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Na verloop van tijd verdwijnen oudere artikelen van de voorpagina. Ze worden daarna aan deze archiefpagina toegevoegd. Het archief heeft betrekking op alle artikelen die sinds mei 2003 op onze voorpagina werden aanbevolen. Achter de feiten bewaart echter, onder meer om de auteursrechtelijke implicaties daarvan, geen lokale kopieën van de artikelen die het onder de aandacht brengt. Daardoor zijn we voor de beschikbaarheid van de artikelen in het archief afhankelijk van de beschikbaarheid bij de originele aanbieder. Wanneer de aanbieder de beschikbaarheid stopzet zal de verwijzing in het archief naar het betreffende artikel niet meer werken. In zo'n geval handhaven we echter wel de artikelbeschrijving.
How Mumbo-Jumbo Conquered the World: A Short History of Modern Delusions
26 mei | Brendan O'Neill op Spiked online.
'It was originally going to be subtitled "A Brief History of Bollocks" but the publishers balked', says Francis Wheen, as he bashes open a bottle of Becks for me by hitting it against the corner of Ian Hislop's desk. There's no bottle opener, he explains, because not many people round here drink beer... lees verder.
Was the Stop the War Coalition fatally undermined by its links to extreme leftist and Islamist groups?
25 mei | Phil Doré op Butterflies and Wheels.
Around the time of the huge demonstrations of February 15 th 2003, the Stop the War Coalition had emerged as one of the biggest protest movements in British history, yet it failed to achieve its goal of preventing war in Iraq. Moreover, within weeks of the February protests, the STWC had gone into decline with startling rapidity... lees verder.
Anti-Islamic polemics is older than the Crusades. Since the time of John of Damascus, Islam was depicted as a Christian heresy
22 mei | Habib Siddiqui op Iviews.
In a seminal essay on "Islam Through Western Eyes," Professor Edward Said of Columbia University wrote, "I have not been able to discover any period in European or American history since the Middle Ages in which Islam was generally discussed or thought about outside a framework created by passion, prejudice and political interests. This may not seem like a surprising discovery, but included in the indictment is the entire gamut of scholarly and scientific disciplines which, since the early nineteenth century, have either called themselves Orientalism or tried systematically to deal with the Orient."... lees verder.
The film-maker who could help to bring down Bush has been larging it at Cannes. He has made millions asking awkward questions of corporate America. But there are a few awkward questions we'd like to ask him...
23 mei | Andrew Anthony in The Observer.
It would be wrong to suggest that all of human life passes through the lobby of the Majestic hotel in Cannes. Better to say that beneath its exotic arrangement of palm trees, hanging rugs, Roman statues and permanently illuminated chandeliers goes all of human life with a movie to sell... lees verder.
Al Qaeda likely has a number of sleeper cells still embedded in the United States, and logic dictates that Houston, Texas, is high on their target list.
21 mei | Fred Burton in Stratfor.
In our last Terrorism Intelligence Weekly, Stratfor discussed improvements in intelligence-gathering efforts that have aided the ability of Western governments to predict or pre-empt attacks. At the same time, however, the threat within the continental United States -- where al Qaeda is likely to attempt a major strike before the presidential elections -- also has intensified. Logic dictates that Washington, New York, Dallas, Houston or Austin, Texas, could be targeted in an attack that quite possibly would involve a "dirty bomb."... lees verder.
Did secret Pentagon decisions trigger the Abu Ghraib scandal?
15 mei | Seymour M. Hersh in New Yorker.
The roots of the Abu Ghraib prison scandal lie not in the criminal inclinations of a few Army reservists but in a decision, approved last year by Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, to expand a highly secret operation, which had been focussed on the hunt for Al Qaeda, to the interrogation of prisoners in Iraq... lees verder.
The mere mention of al Qaeda conjures images of an efficient terrorist network guided by a powerful criminal mastermind. Yet al Qaeda is more lethal as an ideology than as an organization. “Al Qaedaism” will continue to attract supporters in the years to come—whether Osama bin Laden is around to lead them or not.
mei/juni | Jason Burke in Foreign Policy.
“Al Qaeda Is a Global Terrorist Organization” No. It is less an organization than an ideology. The Arabic word qaeda can be translated as a "base of operation" or "foundation," or alternatively as a "precept" or "method." Islamic militants always understood the term in the latter sense. lees verder.
De Pax Americana bestaat. Hij is geschreven door een aan de regering-Bush verbonden denktank: Project for a New American Century (PNAC). Het BRussells Tribunal, een hoorcomité van academici, intellectuelen en kunstenaars naar analogie van het Russell Tribunal uit 1967, legde dat PNAC van 15 tot 17 april op de pijnbank. "Het volk moet zijn stem laten horen", zegt mede-initiatiefnemer en professor filosofie aan de KU Leuven, Lieven De Cauter.
mei | Thomas Blommaert in Uitpers.
"Toen ik voor het eerst de beginselverklaring van PNAC las op hun website, sloegen bij mij de stoppen door. Dit is stront aan de knikker, dacht ik. Het maakte me razend". Verontwaardiging is Lieven De Cauter’s tweede natuur. Zijn lenteprogramma van vorig jaar – boeken lezen - belandde dan ook op de lange baan toen hij de neoconservatieve denktank van onder andere Cheney, Wolfowitz en Rumsfeld ontdekte. "Bij het zien van de linken tussen de leden van het PNAC en de wapenindustrie, waande ik me in het hart van het monster", grinnikt hij... lees verder.
On May 1, eight new countries were welcomed into the European Union—but which “Europe” will they find there?
1 mei | Slavoj Zizek in In these times.
In the months before Slovenia’s entry to the European Union, whenever a foreign journalist asked me what new dimension would Slovenia contribute to Europe, my answer was instant and unambiguous: NOTHING. Slovene culture is obsessed with the notion that, although a small nation, we are a cultural superpower: We possess some agalma, a hidden intimate treasure of cultural masterpieces that wait to be acknowledged by the wider world... lees verder.
Despite a bloody history, Japan and China are now firm friends, both economically and politically.
mei | Eamonn Fingleton in Prospect.
China is now widely seen as the coming superpower. But few even among the west's China-watchers understand quite how fast this geopolitical freight train is approaching. Moreover, most western observers assume that China's ambitions are being opposed by its east Asian rival, Japan. In the words of the Economist, Japan is "standing in the way" of China's superpower ambitions... lees verder.
Amid crackdown on Muslims, wives and mothers joined last week's attacks.
5 april | Scott Peterson in Christian Science Monitor.
Angry and hopeless, Latifa Nabieva threatens to set fire to herself - like an increasing number of frustrated Uzbek women - unless her men are released. Ms. Nabieva says she has had enough, following the arrest on terrorism charges of two sons and a nephew - all devout Muslims - since 2000. The final straw came in January, when police smashed in her front door, beat her husband bloody, and imprisoned him, too.... lees verder.
Pakistan: Präsident Musharrafs halbherzige Jagd auf Bin Laden
5 april | Erich Follath in Der Spiegel.
Armenhaus und Atommacht, Verbündeter der USA und Brutstätte islamistischer Gewalt: Pakistan ist ein Land der Gegensätze - und eine Gefahr für die Welt. Washington setzt auf Militärherrscher Musharraf, der radikale Mullahs hätschelt, aber CIA-Spezialeinheiten Bin Laden jagen lässt. Verrat, sagen die amerikanischen Parlamentarier. Und die Mitglieder der Untersuchungskommission zum Terror gegen die USA sind auch davon überzeugt, den Verräter zu kennen: ... lees verder.
Nederland staat nog niet hoog op de hitlijst van Al Qaeda. Maar dat kan zo veranderen. Wat kunnen we doen om aanslagen te voorkomen?
1 april | Luuk Sengers en Thijs Peters in Intermediar.
Een bomaanslag op Utrecht CS? In het Circustheater? De Bijenkorf? Op tweede paasdag in de Efteling? Hoe groot is de kans dat Al Qaeda een aanslag pleegt in Nederland? En wat kunnen we ertegen doen? Een rondgang langs anti-terrorisme-experts in binnen- en buitenland maakt twee dingen heel duidelijk: Eén: Nederland staat niet bovenaan op de hitlijst van de terreurorganisatie... lees verder.
The neo-cons are obsessed with 'appeasement' rhetoric
22 maart | Jim Lobe in InterPress.
For neo-conservative and other right-wing US hawks, Madrid has suddenly become Munich in 1938 and Spain's prime minister-elect Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero is former British prime minister Neville Chamberlain. In an extraordinarily unanimous campaign, newspaper columnists and television commentators are flooding the media with cries of "appeasement", the dreaded epithet with which Chamberlain was permanently tagged after his meeting in Munich with Adolf Hitler, which permitted Nazi Germany to slice off a major chunk of Czechoslovakia... lees verder.
John Kerry is the 'Anyone But Bush' candidate.
17 maart | Helen Searls op Sp!ked Online.
In the second week of March, US President George W Bush launched a series of TV adverts attacking the presumptive Democrat presidential nominee, John Kerry. Within days, Kerry's camp responded in kind, buying a series of adverts in key swing states. With the presidential election still more than eight months away, the American public now faces one of the longest election campaigns in history... lees verder.
Der Moskauer Schriftsteller Viktor Jerofejew über Präsident Putin, die Angst vor einer neuen politischen Eiszeit und das falsche Bild, das sich der Westen von Russland macht
15 maart | Walter Mayr & Christian Neef in Der Spiegel.
Viktor Wladimirowitsch, hat Russland den Präsidenten, den es verdient?
Ach, wissen Sie, die Russen haben keine Übung im Wählen. Vor fünf Jahren kannten sie Putin überhaupt nicht, trotzdem haben sie ihn ein Jahr später in den Präsidentensessel gehoben. Wenn ein anderer Putin käme, würde der auch seine überwältigende Mehrheit kriegen. Ich bitte den Westen, sich nicht so über unser Land zu erregen. Auch wenn es manchmal an einen Zirkus erinnert...lees verder.
Als Nederland er tijdens het EU-voorzitterschap niet in slaagt overeenstemming te krijgen over de Europese Grondwet, ontstaat onvermijdelijk een Europa van twee snelheden. Is dat erg?
6 maart | Peter Vermaas in De Groene Amsterdammer.
Precies een jaar geleden leek Europa reddeloos verloren. De grote lidstaten lagen onderling en met de nieuwe lidstaten in het voormalige Oostblok hopeloos in de clinch over de ophanden zijnde oorlog tegen Irak. De Duitsers en de Fransen opteerden voor meer tijd voor de VN-wapeninspecteurs, terwijl de Britten met de Amerikanen al lang en breed voorbereidingen troffen voor de aanval... lees verder.
De documentaire Smile and Wave - een onthutsend verslag van de machteloosheid van de Nederlandse soldaten in Afghanistan - zet de discussie over het nut van de krijgsmacht op scherp.
19 februari | Bart van Oosterhout in Intermediar.
Begin januari werd de in Irak gelegerde Nederlandse militair Erik O. gearresteerd en overgebracht naar een Nederlandse cel, omdat hij betrokken was geweest bij een 'schietincident'. Wie het leest, kan nauwelijks geloven dat dit geen cabarettekst betreft... lees verder.
Former Soviet Bloc nations could stir confrontation over the policies of Putin
18 februari | Marc Chapman in Wall Street Journal.
When eight former Soviet bloc nations join the European Union, Europe could find itself more split by different ideas about how to handle Russia than by lingering disagreements about U.S. power. In the lead-up to the Iraq war, Poland, Czech Republic and the six other former Soviet-bloc nations due to become EU members on May 1 sided with the U.S. in the trans-Atlantic standoff over military action. ... lees verder.
Tabakshandelaar Bredenkamp als steunpilaar voor Zimbabwe
7 februari | Peter Vermaas in De Groene Amsterdammer.
Een van de economische steunpilaren en wapenleveranciers van het regime van Robert Mugabe is een Nederlander. De genaturaliseerde Rhodesische tabakshandelaar John Bredenkamp bouwde vanuit Groningen zijn imperium uit en raakte in het Midden-Oosten en Afrika betrokken bij lucratieve wapendeals... lees verder.
Open source software has come of age, and open source working methods are spreading beyond computers
februari | Azeem Azhar in Prospect.
The recipe for Coca-Cola is one of the most closely guarded secrets in the world. Yet a small Canadian software firm has sold 150,000 cans of a rival fizzy cola, which tastes very like Coke, and has made the recipe public. The firm behind the drink, Opencola, makes software, not drinks... lees verder.
Is Iraq the new Vietnam?
23 januari | Brendan O'Neill op Sp!ked online.
'Some people seem pissed off that I did not take sides over the war in Bosnia. I suppose I was more interested in reporting all of the facts.' Professor Cees Wiebes, a senior lecturer in the Department of International Relations at Amsterdam University, caused a storm with his book Intelligence and the War in Bosnia 1992-1995... lees verder.
In his controversial new book, La France qui tombe (France Is Falling Over), French historian and economist Nicolas Bavarez proclaims the economic and political demise of his homeland.
januari/februari | Eric Le Boucher in Foreign Policy.
In his slim, controversial book, French historian and economist Nicolas Baverez proclaims the economic and political decline of his homeland. Not surprisingly, French politicians of all stripes are taking requisite offense... lees verder.
Reports have surfaced in Israeli and U.S. media that Syria has invited an Israeli legislator from the right-wing Likud Party to Damascus, and that a Syrian company was found to have been shipping weapons to Iraq over a three-year period. These two apparently unrelated developments actually reveal the approach Washington is taking toward effecting a change in the behavior of the Syrian leadership.
7 januari | Stratfor op Ocnus.
In an apparent effort to jumpstart a peace process with Israel, Syria reportedly extended an invitation on Dec. 30 to an unnamed Likud Party lawmaker to visit Damascus. The same day, the Los Angeles Times published a report alleging that a Syrian firm -- led by a cousin of President Bashar al-Assad -- acted as a conduit between 2000 and the 2003 war for illegal arms shipments to Iraq from Russian, Polish, Slovenian, North and South Korean firms and one U.S. company... lees verder.
The November 2003 "Velvet Revolution" in Georgia inspired columnists in the Arab press to compare the democratic political ferment there to the political barrenness of the Arab world. The following are excerpts from five articles.
24 december | EMRI op Ocnus.
In a column criticizing the Arab elite, Sa'ad Mahyew wrote in the UAE daily Al-Khaleej: "Why aren't Arab societies experiencing revolutions similar [to Georgia's]? Why are they comatose while all the peoples of the world - including those of Africa - have since 1989 been dancing to the rhythm of a single genuine and universal revolution sweeping [the world] towards the mill of democracy?... lees verder.
Nog even en het loonstrookje van januari ligt in de brievenbus. Wat staat werknemers te wachten in het nieuwe belastingjaar?
24 december | Paul van der Kwast in Intermediar.
LogicaCMG, een bedrijf dat onder meer van nogal wat organisaties de salarisadministratie bijhoudt, berekende onlangs de gevolgen van fiscale en andere overheidsmaatregelen voor ons nettoloon in 2004. Daarbij is LogicaCMG er voor het gemak van uitgegaan dat de brutosalarissen volgend jaar gelijk blijven... lees verder.
Saddam's capture was the best present George Bush could have hoped for, and then Gaddafi handed a propaganda gift to Blair. But nothing's ever that simple.
21 december | David Pratt in Sunday Herald.
It was exactly one week ago at 3.15pm Baghdad time, when a beaming Paul Bremer made that now-famous announce ment: “Ladies and gentlemen, we got him!” Saddam Hussein: High Value Target Number One. The Glorious Leader. The Lion of Babylon had been snared... lees verder.
Europa en nationale identiteit
20 december | Peter Vermaas in De Groene Amsterdammer.
Sinds de introductie van de euro en de opkomst van Pim Fortuyn is Nederland in zijn schulp gekropen. Mensen maken zich zorgen over Europa en het verlies van nationale identiteit. De Haagse politiek ligt ondertussen op ramkoers en legitimeert toenemende euroscepsis. «Nederland levert mopperig commentaar op wat er buiten de dijken gebeurt.» ... lees verder.
Charmant-onbeholpen steenkolen Engels
13 december | René Zwaap in De Groene Amsterdammer.
Er wordt tegenwoordig wel eens zorgelijk geklaagd dat het Engels op het punt staat de Nederlandse taal te verdringen, maar wie zijn oor te luisteren legt bij Nederlandse politici in het buitenland weet dat het zo'n vaart niet zal lopen. Integendeel, beheersing van de Engelse wereldtaal lijkt ook helemaal geen wenselijkheid meer in de nationale politieke cultuur van het nieuwe millennium... lees verder.
Erst Milosevic, dann Schewardnadse, als Nächstes...? Wie serbische Studenten die gewaltlose Revolution als Exportschlager entdeckten.
3 december | Bernhard Odehnal in Weltwoche.
Er hätte die Sache doch ernster nehmen sollen. Aber diese Erkenntnis kam dem georgischen Präsidenten Eduard Schewardnadse zu spät. «Ich schenkte diesen jungen Leuten, die da mit komischen Fahnen herumliefen, nicht viel Beachtung», sagte Schewardnadse in einem Interview am 25. November.... lees verder.
Der Zollstreit zwischen den USA und der Europäischen Union eskaliert
17 november | Winfried Didzoleit in Der Spiegel.
Die einen wollen ihre angeschlagene Stahlindustrie schützen, die anderen kein Hormonfleisch und gentechnisch verändertes Getreide aus Übersee einführen. Erst war er ein paar Tage in Peking. Dann folgte ein Marathonlauf in New York. Einen Tag später focht er mit leichtem Muskelkater in Washington mit wichtigen Parlamentariern, um der Weltmacht USA entschlossen die Beseitigung unfairer Steuersubventionen abzutrotzen - so gefällt dem Franzosen Pascal Lamy, 56, sein Job am besten... lees verder.
There is a Cold War between the US and the EU and it will end with the collapse of Old Europe
7 november | Mark Steyn in The Spectator.
Here's a round-up of recent items from the world's press you may have missed: Item 1: In the last two weeks, two Toronto-bound El Al flights had to be diverted to other airports after credible terrorist threats were made about using surface-to-air missiles against them. The Canadian transport minister, David Collenette, responded by suggesting that the Israeli airline's service to Pearson International Airport might be ended... lees verder.
Death is no answer to the problems of life
6 november | Kevin Yuill op Sp!ked online.
The death of 22-year-old Vincent Humbert - after his mother administered an overdose of sedatives in his intravenous drip on the third anniversary of the car crash that left her son a quadriplegic - created a storm of controversy in France, and across Europe. Marie Humbert's attempt to end her son's life was unsuccessful, leaving him in a coma... lees verder.
Kann Putin Russland retten? Der ehemalige KGB-Offizier ist im Volk beliebt und regiert mit mehr Fortune, als der Westen meint.
6 november | David Remnick in Weltwoche.
Vor zwanzig Jahren, als der Grenzübertritt von West nach Ost, anders als heute, noch etwas Beklemmendes hatte, fuhr ich mit dem Zug von Helsinki nach Leningrad. Je näher wir der Grenze kamen, desto spärlicher wurden die sauberen finnischen Landstrassen und Häuser, schliesslich verschwanden sie ganz, und wenig später tauchten die ersten Zeichen sowjetischen Verfalls auf. Eine schlammzerfurchte Strasse, durchnässte Propagandalosungen an einer Baracke, ein Betrunkener, der in einer Pfütze herumstapfte, und dann erreichten wir die Grenzstadt Vyborg, wo der Zug mit einem Ruck hielt. Die Heizung gab röchelnd ihren Geist auf.... lees verder.
China tries a proactive approach
november/december | Evan S. Medeiros & M. Taylor Fravel in Foreign Affairs.
This summer, as the nuclear crisis in North Korea intensified, most eyes were focused on the adversaries in Washington and Pyongyang. Less noticed, but no less important, was the role of a third player: Beijing. China, long reticent on matters of foreign policy, had boldly stepped into the fray, suspending crucial oil shipments to North Korea, sending high-level envoys to Pyongyang, and shifting troops around the Sino-Korean border. It was China that arranged the tripartite talks held in Beijing in April... lees verder.
The world's architects are pouring into China's capital to join the 21st century's defining urban project
november | Deyan Sudjic in Prospect.
Yung Ho Chang's studio in Beijing looks just like any other aspiring architect's office. The walls are white, the floor is bare concrete, and there are rows of twentysomethings sitting hunched over their computers. There are cardboard models everywhere and an avalanche of magazines in the corner. But as the California-educated Yung Ho points out, Beijing isn't like anywhere else... lees verder.
Marokkaanse meisjes, succes?
25 oktober | Margreet Fogteloo in De Groene Amsterdammer.
Van Marokkaanse jongeren bestaat het hardnekkige beeld dat de jongens er een potje van maken en hun brave zusjes het uitstekend doen. Maar het succesverhaal van de meisjes is flink vertekend, zo blijkt uit twee rapporten die deze week verschenen... lees verder.
Mabelgate, en nu terzake
18 oktober | Aart Brouwer & Hubert Smeets in De Groene Amsterdammer.
Het «nee» van premier Balkenende tegen een parlementair gefiatteerd huwelijk van prins Friso met Mabel Wisse Smit is een persoonlijk drama met misogyne trekjes. Maar er is meer. Twee echo’s uit de jaren negentig: de IRT-affaire en het Srebrenica-trauma. Daarom is een crisis nog niet afgewend en Balkenende niet klaar... lees verder.
4 oktober | Hubert Smeets in De Groene Amsterdammer.
Aan meningen over immigratie en integratie geen gebrek. Hoe drastischer, hoe beter. Alles wordt omgedraaid. Politiek incorrect zijn is zelfs niet correct genoeg. Het heeft veel weg van wraak, van een afrekening waarin zelfs vals spelen is toegestaan... lees verder.
9 oktober | Arvind Panagariya in Foreign Policy.
Why have disagreements between rich and poor nations stalled the global trading system? Because vapid debates over "fair trade" obscure some inconvenient facts: First, notwithstanding their demands for equity, poor countries are more protectionist than advanced economies. Second, if rich nations cut their self-defeating agricultural subsidies, their own publics would benefit, but consumers in many poor countries would not. Finally, despite criticisms to the contrary, the WTO can help promote economic development in low-income countries-but only if rich nations let the global body do its job... lees verder.
Krieg der Worte gegen Washington
6 oktober | Romain Leick in Der Spiegel.
Präsident Chirac genießt seine Popularität als Stimme des Widerstands gegen die US-Hegemonie. Das Verhältnis zu Bush bleibt frostig. England, Deutschland, Spanien, Italien oder Mexiko - sie alle haben dann und wann Krieg gegen Amerika geführt. ... lees verder.
1 oktober | in Intermediar.
Bij Ahold en Enron bezoedelden weinig integere bestuurders het imago van hun bedrijf. Met noodlottige of bijna fatale gevolgen. Schande natuurlijk, maar zo fatsoenlijk zijn we zelf ook niet. En een organisatie in de problemen brengen is niet voorbehouden aan de top... lees verder.
Iraq has severed the thread of Blairite foreign policy. This fifth war may turn out to have been his last
oktober 2003 | Charles Grant in Prospect.
Few 20th-century British prime ministers have been strongly associated with a distinctive brand of foreign policy. Macmillan, Wilson, Callaghan, Major: none had a particularly original view of Britain's role in the world. Thatcher had her tryst with Ronald Reagan and fought against Brussels, but that hardly amounted to a coherent doctrine of foreign policy... lees verder.
Europäer sind harmoniesüchtig und bauen auf den Konsens. Doch für die ethnischen oder religiösen Konflikte der Gegenwart gibt es keine gütliche Schlichtung. Ein Plädoyer für die Machtpolitik.
25 september | Wolfgang Sofsky in Weltwoche.
Macht ist die Quintessenz der Politik. Nicht Kompromiss oder Konsens bestimmen den Verkehr der Nationen, sondern die Verteilung der Macht. Nur Macht verleiht die Chance, Ziele auch gegen Widerstreben durchsetzen zu können. Politik ohne Macht ist willenlos und wehrlos jeder Attacke ausgeliefert... lees verder.
Interview met Karel van Wolferen
20 september | Aart Brouwer in De Groene Amsterdammer.
Hoogleraar Karel van Wolferen baarde opzien met zijn nieuwe boek ‹De ondergang van een wereldorde›. Hij polemiseert uit alle macht tegen de huidige Amerikaanse machthebbers, de neoconservatieven die de macht hebben gegrepen en in een fantasiewereld leven waarin alleen hun eigen kortetermijnbelang telt.... lees verder.
Even the traditionally inhibited Scandinavians have adopted Diana-style mourning rituals.
18 september | Helene Guldberg op Sp!ked online.
'What I find difficult to understand is why people are weeping over a woman they never really knew - not personally, anyway.' So said a Swedish acquaintance of mine, as reports of Sweden's public mourning for murdered foreign minister Anna Lindh made headlines around the world... lees verder.
The Rendon Group deploys ‘perception management’ in the war on Iraq
4 augustus | Sheldon Rampton and John Stauber in In These Times.
As U.S. tanks stormed into Baghdad on April 9, television viewers in the United States got their first feel-good moment of the war-a chance to witness the toppling of a giant statue of Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein ... lees verder.
30 Years Later, a former aide contends Nixon ordered burglary
27 juli | David Von Drehle in The Washington Post.
Thirty years after the Senate select committee hearings on Watergate riveted the nation and doomed the Nixon presidency, a key figure in the scandal says he has a fresh and explosive revelation: Richard M. Nixon personally ordered the burglary of Democratic headquarters at the Watergate complex ... lees verder.
In the latest clash over the evidence, both sides are passing the buck
15 juli | Brendan O'Neill op Sp!ked online.
Why, three months after the Iraq war ended, has a four-year-old story about Saddam Hussein trying to get uranium from Africa become big news? The world's media point out that the uranium claims originated from forged documents, and criticise President Bush for including them in his State of the Union address; Bush blames the CIA, while the CIA blames Britain's MI6 for starting the story in the first place ... lees verder.
Germans are from Mars, Italians are from Venus
13 juli | Roberto Pazzi in The New York Times.
The tension between Germany and Italy, unleashed in recent days by the incautious words of Stefano Stefani, our tourism minister, has played out since ancient times. Long before Mr. Stefani, who resigned on Friday, accused German tourists of invading Italy's beaches and conducting burping contests, there has existed an ambivalent relationship of attraction and repulsion between our countries. Though this dynamic has stimulated culture, it has also brought about disquieting, even disastrous, political outcomes ... lees verder.
Bush's Africa fan club is hard to find
7 juli | Nicholas Kotch voor Reuters.
Nelson Mandela doesn't like his politics, he has ended the career of Liberian President Charles Taylor, but Zimbabwe's opposition is pinning hopes on him. George W. Bush, tough-talking leader of the world's strongest nation, is stirring some powerful emotions in Africa, the world's poorest ontinent ... lees verder.
The rise of China as a security linchpin
30 juni | Shiping Tang in Asian Times.
When China's economic growth became impossible to ignore in the early 1990s, there was great anxiety among many regional observers about how China was going to exercise its growing power. Along with the anxiety, a "China threat" theory, predicting that China would become aggressive when it became strong, thus unraveling the regional security setting, gained prominence in Asia ... lees verder.
Today’s academics and scholars face unfair evaluation processes
27 juni | Peter Williams in The Spectator.
The Arts and Humanities Research Board (AHRB) was established five years ago to support research and postgraduate study within the UK’s higher education institutions. But to read its website or its voluminous guides to applicants is a depressing experience — even if it is only to familiarise oneself with the hurdles colleagues have to jump to get a bit of money most would not need if they were properly paid in the first place or did not have their creativity consumed by overlarge student bodies and by work assessments of various specious kinds ... lees verder.
Zijn de Verenigde Staten na het Romeinse Rijk en het Britse Imperium bezig een nieuw wereldrijk te vormen? Het imperialisme-debat is heviger dan ooit.
21 juni | Aart Brouwer in De Groene Amsterdammer.
«Het ‹Amerikaanse imperium› is de rage van de dag — of het nu wordt toegejuicht of verworpen, als onafwendbaar aanvaard of als historische kans begroet», zei de Amerikaanse historicus Paul Schroeder op een recente bijeenkomst van de American Historical Association. Een blik in de kiosk is voldoende om te zien dat hij gelijk heeft ... lees verder.
Hij is eigenwijs en heeft altijd gelijk. Econoom Arnoud Boot waarschuwde de pensioenfondsen negen jaar geleden al. Vergeefs. 'Het is zo'n gesloten circuit van eigenbelangen.'
26 juni | Bart van Oosterhout in Intermediar.
Stoomboot noemen ze hem in studentenkringen. Professor Boots voor de Engelstaligen. Econoom Arnoud Boot (43) dendert over alles en iedereen heen om zijn zin te krijgen. Wie zijn cv ziet, snapt waarom. Boot is misschien wel de productiefste econoom van Nederland: hoogleraar financiële markten en bedrijfsfinanciering aan de Universiteit van Amsterdam, adviseur van de Zweedse centrale bank, voorzitter van het instituut voor corporate governance, freelance consultant voor luchthavens, banken, telecombedrijven; het is maar een greep uit zijn bezigheden ... lees verder.
As the sciences discredit long-held notions of racial taxonomy, racism endures.
20 juni | Salim Muwakkil in In These Times.
I'm not sure if many Americans have noticed, but the concept of race has taken some devastating hits in recent years. Everywhere one looks in academia these days-from the abstract precincts of critical theory to the hard laboratories of molecular genetics-once-mighty notions of racial taxonomy have fallen hard ... lees verder.
It takes more than being right and democratic to win
20 juni | Behrouz Saba op Pacific News Service.
Iran's ruling ayatollahs have little to fear from the student protests that are raising the hopes of regime-change proponents in the Bush administration. Without a coherent message and a national organization, it is doubtful that a disgruntled, youthful majority can pose a credible challenge to the Islamic regime at this time. ... lees verder.
Conspiracy theorists should lighten up. The US is not about to use Iraq's fuel reserves to dominate the world
20 juni | Simon Nixon in The Spectator.
These are tough times to be a Middle Eastern despot, so perhaps it is understandable if a few of them feel a little paranoid right now. Iraq is under foreign occupation, Iran is in open revolt, and Saudi Arabia is apparently under attack from British bootleggers who look surprisingly like friends of Osama bin Laden. Under the circumstances, even the most pampered autocrat might be forgiven for feeling a little anxious. ... lees verder.
19 juni | Jennie Bristow op Sp!ked Online.
Once upon a time, it was record shops that staged high-profile midnight openings to sell the latest hot release to queues of impatient fans; it was senior politicians who found themselves grilled on national TV by the BBC's flagship interviewer Jeremy Paxman; and it was intellectuals and literary novelists who shaped great debates about moral values, social structures and our essential humanity ... lees verder.
16 juni | Karl Otto Hondrich in Der Spiegel.
Die Zeichen am Himmel sind unübersehbar. Die apokalyptischen Reiter sind unterwegs. Unterm Sternenbanner, auf wilder Jagd um den Globus. Durch die Wolken stoßen sie, wo sie wollen. Heute gehört ihnen der Irak und morgen die ganze Welt. Wahnsinn. Die so denken, sind allerdings nicht Amerikaner, sondern Meister aus Deutschland. Der Größenwahn der Macht entsteht im Auge des Betrachters. Hitler spukt noch in unseren Köpfen. Es sind seine Träume von Weltherrschaft, die wir auf Amerika übertragen. Glaubt man den Auguren des alten Europa, dann kennt die Welt keine größere Gefahr als Amerikas Übermacht ... lees verder.
Aparently Christianity is not part of the 'values' of the European Union. Torquemada would be disappointed at the slight.
14 juni | Kenneth L. Woodward in New York Times.
Next week, leaders of the European Union will meet in Greece to vote on a proposed constitution that will govern the lives of 450 million Europeans. The most agitated debate at the convention that produced the draft focused on the preamble, specifically whether God in general, and Christianity in particular, ought to be mentioned among the sources of the "values" that produced a common European culture and heritage ... lees verder.
Universities are becoming factories of jargon and illiteracy
13 juni | Peter Jones in The Spectator.
In his essay ‘Politics and the English Language’ (1946), George Orwell laments the corruption of the English language in postwar society. Everywhere he finds pompous phrases designed to sound weighty (‘render inoperative’, meaning ‘break’); Latin- or Greek-based words where simpler words will do (‘ameliorate’ for ‘improve’, ‘clandestine’ for ‘secret’); words which have lost their meaning (‘fascism’, meaning ‘something not desirable’) ... lees verder.
11 juni | in New Scientist.
It sounds too good to be true, but two independent studies appear to show that tumours can be detected by scanning people with a hand-held device similar to the metal detectors used to frisk airline passengers. The development holds the prospect of a mass-screening technology that is cheap, quick and non-invasive ... lees verder.
The draft European Constitution reveals a deep political malaise at the heart of the EU
10 juni | Bruno Waterfield op Sp!ked Online.
There is much sound and fury surrounding the European Union (EU) Constitution currently being drawn up by representatives of member states. But a closer reading of the document reveals the deep political malaise at the heart of the EU. At the Nice Summit in December 2000, the EU opened the door to 10 (mainly East European) countries hoping to join Europe's exclusive club ... lees verder.
Chess players may know where the former Iraqi leader is
6 juni | Raymond Keene in The Spectator.
In Moscow on 19 March a press conference was held at the headquarters of the Interfax news agency announcing the results of a Muslim/Christian peacemaking trip to Baghdad, which had taken place over the previous few days. Among the returning dignitaries reporting on the outcome were the Orthodox Bishop Feofan of Magadan and Sinegorsk and the chairman of the Central Muslim Board in Russia, Supreme Mufti Talgat Tajuddin. But centre-stage at this Islamic/Christian peacefest was taken by a self-professed Buddhist, His Excellency Kirsan Ilumzhinov, President of the autonomous Russian republic of Kalmykia, who also happens to be president of Fidé, the World Chess Federation ... lees verder.
Twaddle over the EU constitution misreads the continent's muddled history
5 juni | Jeremy Hazlehurst op Sp!ked Online.
One of the best weapons in the armoury of the dinner party debater is to invoke the name of a Great Personage in support of their point of view. However wrong you might be, shrugging your shoulders and portentously telling your opponent, 'well, Nietzsche thought the same', adds some instant authority, some gravity. No doubt it was some similar motive that led Valery Giscard d'Estaing and the team of scribes who penned the preamble to the new constitution of the European Union (EU), to preface their effort with a quotation from Thucydides ... lees verder.
Als onze beschaving zoals-wij-die-kennen over vier jaar nog bestaat, is dat niet te danken aan het nieuwe kabinet Balkenende II, zegt filosoof en ethicus Paul Cliteur
4 juni | Luuk Sengers in Intermediar.
‘ Ik volg Jan Peter Balkenende al wat langer en ik kan je vertellen: vroeger, toen hij nog bij het wetenschappelijk instituut van het CDA zat, praatte hij óók al zo: onduidelijk, warrig – je kunt er niet een duidelijk standpunt in herkennen; het is niet dít, maar ook niet dát. Het is waarschijnlijk karakterologisch bepaald. Je kunt bij hem toch moeilijk van een succesvol politicus spreken.’ ... lees verder.
For 20 years, the Tamil Tigers have fought a vicious, separatist war against the Sri Lankan government. Can a tenuous ceasefire last?
2 juni | Miranda Kennedy & Matthew Power in In These Times.
Jaffna, Sri Lanka—Sri Lanka’s newly renamed “Highway for Peace and Unity” is a cratered strip of asphalt that runs 100 miles due north to Jaffna, straight through the heart of Tamil Tiger country. The road is lined with thousands of unexploded landmines and the charred stumps of palmyra trees. Just off the highway, behind a fence of twisted barbed wire, glass-wing butterflies and blue magpies dance among the rusting hulks of tanks and armored personnel carriers ... lees verder.
Interview mit Irans Außenminister
2 juni | in Der Spiegel.
Die US-Regierung wirbt auf dem G-8-Gipfel für eine harte Politik gegenüber dem Iran: Teheran unterstütze Terroristen und mische sich in irakische Angelegenheiten ein. Im SPIEGEL-Gespräch weist Irans Außenminister Kamal Charrasi die Vorwürfe zurück: Die USA wollten nur die Verantwortung für ihre Fehler im Irak auf Teheran abwälzen ... lees verder.
Why genetic enhancement is too unlikely to worry about
1 juni | Steven Pinker in Boston Globe Ideas.
This year, the 50th anniversary of the discovery of the structure of DNA has kindled many debates about the implications of that knowledge for the human condition. Arguably the most emotionally charged is the debate over the prospect of human genetic enhancement, or ''designer babies.'' It's only a matter of time, many say, before parents will improve their children's intelligence and personality by having suitable genes inserted into them shortly after conception ... lees verder.
The West is in danger of losing a crucial propaganda war
30 mei | Patrick Sookhdeo in The Spectator.
Driving through the streets of Baghdad last week, I was struck by the number of satellite dishes for sale everywhere. After years in which the appliances were banned by Saddam, freedom is sprouting all over the skyline. There is still an almost total absence of local media, so that Iraqis know nothing of what is going on in their own country except by rumour. But those who can afford a dish are eagerly beginning to learn about the world ... lees verder.
29 mei | Jaba Devdariani op Eurasianet.
Despite a lack of conclusive evidence, Western nations are becoming increasingly concerned that the al Qaeda terrorist organization has established a base of operations in Georgia's Pankisi Gorge. Georgian security forces have struggled to reestablish the government's authority in the gorge, which has long had a reputation for lawlessness. But officials in Tbilisi insist that no al Qaeda members are in the Pankisi ... lees verder.
The cultural roots of Beijing's preference for missiles over planes
juni/juli | Jacqueline A. Newmyer in Policy Review.
China is widely recognized as the next superpower. Over the past decade, it experienced tremendous economic growth and embarked on a major defense buildup. China now has the second largest defense budget in the world, with expenditures to boost its intercontinental ballistic missile arsenal and acquire nuclear submarines and destroyers. Yet the Chinese air force remains very weak, with capabilities dramatically inferior to the U.S.'s. The arsenals of the People's Liberation Army Air Force (plaaf) and Naval Air Force (planaf) consist mostly of fighter planes (used primarily for defensive purposes) imported from Russia ... lees verder.
Der Zwist zwischen Europa und den USA über Genfood spitzt sich zu
28 mei | Konstantin Richter in Weltwoche.
Als der US-Handelsbeauftragte Robert Zoellick vor kurzem Paris, Berlin und München besuchte, sah er sich mit der Frage konfrontiert: Würden die schweren politischen Differenzen – vom Kioto-Protokoll bis zum Irak-Krieg – auch die Handelsbeziehungen zwischen Europa und den USA belasten? Zoellick beruhigte und besänftigte, flog zurück nach Washington – und lancierte den nächsten Konflikt. Er klagte gegen die Weigerung der EU, gentechnisch veränderte Produkte zuzulassen. «Das Moratorium verstösst gegen die Bestimmungen der Welthandelsorganisation», sagte Zoellick, als er die WTO-Beschwerde ankündigte. «Wir haben fünf Jahre geduldig gewartet.» ... lees verder.
27 mei | door Iran Press Service.
TEHRAN, May 27, 2003 -- In an unprecedented move, 127 reformist deputies, in an open letter to Ayatollah Ali Khameneh'i, the lamed leader of the Islamic Republic, and urged him to drink his own cup of poison, emulating Grand Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomini who, when he realised the regime was in danger, drank a cup of poison by accepting the United Nations resolution 598 calling on ceasefire in the Iran-Iraq War. "At a period unprecedented in the history of our nation, officials must sincerely apologies to the people for their shortcomings and as we are surrounded from all sides, if there is any cup of poison to be taken, it is better that it is taken before the whole of the regime collapses, but more important than that, the independence and security of the nation are seriously threatened", the signatories told Mr. Khameneh'i ... lees verder.
Kindersoldaten und marodierende Milizionäre haben in der Region Ituri Tausende Zivilisten massakriert. Hunderttausende sind auf der Flucht. Ein neuer Völkermord droht unter den Augen der Welt - aber die Uno-Blauhelme sehen nahezu tatenlos zu.
26 mei | Thilo Thielke in Der Spiegel.
Dem Missionar Jan Mol droht langsam der Glaube abhanden zu kommen. Wenn der Geistliche über Schlaglöcher hinweg zu seinem Gemeindehaus in Bunias zerschossenem Zentrum stolpert, muss er einen entwürdigenden Spießrutenlauf über sich ergehen lassen. Schon mittags stöckeln betrunkene Siebenjährige auf hohen Damenabsätzen um den 67-Jährigen herum, schwenken Kalaschnikows, blasen ihm respektlos Zigarettenrauch ins Gesicht und fuchteln vor dem "Mzungu" aus Holland drohend mit Brotmessern und Handgranaten herum ... lees verder.
mei/juni | Victor D. Cha & David C. Kang in Foreign Policy.
North Korea is not crazy, near collapse, nor about to start a war. But it is dangerous, not to mention dangerously misunderstood. Defusing the threat that North Korea poses to its neighbors and the world will require less bluster, more patience, and a willingness on the part of the United States to probe and understand the true sources of the North's conduct ... lees verder.
Just as Americans were preparing for the start of the traditional season of fun, a rise in 'chatter' sets off alarms and sends the Feds scrambling.
25 mei | Michael Isikoff, Daniel Klaidman & Evan Thomas in Newsweek.
Alsaha.com seems innocent enough. The Abu Dhabi-based Web site offers bulletin boards where Arabic speakers can advertise for wives and exchange messages about sports, politics and the true meaning of jihad. Since the 9-11 attacks, however, the CIA and FBI have closely monitored Alsaha.com as a kind of terrorist early- warning system. The reason: on Sept. 9, 2001, a message appeared on the Alsaha Web site proclaiming that, in the next two days, a “big surprise” was coming from the Saudi Arabian region of Asir, the remote, mountainous province that produced most of the 19 hijackers who struck on September 11 ... lees verder.
De nieuw vorm van kernoorlog
17 mei | Joeri Boom in De Groene Amsterdammer.
Het is geen kwestie van kunnen, maar van willen. Bart van der Sijde, oud-hoofd docent natuurkunde en samenleving aan de Technische Universiteit Eindhoven beantwoordt de vraag of Nederland een atoombom zou kunnen bouwen met een volmondig «ja». Van der Sijde: «Hoe lang het zou duren om er een te ontwikkelen hangt af van de mate van geheimhouding die we wensen te hanteren. Maar dat we het kunnen staat buiten kijf.» Een andere deskundige, die liever anoniem blijft, houdt het op «ongeveer een jaar». «Wij kunnen dat vrij goed», zegt hij, «want wij hebben de ultracentrifuges van Urenco in Almelo, waarmee we hoog verrijkt uranium kunnen verkrijgen. En in de onderzoeksreactor in Petten wordt weapons grade uranium gebruikt. De Amerikanen willen dat Nederland daarmee stopt, omdat het zonder meer geschikt is voor kernwapens.» De kans dat de polderbom er komt, is nihil ... lees verder.
The refusal of bishops to denounce the tyranny in Zimbabwe
23 mei | Peter Osborne in The Spectator.
It is remarkable for Britain to be visited by a saint. But that was surely our good fortune last week, when Pius Ncube, the Archbishop of Bulawayo, passed through London. This gentle and soft-spoken former goatherd is a man of great holiness. In a country where churchmen have kept quiet, Ncube has consistently spoken out with extraordinary courage and firmness against the near-genocide that Robert Mugabe is visiting upon the Zimbabwean people ... lees verder.
Women hold more power in New Zealand than in any other country in the world. History doesn't explain it. So why?
juni | Virginia Marsh in Prospect.
The governor-general is a woman. So too are the prime minister and her predecessor, the chief justice, attorney general, head of the largest company, a third of the cabinet, and until recently, the leader of the opposition and the mayor of the biggest town. Why have women in New Zealand led the western world in breaking through to the top? There are many theories. Some talk about the kind of toughness required in a small "frontier" country, others say it is a coincidence and that women will not always predominate ... lees verder.
Putin's address to the Duma
21 mei | in Politruk.
"A president of lost opportunities." This expression was used in one media article devoted to President Putin's annual address to the Federal Assembly, which finally took place last week. It is impossible to say that this event did not provoke interest - on the contrary, the media described the whole ceremony with great enthusiasm, not omitting the tiniest details ... lees verder.
Wat doen we als het rivierwater stijgt? Maken we de dijken hoger, of laten we polders als waterbekkens fungeren? De waterwetenschappers zijn het grondig met elkaar oneens.
21 mei | Chris Sprangers in Intermediar.
'Pééééééter!!!' Mevrouw Timofeeff heeft het in het Sterspotje maar moeilijk met haar man die vanaf eenhoog het hele huis onder water aan het zetten is. 'Het tekent de stupiditeit van dat hele gedoe: Leven met het water, bewegen met de rivier. Ga toch weg', moppert te Delft Enne de Boer, socioloog bij de faculteit Civiele Techniek en Geowetenschappen van de Technische Universiteit aldaar. 'Een volwassen kerel die in zijn pak in het bad gaat liggen en de hele boel laat onderlopen omdat hij te stom is om de stop eruit te trekken.' De Boer moet niks hebben van de campagne waarin de besnorde weerman zo prominent figureert, en al helemaal niet van de daarin gepropageerde stelling dat 'dijken verder ophogen niet meer kan' ... lees verder.
NATO maintains a high level of interest in the Caucasus
19 mei | Jaba Devdariani op Eurasianet.
NATO Secretary General Lord George Robertson's recent tour of the Caucasus confirmed the Atlantic alliance's growing interest in promoting regional stability. It also left officials in Azerbaijan and Georgia increasingly optimistic about eventual NATO membership. At the same time, Robertson stressed there are limits to NATO's ability to expand its security umbrella over the region. Robertson visited Armenia, Georgia and Azerbaijan from May 14-16, receiving a warm reception in each capital ... lees verder.
20 mei | Rob Lyons op Sp!ked Online.
Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome - better known as SARS - may have reached its peak in China and other affected areas of the world. But the SARS panic remains as infectious as ever. Three months on from the first mention of this new disease, it is worth asking: how did a relatively insignificant health issue like SARS develop into an international scare, causing alarm even in countries that have had no cases, or very few? At the time of writing, SARS has claimed 643 lives, out of 7864 probable cases reported to the World Health Organisation (WHO) (1). In the grand scheme of things, this represents a small number of deaths ... lees verder.
US-Präsident George W. Bush greift in die deutsche Innenpolitik ein
19 mei | Ralf Beste, Konstantin von Hammerstein & Ralf Neukirch in Der Spiegel.
US-Präsident George W. Bush päppelt mit einem Überraschungscoup die Berliner Opposition. Dem Kanzler hingegen will die deutsch-amerikanische Annäherung nicht so recht gelingen. Zwei Herren mittleren Alters in dunklem Anzug steigen auf ein kleines Podium. Hinter ihnen hängen neun Flaggen schlaff im warmen Licht der Frühlingssonne. Eine Taube flattert vorbei, in der Ferne kreist ein Polizeihubschrauber ... lees verder.
17 mei | Paul Stuart in WSWS.
The Popular Party (PP) government of Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar faces a devastating defeat in Spanish local and regional election on May 25. Whatever the result, Aznar says he does not intend to stand in national elections scheduled for early next year. Aznar along with Britain's Tony Blair was the most outspoken supporter of the war in Iraq ... lees verder.
Why the latest foreign policy conspiracy theories don't add up
14 mei | Daniel W. Drezner in The New Republic Online.
Conspiracies are all the rage in world politics these days. A majority of Arabs believe that Israel was responsible for the September 11 attacks. Antiwar activists believe that the U.S. government "created" Saddam Hussein. And, of course, there's endless innuendo surrounding the relationship between prominent neoconservatives and U.S. foreign policy. Critics across the ideological spectrum accuse neocons of being a foreign policy cabal, stealthily fomenting their own conspiracy theories as a way of manipulating the Bush administration. Or are the critics themselves guilty of conspiracy-mongering? Will the real paranoids please stand up ... lees verder.
The much-anticipated ''road map'' is unlikely to lead the Israelis and Palestinians anywhere
18 mei | Tom Segev in Boston Globe.
In a bookstore near Harvard Square, I recently came across ''The Complete Idiot's Guide to Middle East Conflict.'' Flipping through its pages, I realized that I still have a lot to learn. Indeed, with dramatic events following each other in rapid succession, one is constantly required to re-evaluate one's views, cope with surprises and disappointments, and react to grotesque situations. Three years ago, most Israelis expected the Oslo peace process to produce a genuine settlement with the Palestinians ... lees verder.
Adel al-Jubeir holds a press conference to tell Americans that the war on terror is going great in Saudi Arabia. Even some Saudis are admitting this is bunk
16 mei | Stephen Schwartz in The Weekly Standard.
Denial is a river in Arabia, not Egypt. The proof of this axiom came Friday. In place of a serious assessment of the Saudi kingdom's increasing loss of credibility, deeply aggravated by the bombings in Riyadh this week, the oleaginous Adel al-Jubeir once again held a press conference at the grim, fortress-like Saudi Embassy in Washington, to blame the woes of the desert oil sheiks on . . . American critics of the U.S.-Saudi relationship. Al-Jubeir began, as always, with the claim that the United States and Saudi Arabia are joined together as targets of the terrorists ... lees verder.
Twenty years after the first AIDS virus was identified, news about a second
15 mei | in The Economist.
‘A RETROVIRUS belonging to the family of recently discovered human T-cell leukaemia viruses (HTLV), but clearly distinct from each previous isolate, has been isolated from a Caucasian patient with signs and symptoms that often precede the acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS).’ With these words, in a paper published 20 years ago this week in Science, Luc Montagnier of the Pasteur Institute in Paris announced that he had isolated the virus that causes AIDS ... lees verder.
12 mei | Ewa Bobowska & Jakub Jedras in Tol.
WROCLAW, Poland--Divisions over the Iraq war made for a slightly strained mood at the 9 May summit meeting between Polish President Aleksander Kwasniewski, French President Jacques Chirac, and German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder. The leaders of the so-called Weimar Triangle have met annually since 1991. This year, with Poland differing sharply from its two partners over Iraq, the meeting was more politically charged than the previous largely formal affairs have been ... lees verder.
Kim Jong Il's North Korea Is in Ruins, But Why Should That Spoil His Fun?
11 mei | Peter Carlson in The Washington Post.
When the Dear Leader was born in a humble log cabin on Korea's sacred Mount Paekdu in 1942, a bright star and a double rainbow appeared in the sky and a swallow descended from heaven to herald the birth of a "general who will rule all the world." A soldier in the army commanded by the Dear Leader's father, the Great Leader, saw the star and the rainbow and rejoiced, carving a message into a tree: "Oh, Korea, I announce the birth of the Star of Paekdu." That's the official North Korean version of the birth of Kim Jong Il, the brutal dictator who rules a nation that now taunts the world with its nuclear weapons. Western historians tell a more prosaic tale: Kim Jong Il was born in an army camp in Siberia, where his father, Kim Il Sung, and his tiny band of communist guerrillas had fled to escape the Japanese ... lees verder.
5 mei | Stephen F. Hayes in The Weekly Standard.
OOPS. In what could go down as the Mother of All Copyediting Errors, Babil, the official newspaper of Saddam Hussein's government, run by his oldest son Uday, last fall published information that appears to confirm U.S. allegations of links between the Iraqi regime and al Qaeda. It adds one more piece to the small pile of evidence ... lees verder.
6 mei | Bill Gertz in The Washington Times.
The French government secretly supplied fleeing Iraqi officials with passports in Syria that allowed them to escape to Europe, The Washington Times has learned. An unknown number of Iraqis who worked for Saddam Hussein's government were given passports by French officials in Syria, U.S. intelligence officials said ... lees verder.
America's liberal Jews have the only voice powerful enough to fight self-defeating Israeli nationalism and US chauvinism. They must speak out
mei | Anatol Lieven in Prospect.
Tony Blair has declared "I do not believe there is any other issue with the same power to reunite the world community than progress on the issues of Israel and Palestine." He is right; and these words, coming from America's only serious ally in this present war, pose a moral challenge to all Americans ... lees verder.
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