Thursday, January 30, 2020

Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula Essay Example for Free

Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula Essay Stability in the Arabian Peninsula region has been a concern for the United States for some time now. AQAP poses a direct threat against the U.S. and U.S. interests of Stability and Security in the Arabian Peninsula. This instability and threat is why I have chosen the AQAP as the FTO to research making the next attack. The AQAP comes from the merging of the al Qaeda cells from Yemen and in Saudi Arabia. There are approximately one –two hundred members, with thousands of supporters. The merger took place in January 2009, due to the success of the Saudi Arabian government in destroying al Qaeda’s infrastructure in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. AQAP is a subsidiary of the al Qaeda, whose center of gravity is in Pakistan and Afghanistan, but works independently of its parent organization. Since formation occurred, they are responsible for a number of attacks on the â€Å"West† and are considered responsible parties of the â€Å"UPS and FEDEX cargo bombing attempts† (Kurczy, 2010). They were deemed a terrorist organization on December 14, 2009, by U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. (Gerstein, 2010). Prior to the formation of AQAP, al Qaeda claimed responsibility for numerous attacks in Saudi Arabia and Yemen. Those attacks include: the 1993 attack on World Trade Center, 1998 suicide bombings of Embassies, the 2000 bombing of the USS Cole, and the 2008 car bombing outside the U.S. Embassy in Sana’ killing 19 people including 6 of the terrorists (Poland, 2005 ). AQAP has claimed to plan on targeting oil facilities, tourists, and security forces in the future. It is believed though that AQAP provided spiritual guidance by U.S. Citizen Anwar al Awlaki to U.S. Army Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan, who was the gunman behind the 2009 Ft. Hood killings and the December 2009 attempt to down a passenger airline to Detroit. Responsible parties to these terroristic events are said to be that of the top five â€Å"key leaders† of AQAP. These men include are in order of their rank from the top spot of leaders to the last. 1. Ibrahim Hassan al-Asiri, aka the bomb maker. He is believed to be the creator of the bombs intercepted in October last year on cargo planes. 2. Anwar al-Awlaki, aka the chief ideologue. He is suspected of being part of three unsuccessful terrorist attacks to include the Fort Hood Shootings (Bryant, C., Kasinof, L., 2010), bombing attempt on airliner jet on Christmas, and the Times Square bombing on May 2. 3. Said Ali al-Shihri, deputy chief of AQAP. He is suspected of participation in  September 2008 US Embassy attack and the kidnapping of nine missionaries in June 2009 according to Fox News. 4. Qasim al-Raymi, military commander. He followed Osama bin Laden’s lead on media releases â€Å"building an ever-more sophisticated propaganda arm for al Qaeda in Arabian Penin sula† (Kurczy, 2010). 5. Nasir al Wuhayshi, head of AQAP. Known as the personal secretary of Osama bin Laden (Kurczy, 2010). Most of AQAP is made up of fighters that returned from Afghanistan during the Russian invasion and fighters that have been serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. They lure new recruits who are sympathetic to al Qaeda and have animosity towards the U.S. and western nations. The recruiting pool is vast in the region with fighters fleeing Iraq and Afghanistan and relocating to Yemen and Somalia. Both countries have weak central governments that are conducive for lawlessness in the region and have vast ungoverned territory. Government cooperation with American counter-terrorism efforts has historically been spotty and portions of both populations are hostile to the United States. (Kerry, 2010) AQAP aims to overthrow the Yemeni government for its support to the U.S. and its offensive operations against al Qaeda. The group also emphasizes its global ambitions and desire to target western interests within the region. Additionally, AQAP has stated it will focus on cutting supply lines of western nations supporting Israel and looks to expand its influence throughout the region (Boucek, 2010). The animosity against the western nations continues to grow, as does the technology and ideas for new weapons. The newest information is that a poisoned perfume plot against religious and government officials was prevented due to arrest of 149 al Qaeda suspects. This is just an example of the creativity AQAP has come up with. Last summer the country’s Deputy Interior Minister had been attempted to be assassinated by a bomber with the weapon in his anus (Rawnsley, 2010). These weapons are just the newest form used by AQAP. Yemen has emerged as a major staging base for al Qaeda and other likeminded groups for attacking American targets within Yemen as well as to reach targets outside of Yemen including the United States. U.S. officials have warned that al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula was a growing threat even before the failed 2009, Christmas Day airline bombing attempt (Kerry, 2010). In February 2009, Director of National Intelligence Dennis Blair stated that, â€Å"Yemen is reemerging as a jihadist battleground and potential regional base of operations for Al Qaeda  to plan internal and external attacks, train terrorists, and facilitate the movement of operatives.† (Rollins, 2010). The threat coming from AQAP is greater than the threat coming from al Qaeda’s central leadership located in Pakistan. AQAP is increasingly a more pressing concern for U.S. national security. AQAP has relative freedom of movement in the Arabian Peninsula and region which allows for its ability to increase its ranks through recruitment as well as its ability to train new recruits. Additionally, AQAP has also shown its ability to influence other like-minded individuals to conduct attacks to our homeland with little to no warning. AQAP has proven it has the means and capability to attempt to conduct attacks globally although it has yet to be successful. It is only a matter of time before they possess the ability and trained personnel that are able to conduct something equal to or greater than the attacks against the United States on September 11, 2001. AQAP poses a direct threat to the U.S. and U.S. interest of stability and security in the Arabian Peninsula. AQAP is capable of every threat that has been uttered against the US and western countries. The US as well as the other western territories that are considered allies against AQAP, can end or at least moderate the terroristic threat by â€Å"interdicting terrorists, disrupt their planning, restrict their travel, reduce the flow of financial (EO 13224 signed 9/23/01) and material support to terrorist groups, and enable partner governments to assert control over weakly governed territory where terrorists find sanctuary† (US Department of State, 2005). The Antiterrorism Assistance program is a well used deterrent against FTO’s such as AQAP. The AQAP became a bigger threat than al Qaeda, and the instability and security issues within the Arabian Peninsula are threats we must contend with. With the knowledge and training gained since the imperative attacks on American soil in 2001, we can deter and detain these terrorists and protect our homeland and allies. The ideologies and animosity against the US and other western nations are targeted towards the recruiting of others who sympathize with al Qaeda. Preemptive and retaliatory methods are other forces to use to impede the AQAP’s threats and/or attacks. It is also noted in the Country Reports that by American’s helping partner nations in the quest for improving their abilities to detect and prevent terrorist activities this will clearly enhance the overall security of all nations (US Department of State, 2005). References Boucek, Christopher (2010). Terrorism out of Yemen. Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. Retrieved from http://carnegieendowment.org/publications/index.cfm?fa=viewid=41705 References Bryant, C., Kasinof, L. (2010, October 29). Suspicious UPS, FedEx packages raise new concerns about Al Qaeda in Yemen. Christian Science Monitor. p. N.PAG. Retrieved from EBSCOhost CPJ. (2008, April 15). Iraq: Journalists Abducted 2003-09. Retrieved March 15, 2011, from Committee to Protect Journalists: Defending Journalists Worldwide: http://cpj.org/reports/2008/04/abducted.php. Gerstein, Josh (2010). Clinton named Al Qaeda Yemen as terror group. Politico. Retrieved from http://www.politico.com/blogs/joshgerstein/0110/Clinton_named_AlQaeda_Yemen_as_terror_group_a_month_ago.html Kerry, John (2010). Al Qaeda in Yemen and Somalia: A ticking Time Bomb. Committee on foreign relations United States Senate. Retrieved from http://www.fas.org/irp/congress/2010_rpt/sfrc-aq.pdf Kurczy, S. (2010, November 2). Five key members of Al Qaeda in Yemen (AQAP). Christian Science Monitor. p. N.PAG. Retrieved from EBSCOhost. Poland, J. (2005 ). Understanding terrorism: Groups, strategies, and responses 2nd edition. Upper Saddle River: Pearson. Rawnsley, A. (2010, December 7). Danger Room Whats Next in National Security. Retrieved March 15, 2011, from Wired: http://www.wired.com/dangerroom/2010/12/al-qaedas-latest-weapon-poison-perfume/ Rollins, John (2010). Al Qaeda and Affiliates: Historical Perspective, Global Presence, and Implications for U.S. Policy. Congressional research Service. Retrieved from http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/terror/R41070.pdf US Department of National Security. (2006). The National Security Strategy of the United States of America. Washington DC: USDOS. US Department of State. (2005). Country Reports on Terrorism 2004. Washington DC: US Government.

Wednesday, January 22, 2020

History of rock and roll music outline :: essays research papers

History of the rock music industry Introduction: I.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  How has an industry grown to become a 32 billion dollars a year machine? II.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ill tell ou how, by scouting new talents from each and every corner of the world to bring us the music that each of us desires. III.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  This is the recording industry which even though their sales have been steadily declining due to internet piracy it is still an industry which has great importance in our lives. As college students alone spend about 450 million dollars on music, according to Harris Interactive a worldwide market research and consulting firm. Ever since the birth of recorded music, it has defined our eras and defined each and every one of us. Music has been and always will be the soundtrack of our lives. IV.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Today I will try and familiarize you with the great changes this business has gone through. V.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  To make this short I will start in the 50’s the golden age of rock and roll, continue to the 60’s with beatlemania, on to the 70’s with disco and punk rock, then the 80’s on through today. Body: I.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  First I will start by discussing the various genres that created rock music in the 50’s and 60’s. A.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Rhythm and Blues 1.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Chuck Berry, Elvis Presley, Buddy Holly 2.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Their influences II.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Second I will tell you with more detail the numerous events of the 60’s that shaped the way the music industry was ran and the way rock music sounded. A.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Beatles, and other pop acts and their influence. B.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The shift of interest towards profits instead of creativity in the Industry. C.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The emergence of counter pop movements. D.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Record labels look to capitalize on these movements. III.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Third I will discuss the seventies. A.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Folk rock and other sub-genres B.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Disco C.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Punk rock and its deviance from major record companies IV.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Fourth and last I will talk about the eighties on through today, and how this industry morphed into what it is today. A. The beginnings of rap. B. â€Å"Hair Bands† C. Grunge (Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Soundgarden†¦) D. Hip – Hop and music today. Conclusion: I.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  I now come to an end of explaining the changes the music industry has gone through from the fifties on through today. The fifties with its rhythm and blues that gave way to rock and roll, the sixties with the rise of big record labels and their attention shifting more towards pop music that would drive their profits sky high. The seventies with the advent of what we now know as rock.

Tuesday, January 14, 2020

How does Owen explore horror of war? Essay

In the poem ‘Dulce et Decorum Est’ Owen effectively discusses the true sadness and horror about war, of young men ushered by the home-front, in particular the women and the church to go to war to achieve honour and recognition. However the men who go to war become mentally and physically disabled from the violence and inhumane nature of war through the great loss of life. The young soldiers receive no honour from war and there was a great lack of recognition for them. The soldiers became dependent on the community at home after becoming disabled and before growing and experiencing independence, losing all quality of life. In the poem ‘Dulce Et Decorum Est’, Owen explores the concept of the mental trauma suffered by the soldiers using first person â€Å" In all my dreams before my helpless sight† to emphasize the extensive amount of mental trauma the soldiers suffered during war. The word choice of ‘dreams’ highlights the irony in this quote where even a scene as horrifying as this, is still incomparable to other encounters that he would qualify as nightmares. This idea is further explored in the inclusive language â€Å"If you could hear, at every jolt, the blood come†¦ from the froth-corrupted lungs† the inclusive language and truncated sentence shocks the readers with horrifying depiction of a gas attack. The tone of reflection and horror emphasises the traumatic experience of the soldier and how he will always be haunted by it. Owen further explores the horrors of war in ‘Dulce Et Decorum Est’ where he describes the soldiers experiences with such confronting images that it shocks and horrifies the readers, for example â€Å" Obscene as cancer, bitter as the cud Of vile, incurable sores on innocent tongues† the truncated sentence is used effectively to highlight and describe the horrifying image of the soldiers appearance after being gassed at war. The commas in the truncated sentence slow down the pace of the poem to make the readers fully grasp and imagine the sight. Owen has also used hyperbole â€Å" Men marched asleep. Many had lost their boots† to further exaggerate the extremities of the conditions of the soldiers, where they were so tired they appeared to be sleeping. The illusion in ‘Many had lost their boots’ further illustrates the tremendous amount of physical damage. Boots were considered to be the most important protection at war from becoming lame from trench foot or any other infections caused by the sludge they walked through. The mention of losing their boots dictates just how poor the soldier’s conditions were. Owen’s tone is pitiful and sad because of the extreme physical condition of the soldiers were so horrific that they were life threatening, and were all for nothing as the soldiers who went to war for honour and recognition, never received any. The horrors of war is explored by Owen through sadness of the loss of youth in the war and lack of quality of life and recognition for the soldiers â€Å" My friend, you would not tell with such high zest to children ardent for some desperate glory the old Lie: Dulce et decorum est Pro patria Mori† The archaic language of ‘Dulce Et Decorum Est, Pro Patria Mori’ means ‘it is sweet and honourable to die for our country’. Owen uses the latin phrase to challenge the home-fronts notions of the honour in war by using one of the foundations of this belief. The use inclusive language of ‘my friend’ is used to speak directly to the reader as to create a greater understanding of Owens objection of the notions at the home-front surrounding war between them. The words ‘my friend’ are also used sarcastically by Owen as he blames the home-front for the loss of youth. In the quote, Owens tone is angry, guilty and pitiful for what the young soldiers experience, Owen uses capitol letter â€Å"Lie† to emphasize the importance of the word to the reader. The poet uses structure to highlight the horror of war â€Å"Gas!Gas! Quick,Boys!† the alliteration of the G is harsh and creates a sound of soldiers running to save their lives, also the uses of the exclamation marks are used to make the poem more conversational which makes the reader more emotionally involved through the poem. The structure is 4 unequal stanzas the stanzas vary in length to give the impression of the soldiers drifting in and out of consciousness, either through fatigue or through the gas attack. The poem’s structure is to see it as being based on two sonnets. The first one, with one stanza of 8 lines and one of 6 follows the stanza form, if not the rhyme structure of the classical Petrarchan sonnet. The second one could be seen as being an inversion of the stanza form of the Shakespearians sonnet( 3 quatrains or 12 lines plus a final couplet). Owen uses rhythm and rhyme â€Å"sacks-backs, sludge-trudge, boots-hoots† to convey the idea of soldiers marching. In conclusion Owen uses a variety of techniques such as simile, alliteration and rhymes to convey the horror of war; also by using good diction, vivid comparisons, and graphic images to have the reader feel disgusted at what war is capable of. This poem is extremely effective as an anti-war poem, making war seem absolutely horrid and futile.

Monday, January 6, 2020

Should The Legal Alcohol Age Be Changed - 1560 Words

Introduction To fight for our country at the age of 18 and seeing things that only you could imagine in the battlefield. Coming home from deployment and just wanting a simple beer for your hard work but not being able to buy any because you are not 21 years of age. How is that fair to the men in the military forces? Fighting for our country’s freedom but not being able to have a few beers with your closest friends and family members. The topic of the legal alcohol age being changed has been a great topic for anyone to discuss. It ties in with the military, it can be connected to criminal justice, and it can be related to alcohol safety at college. Alcohol Consumption There are many pros and cons on the topic of changing the legal alcohol buying age to 18. For example a major pro for alcohol at the age of 18 is adulthood. Eighteen is the age of adulthood in the United States, and we as adults should have the right to make our own decisions about alcohol consumption. At the age of 18 we are allowed to gamble, serve on juries, vote, smoke cigarettes, and serve the military. Also not to mention to be responsible for signing contracts and also the ability to get married. When we turn 18 we already have great responsibilities, so why shouldn’t the age limit of drinking and buying alcohol be dropped to 18. If 18 year olds can vote for the leader of our country, they are probably responsible enough to consume alcohol. The biggest reason the alcohol age limit is at 21Show MoreRelatedThe Legal Drinking Age Should Be Abolished893 Words   |  4 Pages Legal at Eighteen Currently in the United States the legal age to drink alcohol is twenty-one years old. Before the 1980s, the legal drinking age was eighteen years old. In 1980, the drinking age was changed to twenty-one to diminish the number of traffic deaths caused by young drunk drivers. Changing the drinking age to twenty-one has not reduced drinking, it only made teens drink in unsafe and illegal environments. The drinking age should be changed to eighteen, because eighteen year oldsRead MoreThe Minimum Drinking Age Act1211 Words   |  5 Pagesfind it hard to understand that at the age of eighteen you can fight and die for your country, but you cannot legally drink or purchase alcoholic beverages. Others find it hard to believe that there are people who want people under the age of twenty-one drinking. The important question is: should the drinking age be lowered to eighteen instead of remaining at twenty-one? The legal drinking age is the age at which a person can consume or purchase alcohol. These laws cover a wide range of issuesRead MoreThe Legal Drinking Age Should Be Abolished1634 Words   |  7 Pagesand Liquor: A Balancing Act Laws surrounding alcohol use and consumption in the United States all stem from one major root: the Prohibition Era of the 1920s. The Prohibition Era lasted almost thirteen years and banned the production, the distribution, and the sale of alcohol. In 1933, the Prohibition Act was repealed and states designated their own legal drinking age. In 1984 the National Minimum Drinking Age act was passed and raised the drinking age in the United States to twenty-one. This lawRead MoreNot Lowering the Drinking Age1642 Words   |  7 Pagesthe Drinking Age Many teenage deaths in the United States are caused in some way by the influence of alcohol; however, many people still believe that the legal drinking age should be reduced to eighteen. This issue has been going on for years, but the law has not been changed since the change to twenty-one in 1980. States have become stricter about preventing under-age drinking, but teenagers have no problem getting alcohol. There are many arguments in favor of changing the drinking age back to eighteenRead More Lowering the Legal Minimum Drinking Age Essay1622 Words   |  7 Pagespurely the root of all accidents related to alcohol. The real problem lies within the unsafe underage drinking habits amongst youth. There are ways that these alcohol-related accidents can be avoided. Several organizations have been created that are targeting a change in the legal drinking age laws. One key way to lower the risk of unsafe drinking is to lower the minimum legal drinking age from twenty-one to eighteen. The minimum legal drinking age was not always twenty-one; it has fluctuatedRead MoreWe Can Fight in a War, but Cant Have a Drink?877 Words   |  4 Pagesfor college students under the age of twenty-one. The legal drinking age should be changed from twenty-one to eighteen. Not only would it create more buyers in a struggling economy, but it just makes the most logical sense in a country where anyone eighteen or over is considered an adult. In 1987 the United States passed a law mandating all states to have a twenty-one year old alcohol purchase age. This means over half of college students are not legal to buy alcohol. College kids are college kidsRead MoreIncrease in the Legal Drinking Age870 Words   |  3 PagesAnother reason why the legal drinking age was changed is because of the fact that the adolescent brain is not fully developed; it is supposed that â€Å"excessive alcohol intake causes brain damage† in teens. However, in order for damage to occur, the drinking has to be extremely excessive. If there are only a few of these extreme bingeing â€Å"episodes,† they do no harm to the adolescent brain (Minimum Drinking Age). David J. Hanson, a professor at the University of New York at Potsdam, states, â€Å"There’sRead MoreShould The Legal Age Be Lowered?1326 Words   |  6 PagesShould the legal age be lowered? There are many arguments on why the legal drinking age should be lowered to eighteen. To some, lowering the drinking age to eighteen makes sense and to others it does not make sense at all. Most people believe that if eighteen year olds are old enough to make big decisions such as enlist in the Army, Navy, or other Military services then eighteen year olds are old enough to drink also. Not only does lowering the legal drinking age put the drinker at harm but alsoRead MoreThe Effects of Lowering the Drinking Age to 181126 Words   |  5 PagesComposition 15 December 2012 Lowering The Drinking Age Alcohol is considered to be a large problem in society today. Especially with young adults between the ages of eighteen and twenty-one. Which presents the question of whether or not the drinking age should be lowered. Lowering the legal drinking age to eighteen would have positive and negative influences on society. Positive through raising more government taxes and keep high school age and young college students out of trouble with theRead MoreDrinking at 18 Essay1243 Words   |  5 Pagesprobably right, but over half of those people drinking are also under the legal drinking age. Drinking is one of the main forms of entertainment for the typical college student. The only problem with drinking being the main form of entertainment is that half of the students in college or 20 years or younger. This seems to be a problem all over the country and a debate has started to see whether or not lowering the drinking age would be a reasonable solution to keep students from over drinking . Many