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lane rottschafer

Iran hangs Dutch-Iranian woman for drug smuggling, report says - 0 views

www.cnn.com/...index.html

Opium Drug Trade

shared by lane rottschafer on 17 Feb 11 - No Cached
  • Fars said Bahrami smuggled cocaine into Iran with the help of a Dutch partner.
  • drug charges were only a pretext to execute her.
  • accused of bringing cocaine into the country twice
  • ...4 more annotations...
  • 70 lashes and a $1,400 fine
  • 450 grams of cocaine and 420 grams of opium were discovered
  • 150 grams of cocaine.
  • lawyer was "shocked" to find she had been hanged
  • lane rottschafer on 17 Feb 11
     
    http://www.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/meast/01/30/iran.execution/index.html?iref=allsearch Iran hangs Dutch-Iranian woman for drug smuggling, report says How is the Opium Drug Trade affecting the people of the middle east? Summary: In Tehran Iran, A Dutch-Iranian woman was hung for drug smuggling. Iran hanged Zahra Bahrami saying she was a drug smuggler. Fars said Bahrami smuggled cocaine into Iran with the help of a Dutch partner. The International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran were saying that the drug charges were only a pretext to execute her. Her lawyer was shocked that she was hanged and had no idea of the situation. Bahrami was accused of bringing cocaine into the country twice, and of selling it. Cocaine and opium were booth found during a search of her home. Her sentence also included 70 lashes and a $1,400 fine. It was said that 450 grams of cocaine and 420 grams of opium were discovered and, through further investigation, it was found that she had also distributed 150 grams of cocaine. On Sunday, the Netherlands strongly advised Dutch-Iranian citizens not to travel to Iran. Reflection: I think that this whole situations is absurd. The first thing, is that not only was she hanged, but she also was given 70 lashes, and a fine. If the people knew they were going to hang her, why did they also need to do that. And The fact that all the Netherlands did is suggest that no one else goes there, its crazy. I know she did a lot of drug trade, but there are a lot worse people out there. She shouldn't have been tortured and then hanged. Questions: 1) Why was she hanged? 2) Before she was hung, why did she get the 70 lashes 3) Why didn't the Netherlands do more? 4) What is something else that could have been done other than executing her? Citation: CNN Wire Staff, . "Iran hangs Dutch-Iranian woman for drug smuggling, report says." CNN World 30 january 2011: n. pag. Web. 16 Feb 2011. <http://www.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/meast/01/30/iran.execution/index.h
  • Jessica Ruthsatz on 28 Feb 11
     
    Great posting Lane, but you are missing your annotations? Where are they?
Ryan Wassink

PressTV - Iran seizes 400 tons of narcotics - 0 views

www.presstv.ir/168770.html

shared by Ryan Wassink on 10 Mar 11 - No Cached
  • With a 900-kilomet
  • With a 900-kilometer (560-mile) common border with Afghanistan, Iran has been used as the main route for smuggling Afghan drugs to narcotics kingpins in Europe.
  • The war on drug trade originating from Afghanistan has claimed the lives of nearly 3,700 Iranian police officers over the past 30 years.
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  • Najjar said that Iran has spent more than $700 millions to seal its borders and prevent the transit of narcotics destined for European, Arab and Central Asian countries.
  • Ryan Wassink on 10 Mar 11
     
    Source: Press TV: Iran seizes 400 tons of narcotics http://www.presstv.ir/detail/168770.html Summary: This is an article about how Iran is trying to stop drugs from afghanistan to come through Iran. Iran is the main root for afghanistan to smuggle drugs into europe. There has been a war on drug trade in afghanistan for the last 30 years and it has claimed the lives of 3700 people. Iran has spent 700 million to try to seal its borders from drug smuggling. Reflection: This was a very helpful article to read. I did not know that Iran had big problem with afghanistan. I also that it was insane on how much Iran has spent on there borders and also that this ongoing war has lasted over 30 years. You would think by now there should be some sort of agreement. Questions: What are the relations between Iran in Europe like? How much of afghanistans drug production goes to europe? Have there been any agreements at all between Iran and afghanistan?
Jessica Ruthsatz

BBC News - EU's Lady Ashton given 'cover-up' in Iran press - 0 views

www.bbc.co.uk/...world-europe-12289080

Iran Dress Code Nuclear

shared by Jessica Ruthsatz on 27 Jan 11 - No Cached
  • Asriran.com showed Iranian press pictures of Lady Ashton next to Iran's chief nuclear negotiator, Saeed Jalili, with her black top raised higher than in the original.
  • Cyrus Amini, who worked in Iranian print media in 1998-2003, said the practice was "quite usual and understandable" because of the differences between Western and Iranian culture
  • some Muslim clerics in Iran were even objecting to pictures showing a woman's exposed head and neck.
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  • authorities could file away such alleged infringements for future use, and u
  • five UN Security Council permanent members - the UK, China, France, Russia and the US - plus Germany
  • Western powers suspect Iran of trying to build a nuclear weapon. Tehran insists that it is only trying to develop nuclear power for civilian needs.
  • Jessica Ruthsatz on 27 Jan 11
     
    BBC News: EU's lady Ashton Given "Cover Up" IN Iran presshttp://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-12289080 Summary:This Article was about a photograph of the EU Foreign Policy Chief named Lady Ashton.    She was recently in "Brushed up" in the Iranian press picture of her meeting with Mr. Jalili in Istanbul, Turkey concerning the UN talks with iran over nuclear policy. Apparently her black undershirt was considered too revealing for Iranian culture.  Some muslim clerics also object to showing a woman's head and neck, so the Iranian news agencies often retouch images they find improper.   Reflection: I know that Muslim societies are very very conservative, but I didn't know that it extended to print media as well.  I think it is a bit insulting to a foreign dignitary to change her outfit to fit your cultures standards.  What would happen if an American paper put a suit on the Ayatollah Khomeini?  I guess If I were an Iranian I would not feel like I could trust the news media because they clearly admit altering things that don't fit the current government's views.  This fits into my research because it speaks to women's rights in Iran.  Obviously, there are rigid restrictions on dress for women. If they are willing to change a picture from another country, what will they do to violators in their own nation.   Questions:1) Are there posted laws for women's clothing?2)  Are there posted laws for Men's clothing?3) How did Lady Ashton react?4) Must journalist comply with retouching?  and what happens if they don't?
Joy Merlino

Israel's Neighborhood Watch | Foreign Affairs - 0 views

www.foreignaffairs.com/...israels-neighborhood-watch

Israel Conflict Palestine

shared by Joy Merlino on 08 Mar 11 - No Cached
  • Until a decade ago, every Israeli government, left and right, was committed to a security doctrine that precluded the establishment of potential bases of terrorism on Israel’s borders.
  • That doctrine has since unraveled. In May 2000, Israel's unilateral withdrawal from southern Lebanon led to the formation of a Hezbollah-dominated region on Israel’s northern border. Then, in August 2005, Israel’s unilateral withdrawal from Gaza led to the rise of Hamas on Israel’s southern border.
  • As a result, two enclaves controlled by Islamist movements now possess the ability to launch missile attacks against any population center in Israel. And Iran, through its proxies, is now effectively pressing against Israel's borders.
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  • For Israel's policymakers, the nightmare scenario of the recent Egyptian upheaval is that Islamists will eventually assume control
  • Until now, the Muslim Brotherhood has faced a sworn enemy in the Mubarak regime. But if it were to take control in Egypt, then Hamas, the Brotherhood's descendant within the Palestinian national movement, would suddenly have an ally in Cairo. Hamas has significance for the Arab world: it is the first Sunni Islamist movement to align with Shiite Iran. So far, Hamas has been an aberration in this regard. But it could be a harbinger of an Egyptian-Iranian alliance that would create an almost complete encirclement of Israel by Iranian allies or proxies.
  • At the very least, Egypt’s instability will reinforce the urgency of Israeli demands for security guarantees as part of a deal on a Palestinian state. Those demands will include a demilitarized Palestine, Israel’s right to respond to terror attacks, and an Israeli military presence along the Jordan River.
  • The Israeli centrist majority views a Palestinian state with deep ambivalence.
  • On the other hand, centrists see a Palestinian state as an existential threat to Israel. An unstable Palestinian state on the West Bank could fall to Hamas, just as Palestinian Authority–led Gaza did in 2007. Israel would then find itself “sharing” Jerusalem with an Islamist government, turning the city into a war zone.
  • In that balance between existential necessity and existential threat, Egypt’s unrest only heightens Israeli anxieties of a Palestinian state.
  • Even a relatively more benign outcome -- such as the Turkish model of incremental Islamist control, with the government maintaining ties to the West -- would mean the end of Israel’s sense of security along its long southern border. And this uncertainty will certainly adversely affect the Israeli public’s willingness to relinquish the West Bank anytime soon.
  • Contrary to much of the public reaction in other Western nations, President Barack Obama's instant abandonment of Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, the United States’ closest ally in the Arab world, is being cited by Israeli commentators on the left and right as a warning against trusting the administration.
  • The Obama administration, along with much of the international community, has been motivated in its approach to the Middle East by two assumptions -- both of which have been proven wrong in recent days. The first is that the key to solving the Middle East's problems begins with solving the Palestinian problem. The second is that the key to solving the Palestinian problem is resolving the issues of the West Bank settlements and the status of Jerusalem.
  • The first premise was undone in the streets of Cairo.
  • Even if the Palestinian issue were to be somehow settled, the Arab world would still be caught in the shameful paradox of being one of the world's wealthiest regions and one of its least developed.
  • Moreover, as the WikiLeaks documents revealed, Arab leaders are far more concerned about the prospect of a nuclear Iran than about ending the Israeli occupation of the West Bank.
  • The second premise -- that settlements and Jerusalem are the main obstacles to an agremeent -- has been disproven by leaked documents from the Palestinian Authority published by Al Jazeera and The Guardian. Those documents reveal that on the future of Jerusalem's Jewish and Arab neighborhoods, Israeli and Palestinian negotiators were largely in agreement
  • Instead, the main obstacle remains what it has been all along: the Palestinian insistence on the "right of return" -- that is, the mass immigration to the Jewish state of the descendants of Palestinian refugees.
  • Olmert also rejected Palestinian demands that Israel accept blame for creating the refugee problem -- given that the 1948 war that led to the refugee tragedy was launched by Arab countries. And so Olmert's offer to withdraw from more than 99 percent of the territory was, in the end, a nonstarter, with the disagreements between the two sides about the refugee issue remaining irreconcilable.
  • All of which only underscores for Israelis the grim logic of developments in the region. With peace with Egypt suddenly in doubt -- a peace for which Israel withdrew from territory more than three times its size -- I
  • sraelis are wondering about the wisdom of risking further withdrawals for agreements that could be abrogated with a change of regime. Such a dilemma is all the more pressing when the territory in question borders Israel's population centers.
  • For Israelis, this is a time of watching and waiting. Despite conventional wisdom in the West that a Palestinian state needs to be created to contain the Islamist threat, Israelis believe the reverse to be true. Only in a Middle East able to contain the Iranian contagion can Israel afford to take the risk of entrusting its eastern border to a sovereign Palestine.
  • Joy Merlino on 08 Mar 11
     
    How does the conflict in Israel affect the future of Israeli children compared to Palestinian children? Halevi, Yossi K. Foreign Affairs. N.p., 1 Feb. 2011. Web. 8 Mar. 2011. . Summary: With the Muslim Brotherhood poised to gain control in Egypt, Israel sees itself as almost completely encircled by hostile forces. Is an Egyptian-Iranian alliance a possibility -- and where would this leave the future of a sovereign Palestinian state.  Reflection: This article has everything to do with the future generation of Palestinians & Israelis. Everything in the Middle East is changing and uncertain at the moment. The current state of Israel & the focus of its conflict is bound to change with these new developments. Especially given the actions of Iran after Mubarak's regime was dismantled. Israel, I am sure, is on high alert at the present, and we will have to wait and see if these new developments have an affect on Israel's borders and their status as an independent state. 
Mark De Haan

Why they hate us - 0 views

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Hezbollah Hizbollah Israel Hizbullah

shared by Mark De Haan on 08 Mar 11 - No Cached
  • The mass-based Hezbollah (Party of God) is centered on a core group of militant Shiite clerics, who, like all successful Lebanese politicians, employ armed bands to underscore their message.
  • Hezbollah was formed in 1982, at iranian urging, as aradical alternative to Lebanon's mainstream Shiite movement, Amal. The clerics who founded Hezbollah objected to the secular goals of Amal's leader, Nabih Berri, who opposed the establishment of a separate Shiite entity. Hezbollah's leaders and Iran consider Lebanon, where the Shiites are the largest religious sect, fertile ground for a second Islamic Republic. Last March 15 the now famous Lebanese magazine al Shiraa described Hezbollah as a "branch" of the Iranian revolution, which received "guidance" and "orders" from the Islamic Republic.
  • Hezbollah made its antipathy for the West clear in its 1985manifesto, which proclaimed, "America, France and their allies must leave Lebanon once and for all," and vowed, "We are for dealing with evil at its roots and its roots are in America." The document reserved special hostility for the Phalangist Party, a largely Maronite Christian organization founded by Lebanese President Amin Gemayel's father. Hezbollah declared that the Phalangists "must be subjected to justice . . . for their crimes against Moslems and Christians, with encouragement from America and Israel," a reference to the slaughter of hundreds by the Phalangists and the closely related Lebanese Forces during the civil war. The conduct of the United States and Israel in Lebanon has helped create the present atmosphere, in which anyone from the West is fair game.
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  • Although the Maronites are estimated to compose only 16 percent of teh population, since 1943 they have been guaranteed the presidency, command of the armed forces and a 6-to-5 Christian to Moslem ration in Parliament.
  • But instead of urging change, the United States and France provided Gemayel with about a billion dollars' worth of weapons, which he turned first on the Druze and then on the mainly Shiite southern suburbs of Beirut. The presence of the U.S. marines and the shelling of Druze and Syrian positions by U.S. warships indicated Washington's commitment to a minority Christian regime against its rivals.
  • To make matters worse, U.S. intelligence became involved with some of the mst unsavory elements on the Lebanese scene. According to newspaper accounts, a Lebanese unit undergoing counterintelligence training with the C.I.A. had planted, though without U.S. authorization, the car bomb that on March 8, 1985, killed ninety-two persons and wounded 200 more outside the home of Mohammed Hussein Fadlallah, who is considered the spirtual guide of Hezbollah. This sequence of events, argues Rashid Khalidi, "enabled the Lebanese partisans of Iran to turn a lot of people violently against the United States."
  • Mark De Haan on 08 Mar 11
     
    Why they hate us (Lebanese Shiites) - Stanley Reed The Nation Reed, Stanley. "Why they hate us." The Nation 244 (1987): 168+. Student Edition. Web. 8 Mar. 2011. Summary: This article is an editorial as to why Hezbollah and Muslim Shiites have such hatred for the United States. Most of it is in regards to Israel. The United States continues to back Israel, and Hezbollah as a group despises this. They see America as the root of all evil.  Reflection: Back in 1985, when this article was written, we seemed to be totally anti-Hezbollah. We supported the Christian government that had won office, we then supplied the Lebanese government with weapons which they used to oppress the Shiite Muslims in Beirut. This only created more and more hatred against the United States and Israel, as well as Western culture as a whole. Questions: 1. Where there any violent reactions from Hezbollah after the attacks by the Lebanese President in 1985? 2. Does Hezbollah's hate for Israel come from the Western culture or the opposing religion? 3. How much support does Hezbollah receive from Iran, and how much from Lebanon?
Jodie deVries

North Korea blasts US nuclear policy, vows to bolster atomic arsenal - 2 views

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NorthKorea NuclearPolicy academic onefile

shared by Jodie deVries on 15 Feb 11 - No Cached
  • SEOUL, April 9 (Yonhap) - North Korea lashed out at the new US nuclear policy
  • but it left open all options, including a nuclear attack, on countries such as North Korea or Iran that defy international nuclear nonproliferation obligations.
  • North Korea lashed out at the new US nuclear policy
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  • SEOUL, April 9 (Yonhap)
  • the administration of US President Barack Obama renounced the use of nuclear weapons against non-nuclear states,
  • SEOUL, April 9 (
  • The statement came after Obama warned the North of isolation because of its nuclear defiance.
  • signal to countries that are not abiding by their Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty obligations, that they will be isolated," Obama said
  • Pyongyang has claimed that Washington's "hostile policy" towards it forced the regime to develop atomic bombs, and that the country cannot give up nuclear weapons unless the US nuclear threat is removed.
  • "As long as the US nuclear threat persists, the DPRK will increase and update various type nuclear weapons as its deterrent in such a manner as it deems necessary in the days ahead."
  • North Korea has been under mounting pressure to return to the negotiating table, but the regime is demanding the removal of UN sanctions, which were imposed for its atomic bomb test last year, as well as the start of separate talks with Washington for a peace treaty.
  • Jodie deVries on 15 Feb 11
     
    What is North Korea's Nuclear Policy and what effects does it have on the Korean People?  "North Korea blasts US nuclear policy, vows to bolster atomic arsenal." BBC Monitoring International Reports 9 Apr. 2010. Academic OneFile. Web. 15 Feb. 2011. http://find.galegroup.com/gtx/infomark.do?&contentSet=IAC-Documents&type=retrieve&tabID=T004&prodId=AONE&docId=A223588700&source=gale&srcprod=AONE&userGroupName=lom_accessmich&version=1.0 Summery: North Korea became angry and "lashed out" at the United States new nuclear policy which says that Barak Obama and his administration "renounced the use of nuclear weapons against non-nuclear states, but it left open all options, including a nuclear attack, on countries such as North Korea or Iran that defy international nuclear nonproliferation obligations." In other words the US says no nuclear activity against any non-nuclear country but they are willing to attack North Korea because it is unwilling to adhere to the nonproliferation obligations. Obana also warned North Korea that failure to comply could lead to an isolation of North Korea. However, Pyongayng says that this is a "hostile policy" and that North Korea will continue to make and develop atomic weapons until the United State are no longer a nuclear threat.
Cindy Son

Hezbollah warns Israel against fresh violence - World - IOL | Breaking News | South Afr... - 0 views

www.iol.co.za/...gainst-fresh-violence-1.366312

Hezbollah Israel War

shared by Cindy Son on 13 Apr 11 - No Cached
  • Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah on Tuesday warned Israel against launching new attacks against his militant group in a speech marking the anniversary of the end of the war with the Jewish state.
  • Nasrallah said Hezbollah had provided $380-million in emergency aid to assist 28 300 families affected by the war, most of them in southern Lebanon.
  • He did not say where the money came from, but Hezbollah is widely believed to be bankrolled by Iran.
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  • The last time the charismatic leader, considered Israel's enemy number one, appeared in public was on September 22, 2006, when he made a speech in the same neighbourhood to proclaim victory following the devastating 34-day war.
  • "We are here because Hezbollah is the only one that managed to defeat Israel, despite the high price we paid," said Hassan Korkomaz, who gathered with his family on Tuesday to listen to Nasrallah's speech.
  • Israel's war with Hezbollah resulted in the deaths of more than 1 200 Lebanese civilians, a third of them children, as well as 160 Israelis, mostly soldiers.
  • Cindy Son on 13 Apr 11
     
    What are the effects of Hezbollah on Israel? "Hezbollah warns Israel against fresh violence ." IOL News. N.p., 15 Aug. 2007. Web. 13 Apr. 2011. . Summary : Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah warned Israel not to attack against Hezbollah anymore. According to the article, "Israel's war with Hezbollah resulted in the deaths of more than 1,200 Lebanese civilans, a third of the children, as weel as 160 Israelis, mostly soldiers." Therefore, Hezbollah leader, with the help of Iran, supported 28,300 Lebanese families who were affected by the war. Because Hezbollah started to support those people who were affected by the war, Lebanese began to feel supportive and think that Hezbollah is the only one that can manage to defeat Israel; they believe in Hezbollah's ability to deal with Israel. Nasrallah's speech is significant because it was the first time he appeared in public after the 2006 war. Reflection : Through this article, I could find out that Hezbollah tired their best to get support from the people in their country. And I was surprised that they actually obtained people's positive opinions around 2007 by warning Israel not to bomb or attack against their country again. It was smart a decision of Hezbollah that they drew people's attention positively to deal with the issues between Israel and themselves.  Question : 1) How people's opinions about Hezbollah changed after 2007?  2) Did Nasrallah's speech made any difference between Lebanon and Israel?  3) Are there any other ways to manage to defeat Israel beside Hezbollah?
Mark De Haan

Lebanon's Hizbullah: The Quest for Survival - 0 views

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Hizbullah Hezbollah Lebanon Israel

shared by Mark De Haan on 17 Feb 11 - No Cached
  • Mark De Haan on 17 Feb 11
     
    Lebanon's Hizbullah: the quest for survival World Affairs - By: Adham Saouli Saouli, Adham. "Lebanon's Hizbullah: the quest for survival." World Affairs 166.2 (2003): 71+. Student Edition. Web. 16 Feb. 2011. Summary: This article speaks of the rise of Hizbullah from a small group affiliated with Khomeini regime in Iran to a large Lebanese Shiite militia that was known for its anti-Western stance and for abducting Western hostages. This article speaks of how Hizbullah began in Lebanon in 1982, but was supported mostly by the Iranian government. The article then goes on to talk about how Hizbullah has grown politically since that time. Reflection: I found it interesting how Hizbullah has changed since 1982. I also found it interesting how we see Hizbullah only as a terrorist organization when it is a political group trying to change the government of Lebanon while also a militia who is trying to force Israel to the point of non-existence. Questions: 1. Has Hizbullah gotten any closer to reaching its goal for Lebanon to become an Islamic state? 2. Has Hizbullah's "victory" over Israel encouraged other militant organizations toward fighting larger, oppressive governments? 3. Does Hizbullah have any specific feelings toward the Americans after their invasion of Iraq and Afghanistan?
Mark De Haan

The Future of Lebanon - 0 views

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Hizbullah Hezbollah Hizbollah Israel Lebanon

shared by Mark De Haan on 17 Feb 11 - No Cached
  • Hezbollah ended up in a full-scale war, in which it won some battlefield victories and popularity in the Arab and Muslim world but which devastated its Lebanese Shiite constituency and narrowed its tactical and political options.
  • srael, despite unleashing massive airpower on Hezbollah strongholds, failed to knock out the organization or even to stop its missile attacks, while the setbacks suffered by Israel's ground invasion had the effect of puncturing the aura of invincibility long projected by the Israel Defense Forces.
  • When Israeli forces withdrew from southern Lebanon in 2000, Hezbollah claimed a historic victory. At the time, many argued that it was time for Hezbollah to give up its arms and cede its territory to the Lebanese army.
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  • Tehran reaped some benefit from Hezbollah's increased popularity and perhaps can point to the organization's robust performance as a warning to those considering military action against Iran, but this war wasted much of the deterrent power that it had vested in Hezbollah for its own hour of need
  • But instead, Hezbollah managed to put itself at the center of Lebanese politics, leading an anti-American coalition against the anti-Syrian March 14 coalition.
  • As the guns fell silent and the dust began to settle onto a scene of extensive devastation, many Lebanese were initially preoccupied with the debate about who had "won" or "lost" the war. Sheik Hassan Nasrallah, Hezbollah's leader, rushed to declare a "divine victory": the war had not ended with triumph for Israel (as all other Arab- Israeli wars have)
  • Hezbollah fighters had routed Israeli armored columns and elite brigades, and Hezbollah had continued to launch missiles and inflict heavy losses on Israeli troops throughout the war.
  • Hezbollah's victory was trumpeted throughout the Arab and Muslim world.
  • But it also became clear that Lebanon, and particularly the Shiite areas in southern Lebanon and the southern suburbs of Beirut, had paid an enormous human and economic price. Some 1,200 civilians (almost a third of them children) died, 4,000 were wounded, and a million were displaced. Some 130,000 housing units, thousands of small businesses, hundreds of roads, 300 factories, 80 bridges, dozens of schools and hospitals, and the country's electricity network were destroyed or damaged. This was the costliest Arab-Israeli war in Lebanon's history - - more devastating even than Israel's 1982 invasion. Economic losses were initially estimated at around $7 billion, or 30 percent of GDP. For a country still paying for a decade of laborious reconstruction and with a debt burden equal to 180 percent of GDP, the war dealt a staggering blow.
  • Mark De Haan on 17 Feb 11
     
    The Future of Lebanon Foreign Affairs - Paul Salem Salem, Paul. "The Future of Lebanon." Foreign Affairs 85.6 (2006): 13. Student Edition. Web. 16 Feb. 2011. Summary: This article talks about what the future holds for Lebanon and Hezbollah after the 34 Day War between Hezbollah and Israel. After all the fighting had ceased, Hezbollah was quick to claim themselves victorious. They were able to break Israli amored columns and Israel's elite brigades.  Reflection: Although Hezbollah has often been a nuisance to Israel, as well as a constant pain to the IDF and UN forces attempting to make peace, what is often lost in all this is the impact that Hezbollah has had on Lebanon. The 34 Day War between Hezbollah and Israel in 2006 was the cause of death for 1,200 civilian, the displacement of a million, and destruction of 130,000 housing units. Economic losses were estimated at $7 billion. Hezbollah, through their resistance toward Israel, has not only been a pain to Israel, but also to Lebanon, to some extent. Questions: 1. Has Hezbollah gained strength or have they weakened since the 34 Day War? 2. Has Lebanon recovered from the disaster of this war? 3. Have there been any other large exchanges of warfare between Hezbollah and Israel since this incident?
Nicki Pifer

Obama Opens Trade and Travel Relations With Communist Cuba - 0 views

www.thenewamerican.com/

embargo trade Cuba travel

shared by Nicki Pifer on 01 Mar 11 - Cached
  • Nicki Pifer on 01 Mar 11
     
    On Friday, January 14 President Obama announced that he plans on easing trade and travel relations with Communist Cuba, including making it easier for U.S. citizens to travel directly to the island from American airports. The President added that he had instructed the relevant government departments to allow religious groups and students to travel to the communist-run island. For almost half a century, the debate has been raging over the United States' policy towards Cuba, which has been communist since Fidel Castro's coupe de etat in 1959. Free travel from the U.S. to Cuba was halted in 1963 under President John F. Kennedy. The explanation at the time for why Americans could visit the Soviet Union but not Cuba was that the communist government in Moscow was permanent but that Fidel Castro was temporary. In 1977, with Cuba still unchanged, President Jimmy Carter relaxed the travel ban. In 1982, President Ronald Reagan restored it. n 1998, with the Soviet Union "gone," Clinton loosened it and in 2004, with Cuba still unchanged, President George W. Bush tightened it again. Now President Obama is going back to the Clinton policy, which will make it easier for churches and universities to sponsor trips to the communist state. Obama's announcement calls for changes in policy at the Departments of State, Treasury, and Homeland Security, as both travel and remittances are involved in the changes, and the new regulations will be promulgated as modifications of the Cuban Assets Control Regulations and the Customs and Border Protection Regulations. The new policies call for the following reforms to Cuba-United States relations. According to the BBC, Obama's new proposals: * Allow religious organizations to sponsor religious travel to Cuba under a general license; * Allow accredited institutions of higher education to sponsor travel to Cuba; * Allow any U.S. person to send remittances (up to $500 per quarter) to non-family members in Cuba to support private e
Mark De Haan

The Grass Roots of Success - 0 views

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Hezbollah Lebanon Hizbollah Hizbullah

shared by Mark De Haan on 08 Mar 11 - No Cached
  • Hezbollah won eight seats in Lebanon 's parliamentary elections in Aug and Sep 1992.
  • HIZBOLLAH HAS come a long way from its origins in 1982 as a rag-tag group of guerillas fighting the Israelis. It is now a tightly-organised group with an impressive military structure, a television and radio station, and an extensive programme of social services.
  • A major reason for Hizbollah's successful move into the political mainstream is the backing it has procured through an extensive programme of social services for the Shia population, in place of the scant assistance provided by the Lebanese government.
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  • The electorate in the mainly-Shia area of Baalbek in the Beqaa region, which voted overwhelmingly for the Hizbollah list of candidates, remembered the help rendered by the Islamists during the previous winter's snowstorm which engulfed the area. Hizbollah organised teams of relief workers to open roads and distribute food and blankets to cut-off villagers.
  • The Beqaa, an agricultural region traditionally neglected by the state authorities in Beirut, is Hizbollah's birthplace and springboard from which the group has spread its influence into other areas of the country.
  • Hizbollah finances a wide-ranging welfare system in the region which includes: a free taxi service for farm hands to reach remote fields and villages; sponsored supermarkets which sell food at reduced prices and where particularly impoverished families can get free food packages with ration cards; and low-cost or even free medicine and hospitalisation at one of two hospitals in Baalbek built and financed by Hizbollah.
  • When Hizbollah seized control of the suburbs from rival Shia group Amal in 1988 it embarked on an aid programme to improve daily life for the residents of the woefully-deprived area.
  • Hizbollah provided badly-needed drinking water to the area's residents, organising the daily replenishment of local reservoirs
  • Education is another arena in which Hizbollah is active.
  • The Islamic group pays school fees for children of poor families, thereby ensuring ample recruitment of young Shias into its ever-swelling ranks in the future. One sublime irony is that many Shia students who are Hizbollah sympathisers are sponsored by the Islamic group to study a Western-style education at the American University of Beirut.
  • When Israeli troops moved out of their so-called "security zone" in south Lebanon last February and smashed their way into two villages, it was the Jihad al Baniya (Holy Struggle for Reconstruction), an offshoot organisation of Hizbollah, that financed the repairs of over 1,000 homes and shops once the Israelis had pulled back.
  • Hizbollah's outcry for an improvement in the daily life of the thousands of deprived Shias in Lebanon was a call picked up more by Iran, which forsees the strategic opportunities that could arise from supporting fellow Shias in Lebanon, than by the Lebanese state itself.
  • Mark De Haan on 08 Mar 11
     
    The grass roots of success (Lebanon's Hezbollah Islamic fundamentalist group) The Middle East - Giles Trendle Trendle, Giles. "The grass roots of success." The Middle East Feb n220 1993: 12+. Student Edition. Web. 8 Mar. 2011. Summary: This article tells of how the group Hezbollah evolved from a smaller Islamic fundamentalist group to a political power in Lebanon in the 90s. The group was not always hurting and attacking Israel and the US, but also looking to make life better for the poor and down-trodden in Lebanon. Reflection: We often think of Hezbollah as a terrorist organization who does nothing but attack Israel with their rockets and their suicide bombers. But at one time, at least in the early 90s, the group was improving the living conditions for the poor in Lebanon, providing education and clean water as well. This group is not strictly terrorists. Questions:  1. How long as Hezbollah able to keep these programs? 2. Do they still hold a majority in Parliament? 3. Have living conditions changed/improved overall since the early 90s?
Cindy Son

Protests as Hezbollah poised to form Lebanon government - 0 views

www.bbc.co.uk/...world-middle-east-12272483

Hezbollah lebanon protest

shared by Cindy Son on 08 Mar 11 - No Cached
  • Supporters of Lebanon's caretaker Prime Minister Saad Hariri have taken to the streets in protest at efforts by Hezbollah to form the next government.
  • Hezbollah and its allies earlier won the nomination of their candidate Najib Mikati as the next prime minister.
  • "The larger the role played by Hezbollah in this government the more problematic our relationship will be."
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  • "Saad Hariri is the only man who represents the Sunni faith," Sheikh Arslan Malas, a local cleric, told the crowd. "We will not accept (Hezbollah leader) Hassan Nasrallah choosing our prime minister."
  • During consultations with President Michel Suleiman at the presidential palace on Monday Mr Mikati - a Sunni and US-educated billionaire businessman - won the support of 65 of the 128 members of the Chamber of Deputies.
  • However, Mr Hariri has already said he will refuse to join a Hezbollah-led coalition government. Hezbollah is backed by Iran.
  • Cindy Son on 08 Mar 11
     
    Research Question : What are the effects of Hezbollah on Israel? "Protests as Hezbollah poised to form Lebanon government." BBC News. BBC, 24 Jan. 2011. Web. 8 Mar. 2011. Summary : Najib Mikati, a U.S. educated billionaire businessman who gets support by Hezbollah, became the new Prime Minister of Lebanon. Because the majority of people in Lebanon believe in Sunni, most of the supporters of Saad Hariri think "Hariri is the only man who represents the Sunni faith." After the nomination, supporters of Lebanon's caretaker Prime Minister Saad Hariri are protesting in many cities. This nomination might affect the future relationship between Lebanon and Israel. Reflection : This nomination is significant to both Lebanon and Israel because Mikati becoming a new Prime Minister of Lebanon means Hezbollah actually took the power to control over the Lebanon government. So, it is clear that they will make another conflict between Israel and Lebanon. Lebanon civilians and the United States are very concerned about the actions that Mikati will make in the future toward Israel. This issue will not only affect Israel but also Lebanon itself;  more and more Lebanon civilians will not support or trust their government because of the Hezbollah-backed Prime Minister. Questions : 1) What is the future plan of the Lebanon after the nomination of new Prime MInister Najib Mikati? 2) How much this event will impact the Israel community? 3) Is Hezbollah actually going to directly dictate the Lebanon since they now have the actual power of the Lebanon government? 4) What is specific reactions of the Lebanon civilians who don't support neither Mikati nor Hariri?
Cindy Son

Hezbollah accuses Israel of Hariri murder - 0 views

www.khaleejtimes.com/DisplayArticle09.asp

Hezbollah Israel Hariri

shared by Cindy Son on 13 Apr 11 - No Cached
  • Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah on Tuesday openly accused Israel of the 2005 assassination of ex-premier Rafiq Hariri and said he would unveil proof to that effect at a news conference next week.
  • Nasrallah in July had revealed he was aware the UN-backed tribunal probing the Hariri murder was likely to indict members of his militant party, slamming the court as biased and part of an Israeli plot.
  • Hariri and 22 others were killed in a massive bombing on the Beirut seafront on February 14, 2005.
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  • The Hariri murder has been widely blamed on Syria, a main backer of Hezbollah along with Iran.
  • Damascus has consistently denied involvement.
  • Cindy Son on 13 Apr 11
     
    What are the effects of Hezbollah on Israel? "Hezbollah accuses Israel of Hariri murder." Khaleej Times. N.p., Aug. Web. 4 Apr. 2010. Summary : The chief of Hezbollah, Hassan Nasrallah, accused Israel of Hariri murder, and stated that he has some evidences to prove his claim. Hariri and other 22 people were murdered on February 14, 2005. And Syria has been blamed of Hariri murder; however, Syria denied involvement of this situation. The reason Hezbollah is claiming of their innocence is because the UN-backed tribunal said that the Hariri murder was likely to indict members of Hezbollah.  Reflection : Hezbollah is blaming Israel of Hariri murder. However, Israel has nothing to do with this. Why would Israel murder Hariri? I think Hezbollah is making false accusation to get away from the trouble that they made in 2005 assassination; there are so many evidences that we can easily see that Hezbollah murdered Hariri because conflict between Hariri and Hezbollah has been going on for many years, especially after Hezbollah-backed Mikati became the new Prime Minister of Lebanon. Only because Hezbollah has a lot of conflict with Israel, Hezbollah is just trying to accuse Israel with no reason. Therefore, unfortunately, either UN or Israel needs to prove Israel's innocence to get away from this situation, and prove that Hezbollah actually murdered Hariri. Questions : 1) What is the Israel's reaction upon this accusation?  2) What is the exact evidence does Hezbollah chief has? 3) Is UN or Israel going to strongly claim that Hezbollah has wrong evidences?
Mark De Haan

Hezbollah will not recognise Israel - Middle East - Al Jazeera English - 0 views

english.aljazeera.net/...200931322165471789.html

Israel hezbollah

shared by Mark De Haan on 11 Apr 11 - No Cached
  • Hassan Nasrallah, the secretary-general of the Lebanese Hezbollah group, has said his movement would never recognise Israel, rejecting a US precondition for dialogue with the group it considers a terrorist organisation.
  • The White House said on Tuesday that both Palestinian movement Hamas and Hezbollah must renounce violence and recognise Israel before they can expect even low-level US engagement.
  • the en
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  • "We reject the American conditions ... Today, tomorrow and after 1,000 years and even until the end of time, as long as
  • Hezbollah exists, it will never re
  • cognise Israel," Nasrallah said.
  • Nasrallah also saluted recent moves to smooth over Arab differences, with Saudi Arabia and Egypt seeking to improve ties with Syria, which has supported Hezbollah. "All Arab reconciliation reinforces us," he said. He called for Riyadh and Cairo to "extend a hand" to Iran, Hezbollah's main backer.
  • A Hezbollah-led alliance has veto power over major decisions in the current unity government formed in July following a political crisis that brought Lebanon to the brink of civil war.
  • Mark De Haan on 11 Apr 11
     
    Al Jazeera English - Hezbollah Will Not Recognise Israel http://english.aljazeera.net/news/middleeast/2009/03/200931322165471789.html Hezbollah will not recognise Israel. Al Jazeera, 13 Mar. 2009. Web. 11 Apr. 2011. . Summary: This article is all about Hassan Nasrallah, the secretary-general of Hezbollah, saying he will never recognize Israel as a state. The United States is willing to mediate between Israel and Hezbollah and Hamas and try and find peace, but will only do so if Hezbollah recognizes Israel, which they refuse to do.  Reflection: This seems to go along with everything that I have learned so far about Hezbollah, that they are a stubborn group who refuses to see Israel as a state, and almost hurts themselves through their refusal. If they would see Israel as a state, they could possibly move closer to peace and away from the violence that has littered their existence as a political group and military force. Questions: 1. What role has Hassan Nasrallah played in Hezbollah over the years? 2. Have their been any conflicts with Israel since the war in 2006? 3. Will the current upheaval in the Middle East result in more support for Hezbollah as the article suggests?
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