Middle East Studies

Article Title: “Bomb Kills 3 Near Sports Field in Northern Iraq”

Newspaper Name: New York Times

Link: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/21/world/middleeast/21iraq.html?_r=1&ref=middleeast&oref=slogin

Summary:

Saturday, September 20 in Baghdad many people were injured and three were killed by a car bomb that had exploded in the town of Tal Afar, which is in northern Iraq. The bomb was ended off being set off near sports field in a little neighborhood. The individuals who were injured from the bomb were in serious condition. About 200 miles north of Baghdad is a large and common place for attacks by the Sunni rebellious group called “Al Qaeda in Mesopotamia.” Although, there is no evidence if they were responsible, many individuals will say they are the culprits. Also, earlier the same day in Baghdad a bomb hit outside, near the offices of the national journalists union. From this bomb, there were five people who were wounded. Another killing, in Basra, which is in southern Iraq there was a gunmen who killed a “cleric loyal to the radical anti-American cleric Moktada al-Sadr.”  In and around Basra there have been many killings cause of the violent attacks by the Shiite militias. 

Analysis:

As you notice within one day of just being in the country of Iraq, there are three killings in three different places. That is disappointing, and upsetting to many of the people who live in Iraq, but also scary to the number of tourists who do end up visiting Iraq. I think that the individuals living in Iraq are wrong for putting the “Al Qaeda in Mesopotamia,” to blame. Although, they do have many reasons, and accusations of why to blame them, they don’t have evidence and therefore, shouldn’t judge. 

Filed under: Tanley, Week of September 19 | No Comments »

“Troubled Situation in Critical Yemen”

Middle East Times

http://www.metimes.com/International/2008/09/22/troubled_situation_in_critical_yemem/2062/

Summary:

Jihadists encourage their follower to use suicide bombing violence during Ramadan. Many Muslims are fearful of attacks this month because Ramadan is in September. Al-Qaida are said to have been behind two attacks, one of which was in Pakistan and the other in Yemen.

            In 2003 Yemen and al-Qaida set up a non-aggression pact together but at the of this year, the deal ended. Despite the fact that Yemeni authorities are trying to fight the revival of the al-Qaida, they tried to attack the U.S. embassy in March but this time their attack was successful.  There have been some successes, however; an escaped al-Qaida leader, Hamza al-Quayti, was killed, along with a couple followers, by Yemeni security. This group was responsible for an attack on some tourists, and another attack that wounded 17. They were also planning an attack against oil instillations, but were stopped. They were also planning to hijack oil vessels.

            The in-fighting between several tribes has also recently been threatening the security and stability of Yemen. A minority group, the Shiite Huthis have been carrying out attacks on the regime of president Ali Abdallah Saleh whom they accuse “of selling the country to the U.S. and Israel.” Now Yemen officials have to deal with battles between the Sunnis of al-Qaida and the pro-Iranian Shiites.

How could this situation affect the people of the region?

The people of Yemen now are on high alert for suicide attacks and this is a dangerous environment/situation for them to be in. these attacks are disrespectful and undermine the sacred religious tradition of Ramadan. This could cause hard feelings and even violence toward different groups. An possible escalation in fighting will lead to more death and destruction. It is feasible that a war may break out between the Sunnis of al-Qaida and the pro-Iranian Shiites. It is even possible that, with more provocation from al-Qaida, the U.S. will have no choice but to attack them.

How could this situation affect the rest of the world?

The United States could be threatened if the al-Qaida carry out another attack against a place like the embassy. There are also American tourists and workers in Yemen who may be threatened. Is the violence escalates further, the United Sates or another nation could possibly be forced to send troops to help out in Yemen. Other minority groups in other countries may take lead from those in Yemen and start to revolt if it was seen that the minorities in Yemen were making considerable progress in their plight. 

Filed under: Week of September 22-26, Zoe | No Comments »

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/23/world/middleeast/23awake.html?_r=1&ref=world&oref=slogin

Summary:
In recent months, violence in some sections of Baghdad including the Adhamiya neighborhood has dropped and the streets have become safer. Although shootouts and car bombing still occur, the violence has decreased. The American military credits this to the members of the Awakening Councils. The Awakening Councils are groups of Iraqis, predominantly Sunni Muslims, who are paid by the United States to fight insurgency and make up 99,000 members. Many of the councils are considered just armed factions that create tension, and some are made up of former insurgents. On October first, most of the Awakening Councils will have their funding switched from the American government to the Iraqi government, which is dominated by Shi’ites.

Analysis:
The article talked about the potential problems of the Sunni insurgency-fighting councils going under the payroll of the Shi’ite Government. This could have bad effects as the Shi’ite government could lower their funding or lay off many of the members of the Awakening Councils. The problem with this is that the money provided by America is the only reason for many of these people not to turn to insurgency. If they are offered money to return to blowing up American cars, they may well do so. This shows one of the major issues that separates Sunni and Shi’ite Muslims in Iraq and creates conflict and violence which is magnified because of the American occupation of Iraq.

Filed under: Dan, Week of September 22-26 | No Comments »

Title: We pay you to write happy Iraq stories

Artist: Signe Wilkinson

Date:  September 22, 2008

Link: http://cagle.msnbc.com/news/IraqNews/1.asp

Issue: Soldiers are telling reporters and speechwriter of the White House to say only good things about Iraq and the war.

Key people: American soldiers, news reporters and U.S.A speechwriter.

Exaggeration: The cartoon shows how U.S. soldiers bribe reporters and speechwriters of the white house to only report happy things about the Iraq war. Though this is not true.

What is the message: That the true and though painful facts about the Iraq war are not always told. 

Filed under: Michelle | No Comments »

“Iraq to Begin Paying Sunni Volunteers Next Month”
Yahoo! News
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/us_iraq;_ylt=AmSmUadUKnPGiKtcwlUyoQlX6GMA

Summery:
In this article they are talking about starting to pay Sunnis that fight against the insurgency.  About 54,000 Sunni troops are going to start getting paid in an effort to help the insurgency to go down and make an actually army.  The Shiites however believe that doing this will make the Sunnis turn their backs on the Shiites and attack them in the coming years.  The shift from American Control to Iraqi control is the number of violence that has been steadily decreasing in the last few months.  A lot of the 54,000 men are ex-loyalists to Saddam Hussein or ex-insurgents.

Analysis:
This move is good for the Iraqi people and government.  This shows that there is progress in Iraq and that we are making good strides over there.  Now the control is in most of the Iraqi governments control so the United States involvement is just a little bit lower.  How this affects us in the United States and around the world is the same as it effects the people in Iraq.  It shows progress and shows the Iraq government is very close to fight the insurgency themselves.

Filed under: TJ, Week of September 22-26 | No Comments »

Article Title: “US to return 1,000 smuggled Iraqi artifacts”


Newspaper Name: Middle East Times

Link:http://www.metimes.com/Politics/2008/09/22/us_to_return_1000_smuggled_iraqi_artefacts/afp/

Summary:

American authorities are returning more than 1, 000 Iraqi artifacts that were smuggled out of the country after the US invasion five years ago. Saddam Hussein’s regime fell in April 2003 after the US led invasion and massive looting occurred in museums and the many historical sites across the country. Iraq is the cradle of civilization with evidence of the first complex urban life starting around 3,000 BC.

Analysis:

The events in the story affect people of this region because they are getting their artifacts back. The events affect people and nations in the rest of the world because Iraq is the key of civilization.  When these objects are returned, the story of the start of civilization can be retold again with all the artifacts. Also, Baghdad has asked other countries to not allow the selling of stolen Iraqi antiques. 

Filed under: Emma, Week of September 22-26 | No Comments »

Article Name: Troops Hurt In Jerusalem Attack
News Source: BBC
URL: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/7630534.stm

Summary:
On September 23rd, 2008 a Palestinian resident of Jerusalem drove his car into a group of IDF soldiers, two of which were critically injured.  The man was shot and killed by a near by IDF soldier after the Palestinian man had crashed into a wall.  This is already the third attack of this sort in the past few weeks for Israel.  It also fell only hours after foreign minister Livni accepted her invitation from the president to form the new coalition government.

Analysis:
The nature of this attack is similar to many other attacks that the Palestinians have been able to follow through with.  The strict laws and regulations combined with walls and checkpoints have made a significant attack on Israel very difficult for the Palestinians.  They have been reduced to individual acts against the IDF like suicide bombing (or freedom fighting), and especially recently using cars or large motor vehicles to mow down their enemies.  This attack as just added to the seemingly never-ending downward spiral of Israeli-Palestinian tension, and makes Livni’s proposed plan for peaceful coexistence between Israel and Palestine that much farther out of reach.

Filed under: Elias, Week of September 22-26 | No Comments »

Article: “Olmert Steps Down As Premier of Israel”

Newspaper: Washington Post

URL: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wpdyn/content/article/2008/09/21/AR200809210   0200.html?hpid=topnews

Summary:

            On September 21, 2008, Ehud Olmert, the Prime Minister of Israel, left his post. Almost three years ago, Olmert took over for Ariel Sharon after he suffered a stroke. Olmert had been the mayor of Jerusalem before becoming the Prime Minister.

            Throughout his Prime Ministry, Olmert has been accused of corruptions. This spring new charges of corruption have arisen involving New York businessman Morris Talansky. The police have recommended charges of bribery, breach of public trust, money laundering, and fraudulent receipt of goods. Until a new government is created, Olmert is the caretaker Prime Minister.

            Olmert has passed down the Prime Minister position to Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni. Over the summer Olmert said he would resign once his party (Kadima) chose a leader; this leader is Livni. Recently, she has been trying to create a coalition that will allow her to take the Prime Ministry seat without being elected. She has met with many people from rival parties in order to gain a majority in parliament (Knesset). If she does not accomplish this in the next six weeks, Israel will hold general elections, which Netanyahu, the leader of the Likud opposition party, would most likely win. While Livni supports the peace talks, Netanyahu opposes them. Livni’s coalition will most likely be successful only if she can win the support of the Shas, a very Orthodox party who have already opposed Livni’s leadership. The Labor Party might also pose a problem for the coalition. Many are pushing for another election.

Analysis

            This issue clearly has a large impact on Israel and the Middle East as a whole. At this point, Israel is in between Prime Ministers, and the named successor to Olmert needs to form a coalition. This already puts Israel in a precarious situation because the country, at this point, has no clear leader. Just as everyone did not love Olmert, Livni does not have the support of everyone. The Shas are very against her, the Kadima party saying at one point that they “would bolt if she won the primary.” Also, the center-left Labor Party wants new elections. This, once again, makes the country more liable for conflict. It also makes it hard for Livni to make the coalition. The fact that if there were new elections Netanyahu, not Livni, would probably win makes Livni feel the pressure to create the coalition. Also, Israel will have to wait to see if Livni will handle the elections calmly. Olmert’s accusations of corruptions also show Israel that it is time for a new leader.

            Similarly, the implications for the world are also great. At this point, the world is watching Israel to see how the nation will respond to the corruption accusations and the stepping down of Olmert. The United States will be especially interested as it has backed Israel so firmly in the past years. Also, many nations will be watching the elections, if they occur, because there will most likely be conflict between the two rival parties. Perhaps if anything happens the United States or another nation will step in. Also, New York will have to figure out how to handle Norris Talansky since he gave Olmert over $150 000. The most looming issues, however, are the peace talks. If Livni gets elected, she is will mostly likely continue the peace talks. However, Netanyahu has always been critical of the talks. Maybe the United States will support Livni over Netanyahu in the elections. If Netanyahu is elected, perhaps the United States will urge him to continue the peace talks. The next weeks and months will be watched closely by political fans around the world.

Filed under: Hannah, Week of September 22-26 | No Comments »

“New Cholera Outbreak Hits Iraq”
Sept. 8, 2008
CBS News
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/09/08/iraq/main4425330.shtml

At least 20 cases of cholera were confirmed in southern Baghdad on Monday. Health officials have said about 90% of cases are just diarrhea, however in the Babil province of Iraq there have been over 300 cases reported with 10 dead Iraqis. Many have blamed the outbreak on the Health Ministries in Baghdad for a less than adequate performance. Officials have had to close down sites around Baghdad in order to contain the disease.

With this outbreak the moral of Iraqis can only decline. This has shown that even in Iraq the living conditions have not improved since the war began. Since the U.S. is currently occupying Iraq, some would argue that it is up to the U.S. to work to improve the overall health of the citizens of Iraq. Although this event most significantly affects the citizens of the area, this could also lead to other neighboring countries to worry about the disease spreading into their own regions. Although these deaths are nothing compared to the number due to both U.S. and Terrorist attacks, they remain more prominent because of the fact that this shows the even the basic needs of the people of Iraq, such as clean water, are not being met.

Filed under: Justin, Week of September 22-26 | Tagged: Add new tag | No Comments »

Newspaper Name: New York Times

Link: (http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/19/world/asia/19afghan.html?_r=1&ref=world&oref=slogin)

Summary:  Currently all over central and northern Afghanistan, specifically in Yakowlang, Afghanistan there is a large shortage of food for the many nine million Afghans living in those areas. Some of the people do not have food for the winter; some are struggling to find jobs in the city. The base of this problem is because of the previous winter, and the tole it took on all the crops and agriculture in the northern and eastern part of Afghanistan. The drought came along hitting most of the country and that affected the farmers and workers who produced, and provided for themselves and for their families. Another, major effect of the shortage of food for many individuals in Afghanistan is the rising world food prices. All over the world food prices are rising every day. Because so many people and their families are at stake, the world food program widened its program to assist nine million (which is over ¼ of their population) people in Afghanistan with food aid until the end of next years harvest.

Analysis: Individuals within northern and eastern Afghanistan, specifically in Yakowlang are experiencing a very stressful, upsetting, hardship in their life right now. Many of the individuals who work on farms, or in the market don’t’ have the ability, or option to provide the food and crops to neither, themselves, or their families. It puts a great deal of pressure on many Afghans to go out in the city and scavenge for a job.  As above it was stated that all over the world food prices are rising every day, and it’s becoming almost way too expensive, whether it be in the country of America, or Afghanistan. This impacts the United States in such a way because the U.S. government is going to supply emergency food aid. We help the countries around us, and we “Americans,” hope that our surrounding countries, if we were in the same crisis, would help us out the same way. 

Filed under: Tanley, Week of September 19 | No Comments »