Suicide bombers in Afghanistan killed 4 Canadian troops and injured 8 in the province of Khandihar. Canada has about 2500 troops based in South Africa, aimed at fighting the Taliban. The death total of Canadian troops in Afghanistan is now 116. These attacks were followed by a particularly violent day, in which U.S. and Afghan troops killed 33 militants had opened fire upon them.
Canada’s mandate to end the war is 2011. We rarely remember that other countries are fighting the war in Afghanistan. American citizens think that this is “our” war, and we hear of having allies, but few rarely realize that citizens of other countries are dying in Afghanistan as well. Although Canadian troops will probably leave Afghanistan soon, the US plans to increase its troop numbers, and may ask for more assistance in the future if things get worse.
A new UN report says that civilian deaths in Afghanistan have risen nearly 40% since last year. The civilian deal tool in 2008 was 2,118, while in 2007 it was 1,523. The study found that most of the deaths were a result of insurgent violence, including suicide bombers, not by United States and its allied troops. However, Afghan forces and troops of the American-led coalition did kill 828 civilians, which is much higher than last year. There have been many episodes, in particular- airstrikes, in which civilians are killed by the US without intention. Suicide bombers, though, kill many more civilians because they look for the most popular areas people are in to try to kill as many as possible.
This not only looks bad for the US, but ultimately effects the citizens of Afghanistan. From day to day, their lives are consumed by fear. The UN’s survey also noted that 640 schools has closed down, depriving 230,000 children of an education because of the risk of suicide bombers. This rise is civilian deaths will look horrible upon the US- the war is already unpopular, and civilian deaths are one of the worst part of war. This UN study is very important to Obama in his decisions for future actions in Afghanistan.
A top UN envoy recently told Obama he should start talks with the Taliban in Afghanistan. Obama has said he was interested in reaching out to the “moderate elements” of the Taliban. Some people, though, say you need to include all members of the Taliban for an effective result. Therefore, president Obama’s negotiations with just some of the Taliban would not work. The UN special Envoy to Afghanistan, Kai Eide, says Obama needs to be ambitious and address the entire Taliban movement. Eide also said he has had some contact with the Taliban- and that they had responded positively to some “humanitarian requests”. Obama , though, has said he will be sending 17,000 more troops to Afghanistan to help fight the Taliban.
While adding troops may help stabilize Afghanistan, I think Obama needs to take Eide’s advice and start talking with the Taliban to work things out. The violence will not stop until more negotiations are made, and if Obama only addresses one sect of the Taliban, the other members may become even more radical. It will be interesting to see what Obama does in the future as far as talking to the terrorists and insurgents.
Sunday, March 22, 2009
Thursday, March 19, 2009
Hezbollah- foreign relations
Hezbollah is most commonly known as being an enemy of Israel and the United States, while being supported by Pakistan and Iran. Although most nations do not list Hezbollah as a terrorist organization, 4 do: The US, Israel, Canada, and the Netherlands. On the contrary, Hezbollah’s ties with Iran are very strong, as well as its relationship with Syria. Without the support of Syria and Iran, Hezbollah would not have risen as fast as it did, and probably would not be as strong as it is today. Although Hezbollah, as a large part of Lebanon’s political operations, deals with many countries, these 4 (US, Israel, Syria, Iran) are the closest in contact with the group.
Iran has not kept its relationship with Hezbollah a secret. Both countries are extremely opposed to Israel, so they have a natural common interest which ties them extremely close to one another. Iran and Hezbollah have a long history of being allies, and many of Hezbollah’s followers are Iranian extremists. According to the Jamestown Foundation, “Iran uses Hezbollah as an instrument to pressure foreign elements that represent a national security threat, while giving Tehran plausible deniability.” Therefore, Iran’s support of Hezbollah strengthens it against the U.S. and Israel; countries they see as a threat to themselves. Both Iran and Hezbollah are violently opposed to peace with Israel. Iran has also trained many members of Hezbollah militarily. They provide Hezbollah with weapons and are partially responsible for some of the terrorist attacks Hezbollah has committed.
Hezbollah also has very close ties with Syria. Syria supported Hezbollah during the years 1990-2005, leading it to become a prominent political group in Lebanon. However, there have been times where Syria and Hezbollah have had lots of problems and clashed. For example, in 1987, Hezbollah kidnapped a ABC correspondent, which angered Syria, who beat Hezbollah troops over the matter. Syria had a great deal of control over Lebanon until they were kicked out in 2005, which both strengthens the ties between the two countries, but also has brewed some tension. Recently, however, the relationship between the two has been warm, which worries the U.S. and Israel. Although Syria may not agree with the Lebanese government all the time, they do continue to support Hezbollah. Militarily, Syria has provided Hezbollah with missiles and arms.
Hezbollah’s foundation is based on a hatred for Israel. Naturally, Hezbollah has come into military contract with Israel many times, and the situation is not getting much better. Hezbollah was formed in 1982 as a response to the Israeli invasion of Lebanon. In 1985, Israel withdrew its troops from Lebanon, but there is still fighting between the two countries. In 2006, a war occurred that some refer to as Israel’s “second Lebanon war”. This fight between Israel and Hezbollah forces killed over a thousand people. The fighting lasted months, until the UN helped to negotiate a cease fire. Still, the tension between Israel and Hezbollah cannot be denied.
The U.S., Britain, and other members of the U.N. have recently made moves towards negotiating with Hezbollah. President Obama met with British officials and has given his support in Britain starting to talk to Hezbollah again. They had allied with the U.S. and stopped all relations with Hezbollah years ago, but are now shifting their ways and trying to rebuild a relationship. This has been controversial, though; even though Obama supports Britain’s new relationship with Hezbollah, some US officials disagree and thing the whole organization should be treated as a terrorist faction and not negotiated with. The U.S. policy towards Hezbollah though, is “it is funded and supported by Iran, is responsible for numerous terrorist attacks in the Middle East and has authority over the social welfare network of hospitals and schools for Lebanon’s Shiite community.”(Britain article) One of the main concerns the U.S. has with Hezbollah is its close ties with Iran. The U.S. has even said Hezbollah may be harder to contain than Al Quaeda because of its ties with Iran; Hezbollah has an entire country supporting it, which makes the U.S. even wearier of its powers.
Overall, Hezbollah is seen as an ally of Iran and Syria, while a distinct enemy of Israel and the US. Talks with Britain have started again, but there seems to be no end in sight for its conflict with Israel.
Iran has not kept its relationship with Hezbollah a secret. Both countries are extremely opposed to Israel, so they have a natural common interest which ties them extremely close to one another. Iran and Hezbollah have a long history of being allies, and many of Hezbollah’s followers are Iranian extremists. According to the Jamestown Foundation, “Iran uses Hezbollah as an instrument to pressure foreign elements that represent a national security threat, while giving Tehran plausible deniability.” Therefore, Iran’s support of Hezbollah strengthens it against the U.S. and Israel; countries they see as a threat to themselves. Both Iran and Hezbollah are violently opposed to peace with Israel. Iran has also trained many members of Hezbollah militarily. They provide Hezbollah with weapons and are partially responsible for some of the terrorist attacks Hezbollah has committed.
Hezbollah also has very close ties with Syria. Syria supported Hezbollah during the years 1990-2005, leading it to become a prominent political group in Lebanon. However, there have been times where Syria and Hezbollah have had lots of problems and clashed. For example, in 1987, Hezbollah kidnapped a ABC correspondent, which angered Syria, who beat Hezbollah troops over the matter. Syria had a great deal of control over Lebanon until they were kicked out in 2005, which both strengthens the ties between the two countries, but also has brewed some tension. Recently, however, the relationship between the two has been warm, which worries the U.S. and Israel. Although Syria may not agree with the Lebanese government all the time, they do continue to support Hezbollah. Militarily, Syria has provided Hezbollah with missiles and arms.
Hezbollah’s foundation is based on a hatred for Israel. Naturally, Hezbollah has come into military contract with Israel many times, and the situation is not getting much better. Hezbollah was formed in 1982 as a response to the Israeli invasion of Lebanon. In 1985, Israel withdrew its troops from Lebanon, but there is still fighting between the two countries. In 2006, a war occurred that some refer to as Israel’s “second Lebanon war”. This fight between Israel and Hezbollah forces killed over a thousand people. The fighting lasted months, until the UN helped to negotiate a cease fire. Still, the tension between Israel and Hezbollah cannot be denied.
The U.S., Britain, and other members of the U.N. have recently made moves towards negotiating with Hezbollah. President Obama met with British officials and has given his support in Britain starting to talk to Hezbollah again. They had allied with the U.S. and stopped all relations with Hezbollah years ago, but are now shifting their ways and trying to rebuild a relationship. This has been controversial, though; even though Obama supports Britain’s new relationship with Hezbollah, some US officials disagree and thing the whole organization should be treated as a terrorist faction and not negotiated with. The U.S. policy towards Hezbollah though, is “it is funded and supported by Iran, is responsible for numerous terrorist attacks in the Middle East and has authority over the social welfare network of hospitals and schools for Lebanon’s Shiite community.”(Britain article) One of the main concerns the U.S. has with Hezbollah is its close ties with Iran. The U.S. has even said Hezbollah may be harder to contain than Al Quaeda because of its ties with Iran; Hezbollah has an entire country supporting it, which makes the U.S. even wearier of its powers.
Overall, Hezbollah is seen as an ally of Iran and Syria, while a distinct enemy of Israel and the US. Talks with Britain have started again, but there seems to be no end in sight for its conflict with Israel.
Thursday, March 12, 2009
Hezbollah
Hezbollah, also known as “the party of god”, is a Shi’a Islamic parliamentary and political organization that is a major player in Lebanese politics. Hezbollah first came on the scene in 1982 as a militia response to the Israeli invasion of Lebanon. This radical group takes its inspiration from both the Iranian revolution and the teachings of Ayatollah Khomeini. The Iranian revolution had created great hatred towards the west, which Hezbollah was party founded upon. Hezbollah is supported by both Iran and Syria, especially Iran because of its similar bond against Israeli occupation and their stances on the Zionist entity.
Over the years, Hezbollah has become more militarily and politically strong. In the years 1983-1985, Hezbollah launched a series of suicide bombings against the U.S., including attacks on the U.S. embassy and a U.S. marine base in Beirut. In 1992, the group bombed the Israeli Embassy in Argentina. These attacks are a large reason Hezbollah came to power, and they are considered so radical because of their terrorist attacks against America and Israel. According to Globalsecurity.org, Hezbollah operates in 4 ways:
1. Bringing terrorists and collaborators through the border crossings using foreign documents
2. Setting up a terrorist organization inside Israel and in Judea, Samaria and the Gaza Strip
3. Cross-border operations - smuggling weapons and terrorists
4. Financial support for Palestinian organizations and groups.
Hezbollah has started working with other terrorist organizations as well, particularly those in Palestine and Iran. The Lebanese government, though, refers to Hezbollah as a national resistance group, not a militia or terrorist organization. It seeks to defend Lebanon from Israel and remove all Israeli forces from Lebanese soil. The three main leaders of Hezbollah are said to be: Sheikh Mohammed Hussein Fadlallah (spiritual leader), Hassan Nasrallah (senior political leader), and Imad Fayez Mugniyah (key planner of Hezbollah’s world terrorist operations). Muginyah was killed in a car bombing in early 2008, but was said to have trained with al- Fatah. These three men have been said to run the operations of Hezbollah, whose followers amount in the several thousands.
Hezbollah’s political power has become great. After a very violent outbreak in 2008, Hezbollah took over West Beirut, after which the Lebanese government shut down the organization’s communication lines. In a compromise, the Lebanese government approved a national unity cabinet, which gave Hezbollah veto power with 11 of 30 seats in cabinet. Some experts say that despite the apparent political rise of Hezbollah, they have lost some credibility after the west Beirut attacks because they had promised never to turn their guns on Lebanese people. Even so, the group has become a rising political force in the Lebanese government.
Hezbollah is regarded as a legitimate resistance movement throughout much of the Arab and Muslim world. By countries like the US, Canada, Israel, Britain, and the Netherlands, though, Hezbollah is considered a terrorist organization that is a threat to the free world. Both the U.S. and Israel consider Hezbollah one of the most dangerous terrorist groups in the world, right at the top with al-Queada.
Over the years, Hezbollah has become more militarily and politically strong. In the years 1983-1985, Hezbollah launched a series of suicide bombings against the U.S., including attacks on the U.S. embassy and a U.S. marine base in Beirut. In 1992, the group bombed the Israeli Embassy in Argentina. These attacks are a large reason Hezbollah came to power, and they are considered so radical because of their terrorist attacks against America and Israel. According to Globalsecurity.org, Hezbollah operates in 4 ways:
1. Bringing terrorists and collaborators through the border crossings using foreign documents
2. Setting up a terrorist organization inside Israel and in Judea, Samaria and the Gaza Strip
3. Cross-border operations - smuggling weapons and terrorists
4. Financial support for Palestinian organizations and groups.
Hezbollah has started working with other terrorist organizations as well, particularly those in Palestine and Iran. The Lebanese government, though, refers to Hezbollah as a national resistance group, not a militia or terrorist organization. It seeks to defend Lebanon from Israel and remove all Israeli forces from Lebanese soil. The three main leaders of Hezbollah are said to be: Sheikh Mohammed Hussein Fadlallah (spiritual leader), Hassan Nasrallah (senior political leader), and Imad Fayez Mugniyah (key planner of Hezbollah’s world terrorist operations). Muginyah was killed in a car bombing in early 2008, but was said to have trained with al- Fatah. These three men have been said to run the operations of Hezbollah, whose followers amount in the several thousands.
Hezbollah’s political power has become great. After a very violent outbreak in 2008, Hezbollah took over West Beirut, after which the Lebanese government shut down the organization’s communication lines. In a compromise, the Lebanese government approved a national unity cabinet, which gave Hezbollah veto power with 11 of 30 seats in cabinet. Some experts say that despite the apparent political rise of Hezbollah, they have lost some credibility after the west Beirut attacks because they had promised never to turn their guns on Lebanese people. Even so, the group has become a rising political force in the Lebanese government.
Hezbollah is regarded as a legitimate resistance movement throughout much of the Arab and Muslim world. By countries like the US, Canada, Israel, Britain, and the Netherlands, though, Hezbollah is considered a terrorist organization that is a threat to the free world. Both the U.S. and Israel consider Hezbollah one of the most dangerous terrorist groups in the world, right at the top with al-Queada.
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