Blog #11 Casualties Rise in Gaza Battle; Hamas Rockets Target Tel Aviv

 

The tiff over Gaza between Israle and Hamas took a deadly turn earlier today. Many rockets were fired across the city of Gaza causing many casualties and deaths. There were no signs that this was going to happen. "despite entreaties for restraint by world leaders including President Obama and Ban Ki-moon, the United Nations secretary general, who planned a visit there in coming days. If anything, the Israelis intensified their attacks on Gaza after the Tel Aviv scare and made new moves toward a possible ground invasion."(Gladstone). The minister of defense sees now the seriousness of this, and now understands that the probelms have officially escaladed. The Egyptian people, the Egyptian leadership, the Egyptian government and all of Egypt is standing with all its resources to stop this assault, to prevent the killing and the bloodshed of Palestinians,” Mr. Morsi said in nationally televised remarks before a crisis meeting of senior ministers All in all it is just another day in the middle east I feel. There are onstantly land disputes and such problems going on, and everyone seems to feel the answer to all of the world's problems is war, and no one really knows what for.

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/11/16/world/middleeast/israel-gaza-assault.html?hp&_r=0

Blog 10: Battlefield Images, Taking no Prisoners

 

Photography is a form of journalism we are all quite used to seeing, especially in the news. The Museum of Fine Arts in Houston, Texas has come out with a new exhibit which shows us the truths behind wars, and what really goes on, especially since a picture is worth a thousand words, after all. The idea for showing off these war-time photos came about ten years ago when the museum acquired Joe Rosenthal’s famous photograph of the flag raising in Iwo Jima, after seeing what a response that the photograph got from those who could resonate with it, the museum curator set out doing research on war-time photography that would take the museums visitors back in time to the scene of some of these events. During the research she acquired about four hundred new war photographs; some are far more gruesome than others. In one photograph you see live Chinese soldiers being used for Japanese soldier bayonet practice. In another you see Russian children standing around two other children who have just been hung. These photos have created quite the stir the museum and have people coming from all across the country to see them, most of these visitors are war veterans themselves, adding to the nostalgia of the exhibit. So many memories are held here, victories and defeats alike. Some of these photos have never been seen by the public until now, giving people an even more personal look at what war was really like for our veterans. I feel this is one of the best things that the museum could have done, seeing as it is patriotic and drawing more attention to the museum, but also because it is part of our history and it needs to be brought into the light.  

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/11/11/arts/design/war-photography-at-the-museum-of-fine-arts-houston.html?pagewanted=all   11/8/12 11:17AM

Blog #8 Blast in Beirut Is Seen as an Extension of Syria’s War

 In Lebanon a powerful bomb destroyed a christian neighborhood on Friday. The blast sheared the faces off buildings, killed at least eight people, wounded 80 and transformed a quiet tree-lined street into a scene reminiscent of Lebanon’s long civil war. By nightfall, black smoke from burning tires ignited by angry men choked the streets of a few neighborhoods in the city, which has struggled to preserve a peace between its many sects, including Sunni, Shiite, Christian and Druse. The Syrians were blamed for the attack after it was announced that intelligence chief of the country’s internal security service, Brig. Gen. Wissam al-Hassan had been killed in the attack. However, there is evidence that this was not a planned attack seeing as the bomb was dropped in an elderly neighborhood. It was the first large-scale attack since 2008, and the most provacative since the unrest with Syria began 19 months ago.
In the midst of all of the chaos, neighbors did come to the aid of those who were affected far worse than themselves. The fact that even though the whole neighborhood was up in flames, people were still willing to help one another, this leads one to believe that their might actually be some hope for the human race.
Overall, there is no real clarity on what caused the attack to be held in an innocent neighborhood, other than the fact that a government official was there. I still cannot make sense of the logic behid whiping out a whole area just for one man.

10.25.12 http://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/20/world/middleeast/bomb-blast-in-beirut-lebanon.html

Blog 7: Turkey and Egypt Seek Alliance Amid Region’s Upheaval

Turkey and Egypt have recently built an allience because both countries are about to be in the middle of their own wars. The significant geopolitical shift in the Middle East prompted by the Arab Spring, uniting two countries with regional ambitions each headed by parties with roots in political Islam. This all started from the earthquake that shook the reginal order when Egypt's president was ousted and from the civil war in Syria. "Egypt often tangled with Turkey as both vied for the hearts and minds of the Arab street, with Turkey increasingly presenting itself as the champion of the Palestinians, often to Mr. Mubarak’s embarrassment" (Argo). Turkey is also in some form of economic allience with Syria, making all of these countries in need of one another.

 To me, if every country was left on their own, and weren't in need of econoimic allies or protective allies with other countries, the world would be a much simpler and safer place. It is almost as if countries world-wide are in different mafias together based on their countrie's needs. If countries did not ally, we would not have any of the world wars. Many countries sent their own young men and heavy artillary to a cause that they were not directly involved in. It would also help to keep countries out of debt with one another, and even be more protection than they realize, because once ties between countries are broken it is usually not a positive outcome. For this reason I feel it would be best for everyone to leave each other well enough alone. It only makes sense to fend for oneself before others, so why is this basic practicality overlooked in the bigger picture?

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/19/world/middleeast/turkey-and-egypt-look-to-team-up-amid-tumult.html?hp&_r=0  10/19/12 3:45pm

Blog #8 Military Bombing Kills Many In Syria

On Thursday September 18^th, the Syrian military bombed the Maarat al-Noaman in Idlib Province killing dozens of people, many of which were children. The bombing took place along a vital north-south highway in northern Syria. It was carried out by several fighter jets that made short dives and dropped at least 10 bombs on the eastern edge of the town, near an army base that was under attack by the rebels. The aerial bombardment was said to be the most intense since the military began bombing the area. The military has begun to bomb areas in order to stop the armed rebellion of those against President Bashar al-Assad. The military has been regularly deploying warplanes and helicopters but have never caused this much damage. They destroyed apartment buildings, a mosque, and caused mass damage on the ground.  The Local Coordination Committees, an anti-Assad group claimed that many were martyred during this bombing, which means they died for what they believed in. In their culture, that is highly respected and makes the mass deaths of people an honor to their cause. The scene after the bombing was horrific, rescue workers and surviving family members were searching for victims that had been crushed by exploding buildings or died from the impact of the explosion. The Maarat al-Noaman bombing was a part of the joint effort between the United Nations and Arab League. Both organizations are looking for a cease-fire in Syria and the beginning of dialogue between the rebels and the government. According to the United Nations estimates, over 20,000 people have been killed since the start of the anti-Assad uprising began in March of 2011. As of now, no one is safe in the country as the tensions continue to escalate.

http://www.post-gazette.com/stories/news/world/at-least-40-die-as-planes-bomb-a-syrian-town-held-by-rebels-658161/

 

 

Blog 6: Citing U.S. Fears, Arab Allies Limit Syrian Rebel Aid

All of the sudden, Saudi Arabia and Qutar are refusing to send anymore heavy artillary to the Syrian rebles. Though these countries have publicly stated that they are arming the rebles they are not doing so, this is because the US has discouraged their involvement with the rebles.Because of this, the war has reached a stalemate, and the rebles have enough weapons to hold off government forces. The US was not barring Saudi Arabia from helping the rebles, but simply trying to help them find a different way to help the cause. The Obama administration is making it clear that they do not want to get physically involved or ship weapons to the rebels, but they are simply in the back ground for logistical support. The government of Saudi Arabia is afraid that the youth of Syria will grow to not respect elders or listen to them as well, seeing as the current governement is so corrupt. I personally feel that this would not be an issue that the US needs to be involved in, though I do not understand why the US has any say in what other countries do when it does not involve them what so ever. Situations like this should be handled  within the government and in less harmful ways. If everyone would just keep an open mind they would be able to come to some sort of agreement a lot faster than they are now.

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/07/world/middleeast/citing-us-fears-arab-allies-limit-aid-to-syrian-rebels.html?hp&_r=0 October 9, 2012 7:08 pm ET

Blog 6 Suicide Bomber attacks Khost City

Three international service members and sixteen Afghan police officers and civilians were killed on Monday October 1, 2012 around 9a.m. after a suicide bomber walked into the crowded center of Khost in eastern Afghanistan wearing a vest containing explosives. According to military rules, a spokesperson cannot release information about deaths until the next of kin are notified, so a spokesman for the American-led coalition forces said three international service members and a translator were killed somewhere in Eastern Afghanistan after the attack. The Taliban responded to the attack by confirming the suicide bomber, Mujahid, as a member of the group and deemed him as their hero. This is the fourth suicide bombing in Khost Province in the last five months and the third that took place in the province capital of Khost City.

 Despite the working of the coalition forces over the past few years, the area is still heavily infiltrated by the Taliban and has become an area of intentional attacks on the innocent. Suicide bombers are especially dangerous because they are able to get extremely close to their targets and fulfill their goal to harm many. Although the international service men and troops are protected by gear, many parts of their bodies are still unprotected, leaving them vulnerable to get hurt or even killed by bombers. Civilians that wear no protective gear are even more susceptible to being killed, and the government has to gain more control over its people. There have to be more safety measures put in place to protect the innocent from these heinous and unnecessary crimes taking place in this area.

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/02/world/asia/suicide-bomber-afghanistan.html?ref=asia

Blog No.4 (Ryan Smith) - Welcome to Free Syria: Meeting the Rebel Government of an Embattled Country

I'd rather begin with an analysis of this article than merely summarize it, because of how well this journalist tackles the daunting task of condensing the complexities and numerous players in the Syrian civil war into a single feature length article. As fighting grows more intense, neither Bashar's brazened army nor the revolutionists seem to be budging anytime soon, making this one of the bloodiest stalemates in modern history.  As outsiders looking in, Americans are inundated with daily TV news updates on casualty counts and the escalating sophistication of weaponry used, making an article published over a month ago seem obsolete and irrelevant. But rarely does a news source provide such a deep understanding of the ontological story of what each side is fighting for, their strategies to achieving it, and the things that are being seen and felt by all involved.  The story focuses on Taftanaz, a small northwestern town about 80 miles inland from the Mediterranean, which saw an especially brutal attack by Assad's regime in April this year. Harper's Magazine contributor Anand Gopal goes to great lengths to get the personal perspectives of rebels, community organizers, military deserters, and citizen bystanders, and to give their voices a humanness that reaches beyond merely their roles in the conflict. Its easy to capture the urgency and direness of day to day fighting against such a formidable army, but equal in scope is the urgency to formulate ideas for current and future governance.  As one rebel commander, known to hand out French Revolution literature to his fellow freedom fighters put it, "this is not an intellectual's revolution..this is a popular revolution. We need to give people ideas, theory." Adding to local frustrations are the regular housekeeping tasks that are having to be done, from garbage removal to message couriering as government infrastructure and mobile phone services have been shut down indefinitely.  These are the kinds of frustrations that go unseen to those uninvolved.  Everybody watching the news sees the guy planting IED's in the road to blow up encroaching tanks.  What you don't get to see are town councils meeting as mini-parliaments (or tansiqiyyat as rebels call them) to delegate responsibilities and discuss strategy, or military defectors in Turkey trying to raise funds and ammunition for the rebels back at home.  These are people finally given the opportunity to govern themselves, and they are doing it miraculously well considering the odds they are facing.  Bashar's regime is ruthless and dead set on maintaining control at all costs.  After citizens were indiscriminately rounded up and executed in Taftanaz, homes were set ablaze and silver graffiti reading "NOBODY CONTROLS SYRIA EXCEPT BASHAR" and "ASSAD OR THE COUNTRY BURNS" was painted onto the few buildings left standing.  Yet the revolutionists continue, armed with the ferocity that can only come from the brink of desperation.

Woven into the ongoing narrative of the Battle of Taftanaz is a brief history of the regime's rise to power, from Hafez al-Assad's consolidation of power in 1970 to his death and replacement by Bashar, his son, in 2000.  The economic sanctions placed on their citizens and the absolute fealty they aggressively enforced do a great deal to explain how frustrations could have escalated to such a calamity that a couple cans of spray paint could spark a civil war.  Inspired by the uprisings in Tunisia and Egypt, two young Syrian teens were arrested in March of 2011 for painting antigovernment graffiti in Daraa.  That night, hundreds of protesters showed up in the streets, and demonstrations from that moment forward started popping up all over the country. Fighting began after Assad deployed his army to quell the uprising and ordered them to open fire on civilians.  Mughabarat and shabeck (secret police and mercenaries, respectively) were also sent to disrupt protests from within.  Since then, many soldiers in the Syrian Army, incapable of firing upon innocent civilians, have deserted and found solace in hiding or by joining the rebel effort.  These military defectors have formed the Free Syrian Army, and many operate outside of the Syrian border.  They coordinate with the Syrian National Council based in Turkey, which communicates through foreign press to negotiate aid for rebels within Syria.  Many civilians on the ground accuse the FSA of cowardice and feel the situation inside is being misrepresented to outsiders by these ex-soldiers no longer even connected to the rebellion.  Foreign nations like the US prefer dealing with known institutions outside of the country rather than the grassroots forces within who rely on their anonymity for survival.

Ethnic oppositions are always an underlying factor in Middle East relations.  As oppressive regime after the next toppled like falling dominoes this past spring, the impression was given that these were two-dimensional popular uprisings- people versus the state, military regimes versus rebels.  However the situation is always more complex than what is represented in the media (out of either sheer ignorance or journalistic laziness).  Conflict exists even within the Syrian revolutionary community.  Tensions between two major branches of Islam, Sunni and Shi'a, are pervasive across the Middle East and anywhere Muslims flourish, and Syria is no exception.  Many Syrian Sunni's view Shia and the Alawi (a mystical religious group in Syria who follow the Twelver school of Shia Islam) as inextricable, and therefore some Sunni towns in Syria have escaped the onslaught of Bashar's Army by threatening the slaughter of nearby Shia towns, regardless of their involvement in the overall conflict.  Although this has been an effective ploy that has certainly avoided further casualties, it does a lot to further complicate the revolution and any hopes of future unification.


http://www.harpers.org/archive/2012/08/0084010

Blog 5: Blasts Hit Syria Military Headquarters

Two explosions went off in the Damaskus military headquarters in Syria today. It is the second attack in two days. An Iranian English television correspondent was shot while on the scene during the gun fire that followed the two bombings. The bombs struck several government areas in the vicinity of the military headquarters, all in efforts to wipe out the president, Bashar al-Asad. An attack also took place at a local school building. In both attacks the rebels blocked emergency paramedics from reaching those wounded or dead. The attacks are believed to be from antigovernment terrorist groups. The government responded quickly by shutting down parts of the capitol. The rebels were said to have been armed with snipers, machine guns, and grenades according to by standers.

 

Nobody was expecting any type of attack to occur over the past two days, and unfortunately countless people were either hurt or injured. Even innocent women and children were harmed for a reason that is still unclear to just about everyone in Syria. When innocent lives are being harmed it is sickening and cowardly in my opinion. Would it be too much to simply try a peaceful protest or perhaps asking to speak with government officials face to face? The blocking of the paramedics was completely over kill in my opinion, innocent people were hurt or dead and many could have been saved had the rebels at least allowed paramedics to come through. They will end up just wiping out the entire country at the rate they are going, or people will find a way to escape. Living in constant fear of what the next day might bring is no way to live your life and there are better, more effective ways to solve government issues than to annihilate innocent people.

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/09/27/world/middleeast/syria.html?_r=0 9/26/2012

Blog 4: Canada-US Soldier Who Fled Is Arrested at Border

30 year old Kimberly Riviera was caught on Thursday after fleeing to Canada in hopes of staying to avoid the Iraqie war. She was basically in hiding with her husband and four children in Canada after she grew an opposition to the war itself. She is the fist woman to ever flee, and was given until yesterday to return to the united states. She had been living in Toronto and was brought into the US custody at the Thousand Island Bridges boarder after losing her bid to stay in Toronto. She was said to have come out calm and collected, which is more than can be said for most people in her situation. Riviera had come to Toronto originally on leave in 2007.

But one must wonder how this will effect her four children, their own mother has broght shame upon their family for not sticking out whatever time perios she had originally signed up for. It is one thing to be brought home due to injury or mental breakdown, but fleeing for ones own selfishness is a slap in the face to every other solider out there fighting the war. Just because her fellow soldiers are fighting, doesn't eactly mean that they believe in what they are fighting for, they could dimply be doing it because they have a family to support, and so they signed up for the military because they family would reep the benefits, they may have signed up when a war was not going on, and then got stuck with the duty once war-time arrived. What really amazes me is that she stayed under the U.S. and Canadian radars for about five years before she was caught. This not only makes me question why it took so long to find her, but now hearing how easy it is to get across the boarders, it makes you wonder how many illegal aliens there REALLY are in America.

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/09/21/world/americas/canada-us-soldier-who-fled-is-arrested-at-border.html?_r=0 9/21/2012 4:07am

Blog 3:Eleven Years After 9/11- Afghanistan Still Matters

For my current event this week I wanted to do something related to 9/11. I stumbled across this article that talks about how Afghani's see the events.
For Javid Ahmad and his family, things haven't really changed the way their lives are everyday. Things did change for them after 9/11, the Taliban was put to an end and their lives became a little better.
Most of these people didn't even know what events were going on the American simply because they have no access to basic media such as the television for news updates. Most Afghans feel that the US and NATO have only helped certain parts of the country, that is true. And in all honesty I do not blame them, I understand helping out your neighbor, but the main reason for going over there after the attacks was to put a stop to the taliban. We were not going over there to aid the country, but to protect ourselves. In a situation such as ours at the time, I can't really say I blame the government for doing what they did. We have to make sure our own people are taken care of first, and then handle the rest.
Ever since 9/11 things have been quite different for the Afghans. They have been trying to excersize new rights such as girls attending school, and possible new voting policies, all of which have been threatened by groups similar to the taliban.
Ahmad again brings up his frustrations that the US is not doing more to help out in Afghanistan, but we can not fix their way of life until we get our own fixed to a point we can help others. I am not saying we shouldn't help them, I'm just saying that we shouldn't be the only ones responsible for their government.


5:00 Pm http://atwar.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/09/11/eleven-years-after-911-afghanistan-still-matters/

Explosions in Syria Blog #2 9/7/12 4:06pm

On Friday September 7^th, two vehicles exploded in Damascus, Syria’s capital. The first vehicle was a motorcycle packed with explosives that blew up across from a mosque in the Rukneddine neighborhood. The explosion killed five officers and damaged a nearby medical center. The second vehicle was a car that ignited two hours later near the upscale Mazze neighborhood near the Ministry of Information and the Ministry of Justice. No one was killed in the second explosion but the reported damage is ghastly. The two explosions occurred just five days after two bombs exploded near the offices of the Syrian military's Joint Chiefs of Staff in Damascus, wounding four officers. Rebels against the country’s president, Bashar Assad, are attempting to overtake the government and claim power in Syria. The head of the Red Cross, an organization that aids with disasters worldwide, warned the president of the seriousness of the situation in Syria. The civil war began in March 2011 after citizens rallied for political change and the government became violent to regain control. Those who opposed the government began to fuel the battle, killing thousands of Syria’s inhabitants. President Assad blames the intervening of other countries for the uprisings but allowed the Red Cross to help the citizens. In the last two weeks alone, the organization has helped over 200,000 people in Damascus that have been displaced by the fighting. There are over 29 shelters housing people who have been affected by the civil war and need shelter, food, and education. The United Nations has raised over 347 million dollars and the European Commission has raised 64 million for humanitarian funding. According to the report, the war is only getting worse and the government’s grasp on the violence is slowly slipping away.

http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2012/09/07/world/middleeast/ap-ml-syria.html?_r=1&ref=world

 

 

 

Post 2: Bomber Kills at Least 25 at Afghan Funeral

 At about 3:30pm, 25 mourners fell victim to a suicide bomber at a funeral in Jalalabad, Afghanistan. The funeral was for a well-known businessman, Hajji Rasi. The bombed area was well populated,with members of the Shinwari tribe, of whom are in a long standing war with the Taliban of the mountainous region. The intended victim was the district governor Hamisha Gul, who only got injured in the attack. All victims were carried to the hospital, waiting in the courtyards and waiting rooms, crying out for help. To aid the wounded and dying, the government ordered all private practice doctors to report to the hospital to help with those still alive. In the end, the number of those wounded was set at 50, and 25 were proclaimed dead.
  The ending result of this bombing was just the death and injury of many people. The government is refusing to step in and stop the tribal wars between the people living in their country. If the government would pay a little more attention to more local problems, maybe then it would help to solve the larger wars. I understand that there will most likely always be political and civil unrest in the middle east, but when there are mini wars taking place during a massive one, something has got to give before the whole Middle East just ends up blowing itself to oblivion.Just think of all the lives that could be spared if an end was put to all the tribal wars of these countries, it could deffinatly be a step in the right direction for Afghanistan as a whole country.
 What really bothers me about the whole incedent is that the intended bomb victim walked away wounded, while innocent people lost their lives because of one man. I am not saying that it is not a big deal that one man was targeted, I'm just saying that innocent people were harmed because one man was trying to kill another, and the only ones who suffered were the innocent.



http://www.nytimes.com/2012/09/05/world/asia/bomber-kills-at-least-20-at-afghan-funeral.html  11:50 am

Blog # 1: Syrian War Test Unity of Lebanon's Military

The country of Lebanon's military is highly respected because it represents a plethora of the country's groups of people, which are usually divided elsewhere. The central government of Lebanon, much like its military is made up of Christians, Sunnis, and Shias. This way no group can overpower the other in ruling the country. The civil war occurring in Syria is now spilling over into Lebanon which is a major issue for the Lebanese military. The violence from Syria includes the surge of violence in Tripoli, which is the second largest city in Lebanon, political rhetoric between Lebanese supporters and members of the Syrian regime, and the threat of tit-for-tat kidnappings. The real issue is that many of the individual soldiers care more for their sect than for their country as a whole. A sect is a group of people with similar religious beliefs in which separates them from others or a larger group of believers. Sect loyalty is prevalent in Lebanon which makes the military weak because no soldier wants to fight their own people.  The main reason why the Lebanese Army cannot successfully intervene in the violence is because there is a lack of togetherness in the role of the military in the war. Separating the military from sectarian politics is nearly impossible because that is the way the institution has been created. The heated political heads put pressure on the military by using it as a political tool. The military is sometimes called the country’s protector but other times accused of furthering the tensions and violence in the country.  With minimal support from surrounding countries and its citizens, the Lebanese military is attempting to make the best decision to stabilize the country. As Lebanon is sucked into the violence of war, the cross sectarian institution is only highlighting its weakness and increasing its vulnerability.

Source: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/08/30/world/middleeast/syrian-war-tests-unity-of-military-in-lebanon.html?pagewanted=all

Blog 1:War,War and More War for Sudan

The current government of Sudan is under the attack of several rebel armies, coming to a total of about 60,000 rebel forces, along with several others in protests. The recent uprising is the result of increased prices of food, failed harvests, budget deficits, and the withdrawal of gas subsidies. With all of these recent issues, and the festering of previous issues, it is only a matter of time before Bashir is removed. But, this wouldn’t solve the issue, and would probably do quite the opposite, create yet another uprising sending the country farther into debt and poverty. Every group fighting is doing so for a different cause, therefore, it would simply cause more unrest than there is already. One of the main reasons most people are saying that Sudan is setting itself up for failure is because several large parties do not believe in democracy, while others want to stay strong to the Islamic principles and ways of life. Radical Islamic groups from different areas of the Middle- East began to start there Islamic organizations around the Sudan area with the intentions of creating racial Islamization of Sub-Saharan Africa. The U.S. and Arab allies grew alarmed by this in the 90’s, and encouraged Bashir to take action, of which, he eventually did. He thought by expelling these groups from Sudan that it would solve the problem, but it only caused further problems for the government, just as most things do for Sudan. Most of the anti-Bashir groups all have one common goal: to rid the country of its government, However, no one really knows what to do after they overthrow Bashir. Some groups want democracy, while others feel that that is not the best solution for the people. Whatever the outcome may be in the future, one thing is certain: Sudan still has a long road ahead of them to achieve peace.

 

Link: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/08/25/opinion/war-war-and-more-war-for-sudan.html?_r=1&pagewanted=all    8/31/2012

Blog 1 (Topic War) China Missile Program Brannon Whitesell

            For the past few years now, anyone who is concerned with war probably knows that China has been building their military up non stop and plans to keep building it up.   I have been personally concerned with this for a few years now and have been wondering what their reasons for doing this are.  I first came to know about China building it’s military up when I watched a video online of Chinas new military jets.  I have asked myself if they are building their military with intentions of wanting to keep China safe or do they have other intentions, such as war? People are starting to worry about this new military powerhouse. 

China is now in the development stages of new types of ballistic missiles according to an article from the WALL SREET JOURNAL entitled China's Ballistic Missisles: A Force to be Reckoned With by Andrew Erickson and Gabe Collins.  In this article, it seems as though China doesn’t want to be taken lightly, but then again what are their intentions?  According to the article China could be stepping up their military to keep Taiwan from becoming an independent country and also to keep China as the main powerhouse in Asia.  The United States is willing to work with China and Russia, which according to this article are the only two countries that actually have the ballistic missile power to attack U.S. soil.  The United States is working on strengthening their missile defenses in the Asia-Pacific, which makes me ask are we worried about a potential war crisis?  This article seems to hint at this question but doesn’t completely ask it.  China and Russia are being cautious about working with the United States in learning about missile defense.  The United States and China have to maintain good relations as China builds it’s military.   

This upcoming election will be interesting to see where both parties stand on this issue and what their plans may be. 

SOURCE LINK:  http://blogs.wsj.com/chinarealtime/2012/08/24/chinas-ballistic-missiles-a-force-to-be-reckoned-with/

is this in current events section

?