To the Point

Dominators, Conciliators and Foreign Policy Wars

Since the end of the Cold War, Europe has become a unified economic powerhouse, even though militarily, it is weak and relies on the US for protection. The Bush administration says that leaves America no choice but to act alone in defense of its interests, even if Europe refuses to go along. Meantime, millions continue to march against a war in Iraq, warning that unilateralism is the road to isolation and the undermining of international order. We hear the clash of opinions that are helping to shape US policy at the highest levels, from a contributing editor to the neo-conservative Weekly Standard, a member of President Clinton-s National Security Council, the founding president of the Henry L. Stimson Center, and a member of the Defense Policy Board. Making News: EU Summit Aims for a Unified Voice on Iraq From NATO to the Arab League, the question of war or peace in Iraq has divided international alliances. This weekend's massive public protests put further pressures on world leaders. Today, the European Union begins an emergency summit in Brussels. Xan Smiley has been following it all for Britain's Economist magazine. Reporter's Notebook: Survey Finds Smaller Stations Fare Better in Local TV News As more local TV stations are bought up by massive, corporate conglomerates, what is the impact on local news? That-s one of the questions facing the Federal Communications Commission as it considers further broadcast deregulation. So FCC Chairman Michael Powell has requested empirical evidence. The Project for Excellence in Journalism has responded with a report on local TV news. Tom Rosenstiel is the Project-s director.