abducting Khaled al-Masri, a German citizen wrongly suspected of involvement in the 9/11 terror attacks, imprisoning and, he...

Is Strategy For Victory in Iraq an Empty Package?

Joan Johnson-Freese December 6, 2005
Nearly three years after the US-led invasion of Iraq, the White House has released its plan to bring stability and democracy to Iraq. Yet, while that plan adequately addresses the role that Iraqis are to play in securing their country, it must now be followed by a strategy that addresses the roles that the American public and army will play in that same long fight. At the moment, the American...

Partnership In Question

Magda El-Ghitany December 5, 2005
More than two dozen European and Mediterranean states met in Barcelona a decade ago in order to work towards a shared vision of an end to religious fundamentalism and the advent of regional free trade. That vision is now in tatters. A summit held on the ten-year anniversary of the Barcelona Declaration failed even to attract many key Arab heads of state, and failed likewise to produce a joint...