Abstract This paper is an overview of the conduct of the Persian Gulf War. The author looks at the alliances that were created, the power struggles that influenced the outcome of the war between governments and within the U.S. Government in particular. Operation Desert Shield's different personalities and the affects they had on U.S. government policy and in turn, on the outcome of the war, are also discussed in detail. The background to the controversy is presented, including Iraq's invasion of Kuwait, the response of the international community and Middle East personalities and politics are also important to one's understanding of the War.
From the Paper "The United States drafted a four-phase offensive plan in the autumn of 1990: "Phase one would be an air attack on Iraqi command, control and communications".Phase Two would be a massive, continuous air bombardment of Iraqi supply and munitions basics, transport facilities and roads?.Phase Three would be an air attack on the entrenched Iraqi ground forces?.the fourth phase consisted of a Marine amphibious landing on the Kuwaiti coast and an Army frontal attack directly into the Iraqi defensive positions? (Summers, 195). General Powell accepted the first three phases and wanted a better ground campaign. On November 8, 1990, Bush approved a war during the winter of 1991 with Iraq. On January 16, 1991, the U.S.-led coalition began its air campaign against Iraqi forces in Kuwait and Iraq. It would be a short time before Iraq would face the combined air, naval and ground forces of the U.S. and its allies. On February 24, 1991, a force of 620,000 soldiers, Marines, and airmen from nearly forty nations launched the most massive attack across a 400-kilometer front against an Iraqi force. The revised ground assault strategy included a Marine amphibious assault group off the coast of Kuwait."
Abstract This paper is a brief effort in describing the world's two most asked questions. ?Why do Middle Eastern countries carry such hatred against the U.S.?" and "Why has the U.S. so keenly participated in every aspect of the religious, social, ethnic and political issue and activity in this region?"
From the Paper "As the United States finds itself in the aftermath of another crisis in the Middle East, it is worth the risk of opprobrium to ask why there should be hostility toward America in that region. Some insight can be gained by surveying official U.S. conduct in the Middle East since the end of World War II. Acknowledged herein is a fundamental, yet deplorably overlooked, distinction between understanding and excusing. There have been seventy long years of broken promises to have implanted such a resentment that has made every American policy to be viewed with suspicion and hostility by the populations of the Middle Eastern countries (as opposed to some of the political regimes) of the Middle East."
Abstract The paper shows that the most crucial globalization-related process in Mexico is the proliferation of maquiladoras - instruments for the exploitation of Mexican workers and the Mexican environment by multinational corporations. The paper concludes that globalization may be less to blame that the fact that the Mexican elites have been willing to pay any price to attract investment.
From the Paper "Latin America presents a whole range of 'third world' countries which have adopted policies which have made them much more open to global capitalism. In almost every Latin American nation during the course of the 1980s, the economy was decisively altered on the assumption that participation in the global economy was the key to a steady rise to 'first world' status. However, not one Latin American country has made the leap. Mexico, whose efforts began in 1982, deserves attention as the country where such efforts have been consistently tried for twenty years. Mexico has been described, with justice, as 'a country living on a faultline of globalisation' (Loyes)."
Abstract This paper presents an interesting look into the Arab-Israeli conflict. It covers the conflict from the early 1900s, up to and including the current Intifada that began in 2000. It also discusses such subjects as the historical background of European Zionism, the emergence of Zionist terrorism during the ill-fated British Mandate and the birth of Israel as the result of a UN vote. According to this author, it is the continued Israeli occupation and not, the refusal of many Arab countries, or of the Palestinians, to recognize the right of Israel to exist, that is at the root of the Arab-Israeli conflict.
From the Paper "Since 1967, the Palestinians have become bitterly reconciled to the existence of the state of Israel. They have no choice but to do so: Israel is the only power in the region with nuclear weapons. It also has the US for its major backer. (Each year Israel receives between $4 billion and $5 billion a year, mostly in military aid, from American taxpayers.) What Palestinians have demanded since 1967, and are still demanding, is that
Israel withdraws from the West Bank, the Gaza Strip, and East Jerusalem, so that the Palestinian state envisaged in the UN resolution of 1947 can be created. In the meantime, they live in a "protracted state of political subjugation and economic dependence" (Morris 568).
The most critical development in recent years is the Israeli policy of settling the occupied territories with Jewish families. Settlement expansion into the occupied territories was first advocated by the Movement for the Whole Land of Israel and has been official policy in Israel since the rise of the Menachem Begin's Likud (Revisionist Zionist) party to power in May 1977. Between 1977 and 1984, one hundred new settlements were built on occupied land (Morris 567). By 2001, as many as 400,000 Israelis had been settled in areas of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, and Jerusalem and its environs. As a result of the illegal settlements, public opinion in many countries has grown much more sensitive to the Palestinians? plight. During the 1970s and early 1980s, the Palestinian cause was not always highly regarded outside the Muslim world on account of its resort to sensational acts of terrorism. However, by the mid-1980s, the PLO was viewed increasingly as representing the victims of the conflict. Many informed people have since come to the conclusion that the well-armed and financed Israelis are no longer simply defending the right of their tiny little state to exist, but are actively using their powers to oppress the Palestinians and prevent them from founding the state to which they are entitled."
Abstract The following paper examines Japanese actions during World War II, focusing specifically on the Nanking Massacre, an attempt to dominate China quickly by demoralizing and destroying the population of China's capitol. The writer discusses the economic and political goals of this action and he also examines how not all of Japanese society has been comfortable with acknowledging this part of their history.
From the Paper "After World War II, Japan's economic needs still required raw materials only available from other countries, and they continued to look to China as the source. This economic reality was complicated by the post World War II politics regarding China, which was now split into two countries: the Republic of China, now in exile on the island of Taiwan, and the Communist People's Republic of China on the mainland. While Japan needed good relations with The People's Republic of China because of the need to trade with them, the post World War II sentiment among most of the dominant powers was that the Communist government was not legitimate, should not be recognized, and should not be encouraged in any way."
Abstract This paper introduces and discusses the atomic bombs that were dropped on Japan to end World War II. It examines how the bombs were developed, the use of the bombs and what their effect has been on the world.
From the Paper "Numerous scientists contributed to the development of the atomic bomb with discoveries in several areas, such as physics, mathematics, radium, and more. Albert Einstein's E=mc2 helped physicists discover the speed and mass of atoms, and Eve Curie's discovery of radium gave them the material to make the bomb. The discoveries went on and on for several decades, and eventually, scientists realized they could create a devastating weapon."
Abstract An examination of American Foreign Policy from three articles from Annual Edition's American Foreign Policy: Article 33, "Musclebound: The Limits of U.S. Power" by Stephen M. Walt; Article 12, "A Small Peace for the Middle East" by Arthur Hertzberg; and Article 11, "To Be An Enlightened Power" by Wu Xinbo. It discusses the overall foreign policy theme that links the articles together, the central arguments of each article, the article the author tends to support, and what should be the final foreign policy responses and solutions to the problems.
From the Paper "All three authors, Walt, Hertzberg, and Xinbo, clearly believe that the United States should change its approach to foreign policy. The authors? views are linked by their portrait of the United States as the major super power in the world and the problems and responsibilities that arise with this reality. They contend that the United States has involved itself in issues that either cannot be solved by U.S. intervention and that the United States tends to paint a picture of all problems being resolved on the White House lawn or through military force. All three authors point to the failures of the U.S. policies throughout the world and each prescribes an alternative approach."
Tags: Walt, Hertzberg, Xinbo, middle, east, united, states, change, china
Abstract This essay discusses the events that took place on March 16, 1968 in the Vietnamese village of My Lai. It explores the days prior to the massacre and what role obedience played in the actions of the American soldiers. The paper explains the results and concepts learned in psychological experiments conducted by Stanley Milgram in the "Perils of Obedience". The paper also investigates why these experiments are crucial to the understanding why these men executed hundreds of unarmed civilians.
From the Paper "The disconcerted troops, who were under the command of Lt. William Calley, entered the village ready to engage in warfare with the Vietcong. The troops were part of a "search and destroy" mission, which soon became the massacre of over 300 unarmed civilians, which included children, women, and the elderly. Lt. Calley ordered the men to enter the village firing, in spite of the fact that there were no reports of opposing fire. (My Lai Massacre)
According to eyewitness reports offered after the event, several old men were bayoneted, praying women and children were shot in the back of the head, and at least one girl was raped, and then killed. For his part, Calley was said to have rounded up a group of the villagers, ordered them into a ditch, and mowed them down in a fury of machine gun fire. (My Lai Massacre)"
Abstract This paper discusses the Israeli/Palestinian conflict and the role that the U.S. plays in influencing this conflict. It searches for the roots of the conflict between these two groups. It also explores the steps that have been taken to resolve the conflict, focusing on the part of the U.S. in the trying to resolve the conflict.
From the Paper "The history that fuels this conflict is vast but it is vitally important that the history of the region is understood before we can understand what is happening in the region currently. The conflict between the two groups began at the turn of the century when Zionists immigrants began to enter Jerusalem in an attempt to establish a homeland. Zionists believe that God made promises to Abraham that the Jews, who are Abraham's descendants through Isaac, were to have Canaan (The land now known as Israel). Arabs, who are Abraham's descendants through his other son, Ishmael, were not to inherent the land.1 Palestinians were already living in the land when European Jews arrived after they arrived Palestinians and non-Jews comprised 90% of the population."
An examination of the contribution made by President Truman to the United States and its foreign policy and how other presidents have continued his legacy.
Abstract This paper presents a review of the main development in U.S. history under President Harry S. Truman from 1945-1951. It explores his foreign policy during the post WW II era and shows the many precedents he set. The writer then examines several of the Presidents who took office after Truman and how his foreign policy and legacy influenced their decision making policies. Presidents examined are Eisenhower, Kennedy, Johnson, Ford, Reagan, Bush and Clinton.
From the Paper "President Harry S. Truman is considered by many to be one of the greater Presidents of the United States. Truman was Vice President for a few weeks before he became President on April 12, 1945. During his term as Vice President, he saw little of President Franklin D. Roosevelt and was not briefed on the development of the atomic bomb or of the United States? problems with Soviet Russia. When he became President, these problems became life. Truman later told reporters, "I felt like the moon, the stars, and all the planets had fallen on me." (Cochran, 1973)"
Abstract This paper attempts to understand the role of the WTO in dispute resolutions. It looks at the extent to which the verdicts of the WTO are put into effect, thereby justifying its existence. By reviewing an article published in The Economist, (03-04-2000) ?Trade: A tussle over tax.? Vol. 354, the paper determines the actual role of the WTO. It focuses on how the author of the article creates the view that the U.S. power does not allow the WTO to be as independent as it should be. This is illustrated through the case study of the complaint lodged by the EU against the U.S. tax laws.
From the Paper "Disputes are common amongst the international communities as nations strive to create a society where their own citizens can live in the best manner possible. At times this need to strive for success creates a dispute as one nation or another does not define progress and success in the same manner as the other. In order to resolve these disputes no matter how petty we have organizations like the World Trade Organizations (WTO) that were created after the world saw and was aghast at the destruction of World War II. To avoid another widespread war these organizations negotiate, mediate and arbitrate between the various stakeholders and try to come to a peaceful solution. Yet, with the number of disputes rising people have begun to question the effectiveness of such organizations. Considering that the current international relations scenario is based on economics and trade and key words like Globalization are the basis of progress it would seem that the WTO would have an integral role to play. Yet, many fear that the effectiveness."
Abstract This paper analyzes post colonial Africa in a critical way, using contemporary thought in African politics. The role of the state in a state-led, as opposed to a liberalized economic entity and one where the state is expected to be partner, facilitator and mediator, yet to an extent still interventionist, is examined. Problems of democratization and development on the African continent, the epidemic of AIDS, other health disorders and lack of the state power to control some problems in ethnic clashes is thoroughly discussed.
From the Paper "After years of colonial rule, especially up to the 1960s and 1970s the concept of the state has been critically reviewed in order to appraise its function within the context of the operation of government and politics in Africa. It is one argument to suppose that within the post-colonial era ? which is the period just after the so-called "end" of colonial rule up to the pre and post-independence periods between the early 1950s throughout the 1960s and even onward to present ? the state lost or is losing its effectiveness. It is another argument to consider that with the establishment of multiparty regimes, the state's role was in fact consolidated. However, conceptually as well as practically, the role of the state and how Africans view the legitimacy of such an entity was much influenced by the fact that it was used by dominant groups within different African territories for individual domestic reasons. Different political cultures of some territories such as Ghana, Kenya, Burkina Faso, Mali and even to an extent Uganda, Nigeria and Sub-Saharan Africa generally, have only partially allowed democracies to flourish. This caused limited political, economic and social development in Africa as a whole."
A paper which examines the reasons why foreign countries and their people dislike America and its foreign policies, yet reject the September 11 attacks.
Abstract This paper explores the reasons why many foreigners dislike the U.S for the foreign policy it carries. Topics that are discussed are America's support of Israel, repressive regimes, and its support of U.N sanctions on Iraq.
From the Paper "U.S support of Israel is undoubtedly the most influential factor in the dislike of America. Israel declared its independence in 1949 and it has since been involved in five wars with neighboring states. Israel plays a crucial role in the Middle East due to its strategic location amongst many of the world's Arab nations. The U.S has been a major supporter of Israel since Harry Truman recognized it as a sovereign country in May 1948. It is quite obvious why U.S foreign policy has always favored Israel. Factors such as long-standing congressional support for Israel, the clout of the pro-Israel lobby as well as guilt over turning away Jewish refugees fleeing Nazi Germany have caused the U.S to form a strong relationship with Israel."
Tags: arabia, pakistan, palestine, saudi, terrorists, war, Hamas, 911
Abstract This paper discusses the Cuban "Ten Years War", which began in 1868, and argues against America's interference in this war. It begins by outlining the background to the war and the course of its first three years. It then shifts its focus to the involvement of the U.S.A. in the conflict, starting with the initial American on U.S. shores, and then moving on to trace the U.S.A.'s decline into full-scale war in Cuba. It brings up the Paris Peace Treaty of 1899, focusing on its implications for Cuba, and links the later communist revolution to U.S. involvement in the war of independence. It concludes by reinforcing the argument that America's involvement in this war was not beneficial to any of the countries concerned.
From the Paper "In 1883, Frederick Jackson Turner gave a speech to the World's Columbian Exposition, introducing what is now known as the ?Turner thesis" of American history. This thesis says ?continental expansion...was the driving, dynamic factor of American progress. Without [it] America's political and social institutions would stagnate. If one adhered to this way of thinking, America must expand or die.? (Musicant) It was an odd moment to being saying such things, and a prophetic one, for America has, perhaps unbeknownst to him, just run out of frontier to conquer. Further expansion had to be overseas. Of course, "overseas" was already conquered, had its own government, and its own citizens. Thus a war of conquest rose on the horizon for America. The perfect opportunity to conquer arose during what was politely called the Spanish-American war, in which America stepped in to help out a struggling band of revolutionaries and ended up killing most of them and taking their lands for itself."
Examines failure to achieve objectives of the American air operations over North Vietnam (1965-1968). Background of campaign; strategy analysis; air campaign execution and its evaluation.
3,600 words (approx. 14.4 pages), 10 sources, 2001, $ 127.95
From the Paper "UNFOCUSED THUNDER
Operation Rolling Thunder, 1965-1968
Operation Rolling Thunder was the code name given to American air operations over North Vietnam in the period beginning shortly after the Tonkin Gulf incident in early 1965 and ending with the start of the Paris peace talks in late 1968. (It must be emphasized that it does not include the Linebacker II bombing of Hanoi, which took place some four years after Rolling Thunder ended.)
Rolling Thunder was intended to achieve two objectives: to interdict the movement of troops and supplies from North Vietnam into South Vietnam, and to inflict punitive levels of damage on North Vietnam, both with the objective of compelling it to cease support for Communist forces within South Vietnam. Rolling Thunder was thus an ..."
