In The News

Terror Plot Exposes Flaws in How UK Tackles Extremism

Andrew Higgins August 21, 2006
Preventing extremism requires funds, resources and mutual understanding about the nature of terrorism. In a working-class London neighborhood, some residents take steps to provide a forum for Muslims and local officials to meet and reduce ethnic tensions. Imtiaz Qadir, owner of an Islamic gym and sauna called Al-Badr, has also started a youth center. Local officials visit, playing pool, talking...

Preventing Misuse of Development Aid

Syed Mohammad Ali August 18, 2006
The difficulties in the appropriation of international aid are nothing new, writes researcher Syed Mohammad Ali. Donor governments have long faced accusations of distributing aid to countries deemed strategically important while shortchanging other crises. Aid groups struggle to distribute supplies in dangerous combat zones or simply in undeveloped areas with minimal infrastructure. Receiving...

Belief in a Worldwide Islamist Conspiracy Foolish

Max Hastings August 18, 2006
“He who has one enemy will meet him everywhere.” The proverb attributed to a 7th century Islamic caliph serves as a germane warning for the US. The Bush administration has amalgamated all Muslim opponents of US foreign policy into one group of “terrorist enemies,” and a more discriminating policy is necessary, argues author Max Hastings. He urges a policy that can differentiate between the just...

Globalization for the Rich

Sunita Narain August 17, 2006
In the 1980s, the world’s most industrialized nations deliberately set out to create standards of global integration and trade liberalization, often foisting policies upon less-developed nations that had little say in the negotiations. In the area of trade liberalization, the world’s richest countries refuse to reduce agricultural subsidies while insisting that developing nations expose their...

Drop the “War on Terrorism” Metaphor

Richard N. Haass August 17, 2006
Although terrorists have yet to launch another attack on the scale of the September 11th attacks, the arrests in London remind the world that extremists still plot. Globalization allows would-be terrorists to move around easily, and modern technology such as weapons of mass destruction increases the potential for destruction and loss of life. The Bush administration insists that promoting...

A Self-Defeating War

George Soros August 16, 2006
The metaphor “war on terror” is inappropriate, leading to real conflicts in Iraq, Afghanistan and Lebanon and causing far more civilian deaths than the 9/11 attacks. A majority in the US now recognizes that the war in Iraq in particular is a huge and costly blunder, but remains stymied, like US leaders, about how to withdraw from the nation without creating more problems. More Iraqis died in July...

Can Arnold Terminate Emissions?

Christa Case August 15, 2006
Some politicians view global heating as a major issue in upcoming elections – and are taking preemptive action. Europe, anticipating expiration of the Kyoto Treaty in 2012, created an emissions market: Companies buy and sell rights to emit greenhouse gases, and face fines for excess waste, in a market providing incentives to improve corporate practices. The system recognizes that the emissions...