http://www.huffingtonpost.com/pamela-gerloff/the-psychology-of-revenge_b_856184.html?ref=fb&src=sp

An extremely on point article. I'm boggled with the whole "justice has been served" notion coming from all of this. To think that a lot of people see this as the end to the "war on terror" is also a bit confusing. I am all for ending the war, but when someone only says that after OBL has been killed is frightening. That means that they equate everything thats happened to the sole purpose of killing him. Lets take a second to regard the costs that it took to get us there. Or better yet lets ask the families of all of the innocent people in the Middle East. All of the people, American or not that were killed around the world due to the belief that Osama was the reason. Can they find justice within the bullet in him? Bin laden was not only responsible for the lives of Americans but countless others including the tarnishing of the name of Islam. Its important to note that not celbrating his death does not mean you somehow support Osama or are not grateful that it occured. Its about introspection and taking things beyond either celebrating in the streets or building a shrine in his memory.

Razan Abu-Hashish
Ryan; Friday Section at 11

http://edition.cnn.com/2011/HEALTH/05/02/osama.bin.laden.emotions/index.html

This entire topic has been troubling to me. I understand what he did and what he represents but celebration over his death does not sit well with me. Are we celebrating revenge or justice? Either way I don't understand how people can react the way they do. This may be a sigh of relief but it should be something we accept and move on from. He is just a symbol and nothing has really changed in my opinion.

Tyler Smith
Armel, 1:00 PM

Polish-Lithuanian row grows worse

http://www.economist.com/blogs/easternapproaches/2011/04/poland-lithuania

Poland and Lithuania have been at odds with each other, especially in the past six-eight months. Historical tensions between the two countries have kept relations icy since Lithuania regained independence with the fall of the Soviet Union and the issue now is the treatment of minorities. Lithuania, as an EU member, has to uphold a certain standard of treatment for minority populations, most notably its large Polish population centered in/around Vilnius. The Polish minority claims that they are receiving unfair treatment, especially over the inability to spell their names using Polish letters. This seems like a trivial issue to outsiders but to Poles and Lithuanians its a major point of contention. Poles see their inability to spell their names in proper Polish orthography (Lithuanian is the only recognized language) as a domineering Lithuanian stance. Lithuania would have to change its constitution to allow this change and that seems right out to them; the efforts by Poland and Polish Lithuanians to change these seems like bullying from their larger neighbor that ties into the history of antagonism between the two groups. The row between these two countries has led to Poland seeking closer ties with other neighbors and they are seeking to sell an oil-refinery that they owned in Lithuania as well as cancelling plans to build a power plant that would serve these two countries and the other Baltic states.

Cullen
Ryan@11

Obama Says He Won’t Release Photos of Bin Laden’s Corpse

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/05/us/politics/05binladen.html

After some days of debating at the White House, President Obama decided that he will not release picture's of Osama Bin Laden's body. His main argument behind this decision is that putting those pictures on the internet will only "inflame tensions" in the Muslim world and would do little to convince skeptics.

Personally, I understand the president's reasoning and I do agree that by not releasing the photos he will avoid violent acts that could arise from Bin Laden supporters. As I have been reading about Osama Bin Laden's death, I have encountered many arguments lead by skeptics in which they argue that without proof in the form of photographs, they cannot be sure that Osama was actually killed. Looking at the issue from the skeptic perspective I understood their point, but how would those skeptics know that the photos are real? If we are going to be completely skeptic, we might as well argue that in current times the government possesses the adequate technology to release "fake" pictures, and therefore the photographs would NOT constitute enough evidence to convince the public.

Although it is true that the public deserves to know of the details of the operation and what was done afterwards (i.e. why did authorities decide that they would throw the body into the sea? that struck me as an interesting decision), I agree that it is more important to be cautious about how the information impacts the Muslim world. As Representative Mike Rogers, Republican of Michigan and chairman of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, explains in this article "Imagine how the American people would react if Al Qaeda killed one of our troops or military leaders, and put photos of the body on the internet (...) Osama Bin Laden is not a trophy. He is dead, and let's now focus on continuing the fight until Al Qaeda has been eliminated".

Laura Zocchi

Ryan Maness Friday Section 1pm

Cyber-attacks by North Korea

http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/05/03/korea-north-cyber-idUSL3E7G31BT20110503

North Korea has been launching cyber attacks on South Korea. In this cyber terrorist attack, North Korea disrupted a firm's computer system that prevent customers from using their credit cards. I wonder what other kinds of cyber terrorist attacks can be done. Additionally, if a cyber terrorist attack really hinders South Korea, I am curious as to how South Korea would retaliate to this kind of situation.

Kevin Ho

Armel - 1-1:50 p.m. Fridays

Osama bin Laden Dead

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/02/world/asia/osama-bin-laden-is-killed.html?_r=1&hp

I wonder what this will mean in terms of what the US uses as its justification for continued conflict. The original policy goal has been achieved, so this will most likely lead to a new military-dictated foreign policy as opposed to "policy by other means."

Obama just made an address but it's not been posted online yet.

Hugh

Armel@1