In The News

Prison Scandal Touches Raw Nerve of a Key US Ally

Paula R. Newberg June 7, 2005
Recent allegations of US forces' mishandling of the Quran have further inflamed Muslims worldwide. Pakistani reaction in this regard is of particular concern – in view of the country's nuclear arsenal and centrality to the US war on terror. As Paula R. Newberg explains, while the country remains a reluctant but cooperative US ally, the scandal renders the vacuum at the heart of...

A Retreat from Great Europe? – Part II

John Brenkman June 2, 2005
The highly anticipated French referendum on the EU constitution arrived this weekend: The vote was a resounding "Non." And with the Netherlands casting an even more strident "Nee" vote, observers, both European and worldwide, now wonder what lies ahead for the European Union. YaleGlobal examines the fallout of the referendum in a two-part series. In part two, John Brenkman...

Just Say No to Progressive Values

Ian Williams June 1, 2005
For reasons that many observers feel are inscrutable, France voted "no" this weekend to the new EU constitution. The constitution, which guarantees health care, social services, and workers' rights to European citizens found united opposition from both France's ultra-conservative element and, more surprisingly, its left. At a glance, it seems that workers in France voted...

A Retreat from Great Europe? – Part I

Shada Islam May 31, 2005
The highly anticipated French referendum on the EU constitution arrived this weekend: The vote was a resounding "Non." Voters signaled their distaste for the proposed constitution, as well as their opposition to the economic consequences of integrating new members. And as the Netherlands prepares for a similar vote, observers, both European and worldwide, now wonder what lies ahead...

"In Larger Freedom": Decision Time at the UN

Kofi Annan May 31, 2005
The wide range of threats afflicting different regions today complicates international collaboration. In an interconnected world, however, these threats are often more closely related than we realize. Extreme poverty and civil conflict in one country, for example, encourage terrorist groups to strike in another; the outbreak of disease in a region with poor health care may spread to wealthier...

Mood of Mistrust Shocks French Ruling Class

Jon Henley May 31, 2005
In the wake of France's rejection of the proposed EU constitution, President Jacques Chirac is expected to select a replacement for Jean Pierre Raffarin, "the most unpopular prime minister in the history of the Fifth Republic," according to The Guardian. But this turnover is just one of the political implications of the referendum, which this commentary characterizes as disastrous...

The Need to Cooperate on Oil Policy in East Asia

Makmur Keliat May 26, 2005
For the rapidly modernizing countries of East Asia, oil resources are necessary to sustain industrialization. This editorial in The Jakarta Post predicts that competition for these resources will continue to increase, and national policies will be directed at securing an adequate oil supply. Oil competition, exacerbated by rising prices and political uncertainty in the Middle East and Central...