Lamu, a small island off the northeastern coast of Kenya is one of the biggest tourist attractions in the country. It is a Swahili town surrounded by beaches and various other islands, offering sailing, snorkeling and culture to tourists from around the world. However, just 3 weeks ago a 66-year-old disabled French woman was kidnapped from her Lamu house and taken by boat back to mainland Somalia. This event drastically impacted the country, as Lamu and other Kenyan coastal areas thrive on the Christmas hustle of vacationers into Kenya. The US Embassy in Nairobi has advised all trips to the coast be canceled. The terrorists, as many Kenyans and international embassies think, are the al-Shabaab, a Somali group of militants linked to the al-Queda.
When the Kenyan military found out that one of the heads of the movement would be in Jilib, Somalia, they planned an attack on the camp to weaken their enemies. It was confirmed by the Kenyan military that 10 al-Shabaab fighters were killed, while another 47 were wounded. There are stories of 10 civilians also be killed, but the Kenyan government believes this is a sort of propaganda put into place by the al-Shabaab.
Threats and bomb attacks have also been placed through the city of Nairobi, a hot spot for tourists, as well as many of the International embassies. There have been two attacks in the city thus far, at a nightclub and a bus stop, leavening 1 dead and 29 wounded.
Many in Nairobi have been leift in a state of panic as many American parents are reluctant to let their children out of the house to visit with friends, or even attend school. It is the hope of Kenya, and several countries supporting Kenya that the situation will be able to be handled without any sort of war. Fighting would push Kenya into economic problems that a developing country would not be able to handle.
Rosalie Kapanga
POLS 184
Discussion: Friday at 11am
Sunday, October 30, 2011
Thursday, October 20, 2011
Muammar Gaddafi Dead
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-15389550
Earlier today Mummar Gaddafi was declared dead and the streets of Libya were filled with joy. The 42 years of tyranny the people of Libya have been experiencing will finally come an end. However, the road ahead is still uncertain for Libya. As we've seen in several other Arab nations simply getting rid of a tyrant does not solve the problems within the state; there is still much reform and reconstruction ahead. Hopefully, Libya will be able to rise again and become a prosperous nation as it should be. As for how Mummar Gaddafi died no one will certainly know until late Thursday the 20th or Friday the 21st, but i don't believe anyone is really concerned with how he was killed rather that he is officially gone. The cards are now in the hands of the National Transitional Council of Libya hopefully they can serve the nation better then the former leader.
Chahinda
Ryan 9am
Earlier today Mummar Gaddafi was declared dead and the streets of Libya were filled with joy. The 42 years of tyranny the people of Libya have been experiencing will finally come an end. However, the road ahead is still uncertain for Libya. As we've seen in several other Arab nations simply getting rid of a tyrant does not solve the problems within the state; there is still much reform and reconstruction ahead. Hopefully, Libya will be able to rise again and become a prosperous nation as it should be. As for how Mummar Gaddafi died no one will certainly know until late Thursday the 20th or Friday the 21st, but i don't believe anyone is really concerned with how he was killed rather that he is officially gone. The cards are now in the hands of the National Transitional Council of Libya hopefully they can serve the nation better then the former leader.
Chahinda
Ryan 9am
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
US Congress Passes 3 FTAs
http://latino.foxnews.com/latino/news/2011/10/13/congress-passes-three-free-trade-agreements/
Congress passed the Columbia, Panama, and South Korea FTA with bipartisan consensus in the past week. Passage of the various free trade agreements could alleviate the economy by increasing employment and exports. Additionally, one of the bills extended aid to workers displaced by foreign competition - they ensure American economic competitiveness in the global market. Passage of the South Korea FTA signaled a message to the international community that both countries are open to free trade.
The article causes an interesting point: if Congress can be unified to pass the controversial FTAs, can Congress pass other bills such as legislation that punishes China for keeping their currency undervalued despite deep divisions in the House and Senate?
Ann Peter
Section: Friday 9:00 AM
Congress passed the Columbia, Panama, and South Korea FTA with bipartisan consensus in the past week. Passage of the various free trade agreements could alleviate the economy by increasing employment and exports. Additionally, one of the bills extended aid to workers displaced by foreign competition - they ensure American economic competitiveness in the global market. Passage of the South Korea FTA signaled a message to the international community that both countries are open to free trade.
The article causes an interesting point: if Congress can be unified to pass the controversial FTAs, can Congress pass other bills such as legislation that punishes China for keeping their currency undervalued despite deep divisions in the House and Senate?
Ann Peter
Section: Friday 9:00 AM
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
Israeli-Palestinian Prisoner Swap
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-15361312
The Palestinian and Israelis put aside their fighting for a few moments to exchange prisoners. The Israelis released hundreds of Palestinian prisoners in exchange for one Israeli solider. The amnesty promised the release of over a thousand Palestinian prisoners. I believe this is a small step for peace in the Gaza Strip. Although in the article, it states that correspondents believe that the swap is not going to have a major effect on peace talks, I believe the opposite. This agreement to release prisoners and set aside differences for a few moments is a step towards peace.
Nayela Hoda
Friday 9am
The Palestinian and Israelis put aside their fighting for a few moments to exchange prisoners. The Israelis released hundreds of Palestinian prisoners in exchange for one Israeli solider. The amnesty promised the release of over a thousand Palestinian prisoners. I believe this is a small step for peace in the Gaza Strip. Although in the article, it states that correspondents believe that the swap is not going to have a major effect on peace talks, I believe the opposite. This agreement to release prisoners and set aside differences for a few moments is a step towards peace.
Nayela Hoda
Friday 9am
Saturday, October 15, 2011
United States Sending Troops to Help Uganda
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-15317684
This article is about the deployment of one hundred troops by the United States to help armed forces in Uganda battle the LRA(Lord's Resistance Army). The LRA has been accused of committing mass murder, rape and kidnapping in the country. The leader of this rebel group, Joseph Kony, has been wanted by the ICC since 2005 and it seems that the poor job done by Ugandan officials in trying to capture him has now brought Uganda to ask for help. Although Obama has stated ""although the US forces are combat-equipped... they will not themselves engage LRA forces unless necessary for self-defence", I can still see tensions rising quickly. As a son of Ugandan parents, I have heard many times of these rebel forces and seen the damage they have done. Even if those one hundred troops get the job done, whose to say another group won't arise and carry out equal or greater travesties?
Kyagaba David Lwanga
10 a.m. Friday
This article is about the deployment of one hundred troops by the United States to help armed forces in Uganda battle the LRA(Lord's Resistance Army). The LRA has been accused of committing mass murder, rape and kidnapping in the country. The leader of this rebel group, Joseph Kony, has been wanted by the ICC since 2005 and it seems that the poor job done by Ugandan officials in trying to capture him has now brought Uganda to ask for help. Although Obama has stated ""although the US forces are combat-equipped... they will not themselves engage LRA forces unless necessary for self-defence", I can still see tensions rising quickly. As a son of Ugandan parents, I have heard many times of these rebel forces and seen the damage they have done. Even if those one hundred troops get the job done, whose to say another group won't arise and carry out equal or greater travesties?
Kyagaba David Lwanga
10 a.m. Friday
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
Alleged Iran Terror Plot
This article is about a recent operation that lead to the capture of Manssor Arbabsiar, an Iranian-American who apparently conspired the assassination of the Saudi Arabian ambassador to the US. Not having kept up with recent news regarding Iran, I'm having trouble understanding the reasoning here as it would seem counter-productive. A Confidential Source deemed "CS-1", is the main, and probably only, witness. CS-1 was himself caught for a narcotics offense and now works as an informant. This particular article takes a legal perspective of the court proceedings rather than giving us any international implications.
http://www.cnn.com/2011/10/12/opinion/toobin-iran-plot/index.html
Ervin Velic
Fri 9am
http://www.cnn.com/2011/10/12/opinion/toobin-iran-plot/index.html
Ervin Velic
Fri 9am
Sunday, October 9, 2011
Gaddafi town of Sirte close to falling!
After months of fighting across the nation of Libya, NTC forces are wrapping up their last offensive on the town of Sirte. Sirte is one of the last significant Gaddafi loyal town in the country. NTC Forces have taken the hospital, university, and convention center in the heart of the town. Scattered loyalist forces remain throughout the town. After the liberation of Sirte, NTC forces plan to announce the full liberation of Libya from the oppressive Gadaffi Regime.
For the full story log on to:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-15232870
Elliott Minge
Discussion Section: Benthuysen, Friday @ 11:00am
For the full story log on to:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-15232870
Elliott Minge
Discussion Section: Benthuysen, Friday @ 11:00am
Sunday, October 2, 2011
Troops Injured After Taliban Hit
http://www.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/asiapcf/09/11/afghanistan.base.attack/
This article talks about a recent attack in Afghanistan that happened on the eve of September 11th (occurred on September 10th night). Gen. John Allen believes that this attack shows what the Taliban is not capable of. It was a high profile attack, but thankfully no one was killed. The clip that accompanies the article, along with the ending of the article, were most significant to me. It said that, "Some 10,000 U.S. troops are scheduled to depart by year's end, with all U.S. military personnel out of Afghanistan by the end of 2014," which I don't see happening at all. It would be nice to think that that many troops are going to come home in the next 4-6 months but its not logical. If troops were taken out now the country would go into distress and everything that the US has been "trying to accomplish" will all fall down. Even the idea that all troops will be out by 2014 is unrealistic. I believe that there are going to at least some US military enforcement in Afghanistan for many years to come. It's a nice thought for the government to put out to the public, but it's unrealistic.
Amanda Reichardt
9:00 AM class
This article talks about a recent attack in Afghanistan that happened on the eve of September 11th (occurred on September 10th night). Gen. John Allen believes that this attack shows what the Taliban is not capable of. It was a high profile attack, but thankfully no one was killed. The clip that accompanies the article, along with the ending of the article, were most significant to me. It said that, "Some 10,000 U.S. troops are scheduled to depart by year's end, with all U.S. military personnel out of Afghanistan by the end of 2014," which I don't see happening at all. It would be nice to think that that many troops are going to come home in the next 4-6 months but its not logical. If troops were taken out now the country would go into distress and everything that the US has been "trying to accomplish" will all fall down. Even the idea that all troops will be out by 2014 is unrealistic. I believe that there are going to at least some US military enforcement in Afghanistan for many years to come. It's a nice thought for the government to put out to the public, but it's unrealistic.
Amanda Reichardt
9:00 AM class
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