"Iran has used Syria as a staging ground to train and support militants who have crossed into Iraq to hurt our troops and to train for other terrorist activities." - Robert Zarate, a geopolitical strategist with Capitol Hill
Syria: A small country outside of Asia and the Middle East that has it's own share of problems. (and could potentially create a major problem for us) Many of us have heard the recent news involving Syria's clash between government and protesters, and plans to get the president out of office. Violence has spread for the past few months and has gone as far as suggesting to slaughter children and families.
Many of us know about the humanitarian crisis under fire that this country faces; but many of us also don't know why this country should matter to us. We already thrust ourselves into Iraq and Afghanistan. Do we really need/want to care about a country that doesn't exactly have strong connections to us? The answer is yes.
Here's why you should care about Syria:
1) Syria borders Iraq, where our troops are still involved in the "War on Terror." If Syria weakens its power, this can trickle down to Iraq and have negative effects on our men and women.
2) Lebanon, another bordering country of Iraq and Turkey (a U.S. Ally) can also lead into a civil war if problems go down with Syria, leading to a war that we will most likely get involved in because we have to be the helpers of the world (as noted in African Security and the African Command).
3) Al Queda, U.S. enemy #1 would love another reason to go to war with the Americans if we co-op with any of these countries to "fix" the problems in Syria.
4) Oh, and, did I mention that if we have to go into the Middle East, again to fix another country's problems (again), then our oil prices will go up and our economy will suffer (again)? Don't forget, gas rose well over $5.00 last year in all parts of the U.S., and the war cost us $1 trillion.
Yes, yes...as it turns out, this small country could potentially create big problems for the U.S. We may get involved in another war where we will not leave for another 10 years. Syria is alleys with Iran, as well, who haven't yet friended us on Facebook quite yet. We'll have to watch out for them, too
Ugh..must we always get involved in other country's affairs? As you can see, the plot thickens; and the conclusion may be anticipated.
More information on this article may be found on CNN's site.
Showing posts with label african security and the african command. Show all posts
Showing posts with label african security and the african command. Show all posts
Monday, April 16, 2012
Monday, December 19, 2011
The philosophy of "juche" Takes Place in North Korea as Leader Dies
"The philosophy of 'juche,' or self-reliance, is the basis of North Korea's reclusive nature." (CNN: North Korea's Kim Jong Il dies; South goes on high alert) Today the people of North Korea are putting this principle into action as their leader, Kim Jong II dies at the age of 69.
Jong has been leading the socialist country since 1994, and has had an array of health problems. Officials state that Jong suffered "great mental and physical strain," suffering a heart attack on Saturday that could not be salvaged.
The people of North Korea appeared starry-eyed, as they learned the news about their "dear leader."
"My leader, what will we do? It's too much! It's too much!" one person sobbed on state television. "Leader, please come back. ... You cannot leave us. We will always wait for you, leader."
Set to take over is Kim's youngest son, Kim Jong Un, a four-star general that has received increasing responsbilities from his father.
But, North Korea isn't the only civil society under strain and devastated about the news of their leader's death.
As North Korea silences itself, struck with grief, South Korea is tightening security in preparating for an unpredictable North Korea. Officials are placing the region on emergency alert, prepping them for overtime shifts.
Obama stated that President Lee of South Korea and he have spoke about staying in touch as the situation develops. Lee has advised his people to "go on with their lives." I, for one, really hope that we do not send out troops to the region unless needed. I don't feel it is right to Americanize them. (Similar to this debate is the US's Role in Africa in African Security and the African Command.)
"For the sake of the future of the Republic of Korea, peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula is more important than anything else. It should not be threatened by what has happened," he said.
Former U.N. Ambassador, Bill Richardson of the United States stated that the humanitarian efforts should remain there for the people of Korea, but to keep a watchful-eye. I feel there must be a fragile balance between politics and humanitarian concerns. We, as the U.S. should aid them in food and security, but we should not control their political endeavors.
"People are starving there," stated Richardson.
Will North Korea embrace South Korea or push them into further war? Will North Korea talk about nuke control with the United States? Deep questions like these hope to be answered over time.
Jong has been leading the socialist country since 1994, and has had an array of health problems. Officials state that Jong suffered "great mental and physical strain," suffering a heart attack on Saturday that could not be salvaged.
The people of North Korea appeared starry-eyed, as they learned the news about their "dear leader."
"My leader, what will we do? It's too much! It's too much!" one person sobbed on state television. "Leader, please come back. ... You cannot leave us. We will always wait for you, leader."
Set to take over is Kim's youngest son, Kim Jong Un, a four-star general that has received increasing responsbilities from his father.
But, North Korea isn't the only civil society under strain and devastated about the news of their leader's death.
As North Korea silences itself, struck with grief, South Korea is tightening security in preparating for an unpredictable North Korea. Officials are placing the region on emergency alert, prepping them for overtime shifts.
Obama stated that President Lee of South Korea and he have spoke about staying in touch as the situation develops. Lee has advised his people to "go on with their lives." I, for one, really hope that we do not send out troops to the region unless needed. I don't feel it is right to Americanize them. (Similar to this debate is the US's Role in Africa in African Security and the African Command.)
"For the sake of the future of the Republic of Korea, peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula is more important than anything else. It should not be threatened by what has happened," he said.
Former U.N. Ambassador, Bill Richardson of the United States stated that the humanitarian efforts should remain there for the people of Korea, but to keep a watchful-eye. I feel there must be a fragile balance between politics and humanitarian concerns. We, as the U.S. should aid them in food and security, but we should not control their political endeavors.
"People are starving there," stated Richardson.
Will North Korea embrace South Korea or push them into further war? Will North Korea talk about nuke control with the United States? Deep questions like these hope to be answered over time.
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
Thank You for Supporting KP at ASA & ARNOVA
Despite a lower attendance rate for both conferences, Kumarian Press received great attention; and we would like to take a moment to thank attendees for coming out to support our endeavors.
We met a variety of individuals at ASA, ranging from your everyday professors to historians, researchers and development workers. We appreciate book ideas, and are working hard to implement these ideas for our readers.
I would also like to thank Lou Picard, author of KP's African Security and the African Command and A Fragile Balance. For two days, he welcomed our guests and signed copies of his two books.
Our trip to ARNOVA was also a hit, where our authors were found meeting and greeting our readers and attendees. Chris Corbett, author of Advancing Nonprofit Stewardship Through Self-Regulation, spoke at the conference, while Susan Ross, Shae Garwood and Jennifer Brinkerhoff promoted their new and upcoming titles.
We are thankful for our readers and their continuing support; and we look forward to seeing them next year at ARNOVA and ASA 2012.
NOTE: ASA and ARNOVA attendees - Do not forget about your post conference discounts. Source code is located on the top right corner of the order form. Valid for one month.
We met a variety of individuals at ASA, ranging from your everyday professors to historians, researchers and development workers. We appreciate book ideas, and are working hard to implement these ideas for our readers.
I would also like to thank Lou Picard, author of KP's African Security and the African Command and A Fragile Balance. For two days, he welcomed our guests and signed copies of his two books.
Our trip to ARNOVA was also a hit, where our authors were found meeting and greeting our readers and attendees. Chris Corbett, author of Advancing Nonprofit Stewardship Through Self-Regulation, spoke at the conference, while Susan Ross, Shae Garwood and Jennifer Brinkerhoff promoted their new and upcoming titles.
We are thankful for our readers and their continuing support; and we look forward to seeing them next year at ARNOVA and ASA 2012.
NOTE: ASA and ARNOVA attendees - Do not forget about your post conference discounts. Source code is located on the top right corner of the order form. Valid for one month.
Tuesday, November 8, 2011
KP Preps for Two Conferences Next Week
November 17 - 19, 2011 has brought along a whole new meaning to Kumarian Press, who is gearing up for not one, but two conferences to showcase newly released titles.
We will be attending ARNOVA in Toronto and the ASA Conferernce in DC, both starting and ending on the same date.
We will be at ARNOVA highlighting our NGO/nonprofit and government titles. This conference is a must for us, as many of our authors will be in attendance including Christopher Corbett (who will be speaking at the event), Shae Garwood, Jennifer Brinkerhoff and new KP author, Susan Ross. These authors can be found at Author's Corner where they will have a booth available with flyers and copies of their publications. If you are attending, be sure to stop by and meet our authors.
KP is excited to attend the ASA Conference, as well where we will showcase our African Studies titles. We will have plenty of books to show along with brochures. We are pleased to have Lou Picard, author of the recently released KP publication African Security and the African Command join us at our booth for a book signing and podcast segment. For those of you who miss our interview, we will post it.
We are very excited to be a part of these events and look forward to meeting our readers.
We will be attending ARNOVA in Toronto and the ASA Conferernce in DC, both starting and ending on the same date.
We will be at ARNOVA highlighting our NGO/nonprofit and government titles. This conference is a must for us, as many of our authors will be in attendance including Christopher Corbett (who will be speaking at the event), Shae Garwood, Jennifer Brinkerhoff and new KP author, Susan Ross. These authors can be found at Author's Corner where they will have a booth available with flyers and copies of their publications. If you are attending, be sure to stop by and meet our authors.
KP is excited to attend the ASA Conference, as well where we will showcase our African Studies titles. We will have plenty of books to show along with brochures. We are pleased to have Lou Picard, author of the recently released KP publication African Security and the African Command join us at our booth for a book signing and podcast segment. For those of you who miss our interview, we will post it.
We are very excited to be a part of these events and look forward to meeting our readers.
Thursday, October 20, 2011
KP Author Louis Picard on AFRICOM and the LRA
A few days ago, Obama sent U.S forces into Africa to confront Lord's Resistance Army. Below is Kumarian Press author Louis Picard's response to the AFRICOM situation against the LRA:
From its beginning in 2008 the United States African Command (AFRICOM), part of the American geographical defense system has been controversial and it remains so. Initial concerns focused on the impact of AFRICOM on African conflicts, on African sovereignty and debates about human security. This was followed by the increasing debate about the special forces of AFRICOM and its increasing involvement in Somalia and the fight against Al Shabaab, and Al Qaeda linked organization. It has also been engaged with Al Qaeda in the Maghreb, parts of West Africa and especially in Nigeria (with Boko Haram, an Islamic militant group). AFRICOM also brought us the first ten days of the Libya invasion. Now the African Command is to engage in the struggle against the Lord’s Resistance Army in Uganda, South Sudan, Central African Republic and the Democratic Republic of Congo. To gain a better understanding of the complexities of the African Command and African security read African Security and the African Command by Terry Buss, Donald Goldstein, Joseph Adjaye and Louis A. Picard.
From its beginning in 2008 the United States African Command (AFRICOM), part of the American geographical defense system has been controversial and it remains so. Initial concerns focused on the impact of AFRICOM on African conflicts, on African sovereignty and debates about human security. This was followed by the increasing debate about the special forces of AFRICOM and its increasing involvement in Somalia and the fight against Al Shabaab, and Al Qaeda linked organization. It has also been engaged with Al Qaeda in the Maghreb, parts of West Africa and especially in Nigeria (with Boko Haram, an Islamic militant group). AFRICOM also brought us the first ten days of the Libya invasion. Now the African Command is to engage in the struggle against the Lord’s Resistance Army in Uganda, South Sudan, Central African Republic and the Democratic Republic of Congo. To gain a better understanding of the complexities of the African Command and African security read African Security and the African Command by Terry Buss, Donald Goldstein, Joseph Adjaye and Louis A. Picard.
Tuesday, October 11, 2011
Protesting Leads to War Not Peace
Washington, DC is a symbol for democracy, growth and empowerment; and what would the district be without its common protesters?
For those that have not been following the news: Washington, DC has received another tirade from angry protesters ( “October 2001/Stop the Machine” ) fighting with those that will listen, in an effort to end all wars (ironic, isn't it?). This only came two weeks after the NYC protest which lead to 700 arrests.
But, 2pm yesterday marked the end of the protesters' alloted time to stand blocks away from the White House gates to fight for the freedom of our troops.
Police were ready to arrest yesterday at 2pm - and the protesters were ready to be arrested - stating that they would fight for their cause. But, protesters received an offer yesterday from police announcing that the protesters would be allowed to march for another four months. And, after hours of consideration, they politely accepted.
“It was a no brainer,” said Mr. Kauff, adding that protesters are willing to share with such groups as those participating in the dedication this weekend of the Martin Luther King Jr. National Memorial. However, he was unsure how long protesters would stay.
Margaret Flowers, another organizer, called the offer a “transformative moment.”
“And I mean that 100 percent,” she said.
These anti-war advocates won the battle this week; but what happens when advocates fight for a cause such as anti-sweatshop labor which should be heard across the globe? We don't hear about it much in the States, but it is common in Asia and in Central Asia, mainly used on child workers and women. Advocacy Across Borders reveals the relationships that Northern-based NGOs forge in order to exert influence on powerful actors in the sweatshop industry. Shae Garwood’s study of these organizations points the way forward for civil society actors reaching across borders to advocate for a better world.
Our right to protest comes with its own cost. Protesting ignites the fire and only spreads the flame. We seem to be the cause of our own war. African Security and the African Command discusses how the US created a new military presence in Africa, thus taking it upon ourselves to help Africa by enforcing our own ways of thinking. Some would suggest we only made the Africans more westernized, spreading our way of life onto them. But, does this make Africa better, or were we only trying to act as the Supreme Power?
Overall, protesting may make leaders listen, but is it worth having a civil war to end the ultimate war?
For those that have not been following the news: Washington, DC has received another tirade from angry protesters ( “October 2001/Stop the Machine” ) fighting with those that will listen, in an effort to end all wars (ironic, isn't it?). This only came two weeks after the NYC protest which lead to 700 arrests.
But, 2pm yesterday marked the end of the protesters' alloted time to stand blocks away from the White House gates to fight for the freedom of our troops.
Police were ready to arrest yesterday at 2pm - and the protesters were ready to be arrested - stating that they would fight for their cause. But, protesters received an offer yesterday from police announcing that the protesters would be allowed to march for another four months. And, after hours of consideration, they politely accepted.
“It was a no brainer,” said Mr. Kauff, adding that protesters are willing to share with such groups as those participating in the dedication this weekend of the Martin Luther King Jr. National Memorial. However, he was unsure how long protesters would stay.
Margaret Flowers, another organizer, called the offer a “transformative moment.”
“And I mean that 100 percent,” she said.
These anti-war advocates won the battle this week; but what happens when advocates fight for a cause such as anti-sweatshop labor which should be heard across the globe? We don't hear about it much in the States, but it is common in Asia and in Central Asia, mainly used on child workers and women. Advocacy Across Borders reveals the relationships that Northern-based NGOs forge in order to exert influence on powerful actors in the sweatshop industry. Shae Garwood’s study of these organizations points the way forward for civil society actors reaching across borders to advocate for a better world.
Our right to protest comes with its own cost. Protesting ignites the fire and only spreads the flame. We seem to be the cause of our own war. African Security and the African Command discusses how the US created a new military presence in Africa, thus taking it upon ourselves to help Africa by enforcing our own ways of thinking. Some would suggest we only made the Africans more westernized, spreading our way of life onto them. But, does this make Africa better, or were we only trying to act as the Supreme Power?
Overall, protesting may make leaders listen, but is it worth having a civil war to end the ultimate war?
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
Standing Up For African Security
In the news, yesterday brought along blood-shed and tears in Jos, the Plateau State Capital, between the Muslims and the Christians in Africa, killing at least seven individuals. This attack between the two groups came not long after a clash erupted in the two regions of Nigeria.
"Trouble started when Muslim faithful of the Izala sect in their numbers were trooping to the prayer ground along Rukuba road Jos, to celebrate the Eid el-fitri Sallah and were allegedly challenged by the Christains who accused them of spoiling their Christmas last year by bombing their homes." (Daily Champion)
The situation soon got out of hand, as gun-fire spread. Special military ops took charge and scared away young fighters, leaving at least five dead at the scene.
"It took the combine efforts of members of the STF, members of the state security outfit code name operation rainbow to rescue those trapped at the prayer ground with armoured vehicle as they hurriedly escorted them to safety."
This is not the first time military ops were forced to intervene an out-of-control battle, and it certainly will not be the last. The question to really ask is: Is the military really helping? After all, at least five people were killed.
African Security and the African Command by Kumarian Press discusses this when the editors of the book showcase Bush's AFRICOM project as a way to "better" African security in the midst of war. But, is AFRICOM causing more harm than good? Some would say that placing our troops into Africa has helped Africans, leading toward democracy, freedom and human rights. Others would suggest that the African people are losing their identity and being forced to do things the "American way."
But, like the battle in Nigeria, my opinion stands that without intervention more harm could have been caused. More people could have died, and we need the government to step-in to regulate us. Without the authority, crisis will sweep the nation, and therefore the world.
What do you think we should do to increase national and international security?
"Trouble started when Muslim faithful of the Izala sect in their numbers were trooping to the prayer ground along Rukuba road Jos, to celebrate the Eid el-fitri Sallah and were allegedly challenged by the Christains who accused them of spoiling their Christmas last year by bombing their homes." (Daily Champion)
The situation soon got out of hand, as gun-fire spread. Special military ops took charge and scared away young fighters, leaving at least five dead at the scene.
"It took the combine efforts of members of the STF, members of the state security outfit code name operation rainbow to rescue those trapped at the prayer ground with armoured vehicle as they hurriedly escorted them to safety."
This is not the first time military ops were forced to intervene an out-of-control battle, and it certainly will not be the last. The question to really ask is: Is the military really helping? After all, at least five people were killed.
African Security and the African Command by Kumarian Press discusses this when the editors of the book showcase Bush's AFRICOM project as a way to "better" African security in the midst of war. But, is AFRICOM causing more harm than good? Some would say that placing our troops into Africa has helped Africans, leading toward democracy, freedom and human rights. Others would suggest that the African people are losing their identity and being forced to do things the "American way."
But, like the battle in Nigeria, my opinion stands that without intervention more harm could have been caused. More people could have died, and we need the government to step-in to regulate us. Without the authority, crisis will sweep the nation, and therefore the world.
What do you think we should do to increase national and international security?
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