In The News

Al Qaeda Hobbled by Latest Arrest, U.S. Officials Say

Don Van Natta Jr. March 3, 2003
Al Qaeda’s chief of operations, Khalid Shaikh Mohammed, was recently arrested in Pakistan. Shaikh Mohammed was a key player in the day-to-day operations of Al-Qaeda’s global network of operatives in countries across Europe and the Middle East. His arrest is being hailed as a important achievement in the ongoing war on terrorism, as it casts doubt on the continuing sustainability and viability...

Bubbling Up

February 28, 2003
World oil prices are higher than they have been in years, and economists have begun to speculate about the effect an oil shortage may have on the global economy. Not only has the impending war in Iraq made oil markets jumpy, but the strike in Venezuela and the possibility of conflict in Nigeria have contributed to the situation. On top of that, recent demand for oil has been high during the...

The Trans-Atlantic Aftershock of 9/11

Immanuel Wallerstein February 26, 2003
It has been long time in the making, but the debate over the wisdom of attacking Iraq has revealed how far apart the alliance forged after World War II has grown. In the past, despite reservations European countries may have had about specific US policies, they have tended to support the US because of shared security concerns. All that has changed with the rise of an economically strong and...

The U.S. and the End of WMD Regimes

Shireen M. Mazari February 26, 2003
Few in the world dispute the call that Iraq cease and destroy its nuclear, biological and chemical warfare programs. Nevertheless, many countries are developing nuclear capabilities while remaining parties to the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), including Iran and Japan. The United States, now the leading advocate of non-proliferation, has adopted inconsistent stances in regard to the nuclear...

The Finest Superpower in the World

Gerard Baker February 26, 2003
On the question of Iraq, France and its supporters are vying to fundamentally change the post-Cold War international order, says political commentator Gerard Baker. After examining the recent foreign policy records of those who are challenging American unipolarity – specifically France, Germany, and Russia – we can conclude, he argues, that American action has been more successful than the other...

Inspection of Weapons of Mass Destruction Should Be Universal

Martin Shubik February 25, 2003
With world opinion turning against the planned US war against Iraq there is a crying need for the US to assure the international community that it is not seeking domination. Martin Shubik, a noted game theorist who has been a consultant to several American administrations, says the dangers to world civilization are far greater than most citizens appreciate. He advocates a whole new approach to...

War for Peace? It Worked in My Country

José Ramos-Horta February 25, 2003
In this opinion article in The New York Times, José Ramos-Horta, East Timor's minister of foreign affairs and cooperation – and a man who shared the Nobel Peace Prize in 1996 – supports the possible use of force in removing Saddam Hussein from power in Iraq. East Timor was only liberated from Indonesia, he writes, thanks to an international peacekeeping force. Although he urges the Bush...