In The News

Emptying the Oceans

Michael Richardson November 17, 2002
World fisheries are suffering. With huge fishing fleets subsidized by governments, ineffective or non-existent multi-lateral agreements to control overfishing, and rampant piracy, the world’s oceans are not merely overfished, they are being laid bare. Add new technology that allows fishers to trawl in waters previously unsafe, and supermarkets that offer big payouts for uncommon fish, and the...

Al Qaeda’s New Tactics

Peter Bergen November 15, 2002
Osama Bin Laden and Al Qaeda’s new tactics are both broader in scope and more focused in purpose. Judging by recent attacks, more countries have been placed on Bin Laden’s hit list. The US was previously Al Qaeda’s bulls-eye, but now most of the West is on the dartboard. Although more countries are now fair game, the targets are more specific: the heart of economic well-being. As noted, Bin Laden...

As New Tape Is Evaluated, Bush Calls Qaeda Threat Real

James Risen November 14, 2002
News of the existence of an audio message claiming to be Bin Laden’s has prompted the Bush administration to once again emphasize the real danger of the Al Qaeda network. Recent events, such as the bombings in Indonesia, seem to indicate that Al Qaeda is regrouping in preparation for more attacks against the United States. For months, U.S. military experts have debated whether or not Bin Laden...

Brain Drains Are Not So Bad After All

Jean-Pierra Lehmann November 13, 2002
It is well-known that a brain drain benefits the receiving nation. This nation profits through the innovations and improvements made by the best and brightest immigrants. However, what is not always recognizable is the fact that a brain drain benefits the sending nation as well. The fact that the best minds of a nation leave to live elsewhere puts tremendous pressure upon the home nation to...

'Bin Laden' Tape Warns of New Attacks

James Drummond November 13, 2002
Al-Jazeera, the Arab-language broadcasting service which has aired recordings of Osama Bin Laden, has just released another audio recording attributed to the Al Qaeda leader. The Financial Times reports that the tape reveals ominous threats to the US-led effort to constrain Saddam Hussein: "In references to recent attacks ranging from the bombing of a Bali nightclub to the occupation of a...

Geneticists Track More of Earliest Humans' First Itineraries

Nicholas Wade November 12, 2002
A conference of population geneticists and archeologists has brought the scientific community one step closer to putting together the puzzle of Homo sapiens’ genealogical tree. Technological advancements in genetics now allow scientists to pinpoint DNA information to historical events, like the introduction of agriculture from Anatolia to Europe by analyzing certain Y-chromosome codes of men in...

Voices on Tape Portrayed as Bin Laden’s Praises Recent Attacks

David Stout November 12, 2002
Globalization has connected various societies and areas of the world, but this has not come without a heavy price. Since the U.S. bombing of Afghanistan, there has been much speculation as to whether or not Osama Bin Laden, widely thought to be the mastermind behind the 9/11 attacks, is still alive. The recent news of the existence of an audio message claiming to be from Bin Laden has revived...