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| Current Topic: International Relations |
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| Topic: International Relations |
11:44 am EST, Jan 19, 2004 |
"The Musharraf Mysteries" (editorial, Dec. 27) says that "Pakistani politics are difficult to decode" and that the immediate challenge is to "discover what is really going on there." What is going on should be plain enough. The country is undergoing a transition from an unstable, corrupt and personality-centered "kleptocracy" to a more sustainable, transparent and institutionalized democracy. -- Ambassador of Pakistan It is curious that the editors only now decided to publish this letter, apparently written the day after the "what is going on" editorial was published. Can you say, 'market timing'? If published on December 30, the letter would have made less of an impact. Now, following a day of Al Qaeda arrests and a visible demonstration of Musharraf's personal determination, the ambassador's letter seems prescient. Transition in Pakistan |
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Los Angeles World Affairs Council |
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| Topic: International Relations |
7:18 pm EST, Jan 17, 2004 |
The Los Angeles World Affairs Council promotes greater understanding of current global issues and their impact on the people of Southern California by: * Bringing authoritative, influential figures in world affairs to LA
* Providing an open forum for them to freely express their views
* Providing citizens of LA access to them and their comments
* Connecting local professionals with an interest in world affairs
* Promoting an interest in international affairs among LA students This site offers transcripts of recent speakers at council events, including those of Dick Cheney (though without the Q&A session). The ranking Democrat on HPSCI spoke to the council last night. You will also find recent speeches to the council by UN Secretary General Kofi Annan and Pakistani president Pervez Musharraf. Cheney's address will be broadcast on LA36 this Sunday and Monday. See the web site for air times. Los Angeles World Affairs Council |
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| Topic: International Relations |
2:25 pm EST, Jan 17, 2004 |
Among many other worthwhile articles in the Winter 2003/2004 issue of The National Interest, you'll find an essay by James C. Bennett entitled "Networking Nation States." It's also described on the cover by the title "The Coming Info-National Order." The lead-in sentence is: "The nation-state is not dead, but technology is leading it down a very different road." I am reminded of Walter Wriston's "The Twilight of Sovereignty", although Bennett has a different thesis. Check out this issue the next time you're at the bookstore or newsstand. |
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| Topic: International Relations |
1:42 am EST, Jan 15, 2004 |
If, somehow, Iraqi Kurds, Sunnis, Turkmen, Christians, Assyrians and Shiites find a way to embrace pluralism, it will be a huge boost to moderates in the war of ideas all across the Muslim world. Those who scoff at the idea of a democratic domino theory in the Arab world don't know what they're talking about. But those who think this is a done deal don't know Iraq. War of Ideas, Part 3 |
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| Topic: International Relations |
2:06 am EST, Jan 13, 2004 |
India and Pakistan have moved farther in the past 10 days than in the preceding 10 years. This is big news, and understanding why it happened yields big lessons. Musharraf has done more to battle extremism and promote reform than any Pakistani leader in the past quarter-century. The recent attempts on his life demonstrate that at the very least the extremists think he's fighting hard against them. But something equally important has happened in South Asia over the past 15 years. India has been transformed by a market revolution. Fareed Zakaria sees opportunity in recent regional economic and political developments. So, when the IBM engineers lose their jobs to the Indians, they might be saddened, but at least they should sleep well -- they're fighting terrorism! Wealth, or safety? Choose wisely. Opening in South Asia |
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| Topic: International Relations |
4:32 pm EST, Jan 11, 2004 |
Pakistan continues to be the most dangerous place on Earth because of its mix of nuclear weapons, unstable politics, religious fanaticism and the involvement of senior military and intelligence officials in terrorist networks, including al Qaeda and the Taliban. Nuclear Resolution |
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WMD In Iraq: Evidence and Implications |
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| Topic: International Relations |
11:06 am EST, Jan 11, 2004 |
This new study details what the US and international intelligence communities understood about Iraq's weapons programs before the war and outlines policy reforms to improve threat assessments, deter transfer of WMD to terrorists, strengthen the UN weapons inspection process, and avoid politicization of the intelligence process. The report distills a massive amount of data into side-by-side comparisons of pre-war intelligence, the official presentation of that intelligence, and what is now known about Iraq's programs. WMD In Iraq: Evidence and Implications |
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Iraq Sought Poland's Scrap for Edge |
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| Topic: International Relations |
4:19 pm EST, Jan 1, 2004 |
Arms brokers and spies built a clandestine network to acquire rusting Soviet Bloc engine parts to illegally extend missiles' range. ... Haitham Sabbagh, owner of STC, a heating and air-conditioning firm in Damascus, denied that his firm ever dealt with Iraqis or with Polish suppliers, even after paperwork related to the Polish deal and bearing his letterhead were presented to him. Under questioning, Sabbagh grew edgy. "You have a passport and can leave here. I don't want to speak of this anymore. What can I do about this? The people doing this are much bigger than I." This article is the conclusion of a two-part series entitled "The Weapons Files" that is the product of an extensive review of documents seized in Iraq. Iraq Sought Poland's Scrap for Edge |
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Banned Arms Flowed Into Iraq Through Syrian Firm |
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| Topic: International Relations |
4:16 pm EST, Jan 1, 2004 |
Files found in Baghdad describe deals violating UN sanctions and offer a glimpse into the murky world of weapons smuggling and the ties between 'rogue states.' ... Lee Dae Young, the chairman of Armitel, a 1998 spinoff from Samsung, said: "We sold Iraq an optical cable system. Actually, now that this is over, I can tell you. We sold it to Syrians and they took it to Iraq." This article is the first of a two-part series entitled "The Weapons Files" that is the product of an extensive review of documents seized in Iraq. Banned Arms Flowed Into Iraq Through Syrian Firm |
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With Friends Like These ... |
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| Topic: International Relations |
1:29 pm EST, Jan 1, 2004 |
To judge by Libya's promise to give up its weapons of mass destruction, President Bush's get-tough approach in Iraq and Afghanistan has impressed our enemies. But what about our ostensible allies? ... Both Musharraf and Abdullah need the US at least as much as we need them. Neither one can stay in power -- or, most likely, stay alive -- if the radical Islamists prevail. In the long term, we do them no favors by allowing them to coddle our mutual enemies. Max Boot writes in the New Years Day edition of the Los Angeles Times. With Friends Like These ... |
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