Ambassador of Indonesia Soemadi D.M. Brotodiningrat State of Controversy in Indonesia by Larry Luxner Indonesia is a country of superlatives: It boasts the worldís fourth-largest population. It holds the worldís most crowded island. It is home to the worldís most ethnically diverse population and the most infamous Islamic boarding school. Pesantren al-Mukmin, as the school is known, has produced nearly all of Southeast Asiaís top terrorist suspects. The most frightening is Abu Bakar Bashir (also referred to as Baasyir), a militant Muslim cleric who co-founded the school, established links with al Qaeda, and in early September was sentenced to four years in prison for attempting to assassinate Indonesian President Megawati Sukarnoputri. Yet Indonesiaís ambassador in Washington, Soemadi Djoko Moerdjono Brotodiningrat, says such criticism is unwarranted. ìThis cleric, Baasyir, has become big news because the international media always puts him on the front page. Initially, average people didnít realize who he was, and now heís very famous even though his boarding school is relatively small,î Brotodiningrat told The Washington Diplomat in a recent interview. more... U.N. Foundation President Timothy E. Wirth Agency Chief Trying to Boost Stature of United Nations by John Shaw With his diplomatic and political skills on full display, Timothy E. Wirth carefully declined an opportunity to say ìI told you soî to President George W. Bush regarding his belated decision to seek the support of the United Nations for the struggling American effort to stabilize and rebuild Iraq. A former U.S. congressman and undersecretary of state for global affairs, Wirth is now president of the United Nations Foundation and its sister foundation, the Better World Fund. Since early spring, Wirth has been imploring the Bush administration to work closely with the United Nations on Iraq. He has argued that a larger, more defined U.N. role in Iraq would ease the drain on American financial and human resources and relieve the burden of reconstructing the war-torn country. more.... Religious Fervor May Dominate Emerging Indian State of Nagalim by Sean OíDriscoll In sheer population, Nagalim has been one of the worldís most brutal conflicts, yet few people have ever heard of this tiny region in northeast India fighting for independence. Since Indian troops first started to put down an insurrection by the Christian population of Nagalim, or Nagaland, in 1947, an estimated 200,000 people have been killed in a population of fewer than 4 million. more.... Numerous Options Available for Those Suffering From Knee Pain by Gina Shaw As the baby boom generation (some 76 million Americans) hits their 50s, many are discovering that all those years of jogging and pick-up basketball have taken a toll on their knees. Knee osteoarthritis is a hard-hitting problemóalthough estimates vary widely, with at least half of all Americans over 65 showing some signs of the degenerative condition in one of their knees. more....

Culture Section Check out the arts section for the latest in museum exhibits, dance, theater and much more. See the October 2003 Hotel Insert Polish Involvement in Stabilizing Iraq Grows by Sean OíDriscoll At the time of Polish Ambassador Przemyslaw Grudzinski's interview with The Washington Diplomatóon the day marking the second anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacksóPolish forces were taking control of a massive section of southwest Iraq and managing a 21-member coalition of nearly 10,000 troops that will try to bring stability to one of Iraqís most volatile regions. more... Yemeni Business Group Detained at Dulles for Five Hours by Sean OíDriscoll On Sept. 3, a group of diplomats, politicians and businessmen from Yemen were traveling through Dulles International Airport on their way to a symposium on Yemeni culture sponsored by the Smithsonian Institute. The Embassy of Yemen had informed U.S. authorities about the delegationís visit to avoid any unnecessary problems at the airport. However, many of the delegates are alleging that U.S. immigration officials detained them in a small room for five hours, fingerprinting and photographing them before releasing them. more.... U.S. Seeks to Fight Mideast Terrorism With Trade by Larry Luxner Free trade agreements with specific countries are not enough to combat Middle East terrorism and the Islamic extremism that feeds it, argues one prominent expert on the subject, who instead calls for Washington to unilaterally scrap trade barriers with countries throughout the Muslim world, not just the Middle East. more.... Iranian Woman Cycling Globe for Peace by Larry Luxner Soft-spoken, petite and unpretentious, Poupeh Mahdavinader doesnít seem like the sort of woman who would make world history. But thatís exactly what the 30-year-old social worker from Iran is doing as she bicycles her way through 10 countries ìin the name of love, friendship and global peace." more....