A roof for the walls

Israel and Palestine have been in war since the late 19th and early 20th century. The "iron walls" have been one of the best defense Israel have, but now Israel  have a roof for those walls. Israel's arms manufacturers have made a  defense system that shoots down missile using an intercepter. This 1 billion dollar program, helped out by the United States is called the iron dome. More than 3000 missiles have been by Hamas, and the iron dome have a success rate of over 86%. The iron dome is so practical because of it's size, cost, and portability. The Israeli's government claims that iron dome have save billions worth of damage.I believe  that this system might actually make the peace between Israel and Palestine even further away. Since the iron dome works so well, it  makes peace less urgent for Israel. Even though this gives Israel an advantage over Palestine or Hamas. It's not in my opinion any way shape or form a solution in the Israeli Palestinian war.

Why did the U.S. Help out I this program ?
What do you feel about the iron dome?
Do you think the iron dome is a solution in the conflict?

Heavy Fighting in Urban Libya

The Libyan Army has been facing off against several Islamist militias for control of a strategically important camp in Benghazi. So far about 130 people have been killed in these battles and the list of casualties is expected to increase.

          Frankly I believe all of this is pointless fighting and should end immediately. But radicals are called such for a reason and will not back down anytime soon. But hopefully the Libyan Army will maintain its position and not spark any large-scale fighting. My question for all readers is if you believe the fighting will escalate or calm down in the near future.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/10/26/us-libya-security-idUSKBN0IF0XD20141026

Britain ends combat role in Afghanistan

Summary

On October 26th 2014 the last UK base in Afghanistan was handed over to the Afghan security forces, ending British combat operations in the country. The union flag was lowered at Camp Bastion, while Camp Leatherneck the US base was also handed over to Afghan control. Prime Minister David Cameron said Britain would never forget those who had died serving their country. Mr. Cameron said "I made a commitment that I would get our Armed Forces out of Afghanistan by 2015 and today sees the end of combat operations in the country. After 9/11, US President George Bush had demanded that the Taliban hand over any leaders of al-Qaeda which is the group which later took responsibility for the attacks who are located in Afghanistan, but the Taliban did not immediately comply.

Analysis

I think it was a good idea to get the British troops out of Afghanistan. It was a good idea because there was a reason why Hamid Karzai dropped out of office. That is because Afghanistan is starting to fall apart and I don't think that the U.K. wants to be apart of it. The Afghan people are not listening to the leaders and government but instead they are listening to the different religion groups. These groups involve the Taliban and Al-Qaida.

Questions

1) What do you think the U.K. should of done? Were they right with their decision? Why or why not? 

2) How do you think the British troops feel about leaving Afghanistan? 

Link

http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/10/26/us-afghanistan-troopwithdrawal-idUSKBN0IF06I20141026

North Korea's Leader

Kim Jong Un was spotted by South Korean spies from the National Intelligence Agency going in to a surgery for Tarsal Tunnel Syndrome. This is caused by pressure on a specific nerve. Which means, it is usually diagnosed to people that suffer from obesity. This comes back to Kim Jong Un's cheese addiction and diabetes. If he continues to gain weight in the way that he is, a worse diagnosis may be presented.

With no son to replace him it would go to someone else in his family. He has multiple males in his family that may battle over who will get the position. Therefore, we return to the question what will happen to North Korea if there is no leader?

Discussion Questions-

-If you were Kim Jong Un what would you do in this position?

-How do think that the citizens feel about this situation?

Article- http://www.cnn.com/2014/10/28/world/asia/kim-jong-un-cyst/ 

Severe Water Drought in São Paulo, Brazil

My article is about how São Paulo is suffering in a water drought. São Paulo is the seventh-largest metropolitan region in the world. This is the worst spring drought in history. Some sources estimate that São Paulo, which is home to 44 million people, could run dry in mid November. This is the first time in 80 years the dams have run dry. The biggest reservoir in the state, Cantareira, currently is holding 3.2 percent of it's normal load. One reason why we and the rest of the world cares so much is because we are dependent on it for things like coffee.

I feel awful for the residents because they are also limited on use of water. In the article it said that they are now having tap stations in different areas and the line is huge. We think the lunch lines are huge with only 10 kids in line trying to get food but imagine 70 people in line just trying to get water. The people are also forming an alliance for water. This alliance is called Brazil's NGO. This stands for Brazil's non government organizations.

What are some of the ways the residents could conserve water?

Would you be a part of this alliance against the government? Why or Why not?

http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2014/10/24/3584331/sao-paolo-running-out-of-water/

Colombia Crime Rate Dropped

Colombia crime rate dropped
Colombia, a city that is struck by drug trafficking, gangs, and violent crimes has dropped its crime rate by 25%(in the cities) in a week. President Juan Manuel Santos said, "In the first week we have achieved a reduction in crime of 25% in the past years." Colombian police taken out 4 organizations that does mostly phone theft. 7 Drug trafficking rings and 17 gangs that do armed robbery. The Colombian police allegedly seized 216 weapons.
I think its great that the crime rate dropped by 25%. Being able to catch 17 gangs is very impression to me. These are big named gangs, they are big gangs and being able to stop them and some other one is a big deal for Colombia.

•Why do you think people steal?
•Do you think the drugs usage will drop.

Link:
http://colombiareports.co/crime-colombia-cities-dropped-25-1-week-santos/

Berbers protest in Algeria

The article says that there was about 300 Algerian police officials that marched the streets of Algeria to stop protest for the bad working conditions and the conflict between the Berbers and the Arabs.The minimum wage in Algeria is 90 US dollars a month, and the average amount of work a week is 40 hours. It in not unusual for these protests to happen but it is unusual for it to be security officials. The Berbers are natives of North Africa, but the Arabs are migrants to most of North Africa and the Middle East. The Berbers are oppressed and segregated and given not the same rights, they have started protesting and the Algerians have joined them in protest. They were protesting the conflict because in the 1990s there was a war between the Islamic militias and Algeria with a casualty if about 200,000 people. Also in the recent months there has been more conflict and fights between Arabs and Berbers. 

Analysis: I think that the police should not have stopped the protesting. The Berbers have a right to protest their bad working conditions and pay, they also have a right to protest their conflict with the Arabs. They Berbers should not be punished for vocalizing what they believe. 

If you were a Berber in Algeria how would you handle how you were being treated?                            

                                                            OR

If you were a police officer how would you handle all the protests?    

http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/10/14/us-algeria-violence-idUSKCN0I317E20141014

Russian Submerine in Swedish waters?

In the Baltic region. The latest sign of military tension is a submarine spotted in Swedish waters. This submarine has been thought to be Russian. This sub is also thought to have nuclear weapons.
I think that the Swedes might be overreacting about this whole mess. It might not even be a sub. If you think about it though. I would also be overreacting about a submarine in Swedish waters if i was part of the Swedish government.
If you were the leader of Sweden, would you be reacting like the Swedish government?
If you were part of the Russian government, would you deny that the submarine was part of Russia or not?

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/10/22/world/europe/submarine-search-near-stockholm-reminiscent-of-a-cold-war-thriller.html?_r=0

Protest aganist Muslim extremism in by Neo Nazis in germany

In the article Rally against Islamic extremism turns violent in Germany http://www.smh.com.au/world/rally-against-islamic-extremism-turns-violent-in-germany-20141027-11c7zi it talks about how a protest by far right, Neo Nazi hooligan football scene which basically means it was organized by racist white supremacists who are violent and they pursue oppression for other races and/or religions. The protest was against Muslim extremists in Germany. The protest became violent and it resulted in a few people being injured including a police officer. This made the protest violent so the police decided to use mace and other non lethal ways of deterrent to calm down the protest.

I think that the protest was not smart in the first place because not all Muslims extremists are dangerous this means that these people believe in Islam totally and fully. I think it is wrong to persecute a certain religion based on what a some of the members of the religion have done, but the Neo Nazis believe that the Muslims should be oppressed because they are dangerous. When that is not entirely true about the whole community. All the protestors, did not help their cause by causing violence and injuries that hurt themselves and the police.
1.Do you think that the more people in Germany will join the anti Muslim cause.
                                      OR
2.           Why should or shouldn't they join the anti Muslim cause.

33 Security Personnel Killed in Egypt

                                                         33 Security Personnel Killed

Egypt had two terroristic outbreak in Sinai Peninsula that got 33 security personnel killed. In the first attack, which was made by blowing up two armored vehicles with heavy load in them, 30 security personnel  got murdered. In the second outbreak, which was made by shooting the personnel, 3 got killed security personnel. The president of Egypt, Abdel El Sisi,  is very concerned about this terroristic attacks, encouraging police and military service to find guilty terrorists.
In my opinion Abdel could have joined more forces together to find terrorists, but there is still war on the edge of Egypt. All military forces are centered near Gaza Strip, which makes it hard to arrest the guilty. Also if soldiers were better trained and security itself was better than nothing like that would have happened.
Questions: Did Abdel Sisi make a right decision of making a lot of military officers search for those terrorists, while Gaza Strip is dying? or Do you think that this terrorist attack is a catalyst for something bigger than just 33 killed?
Link: http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/10/24/us-egypt-sinai-idUSKCN0ID1BZ20141024

Germany is supporting the kurds

Summary: German soldiers have started to train the kurds to help kurdistan defend against IsIs. The kurds have never been able to afford any weapons, which is why they are being given €70 million worth of helmets,  assault rifles, pistols, and tents and are being trained by the german military. And considering that they have been given 24,000 fire arms they mean business and they want to get isis about of there country.

Analysis: i think it is good that Germany is directly helping countries that cannot help themselves and personally training them to defeat people that mean harm to     Them. And I also love the fact that they are supporting the kurdish malitia to attack isis in Iraq.


Questions:
1. Do you think Germany should be helping the kurds defeat isis?
2. Do you think Germany should be using this much money on weapons instead of other things?

Article: http://www.thelocal.de/20141006/german-soldiers-begin-training-kurdish-peshmerga-iraq-isis-islamic-state-bundeswehr

Is Egypt Really Helping to deal with ISIS?

Egypt, the most industrialized and populated country in Northern Africa, is known well for it's deep history and unbelievable attractions. This country is located in North of Africa and West of the Red Sea, it is also the center between Europe, Asia and Africa, which makes it a trade center. Egypt is almost all covered with the desert except the Nile River bank. Population in Egypt is mostly Muslim, but there is a large variety of religion. The type of government is Unitary Semi-Presidential Republic or basically a republic with the states. The main representative or a president of Egypt is Abdel Fattah el-Sisi. Abdel is the sixth president of Egypt which tells us that this country gained its independence not long ago. Abdel graduated the military school and used to serve the country as a soldier, however he was a general after 10 years of serving the country. Egypt government is trying hardly to deal with ISIS and help US to do that. They are trying to provide some room for the American troops, also they are providing food. My question is: In your opinion does Egypt government help American government with ISIS or Abdel is with ISIS?

Link to the article: http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/6e1dfd72-44cf-11e4-9a5a-00144feabdc0.html#axzz3FN2bqvmt

Algeria's elections rigged?

The US's relationship with Algeria is pretty good, we consult on major international issues as well as regional issues like the law. The national language is Arabic, and the national religion is Islam. Most if the country is the Sahara so most people live on the coast. Algeria is not very modernized but they are trying, but it is a very slow process.


Abdelaziz Bouteflika just won his 4 term of Presidency with 81.5% of the voters voting for  him to win. He is 77 and had a stroke last year and recovered, the article said he was able to return with a string grip. Although he has been incapacitated since last year and he is still recovering. His strongest competitor had only 12 percent of the votes, meaning that he won by a land slide. His competitors who boycotted the election accused him of cheating in the election, saying that his votes were inflated.



Do you think that the election was rigged?

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/04/19/world/africa/algerian-president-wins-a-fourth-term.html?_r=1

Nuclear Power plants in Russia?

          Russia is an  industrial country, the largest country in the world. Most Russians are of the orthodox religion. One third of the population is not religious but spiritual. Russia was a communist nation which was really the USSR. In Russia, Russia is trying to increase its nuclear power to provide alternative energy sources. The European Union is already using nuclear power for electricity and daily needs. Russia is trying to catch up with the EU by making nuclear power plants in northwest Russia. Finland, which borders Russia, is in the northwest area and is very concerned about the nuclear plants Russia is creating. Finland wants Russia to build it somewhere else because of accidents that could cause a release harmful radiation or cause a nuclear explosion like Chernobyl where Russia had a bad radiation leak. Lots of people  had health problems for years because of that radiation leak. The Finnish government does not want those problems affecting their country. I agree with Finland because Russia's nuclear power plan could cause really bad problems in Finland. I remember the nuclear power plant disaster in Fukushima, Japan. I think the Fukushima disaster is why Finland is so scared of Russia's nuclear power project.   Is this a good decision on Russia's part? Does Russia need nuclear power? Does Finland have the right to be concerned? They already have plenty of other resources. One of their Resources is oil. They have lots of oil. 

The Israeli and Palestinian Conflict

The Israeli and Palestinian Conflict
Israel is a very unique country in many ways. It's  considered a very important land for religious reasons , and it's also one of the only allies of the United States In the Middle East. Ever since the country was created, it has been at war with Palestinian independence , and the war is still raging on today.

Is nothing new that Israel and Palestine are in a war. The Israelis and Palestinians started in the early 19th and late 20th century.  The article is about a recent violent  out break in war, it's very important It was way more violent than ever. Ever since the conflict started, it's not getting resolved in any way shape or form and is only getting worse.  I think the war is pointless because it will never end unless you completely destroy one side, because both sides want it all and will not be satisfied with only half of the land. The entire conflict is almost a complete enigma with no easy or apparent solution  . If the conflict ends in the far future It may give birth to a new country although I personally think  it's not very likely. Do you think this conflict will ever end? Will they ever unite or give birth to a new country?

Link
 http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2014/08/01/ozy-israel-palestine/13455651/

The Catastrophic Government of Libya

      Libya is a parliamentary republic and is theoretically lead by a government called the House of

Representatives. However this government is split into two factions and can't do much whilst

separated, and even when United most of the country is mostly ruled by religious militants who all

believe the country belongs to them. Fortunately the UN is hosting reconciliation talks between the

two. The result of this discussion has not been reached as of yet, and I will be interested to see the

final result. I assume the discussion will be heated and will most likely end in catastrophic or a

peaceful conclusion. However, I  also wonder if they will even take place.

http://news.yahoo.com/un-gathers-libya-rivals-reconciliation-talks-111247217.html

Afghanistan's New President

At approximately 9:30 am on September 29th the former president of Afghanistan, Hamid Karzai, who has been president for 13 years has stepped down. The people of Afghan have elected Ashraf Ghani over Abdullah Abdullah to fill the space of Hamid. Over the 13 years Hamid has filled many holes in the country of Afghan. But now it is Ashraf turn to try to fill the shoes of Hamid. 

  One of Ashraf's first acts was to sign an agreement with the United States that would allow about 10,000 U.S. troops to remain in Afghanistan after the U.S. NATO coalition’s mandate expires in December. The pact, which outgoing President Hamid Karzai refused to approve in his final months in office, fuels tension with Washington and was expected to be signed Tuesday by U.S. Ambassador James B. Cunningham and a senior member of the Afghan government. The U.S. officials say the extended troop presence is needed to continue training Afghanistan’s 350,000 soldiers and police officers, and to stop terrorism operations. I personally think that Hamid stepped down from office because he was tiered of having to deal ad put up with all of the terrorist groups like the Al-Qaida and Taliban. He was aware of them increasing in size and did not want to become a part it the entire situation. Why do you think that he has stepped down from office?

Link to article 

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/ashraf-ghani-ahmadzai-declared-winner-of-afghan-presidential-election/

Brazil's Election

Brazil is on the east coast of South America and was discovered by Portugal during the Age of Exploration. Brazil is mainly a tropical rainforest called the Amazon rainforest. It is the only country in South America that speaks Portuguese. Brazil has a presidency.
My article discusses how Brazil's election has just ended. Dilma Rouseff has won the election in a tight battle between the previous returning president and Dilma. This election was a runoff election. Runoff elections are when the election goes into a second round. In the second round only 2 candidates are still in the running. Dilma Rouseff talks about Brazil's poverty and poor society. While Neves sys that Brazil should reduce the size of the government and free up private enterprise. You can read more about Brazil's election if you click on this link.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/10/06/us-brazil-election-idUSKCN0HU03C20141006

What do you think about the election?

Germany's NATO commitments

     My chosen country for this report is Germany. Germany is a 1st world country and is similar to the U.S.A in many ways.However their government is in a pretty beat up state as of the past few months and they havn't been able to do some of the things they need to do. My article is on the state of german politics and goverment germany. The state of germany at this moment is that is a very poor society and is struggling to fund its government and meet the guildlines that are set with NATO(north atlantic treaty orginization). This is very frustrating for germany because they want to be able to help out with the ebola virus. But due to the fact that they can't send any supplies all they can do right now is sit and watch, and maybe help out a little. One question I do have on the article is, how they have made it into this state?

 http://www.thelocal.de/20140925/german-militarys-feet-of-clay-revealed

Do you think that germany can recover from the poor state that they are in?

Germany aircraft

Germany is a country that is trying to go green. It is a Industrialized country that is in a prime financial state. This country also has very few natural resources. Germany is an advanced country that is a first world country. 

In the first article in the connected link www.thelocal.de/2014092/German-homes-raided-in-Isis-investigation Germany is trying to help the fight against ISIL and the fight against Ebola, but there are problems with the Germans military aircrafts that they are not working properly.  It also says that the government is trying to fix the problems with the aircrafts. It turns out that there where only a few planes able to fly. For this reason people are saying this is an embarrassment, and it is, but I also think that this is a failure to the countries who would benefit from the supplies on the broken down plane. As well Germany is trying to help other countries that are in a lower financial state, but Germany is not willing to spend the money an a few good military aircrafts. In essence, I think that these events are not only failures, but also failures to their commitments. What would you think about the fact that many of germanys military aircraft are not fit to fly and that is the reason why they are unable to help.

 

Thomas E. Duncan Ebola in America

            Liberia is the only country in Africa that was colonized by America. They gained independence in 1847. Liberia had a civil war from 1989 to 1997. Lot's of Liberians rely on farming, mining, and lumber for income. Lately Liberia has been massively affected by the virus Ebola, and now a case of Ebola has been identified in America. Thomas E. Duncan, a Liberian native, was diagnosed with the virus on American soil. From my knowledge, he was coming to America to marry a woman who he had a son with. He lied about his symptoms to board the plane he flew on. According to the article, his flat where he lived is being cleaned by hazardous material specialist. He condition is critical at the moment and is receiving experimental medicine. Do you believe that he should go to American prison/jail for lying about his condition to board the plane?  

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-29501964

North Korea's Future?

Kim Jong Un's Health?

North Korea is a dictatorship that is being run by Kim Jong Un. North Korea has little to no natural resources due to their mountainous terrain and fluctuating climate from summer to winter. Kim Jong Un has no sons or daughters at this point, which means that no one can take over for him if he passes. Due to the fact that North Korea is a relatively new dictatorship, they may not know what to do without a definite leader in line.

In the original article, Kim Jong Un has reportedly been in poor health due to the fact that he was seen with a limp and missed a Legislative Supreme People's Assembly. This was the first time that Kim Jong Un has missed an important meeting discussing North Korea's defense. Ever since Kim Jong Un took over for his father, his health has rapidly deteriorated. Now, an official in North Korea has stated that Kim Jong Un is in fine health, but neglected to explain the limp and the fact that Kim Jong Un missed a meeting. Is North Korea telling the truth about their leader?

Links:

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/sep/26/north-korea-kim-jong-un-ill-health


http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/north-korea-denies-kim-jong-un-poor-health-cheese-addiction-1468712