After the Neocons: America at the Crossroads Francis Fukuyama Francis Fukuyama used to regard himself as a ‘neocon’. But, attacking the right-wing policymakers he had previously worked with, he argues here that the Bush administration, in the war in Iraq, has wrongly applied the principles of neoconservatism – a philosophy that is vital to the arguments about Iraq, but rarely explored, and whose history he carefully untangles. He explains why the US did not realize how much foreign hostility there would be towards the war, or how difficult reconstruction would be. Showing that there is no established tradition in international relations theory that can help guide American foreign policy today, he then outlines a new approach, in his usual clear and penetrating style. MORE
Under a Mushroom Cloud: Europe, Iran and the Bomb Dr Emanuele Ottolenghi In Washington on 14 August 2002, the National Council of the Resistance in Iran (NCRI) revealed to a stunned world how advanced Iran’s nuclear programme was. In just a few years, Tehran could have a nuclear arsenal. But the international community is divided on this threat. Russia and China view Iran as a tool to counter US influence. The USA is wary of engaging Iran. Sunni Arab governments fear Iran, but are powerless to keep it in check. And Israel, fearing that the bomb will be used against them, might decide on a pre-emptive strike, with drastic consequences for the region. MORE
