Category: Warfare

Introduction

Well, the first thing one is compelled to notice in this article (Neylam Plan 1939) in the 1939 Times is that the headline spelling of the subject’s name is different from that in the body of the article. The spelling in the body is correct. Now if the reporter cannot get the guy’s name right, what else did he get wrong? The article took a few sentences of the report out of context, so it was not actually representative of the entire plan. Neylan’s reputation was such at the time, though, that one can understand if the reporter sis not spend a lot of time with “Blackjack Neylan”.

As for whether or not the plan would have worked, not very likely. It would have cost five billion dollars and possibly averted war for a while, but the war was over more than just money or territory. In fact, Adolph Hitler was already in power in Germany at that time, so giving Germany money would only have helped to finance his world plan. It might have helped to distribute this money much earlier after the rather less than stellar Treaty of Versailles, but the US did not want to finance the rebuilding of Europe. The was debts to the US companies did present a definite burden to England, France and Germany, but they were not forgiven, even though England and France forgave Germany’s debts.. Germany had lost manufacturing and mining territories returned to France. France was still economically devastated by the war. The US had pulled back into isolationism and left Europe to stew.

Of course more countries were involved in the war than just those to whom this plan would have given money: Russia, China, Japan and all the Soviet Block countries. The cost of WWII was, indeed, huge at over a trillion dollars in just property, but this does not include the eventual profits made from this war also. Wars are generally profitable for the victors. The US would have had to give away considerably more to more countries than this plan provided. In addition, the great depression was looming on the horizon, brought on by mismanagement and banking problems. The American public would never have accepted such a plan at that juncture.

The last point against this plan is just one learned by experience. Money is simply not the solution to many problems. The various countries involved failed in one way or another in meeting after meeting to avoid the war. Churchill tried appeasement and virtually gave away whole countries to Germany. War might have been avoided if something had been done immediately following the end of WWI, but after ten years passed, we were on the course for war eventually. This plan could not have prevented it, but would only have changed its character.

Critique of Article on No Casualty Lists

The 1942 article in The Times entitled No Casualty Lists was biased and sensational. The article listed a few real unfortunate problems with misreporting deaths which had not occurred to families. However, the families concerned would rather have been notified in private than f=to see it on the news. In addition, the claim that reporting deaths in the press would compromise the safety of the troops still out there was perfectly valid.

There is no indication in the article that any of the mistakes they listed could have been avoided by allowing the press to publish casualties. The young man in Hawaii was probably not located until after the notice was sent. The other fellows who were reported as dead to their families were also not necessarily easily found, and a body resembling someone who was missing could have been misidentified if the persons dog tags were gone. Many times a member of platoon who feel would be missing the dog tags, because his buddies took them as they moved on in order to report the death. If they were not back in safe territory before the report was made, the wrong assumption could be made.

Yes, it is sad that some people suffered undue grief from mistaken reports of the deaths of their loved ones. However, imagine the powerful joy when they found it was a mistake. Few people have that experience, and I doubt any of those who did were anxious to punish the service for being wrong.

The truth is that newspapers make money from news, so they want to publish all the news they can. That would motivate an enterprising reporter to write this misleading piece of propaganda. It is not necessary for the casualty lists to be made public and it would be cruel to have families find out from the new. In addition, publishing the lists will not make them any more accurate. The reporter was promoting his cause using flawed logic.

Critique of Recruitment in #s

This article is a good example of poorly written filler. It is difficult in reading this article to actually understand what the problem is, and what the numbers are. It seems that the writer of this article was doing the very same thing he accused the defense department of doing. He was trying to give the impression that recruitment was going to badly and that the services would be possibly drafting women. He did not say it straight out, but placed the little bit about women doing many jobs as well as men strategically so it would be misread.

The article began with real numbers, then continued to talk about projected numbers. Finally the writer turned once again to real numbers, but only after a great deal of innuendo about numbers being down. In fact, recruitment of volunteer soldiers was way up after the attack on Pearl Harbor.

The article also suffers from poor organization, giving more numbers at the end but not directly connecting them to the previous figures. The article probably took this slant in order to promote enlistment, but it seems that this could have been achieved with a well written and factual article just as well.

The article was likely written by some poor junior reported who was handed a list of numbers and did what he could with them. The lack of organization, the oddly coarse rhetoric (calling draftees “fish or “plunking” defense workers back on to the draft list) The organization made the content difficult to understand and the little bit in the middle about using women was there merely to get attention.

References

Neylam plan, 1939, NY Times on line, Web.

No casualty list , 1942, NY Times on line, Web.

Recruitment in #’s, 1942, NY Times on line, Web.

Introduction

President Bush stated the country’s intent to initiate a ‘War on Terrorism’ as a reactionary response to the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on America. He characterized this war as a prolonged battle against those that would employ terrorist actions along with the nations that enabled them. The ultimate culmination of this rhetoric combined with selective legal reasoning was the invasion of Iraq, an illegal act on many fronts. This war has caused great suffering and death, is costing the U.S. the respect of the world’s nations, continues to incite and encourage terrorism and has costs ranging in the hundreds of billion of dollars.

Main text

The Bush administration was head-strong in its cavalier use of military force and lacked respect for laws agreed to by the world’s community of nations. Bush has constantly maintained that these actions against sovereign countries were legal. First, he argues, because of existing language within the UN Security Council resolutions on Iraq, secondly, the invasions are an act of self-defense which international law permits. However, according to Richard Perle, a top official of the U.S. Defense Policy Board and advisor to U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, “international law… would have required us to leave Saddam Hussein alone” (Burkeman & Borger, 2003). Yet, this would have been “morally unacceptable” according to the Bush administration.

The U.S. justified its invasion and occupation of Iraq to the nations of the world by proclaiming, if not proving, that it was a mission to remove weapons of mass destruction which threatened not only the U.S. but all other nations as well. Secretary of State Colin Powell and other administration officials, particularly with the U.S. Department of State, eagerly endeavored to state their rationale for aggressive military actions and make it as palatable to as many other countries as they could.

Deputy Secretary of Defense Paul Wolfowitz is quoted in an interview with Vanity Fair magazine dated 28 May 2003 as saying, “For bureaucratic reasons, we settled on one issue, weapons of mass destruction” (Shovelan, 2003). Prior to the invasion, Hans Blix, who headed the UN weapons inspection team in Iraq, stated without a doubt and quite publicly that they had not been able to uncover any evidence of biological, nuclear or chemical weapons in Iraq following three years of inspections. He went on to say that he doubted that these weapons had ever existed (“Hans Blix”, 2003).

Following the dubious invasion of Iraq, no ‘massive stockpiles’ of weapons were ever found. On August 2, 2004, President Bush again claimed he had received false information from his own intelligence service but by now had changed his reasoning for invading Iraq. “Knowing what I know today we still would have gone on into Iraq. He [Saddam] had the capability of making weapons of mass destruction. He had terrorists ties … the decision I made is the right decision. The world is better off without Saddam Hussein in power” (“Kerry”, 2006).

At best, the information provided to Bush was faulty, at worst; his justification for war was based purely on fabrications. The alleged link between the terrorist group Al Qaeda and Iraq was referenced before the war and became the primary excuse of the Bush administration following the lack of weapons evidence. Contrary to these assertions of terrorist ties, then Secretary of State Powell stated in January of 2004, “I have not seen a smoking-gun, concrete evidence about the [terrorist] connection” (“Iraq After Saddam”, 2004).

Conclusion

The rationale for the invasion of Iraq was not based on the stated goal of fighting terrorism and it has provided fresh examples of U.S. brutality for al-Qaeda recruiters. The illegal war in Iraq has caused terrorist attacks to increase as well as the loss of many thousands of Iraqi and Allied lives as a consequence and has cost the U.S. dearly as far as international respect is concerned. Additionally, this ‘war’ has monetary costs reaching into the hundreds of billions of dollars which has crippled the U.S. economy and will continue to for many years in the future.

Works Cited

Burkeman, Oliver & Borger, Julian. “War Critics Astonished as US Hawk Admits Invasion was Illegal.” Manchester Guardian. (2003). Web.

“Hans Blix’s Briefing to the Security Council.” Guardian Unlimited. (2003). Web.

“Iraq After Saddam: GIs Swoop Down On Tikrit Suspects Iraq.” CBS News. (2004). Web.

“Kerry Seeks Urgency Against Terrorists.” MSNBC. (2004). Web.

Shovelan, John. “Wolfowitz Reveals Iraq PR Plan.” The World Today. (2003). Web.

London Bombing

The terrorist bombs that hit London’s mass transit system on July 7 presented U.K. life insurers with a scenario that has become familiar in recent years: a highly public event and a number of potential claims involving yet-to-be-identified victims (Bombers target London, 2007).

The identification of victims in the London bombings was hampered by the location of the Piccadilly Line train in which a large number of the victims died. Not only was the tunnel containing the train deep underground, but it had a very narrow clearance on each side. Flyers describing the missing were posted near King’s Cross Station (Bombers target London, 2007).

The Oklahoma Bombing

It was morning, around 9:30 am, 19th of April 1995 when the people in Oklahoma City were left dumbfounded because of the explosion that was heard in one of the business districts of the city. The explosion started from a rental truck parked near a 9-story building. The impact was so strong that a major part of the said building collapsed.

Hundreds of deaths were recorded – young and old, males and females. A significantly high number of people were sent to hospitals because of severe burns and injuries caused by the explosion. Based on series of investigations conducted, the truck that exploded contained varied forms of chemicals, which are actually used by any normal civilian. The chemicals found in the truck includes some “5,000 pounds (2,300 kg) of ammonium nitrate, an agricultural fertilizer, and nitromethane, a highly volatile motor-racing fuel—a mixture also known as Kinepak or ANFO (ammonium nitrate/fuel oil)” (Oklahoma City Bombing, n. d.).

The said explosion was viewed as a form of terrorist attack in the US. Based on the reports provided, the convicted person has been planning the said attack several months prior to the explosion. He was seen buying the above-stated chemicals as if it was just for a normal farm or household use. The effect and pain of the said bombing are still being remembered by the Americans until now, even after it has been more than a decade since it happened.

What Went Wrong? – A Comparative Analysis

The 1995 Oklahoma City bombing is one of the firsts that can be considered as a form of terrorist attack in the United States. Like the Oklahoma bombing, the London bombing is also one of the firsts in the history of the UK, or much specifically in London. It should be noted that terrorism is now one of the biggest problems of many countries around the globe. However, there had been many lapses as to how both the UK and the US governments treated the terrorism attacks, such as what happened in Oklahoma and in London. These lapses, when corrected, are believed to be capable of preventing more attacks in the US, in the UK or to any other country for that matter.

As far as the word terrorism and bombing had been overly used in every context, there is no exact definition as yet regarding the term. Even the United Nations had not been able to clearly define the word. This problem was deemed to be the reason why until at this moment, combating terrorism and terrorist attacks, like bombings, had been the hardest task for every nation including the United States.

The first step in dealing with any problem is to make sure that it is understood properly. Unless the problem of identifying what terrorism actions truly means, the reality of combating this problem is too bleak. Terrorism is a complex issue that needs to address first the identification of who the enemies are before doing a single move against it. During the early years of terrorism, there had not been enough attention given to this globally alarming problem.

However, there had been myths presented regarding terrorism. Academics, media, government officials, and others had tried their best to contribute to leading the policies of countering terrorism yet nothing seems to be effective. Numerous first steps had been developed as anti-terrorism strategies, but all had failed – because all of the information was just mythical. (Jackson, 2002)

Although both the US and the UK State Departments had its annual list of terrorist groups and at the same time the state supporter of terrorism is the most widely accepted formulation in countering terrorism, there is yet consistency from both governments that remains lacking in dealing with terrorism. The list had been changing on a regular basis according to prevailing policies. This situation only creates as much confusion to the community as the word terrorism had been confusing to them as well.

For example, when McVeigh of the Oklahoma bombing was still buying the items he needed to make the bomb, nobody suspected him capable of plotting a terrorist attack, much more of killing hundreds of people. When Osama bin Laden was fighting the Soviets in Afghanistan with CIA support, he was nowhere to be seen on that list. But now, he, of course, is number one. At one time or another, both the IRA and the ANC were on the list. Iraq was on it as a terror-supporting state, then off during the war against Iran, and then went back on the list after the 1991 Gulf War (Jackson, 2002)

Another error is the present insistence on designating the collective enemy as ‘international terrorism, as if such a phenomenon actually exists. While there are terrorist organizations that operate across borders – giving them the ‘international’ context, they are all unique groups that have to be understood in terms of their own history, ideology, and social and political contexts.

Acts of terrorism can come in different forms. It is, in fact, a misnomer to assume that Palestinian ‘terrorism’, Irish ‘terrorism’, Basque ‘terrorism’, Tamil ‘terrorism’, Islamic ‘terrorism’, ‘narco-terrorism or anti-abortion ‘terrorism’ in the United States have anything more than superficial similarities. In the same context, it is false to assume that there is no difference between revolutionary terrorism and nationalist terrorism, as well as the difference between ideological terrorism and religious terrorism (Jackson, 2002).

A significant problem that exists on this issue is that an act of terrorism is only considered when it happens. If no attacks happen, terrorism does not exist. Like what happened to both the London and the Oklahoma bombing.

Needless to say, it is only when various terrorist groups started pestering the country that the government had thought it existed. Americans and the British people tend to perceive it as a one-off event (Jackson, 2002).

Moreover, the media plays a significant role as well in recognizing terrorism. Due to the media tendencies of quickly abandoning the story once it had lost its drama, issues on terrorism becomes any other news story that could be just thrown away and be forgotten. Thus, it is not surprising then that people fail to appreciate its context, or see it as one part of a long-running historical struggle. (Jackson, 2002).

Aside from these all, there seems to be wrong allocation of resources and focus of the government. Admittedly, one of the hardest parts in combating any terrorist behaviors like bombings and massive killings is that it had become a part of a political issue. It had become a political issue because politicians begin to make statements about it, and a national political issue when Presidents make statements about it. Only when there were already men who had been direct victims of terrorism that the politicians had tried to address the issues of terrorism. (Hewitt, 2002)

General Analysis

The negligence on the part of the government and the police officials of both countries (the US and the UK) regarding bombings and other forms of terrorist attacks could be pointed out as the main cause of its inability to prevent it. However, according to Jackson (2002), terrorism can never be totally defeated. It can never be eliminated or suppressed by any society. Terrorism is similar to an organized crime that can never be overcome. No other measure can ever stop it, however it can be lessened (Jackson, 2002).

There are two general points that should be made about the London bombing, the Oklahoma bombing and all other forms of deadly attacks. First, counterterrorism policy should not overemphasize weapons of mass destruction and spectacular events. Most terrorism is small-scale, carried out by a handful of people or even a single individual. Most terrorist attacks result in minor damage, and usually cause no fatalities. Bombing casualties overall are minor compared with those caused by other natural and social disasters. Second, although the Oklahoma City bombing was followed by a resolve to crush terrorism wherever it existed, history suggests that complete victory is unlikely (Hewitt, 2002)

The more that the country insists on finding measures of totally suppressing terrorism, the more that the country might be neglecting other areas that could have at least prepared itself from being once again a victim of small-time yet produce larger scale impact of bombings. With all the listed preventive and counter-terrorism measures that all concerned citizen has now been using, there seems to be one that has not given much attention – and that is the easy access to various chemicals that are in fact important factors to making bombs (that are used for terrorist attacks).

Looking closely at what McVeigh did in the Oklahoma bombing, it should be noted that he acted just like a normal civilian. He was able to buy huge amounts of the chemicals which enable him to create the bombs he needed for his planned bombing.

His plan and actions were so simple yet very effective. Why is that no one have ever questioned why these chemicals can be easily be bought by anyone? Why is that nobody has proposed of imposing authorized and/or limited access to chemicals that are known to be capable of exploding? This is one very simple idea yet the effect will surely be profound.

Had there been strict and limited access to chemicals, the bombings will surely not have become feasible.

Indeed, various forms of terrorism could attack all countries around the world. The only way to fight against it would be to make the country prepared of any kind of terrorist attack that the “terrorists” might impose on the country. Preparedness is yet but the key to fighting against terrorism.

Works Cited:

Gareau, F. 2004. State Terrorism and the United States: From Counterinsurgency to the War on Terrorism. Clarity Press, Atlanta. Publication.

Hewitt, C. 2002. Understanding Terrorism in America: From the Klan to Al Qaeda. Routledge, New York. p. 1.

“Homeland Security Technology.” 2006. Web.

Jackson, R. 2002. The Discourses of Terrorism: Myths and Misconceptions Richard Jackson Discusses the Nature of Terror and Questions the Likelihood of Success in the Present.

Library Factfiles. 2003. “The Oklahoma City Bombing”. Web.

“Bombers Target London” 2007. CNN.com. Web.

Oklahoma City bombing: What Really Happened?”. Web.

United States, Counter-Terrorism Policy. 2006. Web.

Introduction

When a newspaper or a TV channel proclaims that all the news they provide is ‘unbiased’ and ‘first hand’, one cannot but help read or watch the news that is proffered without an element of doubt. All over the world, there is constant endeavor to tell a story as it is; but is it done, is a moot question. One event in history that shook the entire world, irrespective of caste, creed, or color, was the 9/11 bombing of the World Trade Center. Millions were directly and indirectly affected by this act of terrorism; an act that has succeeded in making most of us look behind our backs every time we come across a person who vaguely resembles the image of a terrorist that we have in our minds.

A videotape of the voice and image

The news report that is the topic of this discussion is the ‘appearance’ of a videotape purported to have the voice and image of Osama bin Laden on it. Dated on the 7th of September 2007, this tape is claimed to be the voice of the ‘original’ Laden. The tape shows a youngish-looking Laden, spewing out hate messages and warnings to the West. What is interesting to note is that the figure on this tape looks a lot younger than the one displayed four years ago. To those who are totally against President Bush and his foreign policies, this is a chance to deride and comment upon the timing of the release of this videocassette. Needless to say, that this has stirred up one more hornet’s nest in the country.

Conclusion

What merits discussion here, is the sensationalism of the whole issue. There is no doubt that Laden is and will continue to be ‘hot’ news, irrespective of the authenticity of the news given. Most of the time, the media insists on giving what they presume the public want to hear or read.

Lara is a young lady whose family was killed during the war. Her brother was mobilized as a militiaman and she go married one of his pals, who mistreated her and who was later murdered in battle. Combating made her move from one place to another, living in protections and sometimes vending her body to stay alive and buy food. She was uneducated and did not have a place to go.

Sana was a 15-year-old when she entrusted suicide. She was born in war and raised considering that it was never-ending. She and her parents were made move, initially from their village and lots of times later from their sanctuary. She considered that life was not worth living.

Jamal is a young boy who has watched demolition and murders. He was combating with militia when a bomb fell and blew up, tearing three of his friends into parts. Two months after it, a break in fighting succeeded and he saw his militia chief hugging the leader of the “enemy.” He can not realize why he and his friends were combating when everything could have been resolved peacefully and saved lives. He does not have capabilities to earn a living and is now addicted to heroine. To get finances for his addiction he steals. Lately he was imprisoned of murdering a man while attempting to steal his car.

These are only few examples the children of Lebanon have suffered. Even however the United Nations proclaimed its Declaration of Human Rights in 1949 as a promise to a humanitarian and enlightened existence, and the Geneva Convention pledged the defense of civilians in period of war, the standard of civilian protection does not survive in reality, and inhabitants have always suffered. This is factual in such instances as Vietnam, Hiroshima, Beirut, and Sarajevo. Among inhabitants, the most susceptible groups are kids and teenagers, who are eager to know all that happens around them. They do not miss an opportunity on the enthusiasm and they are the ones who typically require security and refuge. Death and injuries happen at random and as a cause children question the honesty of their parents and matures.

In war areas, blameless people die in ache in front of the eyes of their relatives. Civilians move in great waves, which causes social and dwelling troubles. Blockades, hunger, and deliberate assaults on civilians are general war processes-as antique as warfare itself. As children often have no consideration what a weapon is, they play with it, with disastrous consequences.

The family splits and the injure to it cannot be regarded in cold figures. As an alternative, people should consider of confused humans in problem. In the nonattendance of government direction, inflation and redundancy increase and destroy adolescents’ visions and ambitions.

The Lebanese children have observed war incursions, car detonations, and shelling and have regarded their houses obliterated. They have slept in cellars, halls, or stair-wells; about 150,000 Lebanese children have lost their families, who were murdered in a savage way. They were made flee with their relatives to safer locations and were not permitted to play outdoors for fear of shielding. That accused the atmosphere indoors with nervousness, and augmented violence among children and adoloscents.

Introduction

The security of the world’s population is much more paramount than the personal interest or states interest. The suffering of the Iraq citizens is not bound to the defiance of the international security concerns. Insecurity within and without any country is much associated to the low production of the particulars state. The concern creating unrest due to the possessions of dangerous weapons such as bombs was not a joke to the world.

Main body

Beyond, the contemplated reasons of making such weapons by the Iraq people was lately discovered. The stubborn Iraq leader with the feeling of strong nation which wanted to prove to the others was also a super power led to the perilous attacks. It is a grievous thing to mention the levels of destruction the nation was wretched to. However, the young and the olds as well as the pregnant mothers were not spared. They were not only tortured to an extent of losing their sustaining perpetual hurt but most of them were also killed. The issue is not the level of torture but this was one of the most astonishing conquering of a nation without discrimination. Now that many people suffered innocently, and the war has not ceased, it is like an eternal problem which has emerged to even worsening the situations for the people of Iraq and the neighbouring states

The bush actions are now being safety for the nations has received major drawbacks. The fact that Bush is eager and much concerned on the people to have a peace world, there is a continued articulation of attack and threat from the profound leaders of the people of terrorism. This has largely emerged in many states especially in Africa. Many terror attacks in the recent two decades have greatly aimed those America people and property in insecure parts of the worlds. The attacks on American embassies in East Africa cost a lot both to the indigenous citizens in the countries in east Africa, but more alarming situations in Kenya. Further, the recent attacks in the American in the pentagons houses were also threatening to the people of American. The doctrines then of the eminent man may merge the terror attacks to create more havoc in the future. (Index Iraq, 2004)

Following the escalation of these technological advanced, the world of the today is trembling on fear of what might happen within the next blink of an eye. The united states fore sight on weapons manufactures and deployment thus should form the fore priority in security matters. From the memories of the early 1980s and those related to 1990s attacks on the Iranians and the Iraq Kurds, it was the lack of vigilance and anticipation to know, that led to destructive attacks on their territories. The sorrows have not faded a way from many Iranians who fell victim of the mustard chemicals weapons. The united state has therefore to takes any opportunity to ensure such cases which preceded others terror action do not keep n repeating themselves. This is quite achievable through the application of preventive strike. Stubborn countries which prove to be adamant to the world’s unity can only be made to understand through the preventive way. However, the preventive striking which is most effectives can be threat cans only solution after a vivid probe is done. This is quite commendable in the avoidance of chance attacks which may bring disparaging results as many worlds’ terrorist claims in the cases of Iraq.

Conclusion

So, the united state has not separate identify to the worlds advances in the economic and security. The united states are the worlds security fighters and probes whose worker should is supported by allies from others nations of peace. Therefore, as they all aimed to one heaven of freedoms from harmful destructives weapons, they should not faced the united nations organizations but the success to terror and weapons disarmaments can only be attained through unity. The English wise men said, “Two heads area better than one”. (Donnelly, 2003)

Reference

Index Iraq (2004): U.S. knowledge about Iraq’s weapons of mass destruction. Web.

Hendren, J. (2005): Policy OKs First Strike to Protect US.

Donnelly, T. (2003): the underpinning of the Bush doctrine: AEI online, Web.

A nuclear weapon is defined as a device that has the ability to explode like a bomb due to a series of chemical reactions through fission (division), fusion (joining), or a combination of both. The reaction produces a lot of energy as compared to its reacting elements. It is reported that for an explosion from a billion kilograms of conventionally high explosives, one needs only 1000kg of thermonuclear weapons. Due to their ability to cause huge explosions, nuclear weapons have been declared to be Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD). This means that their use can result in great losses of life and destruction of property, as was witnessed in August 1945 during World War II when the US detonated it in the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in Japan (Rezelman, Gosling and Terrence; “Page on the Hiroshima casualties”). It caused the death of 120,000 people and later some succumbed to long-term effects related to ionization (radiation).

One frequently asked question is whether there are different types of nuclear weapons? Basically, there are three types of nuclear weapons. The classification depends on the way by which the reaction is initiated. First, we have fission bombs that result from compressing a sub-critical sphere of a material using chemical explosives to multiple times the amount of its density. The second is the thermonuclear bomb where the energy emanating from the fission reactions is used to spark an explosion by compressing on heating fuel (tritium, deuterium, or lithium deuteride). The third and last category comprises neutron, salted, and boosted fission bombs whose reaction modes are based on either one or a combination of the first two. “Swords of Armageddon” (Hansen 50-118).

Facts about nuclear weapons are not known by many, and it is an ongoing debate worldwide on whether to own or not to own nuclear weapons. Some countries are reported to be already having nuclear weapons and those that do not feel left out. Therefore, some of them are trying to acquire the weapons themselves, while others are busy forming allies with the countries that have the weapons.

Many people have expressed their concern about the global security situation due to the presence of these nuclear weapons. To address this, the UN has made proposals on a disarmament process to create a leveled ground security state, worldwide. The condition is that, whether any given country can or can not afford to have nuclear weapons is no question; none of them is authorized to do so. This is what the audience is to be made aware of to help them understand the situation better on the risks the world runs if countries are allowed to acquire the WMD gadgets. A sample of the survey questionnaire to help researchers identify how much his/her audience understands facts on nuclear weapons is as shown below:

1. What is a nuclear weapon?
2. When and where did you first hear of nuclear weapons?
3. What do you think a nuclear weapon is like?
4. In your own opinion, which countries do you think have nuclear weapons?
5. What do you think about a country owning nuclear weapons?
6. Do you accept the use of nuclear weapons?

Work Cited

Hansen, Chuck. Swords of Armageddon: U.S. Nuclear Weapons Development since 1945 Vol 1: Sunnyvale, CA: Chukelea Publications, 1995.

Hansen, Chuck. U.S. Nuclear Weapons: The Secret History. San Antonio, TX: Aerofax, 1988.

Rezelman, David; F.G. Gosling and Terrence R. Fehner: (2000). “The Atomic Bombing of Hiroshima”: The Manhattan Project: An Interactive History. U.S. Department of Energy: The page on Hiroshima casualties.

Introduction

Al Qaeda ideological origins mainly take their root in the Sunnistic views. The key principle of these views state that the Muslim people should constantly struggle for their welfare, and be ready to die for the Muslim ideals and principles. The factors that forced Osama Bin Laden to attack the pride and dignity of the USA also take their origins in the Muslim visions of the world, and the fact, that the USA had self-appointed itself as the world policeman and aims to spread democracy by the means of the weapons.

Al Qaeda

This organization was created in Afghanistan, and was led by Osama bin Laden. Its main aim was to defend the Islamic ideals and principles, and not to permit the violation of the freedom of the Islamic nations. Nowadays, it is considered, that Al Qaeda is not a simple terroristic organization, but the whole ideology, that makes it much more dangerous. Currently, the structure, that was created in Afghanistan is destroyed. Bin Laden and his followers are dwelling in different countries, and some of them are arrested or killed. The Islamic extremism does not have the core, but the view, formed by Al Qaeda is spreading, and is getting stronger. This radical international ideology, supported by anti-American, anti-Zionist and anti-Semite views, is popular among people and groups, who do not have contacts with Osama bin Laden currently. They just follow his concept, models and methods. They act in the style of Al Qaeda, but they are not the members of this organization. The fact is that, the ideology of Al Qaeda is similar to the ideology of Jihad, consequently it is close to most Muslims, and supported by the widest stratums of Islamic population (Wright, p. 25).

Aspects

Actually, the principles and the ideological origins of Al Qaeda partly include the reasons that forced Osama bin laden to attack the USA. There are three aspects, that are generally emphasized when explaining the reasons of the attack. The first and the most essential is the wish to get rid of the political, cultural and economic influence of the United States. The origin of this aspect is clear, as Islamic region, previously highly developed culturally, economically and scientifically experiences significant western influence, as the USA aims to dictate to the whole world the American principles of life. Islamists, with Osama bin Laden are not going to bear it, and the 9/11 attack was planned to weaken the American potential, and violate the pride and dignity of the United States.

Another aspect is the devotion to the Islamic traditions, that state: the offender should be punished. The conflict between the Islamic and Western civilizations was escalating since the XII century, but the peak was reached in the XX. The proclamation of the State of Israel, the presence of American troops in Afghanistan, the Desert Storm, the attempt to impose the American way of life within the Islamic region… All these factors reasoned the escalation of the displeasure, and ended up with the attack on the pride, dignity and safety. This was not an attack to weaken the opponent, but to show, that innocent people may suffer in the USA, as they suffered during the military operations in Iraq, Iran and Palestine (Wright, p. 48).

The third aspect of the assault was the wish to prove the world, that Islam is starting the Jihad against the Western world. If the western leaders go on supporting Israel, send the military contingents to the Islamic states. Also to demonstrate, that the people, struggling for the single idea, are able to overcome any borders, and any safety systems in order to achieve their aim.

As for the retrospect blame in the creation of Takfir and Islamic Fundamentalism, it is necessary to mention, that the US politics and international behavior can not be regarded as the reason of appearing these directions in Islamite Extremism. However, the US politics of democracy spread, and struggle with terrorism (which is led without strict definition of terrorism) has reasoned in the aggravation of the dissatisfaction, and appearing of the groups, that support Takfir and Islamic Fundamentalism. Unfortunately, the USA leads the struggle with world terrorism as it is advantageous for the US, but not for the world safety (Somali pirates do not threaten the world safety from the American point of view). (Wright, p. 123).

Conclusion

In conclusion, it is necessary to emphasize, that in spite of the fact, that Islamic extremism is rather dangerous for the safety of the citizens of western countries, nevertheless, the countries may feel safe, if the leaders of the states do not interfere into the internal affairs by the Islamic states. This is the key principle, chased by the terrorists, as their aim is not to destroy the world and eliminate non-Islamic society, but to struggle for the welfare o their countries, as the peaceful means were not successful.

References

Wright, L. The Looming Tower. Knopf Publishing, 2006

Introduction

The post of the Chief of Naval Operations demands far more than courage and responsibility this is why not every navy officer can cope with this challenging task. The CNO is appointed by the President of the United States and confirmed by Senate to take precedence over all other officers of the naval service (1). Only a person fully devoted to his country can be assigned to this post and prove to be a successful commander. The history of the U.S. Navy abounds with the examples of true courage and devotion displayed by Chiefs of Naval Operations with Admiral Elmo Zumwalt and Admiral Vernon Clark being among those who will always be remembered for their priceless contributions to the development of the U.S. Navy and transforming it to what it is in present days, a powerful and important component of the American defense establishment, playing a vital role in maintaining our national security, protecting us against our enemies in times of war, and supporting our foreign policy in peacetime (2). There are people who criticize Admiral Elmo Zumwalt and Admiral Vernon Clark’s achievements but most of those who thoroughly studied their impact on the U.S. Navy Enlisted Force during their tenure as Chief of Naval Operations agree that this impact was indeed immense. It is necessary to consider the activities of both these Admirals during their tenure in order to fairly appreciate their contributions to the development of the U.S. Navy Enlisted Force.

Admiral Elmo Zumwalt and His Impact on the U.S. Navy Enlisted Force. Eliminating Racial Discrimination

Discussing Admiral Elmo Zumwalt it should be mentioned first of all that his eliminating racial discrimination in the U.S. Navy ranks first among his most outstanding merits. In those times more and more African Americans chose armed services as their future occupation, and more black recruits had a high school diploma than did white ones (3). Between 1968 and 1988 the proportion of blacks in West Point classes multiplied by ten, to 7 percent. Ten percent of the army’s officers were black, as were 5 percent in the U.S. Air Force and 3 percent in the USN (4). So, at the time when Admiral Zumwalt was assigned with his post, the U.S. Navy was facing serious problems, among them the block obsolescence of warships, diversion of funds from new construction to fight the war with Vietnam, and waning strength in the face of a growing Soviet naval threat, as well as low morale, drug use, and racial tension in the enlisted force (5). Racial tension disturbed him most of all because he considered that skin color should not matter for people who serve their country and its citizens: “There is no black navy, no white navy, just one navy – the United States Navy” (6). In June 1971 Zumwalt insisted on the establishment of the Human Resource Project Office in order to eradicate racism from the United States Navy, and like similar institutes in the other military branches, it trained race relations officers, known as race relations education specialists (7). The work of these specialists was to conduct classes and seminars on racial awareness. However, in October 1972 racial unrest erupted into open conflict in the Navy (8) and was followed by a number of racial confrontations. The conflict took place at Kitty Hawk, an aircraft career, and started as a fight between black sailors and a Marine guard. The cause of the conflict was racial harassment of black sailors who were treated inequitably and were, as a rule, assigned with the menial work which humiliated and discriminated against them. Because of racial tension, the atmosphere in the ranks of the enlisted sailors was very strained, this is why it was necessary to take urgent measures for stopping racial discrimination. For this Admiral Zumwalt issued a series of directives or “z-grams,” designed to ensure equal opportunity for blacks and to eliminate paternalistic restrictions directed at all enlisted personnel in the Navy (9). Though at first this reform was ardently criticized, it helped to eliminate racial discrimination in the U.S. Navy in the following years. By the 1990s one hundred Afro-Americans had reached general or admiral rank (10), and in the 1950s Samuel L. Gravely became the first black commander and captain; in 1971 he was the first black admiral in the history of the U.S. Navy.

Equal Rights for Women

Not only had Admiral Elmo Zumwalt resented discrimination on the basis of racial differentiation but also demanded equal rights for women in the U.S. Navy. The fact that women were admitted to the Navy cannot be denied. They had, indeed, served in the Navy during World War I and World War II, but the positions they filled were never in the arena of combat (11) which automatically violated their rights and made them unequal with men. Most women were dissatisfied with this fact assuming that the military, even more than other patriarchal institutions, was a male preserve, run by men for men according to masculine ideas and relying solely on manpower (12). Admiral Zumwalt is considered a great crusader for female sailors, and the opportunities for women were greatly increased under his stewardship (13). His Z-Gram 116 which was issued on August 7, 1972, guaranteed equal rights and opportunities for women in the navy: “We must be in a position to utilize women’s talents to help us achieve the size navy we need under an all-volunteer force environment and still maintain the seashore rotation goals for all naval personnel towards which we have been working” (14). Women were officially permitted to be enlisted into the U.S. Navy on the grounds equal with men as well as all staff corps were opened to them. Moreover, Z-Gram 116 gave women an opportunity for professional growth by assigning qualified women to the full spectrum of challenging billets, including those of briefers, aides, detailers, placement/rating control officers, attaches, service college faculty members, executive assistants, special assistants to CNO, MAAGS/missions, senior enlisted advisors, PEP, etc (15). This reform of Admiral Elmo Zumwalt laid a foundation to further increase women’s rights and increased opportunity for women in the armed forces (16). Thus, in 1975 three service academies were opened to women, and three years later, women were formally constituted into the regular establishment with the abolishment of the Women’s Army Corps (17).

Some of the Other Changes Introduced by Admiral Elmo Zumwalt

Other reforms introduced by Admiral Elmo Zumwalt were aimed at improving the lives and service of the enlisted sailors. In the first ranks, they concerned clothing and the growth of beards. The matter was that some of the enlisted sailors, for instance, African Americans, wore typical only for their haircuts and facial hair which they considered to be a part of their culture and expression of their pride with their culture; the prohibition to wear the aforementioned was a certain kind of discrimination and some of the sailors referred to the race discrimination as another fake excuse for them to be punished for breaking the rules concerning haircuts and facial hair. This is why Z-Gram 57 allowed wearing facial hair and haircuts the sailors wanted to. Regarding the dress codes, the sailors were allowed to wear civilian clothes when off duty as well as to drink alcohol when they were at liberty. In general, “Elimination of Demeaning or Abrasive Regulations” (Z-Gram 57) was aimed at placing the importance and responsibility of “the person” in proper perspective in the more efficient Navy (18) and was directed against any possible discrimination, racial, gender, cultural and so on, within the walls of the U.S. Navy. Some of the other Z-Grams approved beer-vending machines in enlisted men’s barracks, eased provisions for overnight passes, permitted motorcycles on Naval bases, established ‘hard rock’ enlisted men’s clubs, and ordered that sailors should not have to wait in line more than fifteen minutes for anything (19). In total, Admiral Elmo Zumwalt issued 120 Z-Grams which established various personnel programs, including a Human Resource Management program, an Action Line telephone, the main purpose of which was to ensure the proper level of communication between the base (or the member of the ship) with the commandment in any time, Equal Opportunity Programs, a drug Exemption, and Rehabilitation Program, a Career Counseling Program, and guide-lines concerning alcohol abuse and alcoholism by naval personnel (20). The main objectives of the Human Resource Management program were to improve stability and qualification of the personnel, establish the best possible communications for the commandment, improve the reputation of the Navy as an organization free from any oppression, and respecting its personnel in face of each individual, to increase recruitment and to reduce all possible conditions for alcohol or drug abuse.

Admiral Vernon Clark and His Contributions to the Development of the U.S. Navy. Sea Power 21

As far as the impact of Admiral Vernon Clark on the U.S. Navy Enlisted Forces is concerned, the changes he introduced to turn the U.S. Navy into what it is today, are also very significant. Admiral Vernon Clark, the twenty-seventh Chief of Naval Operations, spent the first four years of his naval career developing leadership skills as a reserve officer (21). One of the most significant contributions made by him is charting in 2002 a course for the future by publishing Sea Power 21, a vision for the first part of the 21st century to exploit the advantages of operating from the world’s oceans (22). Sea Power 21 is a Navy vision for delivering enhanced military capabilities through new concepts, technologies, organizational initiatives, and improved acquisition processes (23). Admiral Vernon Clark proposed his own navy vision of it which rests on three pillars: Sea Basing, Sea Strike, and Sea Shield (24) which, in their turn, are supported by three additional concepts: Sea Trial, Sea Warrior, and Sea Enterprise, which provide the development, personnel, and acquisition underpinnings to carry out the Sea Power 21 initiative (25). According to this vision, Sea Basing is a set of potentials that is supposed to expand in order to meet the requirements of the commander of the joint forces. At this Sea, Strike enables the Joint Force Commander to protect decisive offensive power from the seat base (24) and Sea Shield produces an integrated, layered global defensive posture for joint forces operating in the littorals and at sea (26). This resulted in the higher efficiency of the operations performed by the enlisted sailors in the world’s ocean.

Human Capital Strategy

One of Admiral Vernon Clark’s greatest contributions to improving the U.S. Navy Enlisted Force is his working to implement Human Capital Strategy program. This strategy addresses different personnel policies and all possible changes in resource management aiming to develop the most flexible, deployable, and well-prepared naval force able to provide proper security to the country and to protect its national interests. The strategy presupposes a number of transformations within the Navy personnel and reserve force. Its initiatives are to transform the active-duty Navy personnel system by modernizing the human resource system to support Sea Power 21; transform the reserve force through the Active-Reserve Integration initiative to rebalance the mix of active and reserve forces and ensure operational readiness for forwarding presence and surge capabilities; and finally, transform the civilian personnel system by aggressively implementing the NSPS, facilitating civilian-military assignments using streamlined classification and pay banding systems (27).

Admiral Vernon Clark’s Other Merits

Human Capital Strategy does not end the list of Admiral Vernon Clark’s merits. There are a number of other contributions he made to the welfare of the U.S Navy. In 2005, for instance, he directed the Navy to take nine actions to expand the Navy’s capabilities to prosecute the Global War on Terrorism which included the establishment of a Navy riverine force, the establishment of a reserve civil affairs battalion, the establishment of a Foreign Area Office community in the Navy, and concept development work for a potential Navy expeditionary combat battalion composed of sailors rather than Marines (28). What’s more, he reorganized the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations in an effort to improve fleet readiness, establish increased visibility of warfare programs and improve focus on training education (29). He put forward a concept of portable sovereignty which protected the sailors of the U.S. Navy when performing operations in different corners of the world, stating “This is about taking our sovereignty to places where there are nations and peoples out there who don’t like what we represent” (30). And finally, he improved the quality of healthcare for the Navy and their families, reduced housing costs for the navy and enlisted force, and got the navy a 3.5% rise on basic pay.

Conclusion

Taking into consideration everything mentioned above, it can be stated that Admiral Elmo Zumwalt’s and Admiral Vernon Clark’s impact on the U.S. Navy Enlisted Force was indeed very tangible. The work of these two people at the office of the Chief of Naval Operations shows how much such a service involves and demands. Just like each chief tries to make the service for the personnel better and to introduce the best possible innovations into the company, Admiral Elmo Zumwalt and Admiral Vernon Clark did their best for the development of the U.S. Navy Enlisted Force. Thus, Admiral Elmo Zumwalt issued 120 Z-Grams in order to improve the life and service of the enlisted sailors. He fought to eliminate racism in their ranks making black and white sailors equal and giving black sailors an opportunity to occupy higher positions in the Navy. His Z-Gram 116 allowed the enlistment of women to the U.S. Navy not only to perform work typically for them but to serve their country as male sailors do, fighting for its dignity and defending national interests; the women in the Navy also acquired a possibility of the professional growth and were able to occupy senior offices. His other set of reforms was aimed at the improvement of life of the enlisted sailors who due to the initial regulations were not allowed to have facial hair, to drink alcohol, and to wear civilian clothes even when they were at liberty. Admiral Elmo Zumwalt reversed all these rules which resulted in a greater number of recruited sailors. He also established a Human Resource Management Program which improved the quality of the personnel and enhanced the Navy’s reputation as an organization respecting and taking care of its personnel. Admiral Vernon Clark, in his turn published Sea Power 21 which increased the advantages of operating from the world’s ocean, contributed greatly to the implementation of the Human Capital Strategy program responsible for supplying the country with the best possible naval force able to ensure its security; he reorganized the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations which allowed to improve the readiness of the fleet to military operations, worked out the concept of portable sovereignty in order to protect the sailors who perform operations, not in their native country and improved the way of living of men in the Navy by making the quality of hospital and other services better and raising salaries. All in all, the country may be proud of its Admirals who showed their loyalty and devotion and who served for the welfare of the U.S. Navy, its sailors, and personnel.Introduction

References

1. The Bluejacket’s Manual: United States Navy, pg. 543
2. The Bluejacket’s Manual: United States Navy, pg. 1
3. World History of Warfare, pg. 573
4. World History of Warfare, pg. 573
5. Blue & Gold and Black: Racial Integration of the U.S. Naval Academy, pg.124
6. The Black Soldier: 1492 to the Present, pg. 98
7. The African American Experience in Vietnam: Brothers in Arms, pg. 98
8. Black, and Navy Too: How Vietnam Era African-American Sailors Asserted Manhood through Black Power Militancy, pg. 227
9. Black, and Navy Too: How Vietnam Era African-American Sailors Asserted Manhood through Black Power Militancy, pg. 227
10. World History of Warfare. pg. 573
11. Sea Change at Annapolis: The United States Naval Academy, 1949-2000, pg. 115
12. Sea Change at Annapolis: The United States Naval Academy, 1949-2000, pg. 115
13. Becoming a Leader the Annapolis Way: 12 Combat Lessons from the Navy’s Leadership Laboratory, pg. 228
14. Naval Engineers Journal, pg. 69
15. On Watch: A Memoir, pg. 264
16. The Vietnam War: By James E. Westheider, pg. 192
17. The Vietnam War: By James E. Westheider, pg. 192
18. Defeated; Inside America’s Military Machine, pg. 405
19. Military Intervention in Democratic Societies: Law, Policy, and Practice in Great Britain and the United States, pg. 231
20. The Future of Catholic Leadership: Responses to the Priest Shortage, pg. 72
21. Leadership Embodied: The Secrets to Success of the Most Effective Navy and Marine Corps Leaders, pg. 186
22. Robertson School of Government
23. Handbook of Human Performance Technology: Principles, Practices, and Potential, pg. 1068
24. FORCEnet Implementation Strategy, pg. 34
25. FORCEnet Implementation Strategy, pg. 34
26. FORCEnet Implementation Strategy, pg. 35
27. department of the navy’s Human Capital Strategy
28. The Impact of Chinese Naval Modernization on the Future of the United States Navy, pg. 36
29. The Naval Institute Guide to the Ships and Aircraft of the U.S. Fleet, pg. 651
30. America & the World: The Double Bind, pg. 42

Outline

Introduction, media’s misrepresentation of Sep-11 attack – Media suspect the role of the Govt. – media create the feeling of Islamofobia – some medias celebrated the tragedy – conclusions, based on the theses.

The terrorist attack on September 11 can be considered as the implicit failure of American success myth. Controversies are still going on about 9/11 issue. Besides it becomes apparent that a lot of differences exist in the information that can be seen in the media. BBC has also broadcasted numerous reports with believable sources. The primary reaction of most of all Americans to the terrorist attack of 9/11 was one of incredulity. During the year 1990, Americans enjoyed more dominance and free existence. These magazines and journals raised some critical questions about the national security, existence of Islams in America. This research paper, “Sep-11; A Grim Reality” is an attempt to uncover the veils of the truth of September-11.

Almost all the magazines and journals have misrepresented the issue. There is not a chance for doubting that death would come to US. A large number of news agencies revealed that the American President and the Government had known about the September 11 issue. Some articles brought out as to how the investigations were conducted, how the military and the Government ignored the warning and some crucial information about the invasions to Afghanistan and Iraq. Some of the web pages discussed the finger work of the American Government by creating a kind of explosive circumstances against terrorist groups including Al Qaeda. In an article the great philosopher David Ray Griffin notices that “an American citizen question the level to which we can trust our government with our lives.” (Griffin).

Almost all the media contributed much for creating the feeling of Islamofobia. Many nations tried to stop war and avoid the dubious reasons behind the september11 attack. The American corporate media celebrated the tragedy. These Media and magazines published a number of articles about the conspirators, live news programmes about the culprits and the role of Islamic organizations. This led to the issue of existence of Islams in America. A number of American mainstream journals did not agree to practise censorship. The following statement makes clear the real intention of American main stream medias behind the September11 attacks. It says: “one of the most famous media personalities in American news, Dan Rather of CBS has admitted that there has been a lot of self-censorship and that the U.S. media in general has been cowed by patriotic fever.” (Shah). The result of these malpractices caused the emerging of the issue ‘Home Land Security’. The Media helped to the formation of the following facts. The security policies are against Muslims, all protection policies concentrate only on the Muslims and majority of people think that American invasion of Afghanistan and Iraq may be justified.

When one analyses the 9/11 issue, one can understand that there are different aspects that led to the attack. The government forced the nation to war on the basis of false media coverage and crucial evaluations about the September11 attack. Some of the news papers and journals point out that their news is far from reality and they are ready to admit their faults in handling the September 11 issue. Some of these journals had failed to convince the people about the exact reasons for terrorist’s choice of America. These magazines and journals raised some critical questions about the national security, existence of Islams in America. And finally it led to the American attack of Afghanistan.

Works Cited

1. Griffin, David Ray. Commission Report: Omissions and Distortions. A Critique of the Kean-Zelikow Report. Olive Branch Press.
2. Shah, Anup. Media, Propaganda and September 11: All Sides Can Have Propaganda. Global Issues: Social, Political and Environmental Issues That Affect Us All. 2006. Web.