| The jihad |
Since 9/11, the global jihad has evolved into a broad-based social movement, albeit one defined by its violent edge. The al-Qaeda of old has not been entirely superseded: rather, centralised targeting and operational support continues side by side with the emergence of autonomous, self-recruited cells of like-minded young men and women. The self-starters – cells that coalesce spontaneously and plan local attacks either without reference to the established authorities of the global jihad, or at least without their active involvement or operational support – constitute the new wave of terrorists Full text & PDF (free to all users) >>> |
| Transatlantic relations |
Nearly a year after President George W. Bush’s re-election, the ideological acrimony that almost destroyed the transatlantic alliance has subsided into a mood of businesslike, if sometimes sullen, accommodation. The problem for both sides, however, is that they are coming back together on the basis of profound mutual weaknesses. While this dictates that each needs the other, it also underscores the limits of what they can accomplish, even if united. Full text & PDF (subscribers only) >>> |
| Whither the UN? |
The ’2005 World Summit’, which also marked the UN’s 60th anniversary, had been billed by UN Secretary General Kofi Annan and his closest advisers as a ‘once-in-a-generation opportunity to take bold decisions in the areas of development, security, human rights and reform of the UN’. These expectations, always unrealistic, provide part of the reason for the now widespread sense that the summit was a missed opportunity that came close to a grand failure. Full text & PDF (subscribers only) >>>Buy this article online >>> |
| Aceh’s peace agreement |
On 15 August, the Indonesian government signed a peace agreement with the rebel Free Aceh Movement (GAM). The peace process is still at a relatively early stage and may yet fail. However, if it succeeds and Aceh develops peacefully as an autonomous province, this could have significant ramifications not just for Indonesia but also for other conflict-torn parts of Southeast Asia. |
| Hurricane Katrina and US homeland security |
The anticipatory and first-response inadequacies that the US Department of Homeland Security exhibited in its handling of Hurricane Katrina indicate that the substantial investment in and reorganisation of the US homeland security infrastructure since 9/11 have not produced sufficient returns. They have raised concerns about the country’s readiness to handle a major terrorist attack on US territory – particularly one involving weapons of mass destruction. |
