Scholars, advocates, and activists seeking to make the U.S. a more responsible global partner.
Europe & Central Asia

Walk Softly and Look Ahead in Nuclear South Asia

by | Oct 1, 2001

Before September 11, South Asia’s problems loomed large. The region, with over a billion people, a history of war, rising religious militancy, newly tested nuclear weapons, and a get-tough mood, was on the brink of instability. Adding to South Asia’s long list of troubles is the U.S. war against Osama bin Laden and the Taliban. Hasty U.S. actions could deepen the problems facing South Asia. Over the long term, the U.S. has the opportunity to foster regional stability–but only if it pursues a different set of policies in the region.

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Pakistan’s Day of Reckoning

by | Sep 1, 2001

The Tuesday tragedy in the U.S. is already having a profound impact on Pakistan. The apocalypse in the U.S. has forced upon the Pakistani ruling elite its day of reckoning sooner than it had anticipated. The Pakistan military, which is also running the government here since October 1999, now has to choose clearly and unequivocally between a direct confrontation with the militant religious groups–and there are dozens of them–and the wrath of a wounded and angry America.

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Humanitarian Crisis in Afghanistan

by | Sep 1, 2001

Not a shot has been fired–yet–at Afghanistan’s Taliban, but the country’s beleaguered population already is paying a heavy price for the ruling militia’s pariah status as host to alleged terrorist mastermind Osama bin Laden.

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Don’t Bomb Afghanistan

by | Sep 1, 2001

It appears that the United States is preparing for a major military strike against Afghanistan. There is no question that the United States needs to respond forcefully to bring the perpetrators of last week’s terrorist attack to justice and to prevent future attacks. A large-scale military action against that country, however, would be a big mistake.

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The Military Occupation of Macedonia

by | Aug 1, 2001

The Western press points to the “mediation” of the U.S. and the EU in what is largely portrayed as an “internal conflict.” Public opinion is led to believe that the Macedonian crisis pertains solely to the social, political, and language rights of the ethnic Albanian minority and that the “international community” is committed to ending the violence “between government forces and ethnic Albanian insurgents” while assisting opposing sides to reach a solution.

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NATO’s Credibility in Macedonia

by | Aug 1, 2001

In Macedonia peace remains elusive, despite the signing of a political compromise between Macedonia’s ethnic Albanian and Macedonian leaders on August 13. Relations between the country’s Macedonian and Albanian communities are on the verge of a complete breakdown.

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The Russian Left Today

by | Jul 1, 2001

To judge from opinion surveys, newspaper reports, and conversations on the street, Russian society is moving leftward. To judge from the statements of politicians and the relationship of forces within the elite, however, the country is moving decisively to the right.

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Kashmir at the Summit

by | Jul 1, 2001

Kashmir and Kerala, perhaps the two most scenic of the Indian states, are at the northern and southern ends of the country, respectively. During his New Year holiday in Kerala, Indian Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee wrote some “musings” on Kashmir, almost as if he were “thinking aloud.” He wrote that he was determined to address seriously the Kashmir problem, which he identified as one of the bitter legacies of the partition of the subcontinent, while also recognizing both the internal and external dimensions of the issue.

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