In The News

Chinese Astronauts to Compete for Final Frontier

Joan Johnson-Freese March 14, 2003
A chain reaction of space activity, begun by Soviet-U.S competition in the 1960’s, has been duly catalyzed by China’s own manned space effort. The Middle Kingdom began its ventures into space in 1999, but soon it hopes to be only the third nation to have achieved human spaceflight. If this does happen, China’s position vis-à-vis the world - and particularly vis-à-vis the US - is bound to change...

The Right War for the Right Reasons

John McCain March 12, 2003
Although it is uncertain whether the United Nations Security Council will authorize American and British armed forces to disarm Iraq and remove Saddam Hussein, Senator John McCain firmly endorses this potential war, and praises it as an act of justice. He dismisses most critics’ claims that nonviolent options have not been exhausted by citing the UN's failure to disarm Iraq using nonviolent...

World Court for Crimes of War Opens in The Hague

Marlise Simons March 12, 2003
"The most ambitious initiative in the history of modern international law" begins today in the Hague. Charged with prosecuting crimes against humanity, genocide, and other grave atrocities when national governments refuse or are unable to seek justice, the new International Criminal Court has been ratified by only 89 signatory countries. Notable exceptions include the United States,...

A Harmonious Protest

Gihan Shahine March 10, 2003
Normally tense relations between the Egyptian government and opposition parties were quiet during a recent protest against the possible war in Iraq spearheaded by the U.S. The government did not engage in the customary pre-protest security checks and allowed all participants to freely express their views. A statement prepared by the organizers claimed that "any Arab country that facilitates...

Just War – or a Just War?

Jimmy Carter March 9, 2003
As the question of Iraq looms over Washington, former U.S. President Jimmy Carter expresses his concerns with America’s current abandonment of premises of religious principles, respect for international law, and wise alliances, upon which sound foreign policy is based. Mr. Carter outlines the preconditions for a just war with Iraq, including the exhaustion of nonviolent options, avoidance of all...

Time for Jaw-Jaw with North Korea

James Goodby March 5, 2003
Diplomat-in-residence at Stanford University James Goodby and Councilor of the Atlantic Council of the United States Kenneth Weisbrode outline the many reasons why bilateral talks should be preferred over a pre-emptive attack on North Korea. They argue in the Financial Times that the US is too occupied over the Middle East and Saddam Hussein, and will be for a long time, that its navy is spread...

Excluding Taiwan from the World’s View

Daniel Lynch March 3, 2003
Taiwan, though still unrecognized as a state internationally, has achieved economic success and democracy as other Asian countries have floundered. Yet China continues to talk of recovering Taiwan, and the UN will not use the country’s name. Daniel Lynch attributes this to China’s international wealth and power and the world’s acquiescence to the Chinese government’s bullying. He calls on the...