International Security: Saudi-Iraq Border Dispute Essay

When the Saudi Arabian government began to experience the uprising of social movements in the 1960s, one of the first suspects of origin was Baghdad. The tension that had been going on between the two countries quickly degenerated to a point where it became volatile. Since forces in Baghdad had been suspecting of having a role to play in movements similar to the one in Saudi Arabia around the same time, it was natural for Saudi Arabia to develop relations towards Baghdad that were all the more strained in nature. This paper shall provide an introduction to the relationship between Saudi Arabia and Iraq and shall attempt to begin by establishing an understanding of the evolution of their relationship over time in order to attain a clearer picture of attain a clear picture and a complete understanding of the actual nature of relationship that exists between the two countries. The paper shall begin by providing a brief introduction to the relationship between the two countries and shall then proceed to delve into the scenario that exists with respect to the volatility of the Saudi-Iraq border. The paper shall give special attention to areas that pertain to the terrorist threat posed because of the scenario that exists on the border of Saudi Arabia and Iraq. The paper will highlight the problem of the terrorist movement across the Saudi-Iraq border and shall elaborate upon the numerous aspects that pertain to the terrorist movement across the Saudi-Iraq border and how it serves to put both the countries at a risk in the process. In the latter paragraphs, the paper shall also elaborate upon the ethnic problems that exist in Iraq in order to highlight the volatile nature of the current Iraqi situation. Special consideration will be given to the aspect of migration that exists across the two regions and in the area of illegal migration with respect to situations such as the Saudi-Iraq border in general. As a result of the deteriorating relations with Iraq and the close proximity with the same that Saudi Arabia was faced with, it was only natural that Saudi Arabia began to attempt to strengthen its relationship with other neighboring countries and allies such as Iran, Kuwait, Syria and the United States. It is not too hard a task to note that Saudi Arabia was particular in improving relationships with countries that held a similar loathing towards the Iraqi government. The 1970s saw an improvement in the relations between Saudi Arabia and Iraq, fundamentally because of the fact that both countries were in fear of the implications of the Iranian Islamic Revolution spilling over into their territories. In the 1980s, Saudi Arabia actually served to assist Iraq during the Iran-Iraq war through numerous loans that were designed upon generous return terms (Tollitz, Prados and Blanchard). However, this ripening of the relationship between the two countries did not last long when Iraqi forces took hold of Kuwait. In retaliation, Saudi Arabia took action against Iraq and also sought assistance from the United States in confronting Iraqi forces. The United States responded by sending its troops to Saudi Arabia upon the invitation of the threatened country and using the coalition that they held in the opposition of Iraq, the United States forces were given complete permission to make use of Saudi Arabia’s military facilities. The United States did not merely assist the Saudi Arabia government in the war against Iraq but also served as an integral spearhead in the war. The United States forces were took part in ground assaults as well as areal assaults against Iraqi forces. The fact that the Iraqi forces chose to launch Scud-B missiles at numerous towns in the Saudi Arabia served to hit the nail on the head with regard to the deterioration of the relations between both countries. The damage to Saudi Arabia as a result of the missiles was predominantly that of civilian life and property. By this time, the relations between Iraq and Saudi Arabia damaged to a point where next to nothing could possibly be done to repair them since the people of the two countries had grown to loathe each other as the war raged on. As time went by after the war, every foreign policy that Saudi Arabia formulated was designed to ensure that it addressed any all threats that Iraq could pose towards Saudi Arabia. Elements such as these were areas of Saudi Arabia’s foreign policy which dictated that Saudi Arabia would support forces in Iraq that opposed the government and desired to remove Saddam Hussein’s reign (Al-Rasheed). The Saudi Arabia proceeded with this stance for a few years without making it too public, but as time went by and the 1990s approached, the desire to topple Saddam’s government became all the more dominant and prominent in Saudi Arabia’s foreign policy. When Saddam Hussein’s reign finally ended, Saudi Arabia was relieved of one issue with regard to Iraq, but was immediately visited by another. Over the years, the Saudi and the Iraqi border had been a much disputed region. Neutral zones had been established along the perimeter as a result of prolonged discussions and negotiations between the two countries. When the United States forces invaded Iraq, the influx of terrorists into Iraq and the out flux of refugees, both became functional in a manner such that the Iraq-Saudi Arabia border was incorporated (Tripp). It is essential to highlight at this point that in the latter half of 2006, it was reported that Al-Qaida operatives had begun to move from bases located and operational in the Pak-Afghan region, to Iraq where Al-Qaida has apparently decided to channel its man power for the coming period. It was speculated that there is a chance that Al-Qaida operatives may choose to enter Saudi Arabia and then gain access to Iraq through the border connecting Saudi Arabia and Iraq. It would not be unjustified to concur that Iraq is playing out the role of a magnet of sorts for hostile elements such as Al-Qaida and regions that fall around Iraq are therefore falling into the line of fire (Regan). As Al-Qaida operatives move from around the world towards the Middle East, Saudi Arabia is faced with a security threat that makes it not only vulnerable to terrorist threats, but by serving as a pathway for terrorist elements to cross through into Iraq, also puts Saudi Arabia in a compromising position with regard to its role in preserving international peace. The scenario for Saudi Arabia is quite similar to that which exists for the United States with regard to Mexico and for Israel with regard to Palestinian areas. Much like the United States, Saudi Arabia is also considering establishing a barrier along its borders. The Saudi Arabia is considering serious plans to establish a penetration proof barrier along its border with Iraq in order to keep out any violent and hostile elements. Not only are political extremists an issue, but the supplementing threat of drug smugglers does not come as any improvement in the scenario because this serves to open routes for other unwanted parties such as weapons dealers and human smugglers. The involvement of elements such as these causes the further degradation of the scenario and puts Saudi Arabia at a high security risk level. The threat to Saudi Arabia has only increased with the recent war in Iraq that has caused countless Iraqis to opt to flee across the Iraq-Saudi Arabia border. Along with the few refugees that have attempted to do so, hostile elements have also attempted to take advantage of the chaotic situation and have tried to gain access to Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia faces a highly vulnerable standing because of its border disputes with Iraq because of the fact that the Shia minorities of the country are located in the most significant oil producing regions of the country (The Associated Press ). However, the border is not causing problems merely for Saudi Arabia, but is also causing problems on the other side of the fence. This is because of the fact that as the war in Iraq rages on, hostile elements from Saudi Arabia are choosing to cross the border and join terrorists groups in Iraq that are operating against the coalition forces. The situation worsens further with the fact that this puts Saudi Arabia in a position where it may possibly serve as a gateway for terrorists into Iraqi territory. It has become almost natural for the neighboring countries of Iraq to fear that the force with which coalition forces are carrying out operations in Iraq may cause hostile elements to opt for using Iraq’s neighboring countries as their bases of operations or as safe houses for refuge (Saudi-US Relations Information Service). It is for the same reason that Saudi Arabia has decided to undertake security projects along its borders with Iraq that ensure that there will be almost no possibility of any infiltration from any of the two sides of the border. Measures such as these are because of the fact that the frequent illegal movement of hostile elements and illegal immigrants across the border tends to encourage such elements to attempt to transport equipment across the border as well. In the case of terrorist elements, this aspect is nothing less than alarming considering the damage that terrorists groups can cause to Saudi Arabia and Iraq both if they managed to establish a pathway to transport heavy weapons to and from the two countries. Because of the presence of such multilateral threats, both the Saudi Arabia and the Iraqi government have attempted to reconcile on disputes that they previously did not choose to bring up (Saudi-US Relations Information Service). Another adverse implication of the existence of the cross-border movement dispute between the two countries is the fact that there is a possibility that the excessive movement of hostile elements from Iraq may encourage elements to move across the border that could instigate the Shia minority into getting carried away with their emotions and working against the coalition forces (The Associated Press ). Iraq has been plagues with ethnic problems for years now. The conflicts between Sunnis and Shiite Arabs have turned Iraq into an increasingly volatile battle ground. Under the dictatorship of Saddam Hussein, the Shiites grew exponentially powerful and reached a point in the Iraqi society where they constituted sixty percent of the Iraqi society and were still denied their fundamental political and religious rights. Under Saddam Hussein’s regime, the Sunnis gained more power and reached a point where they formed the bulk of Saddam’s administration. A fact that serves to irk the Sunni population of Iraq is the presence of the political ties with Iran. This serves to anger not only the Sunnis of Iraq but also the Arab countries that are United States allies. The fear of Iranian influences intervening in the already increasingly volatile Iraqi scenario is an aspect that serves to increase doubts about the prospective Iraqi scenario. However, it is essential to mention that Kurds also play a significant role in the Iraqi scenario since they comprise of nearly twenty percent of the total Iraqi population. This puts them in a position where they are a minority that can have a significant influence upon the series of events that Iraq undergoes. The Kurds have their own distinct language, culture, history and traditions and are generally concentrated in and around the northern areas of Iraq. The Kurds have been struggling for their rights in the regions of northern Iraq, eastern Turkey, northeastern Syria, northern Iran and southern Georgia. Incidents where the Kurds have chosen to initiate a movement and have been faced with vicious oppression from the resident society. However, since the gulf war in 1991, the Kurds have found a considerable degree of independence in the regions in and around northern Iraq and have entered into Iraqi politics as well. However, even though the Kurds have gained a significant degree of recognition in Iraq, their desire to gain independence still exists with the same vigor as it held several decades ago. Fundamentally, the Kurds are a part of the Sunni Muslim population of Iraq, but the aspect of secular nationalism is quite strong in them. Another fact which serves to make the Kurds a highly crucial element in the Iraqi scenario is that they are concentrated in the northern regions of Iraq where oil is found quite commonly (Karon). This puts the Kurds in a position where they can choose to keep revenues with themselves instead of handing them over to the state, hence enabling them to establish an autonomous government that they can protect it from an external intrusion. However, the Kurds are faced with opposition from not only the powers of the state but also from the Turkmen minority that also has the same intentions. There has been a vast amount of migration in the Arabic gulf countries and specially the United Arab Emirates and if one was to consider the aspect of the migration that is caused as a result of disputes such as the Saudi-Iraq border issue, there are a number of natures of immigrants that can move about. The first and most dangerous are the terrorist elements that more than often choose to move around when disputes such as the Iraq-United States war erupt. When terrorist elements move around, they tend to establish a base of operations in any region they can during their stay there. Their movement causes the exercising of terrorist elements that may otherwise have become stationary and of no threat to the region where they are concealing themselves. As a result of the movement of active terrorist elements, these otherwise stationary terrorist elements become an active threat to the immediate region and the exchanging of information amongst these elements serves to increase the danger of the execution of a terrorist activity exponentially. This is also associated with the fact that the continuous movements of terrorists across different regions causes them to form safe houses in these regions that can later turn into their base of operations. Therefore, a country that is housing an active terrorism element may be actually serving as a base of operations for a terrorist activity in another country. The presence of scenarios such as these serves to cause deterioration of the relationship amongst allies because of the fact that evidence found at a terrorist attack which directs towards the involvement of an ally country serves to decrease the degree of trust that the victim region has on its ally and also simultaneously serves to show the inability of the region in keeping terrorist elements out or handling them once they have gained access, causing a deterioration in overall international relations. The second form of immigrants in a scenario such as this include refugees who choose to leave behind their native land and attempt to establish a refuge in a region that is not their native region by birth. In cases such as these, the region to which they migrate in order to seek refuge more than often has to face an imbalance of sorts because of the adjustment of an unexpected influx of refugees into the region. In cases where the region is already suffering through an economic imbalance, the influx of refugees causes a further deterioration of the economic scenario.

Strategic Management Wk3 Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

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Lower Division Capstone - Essay Example I would say that this strategy can be considered as home runs because this investment can bring about a lot of revenue in the future. In order to increase their revenue this company should market through digital media. This can also be categorized as low hanging strategy. I strongly recommend the use of this digital media i.e. online marketing, blogs, forums, social media etc as customer behavior is changing every day and people (doctors) mostly use internet as the source of information for new drugs. This would definitely have positive effect on the company as it can have direct contact with customers through this. This can result in great financial improvements (Abbott 2011). DEAN FOODS: Dean foods is an American food company which mainly deals in milk and dairy products. Marketing plan for dean foods can be advertisements through newspapers or pamphlets, door to door service and change in the way of presenting the product. All these are very common yet effective ways of marketing. Advertisements in newspapers and door to door service both can lie in low hanging fruit category. The success of the change in the presentation can be risky because it depends upon the consumer’s taste. ... It is one of the top brands worldwide for women’s undergarments. It needs to be very innovative when it comes to its marketing strategies and it is already doing very well in it. New models should be hired every year so that consumers are not bored by the same faces. More and more ads should be put in all kind of magazines instead of just fashion ones. Any new product that comes up should be immediately advertised. All these will help Victoria’s secret to continue being a monopoly in lingerie business. Hiring new models can be low hanging fruit for the company. Putting ads in different magazines can be both low hanging fruit and home runs. Hiring new models can be a little risky because the success of it actually depends upon customer’s taste. I would strongly recommend my second advice of advertising the product in all kind of papers and magazines because this would also target customers who do not read fashion magazines. It will increase the demand and will enh ance public relations (Business Week 2006; Franco 2000). BIBLIOGRAPHY: Dean Foods Company STRATEGIES: ONE BIG SECRET. Mark Del Franco 2000 Marketing Victoria's Secret. Business Week 2006. http://www.businessweek.com/bschools/content/oct2006/bs20061011_780959.htm Abbot Laboratories. Official Website 2011. PART TWO The company’s strategy of changing its focus from SUV to more fuel-efficient cars is more practical for today’s world where fuel prices are hiking every day.

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Differences Of Gender Communication - Research Paper Example However, women get credit not only for being active listeners but also for responding to anything that they need to say; this is due to the fact that they react in a positive manner to this as compared to men. Women demonstrate attentiveness by means of verbal and non-verbal signs while men tend to avoid these cues that keep on appearing from time to time. The majority of men fail in listening to every single word in a dialogue; when speaking to a man, it is probable for a man to be a dynamic listener, yet when the conversation comes to an end, the same man may ask the name of the person. Considering that the person talking had clearly mentioned his name in the beginning of their conversation. It is even possible for the man to ask once again for the name of the speaker in the conversation; this is a clear indication that this man had been a discriminatory listener, so he forgot the name of the person speaking. Apparently, this happens to be the main distinction between men and women . The second subject at hand happens to be verbal communication; research shows that while men tend to seek status in a conversation, women, on the other hand, seek acceptance. While men tend to speak about their careers, their achievements, and their future, women tend to discuss issues that have a direct or indirect relation to men. Men have a tendency of telling more stories and jokes as compared to women, considering that telling jokes to happen to be a masculine way of negotiating a status. ... However, women get credit not only for being active listeners but also for responding to anything that they need to say; this is due to the fact that they react in a positive manner to this as compared to men. Women demonstrate attentiveness by means of verbal and non-verbal signs while men tend to avoid these cues that keep on appearing from time to time. The majority of men fail in listening to every single word in a dialogue (Crawford, 1995); for instance, when speaking to a man, it is probable for a man to be a dynamic listener, yet when the conversation comes to an end, the same man may ask the name of the person. This is remarkable, considering that the person talking had clearly mentioned his name in the beginning of their conversation. It is even possible for the man to ask once again for the name of the speaker in the conversation; this is a clear indication that this man had been a discriminatory listener, so he forgot the name of the person speaking (Crawford, 1995). Appar ently, this happens to be the main distinction between men and women. The second subject at hand happens to be verbal communication; research shows that while men tend to seek status in a conversation, women, on the other hand, seek acceptance (Barret & Davidson, 2006). This statement is obviously true when a man engages in a conversation with a woman; while men tend to speak about their careers, their achievements, and their future, women tend to discuss issues that have a direct or indirect relation to men. Men have a tendency of telling more stories and jokes as compared to women, considering that telling jokes happens to be a masculine way of negotiating a status. In most of those stories told by men, they almost always turn out to be heroes; conversely,

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Aftermath of WWI and the Treaty of Versailles - Essay Example They were not at all very happy with what they got. Germany was forced into signing a lopsided agreement that to her citizens was robbery in broad daylight. They were made to pay reparations that at that time was an astronomical amount. To add insult to injury the German people lost a significant part of their territory. Germany was carved up like a juicy present and the gifts distributed to the loyal member of the victorious allies. It was worse than any physical abuse as the German people was stripped bare of dignity and even hope of a better future. The heart of the people looked like Berlins bombed out dwellings, like the scarred remains of burnt buildings. It was a tough time. It was the worst defeat ever experienced by any nation. The thought of a league of nations working together to turn a conquered foe into a submissive and docile beast is shameful. But the nations around Europe were not finished yet with the undressing of this people. They wanted to be sure that Germanys much vaunted armed forces will never rise again. The League of Nations made all the necessary steps to be certain that never again will Germany terrorize the world. The once proud nation was brought to her knees. But the humiliation did not stop there. The leaders of the victorious allies pinned the majority of the guilt and all the wickedness of the Great War on Germany. It was an unmistakable charge as one reads the Versailles treaty. From then on, something akin to rage was burning in the hearts of the German people, most specially her patriots. Hitler shared in the ignominy of her people and Fatherland. Yet instead of breaking down in perpetual state of weakness and utter hopelessness his sinister mind began to plot the most daring comeback in the history of national politics. Hitler and Nazism was able to achieve what the German people had been trying to do since 1919 and that is to voice out their disgust on the infamous treaty.

The Setting of The Cask of Amontillado by Edger Allen Poe Essay

The Setting of The Cask of Amontillado by Edger Allen Poe - Essay Example The distinction shown both literally and figuratively between these two aspects is typically called the gothic interior. The gothic interior, through careful attention to the setting, forces the reader to toggle between the feelings of being free and trapped, which in turn makes the reader more aware of these emotions. By taking an in-depth look at how the setting in, The Cask of Amontillado, including: the country, the carnival, the vaults, darkness, and the tomb: influence the main character’s attitude, decisions and behavior, and how it contributes to the story’s overall impact, the importance of the setting in gothic narratives becomes clear. The country in which The Cask of Amontillado takes place is Italy. This fact would typically not have a profound impact on the reader, unless they had some knowledge of the history of gothic narratives. Upon studying into the history of gothic narratives one would find that the first person to publish an explicitly gothic story , Horace Walpole did so in Otranto, Italy. The story he published, The Castle of Otranto: A Gothic Story, portrays confinement in that one of the main characters is ultimately pinned beneath a giant gold helmet that falls from the sky. So the fact that Poe chose to also set his short story, The Cask of Amontillado, in Italy could be a nod to the accomplishments of Walpole, and perhaps impact that Walpole’s writings had on his own. The fact that the main character of the story is ultimately trapped, along with the fact that one of the main characters in, The Cask of Amontillado, is trapped also leads many experts to feel this location comparison of Italy was intentional. The event that is occurring during the time this story takes place, the carnival, also has a profound impact on the gothic interior, or setting, and ultimately the actions of the main character, Montresor. The carnival is a celebration, the day before lent, in which people partake of those things they will be fasting during lent. This is a representation of a time of freedom and celebration before a time of confinement. For Montresor it also represents a time of freedom before he is ultimately confined by his own actions and murderous decision. However the description, given by Montresor, of the carnival is very vague and rushed. He does not take time to describe much of what is going on, only enough to prove how foolish and indulgent his protagonist, Fortunado, is. Even during the carnival Montresor keeps thinking of the vaults, or impending confinement. At one point during their walk toward the catacombs he says, â€Å"The vaults are insufferably damp. They are encrusted with niter† (Poe).This shows how consumed he is with his hate of Fortunado and his plan to kill. He consumed to the point that he is unable to see the life, party, or wealth he has around him his sole focus was the damp, darkness that lay ahead. As with most hate filled, vengeful plans the depths of emotion and mental turmoil lay within the dark inner chambers of ones heart and soul. This is physically manifested in The Cask of Amontillado as the dark, damp, vaults Montresor and Fortunado descend into. As they enter the vaults the narrator, Montresor, gives detailed descriptions of the death and darkness that surrounded them. He does this both verbally and with his narrative. At one point he says, â€Å"

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Are Sweatshops an Inhumane Business Practice - Essay Example The no side claims that they believe coercion exists in these types of workplaces, but working overtime is not a form of intimidation disproving Arnold and Bowie’s claim that it is (Sollars & Englander, 2007, p. 317). For each claim Arnold and Bowie makes towards sweatshops being inhumane, Sollars and Englander present valid counterarguments for minimum health and safety standards and upholding local labor laws. The claim these men make comes down to the right of the individual companies to set their own standards based on their companies mission rather than forcing all companies to uphold an unattainable standard. 2. This issue receives a lot of debate for a reason; there is no clear answer as to the manner of removing the negative characteristics, which make the workplace a sweatshop. Sollars and Englander make that point often in their response, there are many complex issues involved in these workplaces. In fact, the argument of Arnold and Bowie appears naive at times with its basis on respect and dignity without considerations to all the factors that hinder the changes from occurring. There are many issues to address in setting wages in another country that require consideration and not all of them deal with trying to purposely pay too little for too much work. Placing respect as the main reason for setting higher wages is not something possible in all cases and placing an imperative order on all MNE to pay more out of respect fails to address these issues. The first and most important factor is the costs the consumers are willing to pay for the products from the sweatshops. Yes, there are companies such as NIKE where the costs the consumers pay, considered... This issue receives a lot of debate for a reason; there is no clear answer as to the manner of removing the negative characteristics, which make the workplace a sweatshop. Sollars and Englander make that point often in their response, there are many complex issues involved in these workplaces. In fact, the argument of Arnold and Bowie appears naà ¯ve at times with its basis on respect and dignity without considerations to all the factors that hinder the changes from occurring. There are many issues to address in setting wages in another country that require consideration and not all of them deal with trying to purposely pay too little for too much work. Placing respect as the main reason for setting higher wages is not something possible in all cases and placing an imperative order on all MNE to pay more out of respect fails to address these issues. The first and most important factor is the costs the consumers are willing to pay for the products from the sweatshops. Yes, there are companies such as NIKE where the costs the consumers pay, considered very high compared to another brand found in a local discount store. Customers are willing to pay for the name recognition. However, NIKE addressed this issue of sweatshops but not out of respect or a desire to give their workers in these sweatshops a sense of dignity. The public outcry was enough to force them to adjust their manner of doing business.