The first half of 2003 was marked by the war in Iraq, led by the United States and Britain, and the outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome, which hit China, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Canada.
The war rocked the world politically and economically. Moreover, the problem will drag on into the second half of the year. SARS, meanwhile, appears to have subsided, although there are fears of a recurrence this winter. Let me focus this column on the problem of the war in Iraq and its aftermath.
The Iraq war seems likely to continue to shake the basic structure of international politics, with the flames possibly spreading to Iran or rekindling the conflict between Israel and Palestine. Even more important, from Japan's point of view, is the proximity of North Korea to Japan when the situation on the Korean Peninsula could grow dangerous enough to spark a war there.