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mharcour

Obama Pushes for 1967 Lines Two State Deal - 0 views

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    In this Bloomberg article, the details of President Obama's speech on an Israeli-Palestinian peace deal were examined. Discussing the issues presenting on both sides (including the highly controversial Israeli settlements), President Obama pushed for a deal based upon the 1967 delineated lines.
cbrock5654

BBC News - Mosul Dam: Why the battle for water matters in Iraq - 0 views

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    The Mosul Dam is an incredibly important strategic location in the war between IS and Iraqi and Kurdish forces. This is because the dam controls water flow and generates electricity for most of Iraq. After it was captured by IS on 09/11/14, President Obama authorized air support for Iraqi and Kurdish forces, in response to the treat posed by the flooding of the Tigris river. The dam was recaptured, but the third largest dam in Iraq, the Fallujah dam, is still under IS control.
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    The Mosul Dam is an incredibly important strategic location in the war between IS and Iraqi and Kurdish forces. This is because the dam controls water flow and generates electricity for most of Iraq. After it was captured by IS on 09/11/14, President Obama authorized air support for Iraqi and Kurdish forces, in response to the treat posed by the flooding of the Tigris river. The dam was recaptured, but the third largest dam in Iraq, the Fallujah dam, is still under IS control.
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    The Mosul Dam is an incredibly important strategic location in the war between IS and Iraqi and Kurdish forces. This is because the dam controls water flow and generates electricity for most of Iraq. After it was captured by IS on 09/11/14, President Obama authorized air support for Iraqi and Kurdish forces, in response to the treat posed by the flooding of the Tigris river. The dam was recaptured, but the third largest dam in Iraq, the Fallujah dam, is still under IS control.
jordanbrown16

What Obama Would Say to Iranians - 0 views

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    President Obama explains why Iran does not need to have nuclear weapons to be a regional powerhouse. Obama believes Iran can has the potential to excel in a multitude of ways other than their current focus, nuclear weapons. Him and the Obama Administration are dealing with an "ideologically driven, offensive Iran."
tdford333

Almost 2,500 Now Killed by Covert US Drone Strikes Since Obama Inauguration Six Years A... - 0 views

  • Almost 2,500 Now Killed by Covert US Drone Strikes Since Obama Inauguration
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    At least 2,464 people have now been killed by US drone strikes outside the country's declared war zones since President Barack Obama's inauguration six years ago. According to the BIJ, there has been a 9 time increase in drone strikes since Obama took office.
cthomase

Obama admits worst mistake of his presidency - 0 views

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    President Obama admitted that his worst mistake of his presidency was the lack of preparation of life in Libya after the fall of Qaddafi. While taking some responsibility for inaction, Obama largely also blamed the British and French for not taking more action since this was largely executed by them.
mjumaia

Michelle Obama opts to forgo headscarf during Saudi Arabia visit - 0 views

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    Michelle Obama has drawn attention to the severe restrictions placed on women in Saudi Arabia by not wearing a headscarf during a visit to the country after the death of King Abdullah. The US first lady's decision to not cover her hair when she and President Obama met Abdullah's successor, King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, on Tuesday caused a stir on social media, prompting the hashtag #michelle_obama_notveiled.
ysenia

I.A.E.A. Report on Iran's Nuclear Program - The New York Times - 0 views

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    Documents showcasing proposed sanctions issued by President Obama. It was suggested that Obama pressure Iran by ordering this sanction in regards to their missile testing.
allieggg

The U.S. Is Giving Up on Middle East Democracy-and That's a Mistake - The Atlantic - 0 views

  • democracy assistance to the region, which will drop from $459.2 million to $298.3 million
  • Today’s Middle East is a product, at least in part, of failed democratization, and one of the reasons it failed was the timid, half-hearted support of the Obama administration.
  • the significant impact Western leverage and “linkage” can have on democratic transitions.
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  • “it was an externally driven shift in the cost of suppression, not changes in domestic conditions, that contributed most centrally to the demise of authoritarianism in the 1980s and 1990s.” They find that “states’ vulnerability to Western democratization pressure… was often decisive.”
  • it is also worth noting that President Bush acknowledged the existence of a “tyranny-terror” link—the notion that the root causes of extremism and terrorism can be found in the region’s enduring lack of democracy.
  • the administration’s approach to the region is characterized almost entirely by ad-hoc crisis management and traditional counterterrorism approaches. Its one larger-scale reform initiative—a half-hearted proposal for a
  • We argue that the U.S. and its partners now need to consider a very different approach to Middle East democracy assistance.
  • Conventional democracy promotion activities tend to focus on the process and “retail” aspects of democratic politics—things like elections, political party training, get-out-the-vote (GOTV) campaigns, and civil society enhancement. While these are undoubtedly important, they are insufficient to deliver lasting reforms. Authoritarianism in the Arab world has proven time and time again—even in supposedly post-revolutionary settings such as Egypt today—that it can weather the annoyances of elections and civil society.
  • What is needed are more systematic reforms focused on fundamental institutions. These include things like constraining the military’s role in civilian domains of governance, deep reform in the security and justice sectors including law enforcement and policing, and comprehensive “renovation” of the civil service sector. These are large-scale, long-term, and expensive undertakings that far transcend the modest parameters of most U.S. democracy promotion programs.
  • we make the case for a new Multilateral Endowment for Reform (MER) that would tie significant levels of financial assistance—in the billions of dollars—to reform commitments and benchmarked implementation performance by partner nations.
  • provide a real incentive for countries to embark down a path to deeper and more enduring political reforms while retaining the ability to pull back funding if they do not deliver.
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    This article begins by illuminating the regional democracy assistance cuts that are dropping from $459.2 million to $298.3 million It explains that the Bush Administration began the quest for democracy in the Middle East, and the Obama administration has only continued in his footsteps. The author presents the viewpoint that the U.S. approach to Arab democratization has been in the form of "ad-hoc crisis management" rather than "large scale reform initiatives." Promoting democracy in the form of democratic politics are insufficient, elections and political parties have consistently proved to weather away and fester further civil strife. Consequently, the article proposes a new approach to the region conflict. This approach calls for "systematic reforms" focusing on basic institutions such as the civil service sector, justice and law enforcement, and the military's role in governance. The idea is that addressing these lacking departments in the arab world will eventually pave the way to a smoother democratic transition. 
jordanbrown16

Obama Says Nuclear Deal Offered to Iran Is 'Extraordinarily Reasonable' - 0 views

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    "President Obama said that he and other world leaders have offered Iran an 'extraordinarily reasonable deal' that will test whether the leadership of the Islamic nation is serious about at last resolving the dispute over its nuclear program." If Iran verifies that they are not developing a weapons system, then there is a deal to be had. However, they have not said yes to any verifications or program constraints.
fcastro2

Syria crisis: Where key countries stand - BBC News - 0 views

  • The eruption of civil conflict in Syria in 2011 very quickly provoked a deep split in the international community over which side to back and what outcome to see
  • Syria regarded as the world's most pressing crisis, the US and Russia, along with other permanent members of the UN Security Council, Turkey and Arab states, have attempted to resolve their differences.
  • Their Geneva Communique, which calls for a transitional government based on "mutual consent", has become the basis for peace talks in the Swiss city. But it is clear the sides have different interpretations of the plan, and have so far failed to achieve a breakthroug
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  • US wants Bashar al-Assad out of power, and is pushing for the transitional government called for in the Geneva communique.
  • President Barack Obama sought Congressional support for military action but postponed the vote - which was not certain to pass - when Syria indicated it would surrender its chemical stockpile
  • United States has been one of the most prominent advocates of firm action against the Syrian government, which it has accused of using chemical weapons and other atrocities.
  • It is backing Syria's "moderate opposition" with "non-lethal" assistance, including communications equipment, generators, and office supplies - but is also believed to be supplying light weapon
  • Russia is one of Mr Assad's most important international backers and has warned the US and its allies against taking one-sided action against Syria
  • Russia was key to Syria agreeing to give up chemical weapons, and backs the Geneva Communique. But it has repeatedly said Syria's future should be decided by Syrians and blocked anti-Assad resolutions at the UN Security Council. It continues to supply Syria with arms, including missile systems and aircraft
  • Britain has been a big critic of the Assad government and signed a statement in 2013 calling for a "strong international respons
  • supported military action but had to rule out Britain's involvement when he failed to secure the backing of parliament in August 2013.
  • UK, along with France, successfully lobbied for the EU's arms embargo to be lifted so as to allow further supplies to Syrian rebels
  • France has been among the most hawkish Western countries and was the first to stop recognising the Syrian government and deal with the main opposition coalition instead.
  • France up to join US military action until plans were put on hold. The president acknowledged that France could not, and would not, act on its own
  • China has joined Russia in blocking resolutions critical of Syria at the UN Security Council. It has criticised the prospect of strikes against Syria, insisting any military action without UN approval would be illegal.
  • Turkish government has been one of the most vocal critics of Syrian President Assad since early on in the uprising and signalled its willingness to join international action even without UN approval
  • Saudi Arabia has been a rival of the Syrian government for years. It has been particularly active in pushing for action against Mr Assad, and called for "all legal means possible" to be used to stop the bloodshed
  • Qatar is thought to be one of the main suppliers of weapons to Syrian rebels and says outside military intervention has become a necessity to protect the Syrian people.
  • ebanon there is deep division between supporters and opponents of President Assad. The country has suffered from an overspill of violence, including bomb attacks, as well as a huge flood of refugees. It has said it thinks military intervention might make the situation worse.
  • Jordan has also received hundreds of thousands of refugees and has called for a political solution to the conflic
  • Iran has been Syria's main backer in the region since well before the current conflict.
  • Iran has warned that any foreign intervention risks sparking a regional war.
  • Israel regards President Assad as an enemy, but has refrained from publicly backing military action against him. It fears its backing could alienate the Arab world,
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    This article details were certain countries, that are most affected by the Syrian conflict, stand within the conflict and how they would like to solve the issue. 
fcastro2

ANNE R. PIERCE: Beware ISIS strategy that fortifies Russia, Iran, and Syria - Washingto... - 0 views

  • President Obama stressed the importance of showing the world “we are united in our resolv
  • Demonstration of united resolve against blood-thirsty terrorists whose ranks, ambitions and territory have grown exponentially is important
  • forging strategy to battle ISIS without also forging strategy to thwart Syria, Russia and Iran is a terrible mistake
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  • brutality and aggression of the Islamic State, he still whitewashes the brutality and aggression of established states Syria, Russia and Iran, and still ignores the need for grand strategy to deal with them
  • We must, therefore, take Iran, Russia and Syria, and the collusion between them, seriously.
  • potentially, an even greater threat to the “free world” than ISIS. Because they are terror sponsors and supporters, WMD in their control means WMD out of control, susceptible to being sold or given to fanatics who are willing to work for their cause
  • working with the Iranian, Russian and Syrian regimes to address Middle Eastern problems and fight ISIS is a sure way to alienate Middle Eastern moderates and traditional partner
  • Russia’s staunch support of Syria and Iran; its ruthless aggression in Ukraine; and its expansionist designs in Eastern Europe, should make containing Russia an American foreign policy priority
  • Instead, much of the White House plan for combating ISIS plays right into Syrian, Iranian and Russian hands, for it revolves around their plans –which include allowing Assad to stay in power, legitimizing Russian-sponsored “peace conferences” that buy Assad time and raise Putin’s stature, accommodating the Iranian nuclear program, and giving Iran the lead in the battle against ISIS and in the Levant.
  • the United States has been mostly passive, while Russia, Iran and its proxies, and al Qaeda-affiliated terrorists, have seized the day.
  • opened the door to extremist groups eager to hijack the Syrian revolt and/or defend the Syrian regime
  • Iran and Russia have worked stolidly to protect Assad and capitalize on the chao
  • While the Obama administration justified its unwillingness to give meaningful aid to Syrian rebels with fear of helping extremists within rebel ranks, that stance allowed extremism within Syria to metastasize
  • development so serious that it now requires a military respons
  • Russia provided cover for Syria in the UN, and supplied many of the very weapons Assad uses to massacre civilian
  • the administration has endorsed yet more Russia-sponsored “peace talks”
  • President Obama and Secretary Kerry have backed even further away from demands that Assad leave, while even the goal of a transitional government which characterized the previous talks has been dropped
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    Working with the Iranian, Russian and Syrian regimes to address Middle Eastern problems and fight ISIS is a sure way to alienate Middle Eastern moderates.
hkerby2

Is It Possible The Syrian Rebels (Not Assad) Used Chemical Weapons? : The Two-Way : NPR - 0 views

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    The Obama administration says there is little doubt that President Bashar Assad's regime is to blame for last week's reported attack, but there has been research into the possibility of the rebels using chemical weapons. It is possible but not likely. If the rebels were to use chemical weapons they would not use it in an area with such little soldier population. additionally it is the regime that has the controlled stockpiles of chemical weapons, not the rebels.
mjumaia

Obama Meets New Saudi King, Balancing Human Rights, U.S. Interests - 0 views

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    President Obama arrived in Saudi Arabia today to meet newly crowned King Salman and said in an interview that the U.S. needs to balance its concerns about Saudi human rights with "immediate concerns" such as counterterrorism and regional stability.
csherro2

Obama Promises U.S. Aid to Jordan for Syria, Iraq Refugees - 0 views

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    President Barack Obama said the U.S. would sustain financial aid to Jordan to help the country cope with a flood of refugees, after a meeting with King Abdullah Wednesday at the White House. The two leaders discussed U.S.
ysenia

Iran nuclear deal puts US in bind amid criticism - 0 views

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    Claims that the Iran nuclear deal is really bad for the United States and future presidents guarantee to end the deal after the Obama Administration. Israel and other countries around Iran say it is more dangerous than ever.
benjaming9

Syria warns against foreign intervention - Middle East - Al Jazeera English - 0 views

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    This is a response by several groups about Obamas adress regarding the attacks on ISIS within Syria. Damascus and the Assad regime and the Coalition of Syria are fighting for control of Syria and are at odds with the Presidents words. Also a Russian minister accused these proposed atatcks of being "an act of agression" and would violate international law. Yes, because Russia ALWAYS abides by international law
atownen

As Ramadi falls, Pentagon says it is 'striking at the head of the snake' - 0 views

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    In another coalition of airstrikes, President Obama announced one particular ISIL leader who had direct ties to the ringleaders in the Paris attacks has been confirmed dead. Pentagon reports ISIL is losing combat power; Iraqi forces are working to rid Ramadi of ISIL presence. 10 other key leaders of ISIL were taken out as well in December.
fcastro2

Syria crisis: Russia and China step up warning over strike - BBC News - 0 views

  • Russia and China have stepped up their warnings against military intervention in Syria, with Moscow saying any such action would have "catastrophic consequences" for the region
  • The US and its allies are considering launching strikes on Syria in response to deadly attacks
  • The US said there was "undeniable" proof of a chemical attack
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  • UN chemical weapons inspectors are due to start a second day of investigations in the suburbs of Damascus
  • UN team came under sniper fire as they tried to visit an area west of the city
  • US officials said there was "little doubt" that President Bashar al-Assad's government was to blame
  • Russian foreign ministry spokesman Alexander Lukashevich has called on the international community to show "prudence" over the crisis and observe international law.
  • Attempts to bypass the Security Council, once again to create artificial groundless excuses for a military intervention in the region are fraught with new suffering in Syria and catastrophic consequences for other countries of the Middle East and North Africa
  • US said it was postponing a meeting on Syria with Russian diplomats, citing "ongoing consultations" about alleged use of chemical weapons in Syria
  • The two sides had been due to meet in The Hague on Wednesday to discuss setting up an international conference on finding a political solution to the crisis
  • Western powers were rushing to conclusions about who may have used chemical weapons in Syria before UN inspectors had completed their investigation
  • Both the Syrian government and rebels have blamed each other for last Wednesday's attacks
  • Medical charity Medecins Sans Frontieres said three hospitals it supported in the Damascus area had treated about 3,600 patients with "neurotoxic symptoms", of whom 355 had died
  • UK is making contingency plans for military action in Syri
  • Earlier in the day, the UN convoy came under fire from unidentified snipers and was forced to turn back before resuming its journey
  • In the most forceful US reaction yet, US Secretary of State John Kerry on Monday described the recent attacks in the Damascus area as a "moral obscenity
  • Syrian government had something to hide
  • What we saw in Syria last week should shock the conscience of the world. It defies any code of moralit
  • President Obama believes there must be accountability for those who would use the world's most heinous weapons against the world's most vulnerable peopl
  • Analysts believe the most likely US action would be sea-launched cruise missiles targeting Syrian military installations.
  • the West had not produced any proof that President Assad's forces had used chemical weapons
  • some Western countries that military action against the Syrian government could be taken without a UN mandate
  • Mr Lavrov said the use of force without Security Council backing would be "a crude violation of international law
  • an international military response to the suspected use of chemical weapons would be possible without the backing of the UN
  • The UN Security Council is divided, with Russia and China opposing military intervention and the UK and France warning that the UN could be bypassed if there was "great humanitarian need".
  • if the West does not intervene to support freedom and democracy in Egypt and Syria, the Middle East will face catastrophe
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    After Western powers suspected that the Syrian government used chemical weapons against the Syrian people, tensions grew against them and Russia, China, and Syria. The Eastern Powers believe that Western powers are overstepping their bounds for their need of power but the Western powers think that they need to interfere to help the people. 
eyadalhasan

The US is restoring military aid to Egypt that its withheld since 2013 - 0 views

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    President Barack Obama asked the US Congress for $1.3 billion per year in military aid for Egypt and said he would lift holds on aircraft, missiles and tanks for Cairo in place since October 2013, the White House said in a statement.
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