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Mark Baker

Mark Baker is a freelance journalist and travel writer based in Prague. He has written guidebooks and articles for Lonely Planet, Frommer’s, and Fodor’s, and his articles have also appeared in National Geographic Traveler and The Wall Street Journal, among other publications.

Also by Mark Baker

September 07, 2004
Russia: On Beslan, Putin Looks Beyond Chechnya, Sees International Terror

Russia has been fighting a brutal war in Chechnya the past five years. Over the same period, Chechen militants have carried out multiple acts of terrorism on Russian soil. Yet to hear Russian President Vladimir Putin in recent days, the Russia-Chechnya conflict seemingly had little to do with the school hostage crisis in Beslan. In spite of claims by the hostage takers they were acting for an independent Chechnya, Putin -- instead -- pinned the blame on "international terrorists." RFE/RL reports Putin may be hoping to legitimize the Chechen war as part of the wider global struggle against terrorism -- and at the same time discrediting Chechens' aspirations for independence.
August 23, 2004
U.S.: Hearings For Guantanamo Detainees Set To Begin

Nearly three years after the U.S.-led war in Afghanistan, the U.S. military is finally starting the process of trying detainees held at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. Hearings begin tomorrow for four men charged with conspiracy to commit war crimes. The U.S. military says the four will be dealt with fairly, but critics say the tribunals fail to meet minimum standards of justice and the verdict may be a foregone conclusion.
August 06, 2004
Olympics 2004: For Some Athletes, Behind The Medals Lies Real Gold

Dealing with the enormous amount of money the Olympics generates is a major headache for the games' organizers. The problem of ensuring that thousands of millions of dollars in television money, plus the millions donated by corporate sponsors and national sports programs, makes its way to deserving athletes -- and not to corrupt bureaucrats -- has plagued the games for decades. The International Olympic Commission (IOC), which organizes the games, was forced to implement reforms following bribery scandals involving former host cities Salt Lake City and Sydney. In addition, as a way of making money available directly to the athletes, many countries in recent years have begun paying cash bonuses to their nationals who win medals.
August 05, 2004
Pakistan: Islamabad Hoping Arrests Will Show It's Serious About Terrorism

Some have said President Musharraf is hesitant to deal with Pakistani extremists. Recently, Pakistan has announced some major arrests in the international fight against terrorism, including some suspected Al-Qaeda members on the U.S. most-wanted list. Officials are reluctant to divulge all of the names, but the list includes a Tanzanian man said to be heavily involved in the 1998 bombings of two U.S. embassies in East Africa. Pakistan says the arrests highlight its commitment to fighting terrorism. But just this week, "The New York Times" reported that elements in Pakistan continue to aid remnants of the Taliban militia in Afghanistan. Pakistani officials deny those allegations, but the report raises suspicions that no matter how many terrorists it arrests, Pakistan's involvement in the war on terror is half-hearted at best. RFE/RL spoke to a terrorism expert to gauge the significance of the captures and to assess Pakistan's progress in the antiterror effort.
July 29, 2004
World: Oil Prices Stabilize -- But Concern Over Yukos Remains

News from Russia on 28 July that a court order had blocked exports by the beleaguered energy giant Yukos sent world oil prices to new highs. Oil traders say the market is already unstable over the war in Iraq and concern about terrorism in Saudi Arabia -- and news that Russia's biggest oil producer could be shut down only made things worse. Prices stabilized on 29 July after a Russian Justice Ministry official said the order would not affect the company's oil exports, but traders remain on edge.
July 14, 2004
World: Could Divisions Derail Global Efforts To Control HIV/AIDS?

Reports from this week's International AIDS Conference in Bangkok say serious ideological differences divide the participants and that future anti-AIDS efforts could suffer. Whether the issue is morality, condoms, funding or drugs, the debate seems to follow a familiar pattern -- the United States is on one side and much of the rest of the world is on the other.
July 13, 2004
Russia: Will Government Make A Deal Or Act To Bankrupt Yukos?

Mikhail Khodorkovskii (file photo) The fate of Russian oil giant Yukos hangs in the balance. The government is reportedly weighing an offer by Yukos to pay some $7 billion in tax arrears but to extend payments over time to avoid bankruptcy. Yesterday, the former head of Yukos, Mikhail Khodorkovskii, said leading shareholders could release their shares to pay the tax bill. There's been no official reaction, but the world is watching. Yukos is one of Russia's biggest companies, and investors see Yukos as a test case for how future investments in Russia will be treated.
July 12, 2004
World: AIDS Conference Highlights Dispute Over Condoms

The first full day of the 15th International AIDS Conference in Thailand exposed deep differences over how best to reduce the number of new HIV/AIDS infections. In the past, anti-AIDS efforts have centered on promoting condoms. Increasingly, conservative governments have said condoms can help, but abstinence is the best policy.
July 08, 2004
Russia: Yukos Case Increasingly Drawing Ire Of International Groups

The deadline has passed for Russian oil giant Yukos to pay some $3.4 billion in back taxes or face bankruptcy, and the company's fate remains in doubt. Outside Russia, the Yukos case continues to invite concern and, in some cases, strong criticism. The Paris-based Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) this week accused Russia of applying its laws selectively as a way of punishing Yukos and its founder and former chairman, Mikhail Khodorkovskii.
July 02, 2004
Russia: Yukos Uncertainty Follows Tax Judgment

The Yukos building 2 July 2004 (RFE/RL) -- Russian tax officials have demanded that Russian oil company Yukos pay some $6.8 billion in back taxes in a move that has left the future of the oil giant in serious doubt.
July 02, 2004
Yukos Uncertainty Follows Tax Judgment

Yukos headquarters (file photo) 2 July 2004 (RFE/RL) -- Russian tax officials have demanded that Russian oil company Yukos pay some $6.8 billion in back taxes in a move that has left the future of the oil giant in serious doubt.
July 01, 2004
World: Tracing, Closing Terrorist Websites Not As Simple As It Sounds

Terrorist groups are increasingly using the Internet to publicize and promulgate their causes. Groups like Al-Qaeda use the Internet to raise money, recruit members, convey messages and sometimes to terrify -- as with recent images of beheadings of Westerners in Iraq and Saudi Arabia. But every computer connected to the Internet -- in theory, at least -- has a unique electronic address. Why can't law enforcement officers trace terrorist websites in much the same way they trace telephone calls?
June 18, 2004
World: Torture -- Physical Force Is An Unreliable Method Of Interrogation (Part 2)

Abuse at Abu Ghrayb The recent Abu Ghrayb prison scandal revealed that the United States, like many nations, uses controversial interrogation techniques like depriving prisoners of sleep or forcing them to wear hoods. But the question remains -- are such techniques, or even more severe ones, effective? In the second and final part of a series on torture, RFE/RL speaks to an expert on interrogation to see which techniques work -- and which ones are only cruel.
June 17, 2004
U.S.: Torture -- Memos Spur Debate On Defining The Use Of Pain (Part 1)

Abu Ghurayb has spawned questions about the nature of torture What is torture, and when -- if ever -- can pain be inflicted on a prisoner? Those questions are now being debated after the leaking of U.S. government memos that recommend, among other things, that interrogators be permitted to use pain to elicit information from detainees. In this first of a two-part series, RFE/RL's Mark Baker examines international law and the varying interpretations of what constitutes torture. Part 2, to be issued tomorrow, will take a closer look at interrogation techniques and asks whether physical pain is an effective method to extract information.
June 11, 2004
East: The Black Economy -- How Can You Measure What Is Hidden? (Part 2)

In some countries, the "black," or underground, economy rivals the size of the official economy. It has flourished particularly in the transition countries of Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union. Yet because these transactions are hidden, their impact remains poorly understood. In this second of a two-part series, RFE/RL's Mark Baker looks at some of the innovative techniques economists have developed to measure the black economy.
June 10, 2004
East: The Black Economy -- Is the Underground Sector Really So Bad? (Part 1)

The "black economy" -- exchanges hidden from the gaze of the central government and beyond its ability to tax and control -- amounts to more than half the official economy in some countries. It's flourished in the transition countries of Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union. Yet it remains poorly understood and difficult to measure. In the first of a two-part series, RFE/RL's Mark Baker looks at what the black economy is and whether it is, in fact, all bad.
June 09, 2004
World: Could Rising Oil Prices Trigger The Return Of High Inflation?

As world oil prices rise, there's concern this could re-ignite global inflation. Central bankers around the world are on guard, looking for any sign prices are rising. Already the U.S. central bank is indicating it could raise interest rates soon to dampen price pressures. But economists say they don't expect inflation to come roaring back. They say the world's major economies are still too weak to overheat.
June 04, 2004
World: OPEC Raises Output Ceiling, But Move Might Not Have Strong Impact

OPEC oil cartel members yesterday decided to raise their collective output quota by around 10 percent in order to relieve pressure on prices. Oil prices did fall some after the announcement -- but it's uncertain how much of an effect the move will have since the cartel's members are already pumping in excess of the quota. RFE/RL's Mark Baker spoke to an oil expert in Cyprus who says, in any event, prices won't fall very far very soon.
June 01, 2004
World: Rise In Oil Price Shifts Focus To Use of Renewable Resources

(file photo) Interest in the use of alternative resources -- like wind and solar power -- is rising as the price of oil on world markets touches 20-year highs. That explains the attention focused on an international conference this week in Germany that aims to promote such renewable energy resources. Nearly 3,000 delegates are attending, including leaders and ministers from more than 100 countries. RFE/RL takes a closer look at the conference's aims and renewed prospects for renewable energy.
May 26, 2004
East: Will The 'Single Economic Space' Merely Isolate Its Members From The World Economy?

Kuchma: Our goal is a full-scale, free-trade zone One of the strongest criticisms leveled at efforts by Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, and Kazakhstan to more closely integrate their economies is that this will only separate them further from the world economy. Critics -- particularly in Ukraine -- decry what they see as mainly a Russia-led effort to exert control. They say Ukraine's greater economic goals -- such as joining the World Trade Organization -- could even be imperiled.

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