In The News

U.S.-Thai Immunity Pact "Flouts Sovereignty"

June 5, 2003
The U.S. has launched a world-wide campaign to persuade countries to sign agreements that would protect U.S. citizens from international judicial prosecution. The Thai government, led by Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, has planned to join the list of 34 countries who have signed such an agreement with the U.S. But the Thai Senate Committee for Foreign Affairs is opposed to the Prime Minister...

America's War on Terror Goes Awry in Pakistan

Ahmed Rashid June 4, 2003
Ahmed Rashid, author of Taliban: Militant Islam, Oil and Fundamentalism in Central Asia and Jihad: The Rise of Militant Islam in Central Asia, offers a scathing indictment of US foreign policy in South Asia, post-September 11. Rashid argues that US-led military action and victory in Afghanistan did not eradicate the Islamic fundamentalist ideology of the Taliban. Rather, Taliban's...

India Fears Impact of Bid to Curb Jobs Exports

Edward Alden June 4, 2003
Following the lead of many other American and British firms, the British insurance company, Prudential, is planning to export jobs from the UK to India. Outsourcing to low-cost offshore centers is saving companies billions of dollars a year, since it allows them to set up shop where labor is plentiful and cheap. Though company executives maintain that outsourcing merely follows economic law and...

In Search of the Iraqi Pie

Charubala Annuncio June 3, 2003
Preliminary work on the reconstruction of Iraq has begun, and firms from a variety of countries are already lined up for possible contracts. This article from Outlook India Magazine discusses the prospects for Indian companies hoping to get some of the lucrative sub-contracts in the reconstruction. Since the contract assignment process is mostly run by the Americans, the authors point out that...

Return to Bilateralism

May 13, 2003
Is bilateralism the only viable option for India and Pakistan to resolve long standing disputes over territory? The answer, for now, appears to be yes, according to this editorial in India's The Hindu newspaper. Pakistan has insisted on third party mediation on Kashmir, a state claimed by both neighboring countries. In the current geopolitical situation, the writer says any third party...

Will Vajpayee's Gambit Pay Off?

Edward Luce May 8, 2003
Can a military victory in one part of the world promote peace in another? A writer of the Financial Times thinks that may be happening. With the Iraq War over, India and Pakistan are assessing the long-term impact of the American victory. Although India publicly opposed the war, its leaders may not dislike the message that an American victory sends to countries supporting Islamic terrorists....

India Harvests First Biotech Cotton Crop

Rama Lakshmi May 4, 2003
For decades, scientists, farmers and policymakers alike have debated the role biotechnology should play in farming. Many countries in the Western Hemisphere have long been proponents of genetic engineering as a means of injecting more, healthier crops into the world food market. And while Europe and much of the developing world remains skeptical, fearing environmental disasters or health...