The World Today

More than two decades after the Camp David Peace Accords were signed between Israel and Egypt, former American President Jimmy Carter has been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. This is a striking reminder of both the central role American presidents and the US have played in striving to reach such agreements, and of the fundamentals for any future peace between Israel and its Arab neighbours. There is no reason to assume that these basic elements will alter dramatically. But the chances of peace are now remote and the threat of war – even a nuclear strike if Israel were under attack with weapons of mass destruction – has increased considerably.

The Moscow theatre crisis has revived the debate among Russians about the role of the media and their own relationship with a government that claims to be leading them to democracy and security tempered by the rule of law. They are sure someone is being economical with the truth.

By taking hundreds of hostages, the Chechens have made it less likely that their demand for an end to the war will be met any time soon. Russians are again painfully aware of the conflict, which will still be regarded by the west as an internal affair for the Kremlin.

The Bali bomb has not only taken over a hundred and ninety innocent lives, but also destroyed Indonesia’s hopes for a democratic future. Until the bombing, it seemed that the country was inching towards greater stability, with the administration of President Megawati Sukarnoputri likely to survive until the 2004 parliamentary and presidential elections. Some even spoke of it being returned with an enhanced mandate, thanks to the introduction of direct voting for the presidency. Now all that has been thrown into question.

The recent confession by North Korea that it has the capability to make nuclear weapons – and may even have made some – has complex repercussions. Neighbours within reach of Pyongyang’s missiles – China, South Korea and Japan – have strong views on how the situation should be handled. The North Korean regime is almost certainly on the road to collapse, its leaders would not otherwise have also confessed that it was responsible for abducting Japanese citizens. Scenarios for the future look deeply unappealing – or worse.

After twenty four years in power, Kenya’s ‘Professor of Politics’ seems to have delivered the wrong lecture. Struggling to keep up with younger generations wired to the world, he has managed to unite the opposition. But will it be allowed to win?