[Ana Palacio] Turkey’s diplomatic dogfight

Turkey’s downing of a Russian warplane risks opening a new front in the violence engulfing Syria, thereby dashing the hopes for a rapprochement between Russia and the West that had arisen in the wake of the Paris massacre. With Russian President Vladimir Putin and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan now engaged in a war of words, and given the nightmare scenario of something far worse, it is more important than ever that the European Union do all that it can to reinvigorate its ties with Turk

Nov. 29, 2015

[David Ignatius] Three Middle East unsung heroes

If you’re cringing this Thanksgiving at the homicidal youth gang that calls itself the Islamic State, you might consider the narratives of three young people in the Middle East who are trying to make a positive difference. The killers and fanatics may get the headlines, but these three represent an untold part of the story.One is an Egyptian journalist who bravely investigated the growth of extremism and official corruption in the Sinai Peninsula. The threat there became obvious to the world las

Nov. 27, 2015

[Chon Shi-yong] Legacy of Kim YS and Kim DJ

Former President Kim Young-sam was laid to rest at National Cemetery in Seoul on Thursday after a state funeral that grabbed the eyes and hearts of many Koreans who remember the indelible mark he left in Korean politics and history. 　As a citizen who went through the 1970s and 1980s in which Kim was a gigantic pro-democracy fighter and as a journalist who covered him when he was president in the 1990s, I experienced a lot of emotions watching the funeral on television. 　Then I recalled another s

Nov. 26, 2015

[Kim Myong-sik] President needs to curtail overseas activities in autumn

It was one of the most shocking scenes in the violent demonstrations on the night of Nov. 14 in Seoul’s Gwanghwamun Plaza. A TV camera filmed a masked protester on the roof of one of the buses forming a police barrier dashing toward a policeman in full riot control gear complete with a helmet and a plastic shield. I was afraid a fierce fight would take place on the narrow roof of the bus. 　　To my amazement, the policeman lowered his body and raised his shield above his head instead of making a m

Nov. 25, 2015

[David Ignatius] Trump’s words put U.S. at greater risk

Crises bring out the best and worst in people, as has been demonstrated vividly this past week by the behavior of President Obama and GOP presidential candidate Donald Trump. 　Obama showed his best face in Tuesday’s press conference with visiting French President Francois Hollande. Obama was cool and restrained, analytically clear, and appropriately apolitical in describing how the U.S. will work with France in combating the Islamic State. He avoided inflaming the delicate and potentially danger

Nov. 25, 2015

[Kim Seong-kon] Korean Air and a miracle at JFK

Recently, I went to the United States on a business trip. I had a tightly packed schedule, with stops in five cities, and as many as five connecting flights in eight days, including a cross-country flight from the West Coast to the East Coast. My staff, who had planned the trip, must have felt that I thought I was still in my prime. 　Anyway, not only did I survive the relentless itinerary with a Spartan-like resolve but also went through incredible adventures during my sojourn in America. 　Initi

Nov. 24, 2015

[Robert J. Fouser] A look at Kim Young-sam’s legacy

The sudden death of former president Kim Young-sam last week underscores how far the 1980s and 1990s have fallen into the past.  　To the large number of Koreans who came of age in the 1980s and 1990s, those years of economic growth and political democratization form a strong collective memory that informs their worldview today. Younger generations look at those years as an era that they learn about in history class; their world view comes from what came after. Kim Young-sam’s presidency (1993-19

Nov. 24, 2015

[Ram Garikipati] Economic impact of terrorist strikes

The recent dastardly terrorist attacks in Paris shocked the world, with countries scampering to tighten security in preparation for any eventuality.Even countries like Korea that have had no terror attacks from Islamic jihadists have gone on high alert, and the administration is tightening measures to make sure that no untoward incident happens. 　While the nation’s security, human casualties and material losses are important aspects of these inhumane attacks, what should also be considered is th

Nov. 23, 2015

[David Ignatius] U.S.’ Syria diplomacy an achievement

Diplomatic negotiations on Syria got lost in the aftermath of the Paris attacks a week ago. But the talks have made surprising progress -- and they may prove a crucial part of any successful strategy for combating terrorists from the Islamic State. 　Secretary of State John Kerry managed to gather all the major players -- Russia, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Turkey and the key European nations -- in Vienna last weekend. Just getting them to the table is an accomplishment -- and a move back from the Saudi-

Nov. 23, 2015

[Park Sang-seek] Why is the U.N. so unable to act?

At a lunch meeting with the 15 U.N. Security Council representatives on Sept. 24, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon suddenly exclaimed “the Security Council doesn’t do anything. Its operational procedures should be changed.” 　The representatives were so frightened they just stared at him. Ban had been known as a quiet person who rarely showed his anger in public. 　Is the U.N. helpless? If so, what is the reason?                                                      　Only states are qualified for

Nov. 23, 2015

[Jeffrey D. Sachs] Ending blowback terrorism

Terrorist attacks on civilians, whether the downing over Sinai of a Russian aircraft killing 224 civilian passengers, the horrific Paris massacre claiming 129 innocent lives, or the tragic bombing in Ankara that killed 102 peace activists, are crimes against humanity. Their perpetrators -- in this case, the Islamic State -- must be stopped. Success will require a clear understanding of the roots of this ruthless network of jihadists.　Painful as it is to admit, the West, especially the United Sta

Nov. 22, 2015

[Robert B. Reich] The perils of circus politics

The next president of the United States will confront a virulent jihadist threat, mounting effects of climate change and an economy becoming ever more unequal.We’re going to need an especially wise and able leader.Yet our process for choosing that person is a circus, and several leading candidates are clowns.How have we come to this?First, anyone with enough ego and money can now run for president.This wasn’t always the case. Political parties used to sift through possible candidates and winnow

Nov. 22, 2015

[David Ignatius] After the ‘caliphate’ falls

French President Francois Hollande has announced that his country is at war with the Islamic State, and the United States is surely part of that conflict, too. What the warfighters need urgently is a road map for the future, after the terrorist group is defeated.   　Planning the shape of the post-war Middle East may seem like a fantasy right now, when the extremists are widening their fight. But it’s a crucial exercise for the broad coalition fighting the Islamic State, which includes Russia, Ir

Nov. 20, 2015

[Kim Hoo-ran] Soul searching after Paris attacks

On an April afternoon this year, I found myself seated next to a couple from the Middle East — the wife in hijab and the husband sporting a heavy beard — in a cafe in Venice, touted as the oldest cafe in the world. As expected in any oldest-of-its-kind establishment, the place was brimming with tourists from around the world. 　Soon, a couple from Australia, judging by their accent, took the last empty table and the elderly man struck up a conversation with the man from the Middle East. “Don’t yo

Nov. 19, 2015

[Choi He-suk] Giant snakes, sexy ladies and gruesome murders

Picture a giant snake and a fearsome lion battling -- in a manner as gory as possible -- to the death. 　Now, picture a beautiful woman baring all for no apparent reason, or making suggestive remarks to passersby, again for reasons unknown. 　Now, someone being the victim of a particularly gruesome murder or carrying out an act of senseless violence. 　Imagine, now, otherwise completely ordinary people coming to work to spend the entire day in search of “stories” involving, but not limited to, the

Nov. 18, 2015

[Noah Feldman] Islamic State has more to gain in Beirut

Lebanese are justifiably frustrated that Friday’s attacks in Paris overshadowed the bombings that killed 43 people in Beirut City the day before. But equal respect for human life isn’t the only reason Western media should be more focused on Beirut than they have been.　The Paris attack succeeded in frightening the West, but the attack on Beirut represents a more important strategic avenue for Islamic State. The Sunni-militant group isn’t going to destabilize France. Yet destabilizing Lebanon, a t

Nov. 18, 2015

[David Ignatius] Harnessing a coalition of disgust

Do Western nations think that Muslim lives matter less? Most of us would resist any such characterization of callousness. But Western outrage about the carnage in Paris, coupled with near-indifference to similar killings in the Arab world, suggests to many Muslims that a double standard exists — and they find it deeply upsetting. In the past week, terrorists apparently aligned with the Islamic State conducted three savage attacks: The assaults in Paris that killed at least 129 people Friday nigh

Nov. 17, 2015