At first sight, Singapore's decision to pursue a libel action against one of the world's great newspapers over an inoffensive remark appears counter-productive.By forcing the International Herald Tribune to apologise and pay US$114,000 in damages for merely including founding prime minister Lee Kuan Yew and his son, the current prime minister, Lee Hsien Loong, in a list of Asian political dynasties, the government appears to tarnish the image of Singapore, not defend it.
However, the canny Lees know more than anyone else when they must lose the short-term public relations battle in order to win the long-term war for control of the international media. Full Story
