Syrian Civil War Essay Example for Free

Syrian Civil War Essay The Syrian civil war is an armed conflict in Syria, which has began on 15 March 2011 with demonstrations and protests against Syrian president Bashar al- Assad, which evolved into an armed rebellion. By now Syrian war cost more than 55,000 lives and many people are still dying in this war. It is important to focus on ending of this war as soon as possible not only for good of Syria but also for the good of whole world. My opinion is that the main problem why this war still continues is because many countries are supporting their economy by sending new and new weapons into Syria, and these weapons don’t end only in hands of Syrian army but also in hands of rebels fighting against the government. I think that first think Syria should focus on in these days is to secure its weapon sites, containing dangerous chemical weapons also labeled as WMD’s (Weapons of Mass Destruction). These weapons became the point of interest of rebels, which are trying to take them and use not only against Syrian army, but also against any else country including the USA. Stated in Adam Clark Estes’s paragraph from The Atlantic Wire, it is scary enough to think of what the Assad regime could do with the several hundred tons of chemical weapons and horrifying to think of what terrorists would do. I think that president Assad should pay more attention to sites and military bases where are these weapons stored and secure them. According to Estes’s paragraph, â€Å"What we know, however, is that the United States and its European allies are working fast and hard to mobilize forces to protect those weapons and, hopefully, avert the unthank able.† He also says that there are also good news and uses retired general Adnan Silou’s quotation that â€Å"It’s unlikely that insurgents would know how to successfully detonate chemical munitions on their own.† I don’t really agree with this opinion, and I think that if rebels would steal the chemical weapons it would be only the question of time until they would find somebody who would arm them. Furthermore Silou says that â€Å"After the regime falls, anyone could take them.† And according to Estes’s paragraph that is the main reason why the United States is working with Israel, Jorda n and the NATO allies to get the troops to those sites as soon as possible. President Obama warned president Assad in BBC news that â€Å"The world is watching. The use of chemical weapons is and would be totally unacceptable.† The bad news according to Estes’s paragraph are simple. If the chemical weapons will be used, they won’t kill a few people, they kills thousands, and if the weapons will make it out Syria, that could mean thousands of Americans. According to CNN paragraph, Syrian government insists it would never use chemical weapons on its own people. But world leaders say Syria’s desperation could lead to even more tragedy in the war-torn country. I think that the main point of CNN’s paragraph is that many people can’t even imagine, how big danger these chemical weapons represent for humanity, and that’s why CNN is trying to â€Å"introduce† us some of the substances these weapons contain. According to CNN paragraph, military analysts believe Syria may have one of the largest stockpiles of chem ical weapons in the world. All the stocks of these weapons that the Syrian Arab Republic possesses are monitored and guarded by the Syrian army. These weapons are meant to be used only and strictly in the event of external aggression against the Syrian Arab Republic, Foreign Ministry spokesman Jihad Makdissi said in July. When we are talking about the substances these weapons include, we are talking about chemicals like sarin, mustard gas or VX gas which are able to kill thousands of people in few minutes or cause permanent illnesses like cancer or blindness. According to CNN’s paragraph sarin gas is an odorless nerve agent that can cause convulsions, paralysis and respiratory failure. Nerve agents are the most toxic and rapidly acting of the known chemical warfare agents. Sarin quickly evaporates from liquid to vapor form and disperse into the environment. It also mixes easily with water and can poison a water supply. VX is another nerve agent that can be lethal when inhaled. It can also be dispersed in a liquid form; even a few small drops on the skin can lead to the same effects as sarin gas. Compared with the nerve agent sarin, VX is considered to be much more toxic by entry through the skin and somewhat more toxic by inhalation, the CDC said. Mustard gas also known as sulfur mustard leaves chemical burns on the skin, eyes and even the lungs when inhaled. While mustard gas can be fatal, it also can disable victims and can cause cancer or permanent blindness. Syria promised to not use these weapons in the civil war, but will it really keep this promise? Syria’s war is now 21-month long conflict and many people aren’t so sure that these weapons will stay in their sites. Ahmet Uzumcu, director-general of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons said â€Å"For the first time in the history of the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC), which entered into force in April 1997, there are serious concerns that chemical weapons might be used.† President’s Assad newest speech about that would begin a peace process and keep the besieged leader in power was – according to ABC news paragraph – quickly rejected by the USA president Obama. Furthermore State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland says Assads latest plan is detached from reality and would only allow the regime to continue its oppression of the Syrian people. Assad spoke Sunday in a rare public speech, outlining a new peace initiative that includes a national reconciliation conference and a new constitution. He ignored international demands to step down and pledged to continue the nearly two-year fight against rebels challenging his authoritarian rule. Nuland says Assad has lost all legitimacy and should step aside to allow for a political solution and a democratic transition that satisfies the Syrian people. My opinion to the actual situation is that, both USA and Syria should try to find solutions and not putting each other on side and trying to solve problems individually.

Out Board Propeller Dynamics :: physics boat propeller

Missing Figures In The fall of 2004 I purchased a boat and outboard. The company that built the boat also had the responsibility of mounting the out board. Unfortunately the company built the transom of the boat to high and this had a major effect on the boats performance. With the prop so close to the water’s surface the out board would ventilate ever time I tried to get the boat up on step. It would also ventilate on tight turns at high speeds. Unless I wanted to ship the boat back down to Seattle for modifications I would have to find a propeller that would operate effectively near the surface. The follow is some of the things I learned while solving this problem. As the propeller rotates (fig 3-1) it forces water down and back as this is happening water must move into the void created by the spiraling blades. This creates a pressure differential across the blade- Low pressure on the back side and high pressure on the front side. This causes water to be sucked into the propeller and accelerated out the back (fig 3-3) much like a house-hold fan (fig 3-2). This action creates the thrust that drives a boat. It is common knowledge that water boils at 100deg C (212deg F) at sea-level atmospheric pressures. Water will also boil at much lower temperatures if the pressure is reduced. This is the key to understanding cavitation. As an object move though the water at increasing speeds the fluid on the side and back of the object experiences a decrease in pressure. On a propeller this area of low pressure is on the back side of the leading edge.(see fig 3-1) Pluse- If this decrease in pressure is great enough it can cause the sea-water to boil (Vaporize). Once these bubbles of vaporized water travel down current to the front of the propeller they enter the high pressure side of the blade and are condensed back into liquid very rapidly. These small implosions of water vapor can cause cavitation burns on theblade and lower unit of the outboard. (see fig 4-21) 4-21 From a functional stand point these bubbles can compromise the outboards performance. As the water vapor travels from the back to the face of the blades they can decrease the water load on the prop (water contact surface with the propeller blades).

Hamas Victory

The international community should continue with its restrictive policies towards Hamas even after it has recorded huge victories in the Palestinian’s election. Hamas has in the past declared its open hostility principle towards Israel its interests especially in the Middle East. Unless it openly denounces such ideas, it should continue to be treated as a terrorist group. Hamas is also referred to as the Islamic Resistance Movement. It practices both party politics and militarism. It is its later mission that has seen its branding as a terrorist organization by nations such as United States, Australia, Canada, United Kingdom and Israel amongst others. The European Union has also blacklisted it for exhibiting terrorist tendencies. It is currently having its moment of glory in Palestine having recorded surprise wins in the parliamentary elections that astounded many especially across the western world (Levitt, Matthew, 2006). The history of Hamas dates back to 1987. Its formation is known to have been inspired the Muslim brotherhood, a group reputed to have committed countless terrorist acts towards the Israelis. Hamas is said to have been formed by Sheikh Ahmed Yassin with a sole objective of annihilating the state of Israel and forcing its total withdrawal from the disputed Palestine territory. This is what its charter stipulates. It is credited for having been the mastermind and perpetrator of violence against the Israelis and their interests all over the world, these acts are meted out with impunity only equaled to that of al Qaeda. Together with Al Qaeda, Hamas leads the list of the worst terrorist organizations in the world (James L. Gelvin, 2005). After winning the elections in 2006 and assuming power, it issued a 10 year truce to Israel and vowing to let go temporarily, its suicide missions if the later withdrew from the disputed territories of Gaza, Jerusalem and West bank. This however was not the first truce as again in 2004, it had offered a truce if Israel could totally withdraw from the territories it captured during the Six Days War. This truce however was not held for long as it attacked Israel later in August 2005. Hamas had opted out of the presidential election in 2005 running for the municipal ones where it took control of some important territories. In the parliamentary elections the following year, it was able to garner over 42 percent securing majority seats. Hamas has been accusing Israel of violating the stipulations on the road map that had posited the formation of a Palestinian state, its feud is not limited to Israel only but also to the United States and is ready to wage terrorist attacks against the U.S in 2006 for example, a statement issued by the Hamas officials but later denied, urged the Muslims to target America and its interests all over the world, accusing it of providing financial and logistic support to the Israelis. Hamas officials though, have never owned up to any attack against the United States or to any other country apart from Israel (Lynfield, Ben, December 27, 2004). Its Democratic election into power has thrown a spanner in the works complicating relations with major powers in the world as well as the neighboring countries in the Middle East. Major countries in the western world have always branded Hamas as a terrorist organization. Japan for instance froze all Hamas properties within its jurisdiction in 2005. Jordan has in turn outlawed it due to its terrorist activities. All this animosity is directed to a political and terrorist organization that according to polls conducted in 2007 enjoys over 65% of popular support of Palestinians. The wide public support it has received stems from how it has initiated reforms in morale dilapidated country. It is rooting out massive corruption entrenched in the bureaucracy and order is being restored in the disputed territories. The bloody counter retaliations between the Hamas and Israel however continue, with both sides maintaining their hard stance. With grim prospects for a peaceful co existence, the issue of Hamas leadership in the Palestine state remains a headache for the western countries. Hamas has initiated a number of attacks this year killing a handful and maiming many in the region. It has perfected the art of guerilla warfare employing it tactfully against Israel. It is also accused of executions within its file and rank and also against its key rival, the Fattah. The United States however has been categorical in its stand even in the face of possible political realignments in the Palestine state. One state department spokesman said that the United States still maintains Hamas in its terrorist organizations’ list. The election has not changed this unless Hamas denounces its atrocious acts (Michael P. Arena, Bruce A. Arrigo, 2006). It is more than apparent that the United States is dismayed by the results but was quick to praise the temporal peaceful coexistence of people in Palestine. It is interesting to note that the Bush administration was non committal of the elections in Palestine as the prospects of Hamas loosing seemed grim. All this however is in the midst of reports in the media that the United States government together with president Mahmoud Abbas had planned to oust the Hamas leadership from the government. This was in an effort to overturn the gains made by Hamas. Hamas has been largely blaming the United States for funding and arming the Fattah combatants in its bid to water down its recent reigns (Tiebel, Amy, 2007). Some nations in Europe are caught between a rock and a hard place. There is a need to legitimize the democratic process that brought Hamas to power but also these countries are wary of an organization that has been labeled a terrorist group. Europe is divided. Berlin and the United Kingdom are adamant that they will have no relations with the Hamas. Russia however on the other hand welcomed Hamas leaders in Moscow, Turkey has also followed suit. Since its formation in 1987, Hamas has grown massively and seems to have stricken a chord with most Palestinians as evidenced in the latest elections. The greatest supporter of Hamas and financial bankroller is Iran. This is its vocal supporter but it has always denied claims of providing finances as alleged by the United States. The coming to power of the Hamas was met with elation from President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad of Iran who vowed to back the country financially. The United States claims that Hamas is funded by some Arab countries as well as private businessmen. Most of these countries maintain anti United States stand and are in support of any group that is likely to maintain hostility against Israel. The elevation of Hamas into power legitimizes the relations that Hamas may have had with those countries (Andersen, Mark, 2004). Iran has vowed to commit funds to help the democratically elected government in Palestine. Most of those countries that support Hamas are doing so on the claims of strengthening democracy and seeing it as a solution to the disputes in Middle East. It is obvious that the coming into power of Hamas has complicated the relations that most nations have had with it. Many are in a dilemma on whether to initiate diplomatic contacts with its members or to deal with the president directly. However putting into consideration what Hamas has always stood for, the stand by America and Germany is the way to go, no negotiations of any sort or diplomatic relations should be instituted until Hamas denounces its acts of terrorism and its stand against Israel. References Levitt, Matthew, 2006. Hamas: Politics, Charity, and Terrorism in the Service of Jihad, Yale University Press. James L. Gelvin, 2005. The Israel-Palestine Conflict: One Hundred Years of War, Cambridge University Press. Lynfield, Ben, December 27, 2004. Hamas gains grassroots edge, Christian Science Monitor. Andersen, Mark, 2004. All the Power: Revolution Without Illusion, Punk Planet Books. Tiebel, Amy, November 27, 2007. â€Å"Analysis: Tough Mideast Bargaining Ahead†, Associated Press. Mark Weitzman, Steven Leonard Jacobs,2003. Dismantling the Big Lie: the Protocols of the Elders of Zion, KTAV Publishing House. . Michael P. Arena, Bruce A. Arrigo,2006. The Terrorist Identity: Explaining the Terrorist Threat, NYU Press.

Politics in theUnited States - 834 Words

Politics are something that affects our lives forever. Since the United States in a democracy, we the people get a vote and a voice in politics. Therefore, it is important to be an educated voter. The time to start learning about and getting involved with politics is while you are young. The very first thing you should do when you turn 18 is register to vote, it is the fastest and easiest way to involve yourself in politics. If this isn’t quite enough of you are more interested in politics, there are a variety of organizations they promote youth involvement in politics. Each are similar in the fact that they promote youth involvement; however, the way the two approach the task is very different. The first I will discuss is called Rock the Vote, the second is Boys and Girls State. If you are passionate about something and want to make it know, there is always the option to start your our group to raise awareness. You can use that club to encourage people to vote one way of ano ther on a subject. Rock the Vote is an organization that works to build political power for young people in our country. Rock the Vote has registered more than five million young people to vote and is a trusted source of information for young people about registering to vote and casting a ballot. They use music and new technologies to motivate young people in our country to participate in every election. Their goal is to empower the youth by giving them the resources they need to be smart and educatedShow MoreRelatedBILL PROPOSAL1062 Words   |  5 PagesMental Health Services and Center for Substance Abuse Treatment, 2000). Many are at increased risk of homelessness and incarceration. Of the 10 million adults who enter US jails each year, about700, 000 of them have co-occurring disorders (United States Department of Justice Statistics, 1997). In 2000, the Centre for NHS Service Delivery and Organization’s research identified the need for a number of systematic improvements to the continuing care processes for vulnerable groups of patientsRead MoreReport on Rio+20 Summit on Sustainable Development3758 Words   |  15 PagesRio+20 summit sustainable development Rio+20 summit sustainable development The earth summit to be held between 20 and 22 June 2012 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil will be the United Nations new attempt to advance the commitment of States and the world community in the major transitions in the new millennium. The summit is officially named the United NationsConference on Sustainable Development (UNCSD). This summit is the third after the first and historic one in Rio de Janeiro in 1992 which was followedRead MoreEu, Nafta, Asean12786 Words   |  52 PagesMotto:  United in diversity[1][2][3] | Anthem:  Ode to Joy   | Anthem of the European UnionOde to Joy[2]  (orchestral) | | | Political centres | Brussels Luxembourg Strasbourg | Official languages | 23[show] | Demonym | European[4] | Member States | 27[show] | Leaders |   -   | President of the Council | Herman Van Rompuy(EPP) |   -   | President of the Commission | Josà © Manuel Barroso(EPP) |   -   | Speaker of the Parliament | Martin Schulz  (Samp;D) |   -   | Presidency of the Council ofRead MoreCountry Note Book of China17054 Words   |  69 PagesBC |King Ping (Ji Yijiu) |Luoyi (todays Luoyang) | |  --- Spring and Autumn Period |770 - 476 BC | | | |  --- Warring States Period |475 - 221 BC | | | |[pic]  Qin |221 - 207 BC |Qin Shi Huang |Xianyang (in todays