Global Agenda articles from February 2004

Global Agenda archives from February 2004

A primer on primaries.(methods of choosing candidates)
February 2, 2004... What is the difference between a primary and a caucus? Primaries and caucuses allow American citizens to choose their party's presidential nominee, who is then formally anointed at each party's national convention in the summer. Often,...

Averting a global plague.(finance to control bird flu)
February 2, 2004... UN agencies have appealed for funds to halt the rapid spread of a lethal strain of bird flu, which they fear could soon evolve into a deadly human disease. Is a global pandemic far worse than the SARS outbreak on the way? THE great...

Saddam's elusive arsenal.
February 3, 2004... With weapons of mass destruction seemingly absent from Iraq, George Bush and Tony Blair have agreed to separate independent inquiries into pre-war intelligence "WE WERE almost all wrong." This testimony in the Senate last week by David...

Showdown or backdown?(religious conflicts in Iran)
February 4, 2004... The battle between reformists and religious hardliners in Iran has intensified, with the main reformist group announcing a boycott of this month's elections. But have the pro-democracy campaigners the will to defeat the conservatives? ...

An emerging crisis.(security industry)
February 4, 2004... The only people who should invest in emerging-market debt are those who need a loss for tax purposes A SCEPTICAL note here, a raised eyebrow there: in full acknowledgement of his manifest limitations, Buttonwood does not like to press his...

Turbulent times for the low-cost king.(European Commission's regulations for low cost airlines)
February 4, 2004... The European Commission has ruled that some of the subsidies Ryanair received from a Belgian airport are illegal. The decision threatens the low-cost airline's sweeteners from a host of regional airports, though it is more vulnerable to new...

With seven out of nine, Kerry marches on.(presidential candidate John Forbes Kerry)
February 4, 2004... By winning five more states this week, John Kerry has bolstered his front-runner status in the race for the Democratic presidential nomination. But John Edwards and Wesley Clark, who came first in South Carolina and Oklahoma respectively, are...

An emerging crisis.(Investment management)
February 5, 2004... The only people who should invest in emerging-market debt are those who need a loss for tax purposes A SCEPTICAL note here, a raised eyebrow there: in full acknowledgement of his manifest limitations, Buttonwood does not like to press his...

Pakistan's proliferator-in-chief.(Abdul Qadeer Khan)(Pervez Musharraf)
February 5, 2004... Abdul Qadeer Khan, Pakistan's top nuclear scientist and the father of the "Islamic bomb", has confessed to selling nuclear materials to Iran, North Korea and Libya. As proliferation scandals go, this one is hard to beat AFTER years of...

Showdown or backdown?(power struggle in Iran)
February 6, 2004... The battle between reformists and religious hardliners in Iran has intensified, with the main reformist group announcing a boycott of this month's elections. But have the pro-democracy campaigners the will to defeat the conservatives? ...

With seven out of nine, Kerry marches on.(John Kerry emerges as likely Democrat presidential candidate)
February 6, 2004... By winning five more states this week, John Kerry has bolstered his front-runner status in the race for the Democratic presidential nomination. He has also picked up a valuable endorsement from Dick Gephardt AS A youngster, John Forbes...

The black widows strike again? Moscow metro bombing; Targeting Moscow, targeting Putin.(President Vladimir Putin)
February 6, 2004... An apparent suicide bombing in a packed train on Moscow's metro has caused heavy casualties. Are Chechen separatists trying to explode President Vladimir Putin's re-election campaign? AT THE height of the morning rush hour on Friday...

Blaming everyone but themselves.
February 9, 2004... Europe's economy is too restrained, say the Americans. America's is too gluttonous, say the Europeans AT THE weekend, finance ministers and central bankers from the world's seven biggest rich economies came together in Boca Raton, Florida,...

How to get ahead in Bremer's Iraq.
February 10, 2004... Iraq should grow quickly this year, but laissez-faire economics will have to wait IN THE thick of the invasion of Iraq, journalists accompanying the coalition forces near Basra were surprised to find themselves sharing the road with Iraqi...

Dark days for the reformists; Iran's political crisis; Khatami caves in again.
February 10, 2004... Iran's religious conservatives chalk up another victory as the country's reformist president calls off his party's boycott of this month's parliamentary elections HOW ironic it was that Iran's President Muhammad Khatami welcomed Prince...

The G7 and the duck-billed platypus.
February 10, 2004... The rich countries' weekend communique on exchange rates was vacuous because they all want different things. So expect more of the same A CAMEL, goes the old saw, is a horse designed by a committee. What that makes this weekend's statement...

Bush on the back foot, Kerry on a roll.(political activities of George W. Bush and John F. Kerry)
February 11, 2004... As he gears up for the November presidential election, George Bush has been staunchly defending his policies on Iraq. Meanwhile, the Democratic front-runner, John Kerry, is looking unstoppable, his latest wins coming in Virginia and Tennessee...

Let's see them stick to this one.(Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries cuts oil prices)
February 11, 2004... The OPEC oil cartel has made a surprise decision to cut its total output by 2.5m barrels per day, or almost 10%. The cut comes despite complaints from oil consumers about the high oil price AHEAD of the meeting of the Organisation of...

Bombs and ballots.
February 11, 2004... The Americans are struggling to devise a plan for the handover of power to Iraqis that will satisfy all sides. Two devastating bomb attacks in as many days have only made matters worse SINCE the war to topple Saddam Hussein, the Americans...

Disney on the defensive; Comcast's bid for Disney; Entertaining stuff.(Walt Disney Co.)
February 12, 2004... Comcast, America's biggest cable company, has launched an audacious $66 billion bid for Disney. The timing is shrewd, for Michael Eisner, Disney's boss, is under attack for poor governance and disappointing results WALT DISNEY must be...

An embryonic development.
February 12, 2004... After a series of bogus claims, a real breakthrough from South Korea THERE have been several claims to have cloned humans over the past few years. Most have been bogus. But the announcement made this week by Woo Suk Hwang, of Seoul...

Bombs and ballots.(Iraq is heading for a general election while bombings continue )
February 13, 2004... The Americans are struggling to devise a plan for the handover of power to Iraqis that will satisfy all sides. Two devastating bomb attacks in as many days have only made matters worse SINCE the war to topple Saddam Hussein, the Americans...

Hanging on the telephone; Mobile telecoms; Does the battle over AT&T Wireless matter?
February 16, 2004... Vodafone, the world's biggest mobile-telephone company, and Cingular Wireless, an American rival, are both thought to have bid at least $35 billion for AT&T Wireless. But technology and the competitive landscape may move so fast as to make who...

The G7 and the duck-billed platypus.
February 17, 2004... The rich countries' weekend communique on exchange rates was vacuous because they all want different things. So expect more of the same A CAMEL, goes the old saw, is a horse designed by a committee. What that makes this weekend's statement...

Two centuries of misery, continued; Haiti's conflict; America's problem?
February 17, 2004... Haiti's President Jean-Bertrand Aristide pleads for international help as an armed rebellion against him spreads. Unless order is restored quickly, Haiti's neighbours--including America--could have a humanitarian disaster, and floods of...

The battle for the Magic Kingdom; Comcast bids for Disney; Entertaining stuff.
February 17, 2004... Comcast, America's biggest cable company, has launched an audacious bid for Disney. The timing is shrewd, for Michael Eisner, Disney's boss, is under attack for poor governance and disappointing results WITH viciously perfect timing,...

Who's the real winner?(Cingular Wireless L.L.C. buys AT&T Wireless Services Inc.)
February 18, 2004... Cingular has bought AT&T Wireless for some $41 billion after an intense bidding war with Vodafone. But the price paid may make it a pyrrhic victory--and the speed of technological change may make it an irrelevant one NOTHING has become...

The end of the affair?(International Monetary Fund agreed to lend Argentina)
February 18, 2004... Argentina is playing tough with its creditors. Should the IMF get tough with Argentina? ARGENTINA and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) go back a long way. In 1991, Argentina's foreign minister famously declared that he was seeking...

A renewed force in Asia.(Japan the growing economy)
February 18, 2004... Japan's economy grew by 7% in the last three months of 2003, its fastest quarterly expansion for more than 13 years. But the Japanese are not celebrating yet A NEW economic force is rising in Asia. Growing at an annual pace of 7% in the...

One last push for peace.(fresh peace talks between Cyprus and Turkey)
February 19, 2004... After a breakthrough at the United Nations, fresh peace talks on the divided island of Cyprus have begun, and will be followed by a referendum. If all goes well, the whole island will join the European Union on May 1st--also boosting Turkey's...

The coming storm.
February 19, 2004... Banks are risking ever more of their own money in search of returns. Have they really learned nothing? IN THE autumn of 1998, Buttonwood was at a conference organised by Credit Suisse First Boston in--appropriately enough--Monte Carlo, when...

A spectre returns; Anti-Semitism; A resurgence of hatred.(European Commission holds a conference on antisemitism)
February 19, 2004... Facing up to a resurgence of hatred directed against Europe's Jews, the European Commission holds a conference on the issue AMERICANS are becoming increasingly alarmed at a revival of Europe's extreme right and disturbed by a spate of...

The end of the affair?(Argentina's president Nestor Kirchner refuses to repay International Monetary Fund)
February 20, 2004... Argentina is playing tough with its creditors. Should the IMF get tough with Argentina? ARGENTINA and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) go back a long way. In 1991, Argentina's foreign minister famously declared that he was seeking...

A spectre returns; Anti-Semitism; A resurgence of hatred.(European Union conference for antisemitism)
February 20, 2004... Facing up to a resurgence of hatred directed against Europe's Jews, the European Commission holds a conference on the issue AMERICANS are becoming increasingly alarmed at a revival of Europe's extreme right and disturbed by a spate of...

A sorry election; Iran's sorry election; Conservatives win; the people lose.
February 23, 2004... Iran's religious conservatives have swept to victory in a parliamentary poll, after reformist candidates were barred from appearing on the ballot. Ordinary Iranians are the real losers NOT for the first time in recent years, Iran's...

Proliferating worries; Nuclear proliferation; Talking about North Korea, worrying about much besides.(nuclear programs)
February 24, 2004... As multilateral talks on North Korea's nuclear programme are set to begin, disturbing evidence continues to emerge on the spread of equipment and know-how for building atom bombs A NEW round of talks aimed at getting North Korea to stop...

Farewell Guantanamo, and good riddance; Guantanamo Bay inmates; A few more released, bleak prospects for the rest.(America releasing prisoners)
February 24, 2004... America has promised to release five British prisoners held at Guantanamo Bay shortly. That will do little to quell the continuing controversy surrounding the camp MORE than two years after America struck back against terrorists in...

Our mutual friend.
February 24, 2004... Why is so much money pouring into mutual funds? AN UNUSUAL slip by a great writer, but there is little doubt that the Dickens novel of the title was tautologous: either "a mutual friend" or "our friend" would have been fine. Of course,...

Vlad the unpredictable.(Russian president Vladimir Putin)
February 24, 2004... Russia's powerful president has sprung a surprise, dismissing the entire cabinet less than three weeks before he is expected to be re-elected by a landslide. But why? A STERN-LOOKING Vladimir Putin stunned Russia on Tuesday February 24th,...

Vlad the unpredictable.(Vladimir Putin)
February 25, 2004... Russia's president, Vladimir Putin, has sprung a surprise, dismissing the prime minister and his cabinet less than three weeks before Mr Putin is expected to be re-elected by a landslide. But why? A STERN-LOOKING Vladimir Putin stunned...

Charged at last; Guantanamo Bay inmates; Charges, at last, for some; a ticket home for others.
February 26, 2004... America files its first charges against terror suspects interned at Guantanamo Bay, as controversy surrounding the camp continues MORE than two years after America struck back against terrorists in Afghanistan, the first charges have been...

Greenspan sees red.(Alan Greenspan)
February 26, 2004... Deficits do matter, says the Federal Reserve chairman. But not enough to start raising taxes THE tax cuts George Bush enacted in 2001, 2002 and 2003, though large, were not permanent. Most contain "sunset clauses", and are scheduled to...

Our mutual friend.
February 27, 2004... Why is so much money pouring into mutual funds? AN UNUSUAL slip by a great writer, but there is little doubt that the Dickens novel of the title was tautologous: either "a mutual friend" or "our friend" would have been fine. Of course,...

Spies in trouble, again.
February 27, 2004... Accusations are tumbling out that Britain and America bugged United Nations offices in New York in the run-up to the Iraq war. The scandal has angered UN officials and will re-open old wounds THE spies are in trouble again over Iraq--this...