http://cartoonsbyhenry.com/?tag=libya
Check out these political cartoons. I'm not considering this a blog, but I thoroughly enjoyed this authors opinions on Obama's military decisions!
Monday, April 23, 2012
military assistance
http://www.usnews.com/debate-club/should-the-us-intervene-in-syria-with-military-action/a-syrian-intervention-need-not-be-military-focused
I found this article to be very interesting. The author of the article states his claim on how the United States should continue to influence Syria, and it's surrounding countries to help stop the violence there. I found his one quote very appealing, "a made in America military intervention would......remake the mistakes the Bush Administration made in Iraq." The article quietly takes jabs and both the Obama and Bush administration questioning their decisions during the interventions.
His opinion is for the United States to work with Syria's allie countries, specifically Turkey, to seek further assistance from them. He insist that the United States to try and use its leverage with Turkey, and Iraq to get their higher powers to provide assistance in getting Syria assistance and to isolate the Assad regime.
We should remain active in this issue, but he questions our military assistance. I'm curious to what kind of influence we can provide without military powers. Would our influence be as strong or as affective with just verbal actions? Obviously war and violence is not the best option for situations, but certain instances it is needed.
I found this article to be very interesting. The author of the article states his claim on how the United States should continue to influence Syria, and it's surrounding countries to help stop the violence there. I found his one quote very appealing, "a made in America military intervention would......remake the mistakes the Bush Administration made in Iraq." The article quietly takes jabs and both the Obama and Bush administration questioning their decisions during the interventions.
His opinion is for the United States to work with Syria's allie countries, specifically Turkey, to seek further assistance from them. He insist that the United States to try and use its leverage with Turkey, and Iraq to get their higher powers to provide assistance in getting Syria assistance and to isolate the Assad regime.
We should remain active in this issue, but he questions our military assistance. I'm curious to what kind of influence we can provide without military powers. Would our influence be as strong or as affective with just verbal actions? Obviously war and violence is not the best option for situations, but certain instances it is needed.
Syria: Tough Love
This article is actually the transcript of a National Public Radio broadcast. The broadcast starts off with the host interviewing a Professor from Gerogetown University who wrote an Op-Ed for the Washington Post arguing that the US "should train the rebels and use tough love to cajole and reward the opposition." A few topics discussed on the radio show really stood out to me. One was a call made by a woman who compared US involvement in foreign revolutions to the French involvement in the US revolution. Whenever I think about US involvement, I never relate it to our own revolution and how we would never have been able to complete it without foreign help.
Another part of the article I found interesting was a women named Minette who called in. She said that her husband and much of her neighborhood have family in Syria. She said that they are unable to go outside for food, and are afraid to talk on the phone because they are afraid of being murdered for saying something the government does not like. I can't imagine what it must be like to constantly live in fear like that. It makes me really want to support the US involvement and end the mistreatment.
Another part of the article I found interesting was a women named Minette who called in. She said that her husband and much of her neighborhood have family in Syria. She said that they are unable to go outside for food, and are afraid to talk on the phone because they are afraid of being murdered for saying something the government does not like. I can't imagine what it must be like to constantly live in fear like that. It makes me really want to support the US involvement and end the mistreatment.
Libya: It's not our Fight
In this op-ed, the author argues against any US involvement in Libya claiming that "it's not our fight." Personally, I disagree with most of the arguments he uses. His first argument is we shouldn't intervene because the country has oil and other countries will claim we are there for oil. I disagree with this argument because (hopefully) oil has nothing to do with our involvement besides inspiring Gaddafi's stranglehold on the country. No matter what the reason for our involvement, countries such as Russia will find a way to spin the situation against the US.
The most interesting part of the article came at the end. The author says that in Kosovo, the government enacted a headscarf ban in schools, and "Although local Muslim leaders imposed the ban, with no U.S. involvement, the imams say otherwise, while also condemning U.S.-led invasions of Muslim lands." It is crazy to me that the government would ban a part of their religion that they so stringently follow and support just to turn the population of its country against Americans.
The most interesting part of the article came at the end. The author says that in Kosovo, the government enacted a headscarf ban in schools, and "Although local Muslim leaders imposed the ban, with no U.S. involvement, the imams say otherwise, while also condemning U.S.-led invasions of Muslim lands." It is crazy to me that the government would ban a part of their religion that they so stringently follow and support just to turn the population of its country against Americans.
Sunday, April 22, 2012
The Struggle for Peace and Involvement of Other Nations
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/664a4b4e-8c8c-11e1-9758-00144feab49a.html#axzz1soUMJex9
In this piece, it is said that, since March over 9,000 people have been killed in the fighting between anti-Government forces and Assad's army. This number is staggering considering this is only through a month of fighting. What is more troubling is that the Tunisian government has identified at least nine slain combatants that were from Tunisia - all of whom were fighting against Assad. This is after Libya identified three fallen combatants as their own earlier in the year. That brings about the question of what does the international community do in response to these other nations sending guerrillas into Syria?
Assad has claimed earlier in the year that Libya was training men to fight against the Assad government, and with Tunisian insurgents now entering the fray, one has to wonder how this will reflect on the international community. Both Tunisia and Libya have experienced change through the Arab Spring, and now some of them are attempting to do the same in other nations. Does the international community condemn these actions? Already some newspapers have called the fallen Tunisians and Libyans "martyrs" for the cause, but could this become a problem for the new governments in Libya and Tunisia when it comes to international aid, or will this help their international profile by fighting against a murderous dictator, even if it is not their own. Regardless, I believe this shows a sense of community and unity among the Arab people, as they are willing to fight and die for another country so long as it means freedom for fellow Arabs.
In this piece, it is said that, since March over 9,000 people have been killed in the fighting between anti-Government forces and Assad's army. This number is staggering considering this is only through a month of fighting. What is more troubling is that the Tunisian government has identified at least nine slain combatants that were from Tunisia - all of whom were fighting against Assad. This is after Libya identified three fallen combatants as their own earlier in the year. That brings about the question of what does the international community do in response to these other nations sending guerrillas into Syria?
Assad has claimed earlier in the year that Libya was training men to fight against the Assad government, and with Tunisian insurgents now entering the fray, one has to wonder how this will reflect on the international community. Both Tunisia and Libya have experienced change through the Arab Spring, and now some of them are attempting to do the same in other nations. Does the international community condemn these actions? Already some newspapers have called the fallen Tunisians and Libyans "martyrs" for the cause, but could this become a problem for the new governments in Libya and Tunisia when it comes to international aid, or will this help their international profile by fighting against a murderous dictator, even if it is not their own. Regardless, I believe this shows a sense of community and unity among the Arab people, as they are willing to fight and die for another country so long as it means freedom for fellow Arabs.
Saturday, April 21, 2012
Posting Coming to an End--What's Next?
This is a post to remind you that the END of the posting period is
quickly coming! So get your posts in!!! 3 original posts and 3 comments.
That's the basics- do them well, contribute to the conversation, and be
willing to go outside your comfort zone (in the media or your analysis
of them) and the points will rack up. There IS one more piece to this
however, THE WRITE UP!
So what to do?
The write up is intended to be a place where you can reflect on the blog as a whole (not just your piece of it) in an essay 3-5 pages long (double spaced)and consists of:
So what to do?
The write up is intended to be a place where you can reflect on the blog as a whole (not just your piece of it) in an essay 3-5 pages long (double spaced)and consists of:
- an intro,
- a discussion of 2-3 'themes' you identified across the posts (use examples from the blog!)
- a summary/conclusion.
Thursday, April 19, 2012
WRAPUP 6-Syria-UN agree on terms of monitoring mission
This Reuter's op-ed http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/04/19/syria-idUSL6E8FJED420120419 is trying to give the most up to date news on Syria. Syria and UN signed an agreement for hundreds of observers to monitor a ceasefire. The 15 member UN Security Council, which is divided between Western countries that want to "topple" Syrian president and Russia and China 'which support Assad", must agree to the proposal to send a larger observer force. Senior officials from Western countries including Brit & US met in Paris with officials from Middle Eastern officials from Turkey, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia, feeling the truce was the "last hope" of avoiding civil war in Syria. Russia and China will approve a mission only under a part of the UN charter that gives Assad's government a veto over the observers mandate. The Arab League sent in monitors but didn't last an entire month feeling that they could do little as long as it's movements were controlled by Assad's forces. However, Chinese foreign Minister said Beijing was "seriously studying" participating.
Russia wants no parts of it, claiming that the West and Arab powers are failing to give due weight to Assad's argument that he is fighting Islamist militants.
Ok Russia, Assad has killed thousands of people because their Islamist Militants? I don't think that's the case...
Russia wants no parts of it, claiming that the West and Arab powers are failing to give due weight to Assad's argument that he is fighting Islamist militants.
Ok Russia, Assad has killed thousands of people because their Islamist Militants? I don't think that's the case...
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