In The News

Ambassadors' Letter to Blair

April 26, 2004
More than fifty former British ambassadors and senior government officials signed a letter criticizing Prime Minister Tony Blair for his unflinching support of the Bush administration's policies in the Middle East. The signatories included former ambassadors to Israel, Iraq, and other Middle Eastern countries, as well as senior British envoys to the United Nations. The letter asserted that...

Merging the Word with the Sword

Thomas Schmid April 23, 2004
Osama Bin Laden's latest move to drive a wedge between the United States and Europe shows how "al-Qaida terrorists see Europe as a political unit with which they can play strategic games," writes Thomas Schmid in Germany's FAZ Weekly. An internet pamphlet titled "Iraq in the Jihad - Hopes and Risks" has made this all too clear. Laying out a kind of terrorist domino...

An Ominous Moment in Middle East Turmoil

Roger Cohen April 23, 2004
Despite numerous efforts to curry the favor of the Arab world – such as the establishment of the pro-American Al Hurra satellite network – the Bush administration has instead, according to some critics, stoked the fires of Arab resentment through the occupation of Iraq and support for Ariel Sharon and Israel. Some believe the vested interests of pro-Israeli and Evangelical Christian lobbies are...

North Korean Ends 'Candid' China Visit

Edward Cody April 22, 2004
Unexpected private talks between North Korean leader Kim Jong Il and leaders in Beijing resulted in what is being called a "broad common understanding." During the talks, Beijing reiterated its desire for a nuclear-free Korean peninsula while also addressing North Korea's 'rational concerns,' a hint at North Korea's desire for security guarantees from the US. For his...

Transatlantic Thaw Can Help Taiwan

David Huang April 21, 2004
Leading up to Taiwan's presidential election last month, China was hoping to make the most of out the apparent rift between the US and Europe. According to David Huang, a researcher at Taiwan's most influential think tank, China had attempted to exploit the transatlantic disagreement over war in Iraq in order to bolster its designs on Taiwan. Engaging in a joint naval exercise with...

Hit by Spanish Withdrawal Syndrome

Shada Islam April 21, 2004
After winning March elections that attracted tremendous international attention, newly-elected Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero forewarned a significant shift in Spanish foreign policy. He declared his disapproval of the previous Popular Party's government active support of the American invasion of Iraq, which many Spaniards felt provoked March's deadly terrorist...

US Attempt at Domination Hobbled by Contradiction

Michael Kraig April 19, 2004
Critics point to the war in Iraq and President Bush's subsequent denial of reconstruction contracts to dissenting nations as proof of Washington's hegemonic tendencies. However, argues security expert Michael Kraig, the Iraq War is just the latest manifestation of a US foreign policy that has been deeply contradictory since the fall of the Berlin Wall. During the Cold War, a...