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November 28, 2024

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COMMENTARY / World

Oct 1, 2003

U.S. mission remains on track in Iraq

By Michael O'Hanlon

WASHINGTON -- How can we really determine if the Iraq mission is going well? Pessimists worry about recent truck bombings and political assassinations, ongoing serious crime problems, sustained attacks against U.S. forces, and high unemployment together with slow progress at improving the Iraqi standard...

COMMENTARY / World

Oct 1, 2003

Currency interventions prove to be both fruitless and costly

By Christopher Lingle

GUATEMALA CITY -- The weakening of the U.S. dollar accelerated after finance ministers from the Group of Seven issued a communique calling for market-oriented international exchange rates. Soon afterward, the Japanese yen set a two-year high against the American currency.

COMMENTARY

Sep 30, 2003

Cooperative Ukraine left out in the cold

By Doug Bandow

WASHINGTON -- The Bush administration continues to press for assistance from other nations in Iraq, but without notable success. Both Germany and Russia now indicate a willingness to help, but not with troops. Said Russian President Vladimir Putin in advance of his summit with his American counterpart...

COMMENTARY / World / GUEST FORUM

Sep 29, 2003

Re-elected Koizumi expected to deliver

By Yuki Tatsumi

On Sept. 22, the third Koizumi Cabinet was established. On the same day, the Liberal Democratic Party witnessed the birth of a new party leadership. Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi, re-elected to head the LDP for the second term with a handsome majority, is now well positioned to face a general election...

COMMENTARY / THE VIEW FROM NEW YORK

Sep 29, 2003

Debate on Emperor's role in war lives on

By Hiroaki Sato

NEW YORK -- Will the nearly 60-year-old debate on the Showa Emperor's role in World War II ever end?

COMMENTARY / World

Sep 29, 2003

Poor options for Korea talks

By Richard Halloran

HONOLULU -- As the United States, Japan and South Korea prepare for a second round of negotiations with North Korea over its nuclear ambitions, the options for resolving this dispute seem to have sorted themselves into five -- one unlikely, another unacceptable, a third unproductive, the fourth unrealistic...

COMMENTARY / THE VIEW FROM MOSCOW

Sep 28, 2003

Welcome to 'Mother Sofa'

By Constantine Pleshakov

MOSCOW -- Moscow seems to have the biggest concentration of furniture stores per square kilometer in the world. Downtown is a cramped place, with barely enough space for designer clothing and jewelry boutiques. Yet, in the peripheral neighborhoods, furniture stores thrive.

COMMENTARY

Sep 27, 2003

The Saudi Arabia dilemma

By David Howell

LONDON -- Times are very difficult for the government of Saudi Arabia. Assailed on one side by hardline Islamists for being too pro-American, Saudi leaders have also had to endure a hail of brickbats from Washington for not being sufficiently pro-American and supportive of U.S. policy.

COMMENTARY / World

Sep 26, 2003

Lee's intensity hardly dulled by age

By Harvey Stockwin

HONG KONG -- A rare and remarkable Asian leader passed a milestone on Sept. 16. Former Singapore Prime Minister, now Senior Minister Lee Kuan Yew celebrated his 80th birthday. He has been running Singapore, in substance if not in title, since his People's Action Party swept the polls in 1959.

COMMENTARY / World

Sep 26, 2003

Dollar peg undermines China's economy

By Christopher Lingle

As Beijing is pressured to halt currency intervention, arguments are generally proposed in terms of the possible benefits to other countries. Such an argument is less compelling than one that points out how China might benefit from an end to its peg against the U.S. dollar. In any event, China's fixed...

COMMENTARY / World

Sep 25, 2003

So little done with so many

By Jean-pierre Lehmann

GENEVA — The outcome of the World Trade Organization ministerial midterm review in Cancun, Mexico (Sept. 12-14), was an unmitigated disaster. The United States, European Union and Japan share equal responsibility for failing to stand by the commitments they had made in the Doha Declaration of November...

COMMENTARY / World

Sep 24, 2003

Break the Mideast impasse

By W. Andy Knight

EDMONTON, Canada -- When the U.N. General Assembly opened its 58th annual session on Sept. 19 with a moment of silence in memory of the U.N. staff killed and injured as a result of the terrorist attack in Baghdad last month, its 191 member governments renewed their pledge to uphold the principles of...

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