By Sudarsan Raghaven, Washington Post Foreign Serivce
March 5, 2007
In yet another instance of problems concerning human rights in Southern Iraq, British officials said that prisoners within an Iraqi intelligence facility run by Shiites showed prisoners with signs of torture. They conducted the swift raid on a tip they had gathered from suspects arrested just hours earlier in connection with car bombings. Following the raid, the 30 prisoners hosted in the compound somehow managed to escape, and the details concerning how are still very sketchy. Iraqi Prime Minister al-Maliki called the raid an unlawful and irresponsible act, but failed to dress claims of torture in the compound. Maj. David Gell of the British army did confirm that is was not the Iraqi forces who let them escape. This is just more evidence of how the British pull-out of southern Iraq is not a sign of good fortune, as told by the Bush administration, in Iraq. Also, it raises some more questions as to the effort that al-Maliki is putting in to make sure the ministries below him are operating correctly and lawfully. It should be noted, however, that US forces pushed into Sadr City, an area without any US occupation, and met little resistance, likely to Moqtada al-Sadr’s demand that his troops calm down and let the security plan work its course.
Monday, March 5, 2007
3/5 Response Paper
"Based on your reading, what best explains the genocide in Rwanda? Is it the result of long standing (ancient) hatreds? A weak state unable to control its population? The manipulation of state organizational capacity by a faction of political elite? Or something else? Provide evidence of your explanation and discuss how your favored explanation would determine the optimal response to the genocide from international actors."
After examining all of the explanations offered in an attempt to solidify one single reasoning behind the Rwandan genocide, I have come to the conclusion that the genocide is comparable to a brick building. Each event combined together to simply build a tall wall of genocide in the African country. Several poignant steps could have been taken to stop the horrific event in progress, but the most important step to learn from it is to let it happen again.
I feel that the primary reason for the horrific conflict that took place in Rwanda occured because of a few significant contributing factors, including a lack of quality government leadership and the major differences amongst the Hutu and Tutsi classes. These forces combined for a lasting conflict that produced the genocide of the Tutsis and moderate Hutus. This differentiating of classes mainly began when German forces set the two peoples apart based on appearance, and eventually the Hutus gained totalitarian control. The Hutus assumed a role of publishing massive amounts of anti-Tutsi propaganda -- leading to a widespread negative view of the Tutsi people. However, they did not lay down. Despite making up a significantly lower part of the population, the Tutsis fought back with their own revolutionary force, the RPF, in an effort to protest the exilling of several prominent Tutsis. Evantually, the RPF led an assassination on the leader of the Hutus, which created massive outcry and violence toward the miniority Tutsi nation from the Hutus. In essence, this led directly towards the murders of hundreds of thousands Tutsis and moderate Hutus.
These events did not go without notice in the eyes of the media internationally. However, western Europe and the United States seemed to turn their back on this massive killing of innocent life. This lack of outside help -- and a desire to not interfere with other countries' interests -- led to the significant problems. Also, if Rwanda would have been led in a democratic fashion instead of the Hutus having dominant control, this crisis might have been averted. Equal leadership goes a long way. In addition, the years of propaganda put forth by the Hutu led to a civilization that didn't have accurate information about its neighbors. A better, honest education -- even if only on the social level -- would have done wonders for the situation by making it seem that Hutus murdering Tutsis was a morally wrong act, when in reality the Hutu government had propped up the fact that the Tutsis were evil and deserved their fate.
This situation could be debated for hours, but one thing is for sure. The international community simply did not put enough effort forth in trying to reconcile the differences in Rwanda.
After examining all of the explanations offered in an attempt to solidify one single reasoning behind the Rwandan genocide, I have come to the conclusion that the genocide is comparable to a brick building. Each event combined together to simply build a tall wall of genocide in the African country. Several poignant steps could have been taken to stop the horrific event in progress, but the most important step to learn from it is to let it happen again.
I feel that the primary reason for the horrific conflict that took place in Rwanda occured because of a few significant contributing factors, including a lack of quality government leadership and the major differences amongst the Hutu and Tutsi classes. These forces combined for a lasting conflict that produced the genocide of the Tutsis and moderate Hutus. This differentiating of classes mainly began when German forces set the two peoples apart based on appearance, and eventually the Hutus gained totalitarian control. The Hutus assumed a role of publishing massive amounts of anti-Tutsi propaganda -- leading to a widespread negative view of the Tutsi people. However, they did not lay down. Despite making up a significantly lower part of the population, the Tutsis fought back with their own revolutionary force, the RPF, in an effort to protest the exilling of several prominent Tutsis. Evantually, the RPF led an assassination on the leader of the Hutus, which created massive outcry and violence toward the miniority Tutsi nation from the Hutus. In essence, this led directly towards the murders of hundreds of thousands Tutsis and moderate Hutus.
These events did not go without notice in the eyes of the media internationally. However, western Europe and the United States seemed to turn their back on this massive killing of innocent life. This lack of outside help -- and a desire to not interfere with other countries' interests -- led to the significant problems. Also, if Rwanda would have been led in a democratic fashion instead of the Hutus having dominant control, this crisis might have been averted. Equal leadership goes a long way. In addition, the years of propaganda put forth by the Hutu led to a civilization that didn't have accurate information about its neighbors. A better, honest education -- even if only on the social level -- would have done wonders for the situation by making it seem that Hutus murdering Tutsis was a morally wrong act, when in reality the Hutu government had propped up the fact that the Tutsis were evil and deserved their fate.
This situation could be debated for hours, but one thing is for sure. The international community simply did not put enough effort forth in trying to reconcile the differences in Rwanda.
Sunday, March 4, 2007
Airstrikes Kill Insurgents, U.S. Says
By Sudarsan Raghavan, Washington Post Foreign Service
March 4, 2007
The US attacked al-Qaeda in Iraq members Saturday in response to their downing of two American helicopters, killing several members in two separate airstrikes. At the same time, however, three Americans were killed by a roadside bomb in central Baghdad. Insurgents claim to have shot down six US copters since January 20th, leaving the US with a new plan on how to transport troops through the air. Road travel is even more dangerous due to the increasingly complex roadside bombs. The second airstrike of the two destroyed a factory that the US claims to have been building car bombs. Obviously, the US is trying to circumvent any new attacks both on the ground and in the air with this operation. With six helicopters going down in the past 2 months, there is an obvious need to find new ways to get around the high danger that these slow flying birds produce. New tactics such as weaving and changing altitude are being used to keep a target from easily being locked.
March 4, 2007
The US attacked al-Qaeda in Iraq members Saturday in response to their downing of two American helicopters, killing several members in two separate airstrikes. At the same time, however, three Americans were killed by a roadside bomb in central Baghdad. Insurgents claim to have shot down six US copters since January 20th, leaving the US with a new plan on how to transport troops through the air. Road travel is even more dangerous due to the increasingly complex roadside bombs. The second airstrike of the two destroyed a factory that the US claims to have been building car bombs. Obviously, the US is trying to circumvent any new attacks both on the ground and in the air with this operation. With six helicopters going down in the past 2 months, there is an obvious need to find new ways to get around the high danger that these slow flying birds produce. New tactics such as weaving and changing altitude are being used to keep a target from easily being locked.
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