Is it Really Surprising

The United States has publicly admitted to torturing terrorist detainees. In particular the CIA is the main offender. It is now confirmed that the U.S. has tortured many suspected terrorists in the past. The CIA felt at the time right after 9/11 that torture was the best way to extract information. It was justified because they felt it would protect national security. Yet what is alarming is the fact that the torturing was not justified in the long run as it did not provide critical information. When these terrorists were tortured they did not provide useful information or gave false information. This makes matters worst as the CIA had to break the rule of law for nothing. The question now is how is the world and our enemies going to react. This just adds justification to the terrorist cause it might serve as a recruitment tool. This report can also justify a retaliation and puts the U.S. on high alert. Most importantly is that the U.S. image has been smudged. How can we tell the world we represent democracy, freedom and the rule of law when we at the same time violate it. This report can affect us in the long run when it comes to our foreign policy as the world will look at us in a different light.


http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-30383924

Going back to the Philippines

The United States Navy and the Philippines have conduced large land and naval exercises. These large war games being conducted in the South China Sea is result to tensions between China and the Philippines over territory disputes. The Philippines has already filed case to the United Nations against China's attempt to claim territory in the South China Sea. There is photographic evidence showing China building man made islands and runways in the disputed area. This has greatly alarmed the Philippines government. This Chinese aggression has made the Philippines to sign a treaty with the United States where there would be increased military cooperation among the states. The U.S.  will be allowed to station troops, ships and aircraft in the country but on a rotating basis. This treaty might discourage Chinese over reach , but it has angered many in the Philippines. They say the the constitution prohibits the establishment of foreign military bases without the approval of a Senate treaty. The government has responded by claiming that the U.S. bases are not on a fixed basis which is not specifically covered in the constitution. The real question is if these war games will truly deter Chinese expansion or add more fuel into the current conflict.


http://www.nytimes.com/2014/09/30/world/asia/us-and-philippines-hold-joint-military-exercises.html

Bomb the S@#t out of them

The United States has decided to deploy more air power to the ISIS conflict area. The increase in airstrikes resembles the U.S. commitment into the conflict. Aircraft have been moved from Afghanistan and stationed in Kuwait in order to fly more sorties into Syria and Iraq. In addition to firepower being moved into the area, surveillance is also being stepped up. A half of dozen of reaper drones from Afghanistan have been moved as well. Adding more airstrikes and surveillance into the area does not mean defeating the Islamic State. IS is as some might put it, a hybrid enemy. They use both conventional military and terrorist tactics which makes it difficult for the U.S. to target. Airstrikes are most effective when there are infrastructure targets and enemy positions drawn out. Islamic State is always on the move which makes it difficult to dismantle it with airstrikes alone. Elaborate planning must be conducted in order to effectively destroy Islamic State. So far out of the airstrikes in Iraq only 5 percent were deliberate targets. If we are going to conduct an air campaign then the intelligence on enemy positions must be credible.



http://www.nytimes.com/2014/11/27/us/us-adds-air-power-but-isis-presents-elusive-target.html?ref=world&_r=0

Threat of Nuclear Testing by The Hermit Kindom: Noise or Signals?

North Korea has threatened the world community to conduct another nuclear test in retaliation to the U.N's plan to probe the country for human rights violations. The U.N. human rights committee is asking the security council for permission to refer North Kore to the criminal court for human rights violations. North Korea has previously conducted nuclear tests in 2006, 2009 and 2013. North Korea says that there is biased accusations by defectors and the United States on claims of prison camps. That these accusations are form of aggression by the United States and its allies. give North Korea no other choice to pursue further nuclear testing. North Korea in the past has rejected claims of prison camps by saying that they were detention centers. Many experts on the other hand don't believe that North Korea will ever be tried in the criminal court because Russia and China both sit on the U.N. security council. Both China and Russia will not allow this as they the only ally that North Korea has. Satellite images show that enrichment facilities and other nuclear facilities are being rebuilt and restarted. Only time will tell if North Korea's persistent desire for nuclear weapons will be its downfall.

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-30125047

3 Years of Arab Spring

Many are aware of the revolutionary movements that swept through the Arab world in 2011also known as the Arab Spring. What many do not know is the state of Bahrain is still going through its Arab Spring after 3 years. There is daily protest across Bahrain where they are met with violent clashes with police. The government bans protests and any talk against the king is a crime dealt with prison. Security forces are known to fire tear gas, beat protestors and even shoot live fire ammunition into the crowds. Bahrain has a majority Shiite population while the royal family is Sunni as well as other elite government officials. 

 3 years after the start of the Arab Spring 89 people have been killed by security forces. Reform has not been introduced and tougher polices like prison sentences against protesters have been in placed. The government has made it a 1 to 7 year prison term to anyone who speaks against the king. On the 3rd anniversary of the Arab Spring opposition leaders have called for 3 days of protest to challenge the government. In addition opposition leaders for a statewide job strike at the end of work week. What makes matters worst for the people is that little from the international world realizes the struggles still going on. It has been forgotten and purposely ignored by western powers like the United States. The United States has turned a blind eye the human rights violations in Bahrain because the U.S. 5th Fleet is stationed there. The U.S. Navy needs the port as it provides a strategic position in the region to strike Iraq, monitor Iran , deter privacy and protect trade routes.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/02/14/bahrain-uprising-anniversary_n_4787756.html

Fugitive Mayor Caught

Mexican authorities have finally apprehended the mayor of the town where 43 students were abducted. Back in October 43 teaching students had gone been missing in which witnesses said they saw police shoot into their bus and took the students into custody. Through an investigation it had been concluded that the mayor himself ordered the attack on the students. The mayors motives are that he wanted the left wing students to be taught a lesson. There has been world wide outcry and huge pressure on the Mexican government to solve the case. President Pena Nieto has promised to make it his top priority. Knowing that the mayor would be questioned he and his wife went on the run. It has been discovered that the mayor and the local police were working for the Guerros Unidos drung gang. The police worked as muscle for the gang while the mayor himself received up to $220,000 a week. So far 50 arrests including police have been, but yet no sigh of were the students are located. A mass grave has been found but none of the bodies pertain to any of the students. The mayor and his wife have been brought to justice. The sad part is that it has to take 43 students to persuade the government to act. This is a reality check on how much corruption exists in Mexico. These students disappearance will not be the last come, I guarantee it.

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/11/05/world/americas/Iguala-mayor-wife-missing-students-mexico.html?ref=world&_r=0

The New Red Scare

The Russian Federation has yet again stepped up its military taunts in Europe. Previous occurrences include troops massing along the Ukrainian border as well as speculation that A submarine was in the bay of Stockholm Sweden.  Today a report on the BBC stated that the Russian Air force has increased its number of flights over European airspace. Russian fighter have been known to cross into NATO airspace as the article said that NATO has escorted Russian aircraft out of its airspace more than 100 times this year.

The number of occurrences is increasing and formations are seen unusual for NATO , as the flights are of great size , and include combination of MIGS and bombers. Relations among Russia and the West have been strained due to the conflict in Crimea and Eastern Ukraine. Sanctions have been imposed on Russia and many believe the show military mobilization is a way to taunt NATO  and other neighboring states.  Whether it be noise or signals, NATO  must be prepared to counter and not give in to Russian intimidation. Any mistake NATO makes can justify Russian aggression towards Ukraine or in other surrounding state. 

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-29825890

Kobani's Only Hope

The Iraqi Kurd parliament  have approved  deployment of troops into Syria to aid Syrian Kurds. Kobani which is on the verge of being overrun by Islamic State is on the border with Turkey ,and it's Kurdish population is in dire need of support. Kobani is surrounded on all sides and the Kurds are fighting desperately to fend off IS attacks. Coalition air strikes and aid drops are the only thing that is saving the Kurds there for the time being. Turkey refuses to aid or allow until very recent allow Kurds to migrate into Syria from Turkey. Due to this Iraqi Kurdistan is willing to deploy its own troops into Syria to help their fellow brothers. The Iraqi Kurdish army will move through Turkish soil to enter Kobani. This is a real turn events as Turkey had been very reluctant to enter the conflict in any way. Turkey refuses to arm or aid the Syrian Kurds in Kobani because of their direct relationship with the PKK which they consider a terrorist group. Things seem to be pointing in the right direction for Kobani. There is hope that IS will be driven out. A combination of coalition airstrikes, Kurds being allowed to enter from Turkey, and Iraqi Kurdish military involvement can be enough to secure victory.

 http://www.latimes.com/world/middleeast/la-fg-iraq-kurdish-kobani-syria-20141022-story.html

An Eye for an Eye Will Only Make the Whole World Blind

The ISIS threat in Iraq has left the Iraqi government to turn to local militias to help combat ISIS. In a desperate move by the Iraqi government, local Shia militias funded and supported by the government are a major commandant against ISIS. The consequence to the support of Shia militias has put the lives of Sunni civilians in danger. Since ISIS is Sunni and is committing acts of genocide on Shia and other non-Sunni groups, revenge killings are happening to Sunni civilians. The militias are kidnapping and killing Sunni civilians as retaliation for ISIS  attacks. What is more concerning about this is the fact that the local government is not only supporting them but actually funding and arming them. There is no oversight by the government on the militias who turn are free to operate as long as they are helping fight ISIS. Sunni civilians are being dragged out of homes and disappearing. Mass graves are discovered with bodies handcuffed and with gunshots in the head suggesting execution style killings.  These revenge killings signifies increase power these militia groups are gaining since the crumbling of the Iraqi army after IS  advances. The militias have become the major combatant against IS than the actual army which has given them power to operate without a legal framework and oversight. Thousands of militiamen and growing are operating with no consequences for civilian killings. This is splitting Iraq even more between the various religious and ethnic groups. The Iraqi government should feel responsible and held accountable to the acts of the militias. Instead of arming these groups they should regroup their army which has a legal framework and follow a chain of command. There can be a point of no return where the militias will not listen to government and operate freely and commence another crisis in the future. The Iraqi government must act swiftly now before its too late.

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-29603272

The Mexican War on Drugs

One of the Knights Templar drug cartel leaders has been found dead in Mexico.  Authorities found his body with a bullet wound when they arrived.  This is a combination of victories for the Pena Nieto's government this year in his fight against organized crime. This year 3 other top Knights Templar leaders were killed or arrested.  The Knights Templar cartel controls most of the methamphetamine and marijuana trade and distribution  in Western Mexico.  Vigilantes in Western Mexico have taken the fight to the cartel. They have organized and have set road blocks to protect their villages.  They also took control of many towns until Federal forces arrived. Now vigilante groups work alongside government forces to combat organized crime. Farmers have been victims of extortion and kidnappings. The people have finally had enough of the violence that the drug cartels bring with them. Many towns have organized and created their vigilante groups to protect themselves. They have been widely successful by setting checkpoints and regulating who enters their towns. They have armed themselves and have gone the offensive without government support. The government and local police had previously ignored the villages victim of cartels. Now the government instead of disarming the vigilantes have let them operate and they now work together to eradicate the drug cartels. There is a boiling point where a person reaches before they take stance to oppression. The innocent people of Mexico are tired of living in fear and have decided that enough is enough. They know that the police and government is too corrupt to protect them. They know they have to take the law into their own hands. With more vigilante groups the more people will see that they don't have live in fear and will stand up and fight for peace and social change in their country.

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-29286873

Arming the Rebels

Today the House voted and approved Obama's plan in Syria to defeat IS. Obama's plan consists of training and arming Syrian rebels to combat IS militants. The vote was 273 to 156 and the notion to arm the rebels was passed. Despite this there are still many among the government who feel very skeptical about it.  Many feel that this could eventually blow back on the United States where as our own weapons could be used against us. It is still unclear on who to trust and if the weapons would fall to right hands. In addition it will take months to train an efficient fighting force to counter the Islamic State and if it will even be successful. Another major concern that has been brought up is that intervening in Syria will eventually require American troops on the ground. This would undermine what Obama has promised but military commanders are convinced that our investment in Syria will bring up certain instances where ground troops would be required.  Presidents Obama's plan has the right mindset but a mindset for a short term solution that can turn into a bigger problem in the long term. I feel the costs surpasses the benefits of arming moderate Syrian rebels. There is not much intelligence and trust on who we are actually arming. There is a lot of whats ifs to this strategy. What if the arms go to the wrong people and are used against our allies. Finally what if IS and the Al Assad Regime is defeated will these Syrian rebels thank us or threaten us in the future with our weapons. These scenarios must be evaluated seriously before such action is taken to arm these rebels. History can repeat itself where our weapons are being used against us and innocents. 



http://www.latimes.com/world/middleeast/la-fg-congress-isis-20140918-story.html

Bombing for Peace

 Tonight president Obama laid out the United States strategy to combat IS (Islamic State). The strategy involves continuous airstrikes across Iraq and even into Syria until IS is completely destroyed.  Obama stressed to the American people that United States would not deploy troops on the ground except some 500 military personnel as defensive role not a combat one.  The strategy would also include support to those combating IS like the Kurds, Iraqi government and Syrian rebels but not the Assad regime. Humanitarian supply drops will continue to those in need. The United States will form and lead a coalition of states to completely eliminate IS. This all sounds great  but the reality is can air strikes really be the sole solution to the IS threat. Air strikes keep the enemy at bay and grants both the Kurdish and Iraqi government time to regroup and keep them from being overrun but that's all it does. All this policy does is contain the threat back into Syria. If the United States really wants to solve it then it must be done by troops on the ground. These troops do not necessarily mean American but troops from other Arab nations or the Syrian rebels and from the Kurdish/Iraqi governments. For these troops to really be effective they need the arms and funding to do it. They are currently outgunned by the armament of IS. The U.S. can pursue this option and quite frankly can prove effective but  there can be a blow back from supplying these groups. What happens after the IS threat? This groups are now well equipped to fight for their own interests. What type of government will Syria have if the rebels win? Will the Kurds turn their attention towards the Iraqi government and split forcefully. Who knows maybe a relentless firebombing in Syria and Iraq wiping the IS leadership and morale will be enough to eliminate the threat, but I seriously have my doubts.


http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-29152129 

Tackling the Ivan Threat

  With the recent turmoil in Ukraine and the allegations of Russian direct support of rebels NATO is struggling on how to counter Russian involvement. The United States along with other Western powers have placed numerous sanctions on Russia. Yet these sanctions have not phased Russia whats so ever. Russia sticks to its claim that it has no involvement in the current civil war in Ukraine. That is hard to believe after seeing the equipment and armament these pro Russian rebels have. NATO intelligence also shows mass troop movement all along the eastern Ukrainian border. Ten Russian soldiers were also captured by Ukrainian troops and Russia's explanation was they accidentally went into Ukraine. After the annexation of Crimea and the shooting down of the Malaysian Airlines plane NATO  must act upon Russian destabilization of Ukraine.  NATO needs to show  it's teeth and remind the world that it will stand by it's foundations. Putin is running a mock of NATO knowing that it can get away with it after it just simply stole Crimea without retaliation from Ukraine or NATO.  I suggest that they at least supply the Ukrainian army with military hardware and funding.  In addition NATO  needs to increase its presence in the region to intimidate Putin by doing military excercises as well as stationing troops next to Russian. In the long term admit Ukraine as well as Georgia into NATO. Russia will then have no buffer zone and will think twice before flexing its muscles. NATO needs to prove to the world that it can live up to it's reputation and prove that it is still useful today even after the cold war.  Only time can tell if Russia will back off and if so can NATO really counter it.

http://www.latimes.com/world/europe/la-fg-putin-nato-20140907-story.html