Although America has declared a "war on terror", many look to science and scientists as a way of maintaining contact with regimes that the US regards as hostile.
In the Arab world, American science is held in high regard: even though many Arab and Islamic states are suspicious of America’s political motives. "Scientific diplomacy" is seen as a way of building bridges with developing nations.
Those who support the idea of scientific diplomacy cite the Cold War; they say that contact between Russian and American scientists prevented a nuclear attack. The hope is that scientific co-operation might eventually help defuse political tensions, and open the way to economic improvement.
