Friday, February 17, 2012
Blog Assignment #2: Please find an article from a quality source, and read it. Post the URL and provide the title at the beginning of your post. Then summarize the story in one paragraph, and react to it in a second paragraph. In your reaction you can share how it makes you feel, what it makes you wonder, you can try to make connections to other things you know about the subject, or speculate about other connections. The article should be about United States' foreign policy. I would like this post to be done before Tuesday's class. Then skim through several other current article summaries, and comment on at least 2 other peoples'.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
http://www.suntimes.com/news/huntley/10682885-452/could-us-iran-be-headed-for-war.html
ReplyDeleteThis article was about US foreign policy with Iran. I knew Iran was close to creating a nuclear weapon, but experts in the field predict Iran will have it within the year. Many also predict that Israel will strike this Spring. THe question remains in the US on where we will stand. we are facing increasing pressure to stand up for our ally Israel. 51 % in the US are against war and 39% are for with 10% undecided. The events this year will be important to US foreign policy in the Middle East, and what may happen over the next few months may give new meaning to the 'Arab Spring'.
The article really surprised me. I did not know that Iran was that close to building a nuclear weapon. I did not think that most experts would believe Israel would attack. I'm skeptical that the United States would get into another war in the region. We may also see it as an opportunity to bring a more Democratic government to the Theocracy of Iran. I myself am for war, as we need to protect Israel, and we should see it as our #1 priority to reduce nuclear arms even if it does result in the losses of hundreds of billions of dollars and thousands of lives. Overall, I became much more aware of the tension in the region, and that the stakes are now higher than ever. I feel nervous now that the world is set for war. If we did enter, I would like the United States to take limited action, like we did in Libya, conducting air raids on Iranian nuclear facilities. Iran seems to be signaling to a more aggresive regime and will try to take action, so we might as well intervene now and minimize the costs of war. I feel kind of bad that the people of Iran are suffering from the acts of the government as well. If a more democratic government is installed, the people will no longer suffer under the rouge theocracy of Iran.
Sorry. the title for the previous article is
DeleteCould US, Iran be headed for war
After reading your post I totally agree with your thoughts on the U.S. ending up in war. Although I am against the U.S. going into War to begin with. I feel that America should try to make peace with Iran, due to not adding to more conflicts with Iran. Also, I feel it is not worth loosing thousands of lives to some conflicts with Iran that can be resolved over time with a lot of patiance and compramizes. As seen by your statistics, I am obviously not alone on my beliefs, although yours are not wrong either.
DeleteNice article. I agree with you in many things like feeling nervous about the war because it looks like that is where we are headed with Iran. However, I'm against war because we could loose thousands of lives and tons of money. I would like the US to stop Iran from making the nuclear weopon, but really there is no other way to stop them other than going to war so I guess we'll just have to see what happens in the months and years to come.
DeleteAs what Melissa stated before, I agree with what you are saying 100%. We should try and help the people in the middle east have a government they like. Not something that they don't feel gives them everything they need for everyday living. The tensions in the air probably will cause a war, but what our government says started it is unknown. Hopefully, the leaders of this country and others, can peacefully work something out, before what we all fear happens.
Deletereally good job, i agree with what ur saying in your paragraph. its really scary to think that Iran could have nuclear facilities within the year. i think that you displayed your information very nicely. great job.
DeleteI also agree with what you said in your paragraph. I think that redued action woud be the best way to go, and like the majority of America, I'm against heading to war.I was shocked to find out that Iran would have the nuclear weapon so soon and am nervous to see what happens. Your post was very well written and I liked your article. Nice job!
DeleteAfter I finished reading your article, I agree that the U.S. is headed towards a war with Iran. However, I don't think that the U.S. should engange in war with Iran becuase we would be putting many lives at risk. It is scary to know that Iran is constructing a nuclear bomb. You did a good job explaining your article, great job!
Deletetypical kinyon a very nice source and increible explanation going above and beyond the call of mrs.ahrens. also, i agree with all of the things that your sayin. lastly i realy felt as though i understood what you were saying ffrom how you were saying it, very nice job kinyon!
Deletehttp://usforeignpolicy.about.com/od/alliesenemies/a/January-2012-Sees-Worsening-U-S-Iranian-Relations.htm
ReplyDeleteJanuary 2012 Sees Worsening U.S.-Iranian Relations. Within this moderatley bias article, many revolations are causing greater tensions between Iran and the U.S. within our already problamatic conflicts. Through struggles with Iran , there has been accusations of espionage of an Iranian-American resulting in a sentance to death by Iran, angering Americans. Iran claims that the man was a spy, and the U.S. concludes it as a fabrication, resulting in tentions. Another added tension is the capturing of two other American citizens who were released after America was able to bail them. With more and more American conflicts arising, the worse conflicts are becoming. Another conflict is the increase in enriched uraniam in Iran, giving it the ability to increase chances of a nuclear wepon arising. Enriched uranium is up twenty percent purity worrying American's everywhere of a nonpeaceful use of the nuclear uses. On top of Nuclear, and citizen conflicts, president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad visited President Hugo Chavez in what seems to be for support of Iran's allies from western sanctions, or western approvals. Chavez hates and bashed the United States as a result of supporting Iran saying Iran hasn't done anything wrong, and pointed out that the U.S. had thousands of bombs including atomic bombs. This and the conflicts with the straight of Hormuz may result in not just conflicts, but maybe even War.
Although this article was bias with American views, I feel that through these events and other conflicts with Iran that America will end up in War. If the struggles with capturing American's wasn't enough, there ability to make a nuclear wepon is increasing, along with the tensions with Iran from the Straight of Hormuz, resulting conflicts and threats by the end of January. I feel even if the U.S. wanted to stay out of war, we won't be able to due to all these constant tensions and Nuclear worry arising. With connections to the Nuclear problem, I feel that Iran is playing a lot of games with the U.S. As discussed in class, I feel it may be a bluff, and another game by Iran in order to scare the U.S. Although part of me fears that the Nuclear revolations are true due to articles as these giving news of enriched uranium for nuclear practices. Another reason I feel we may end up in war is due to the Straight of Hormuz. Although it was briefly discussed in my article, I understand there is big problems for the U.S. if it is shut down, as read in the article, as well as discussed in class. Hopfully the U.S. is able to end conflicts and avoid war, although the chances of that are extreamly unlikley by the way we are headed through Iran conflicts and tensions.
Sorry there isnt spacing to show two paragraphs, I accidently clicked publish before I had finished proof editing my article post response. The 2nd paragraph starts at the sent., Although this article was bias with american views....ect.
DeleteAfter reading your article, I couldn't agree more with you about how the US will likely end up in war. I didn't know about some of the things that happened first between the two but with all the things happening now, I can't see how the US would not end up in war. I don't want them to go to war either. You explained everything you talked about which allowed me to learn more. Nice job and a good article.
DeleteI agree, in the thinking that the United States will probably end up in war. In what ways cause this war, are yet unknown. What you are saying is in the minds of everyone working out these issues. I really liked this article, even though it was bias towards the American side of things.
DeleteI agree with all of you, and the U.S. should be prepared for war. This arctile, while possibly bias, clearly shows that Iran is making no move towards being peaceful. Instead, Iran seems to be making decisions just to make the U.S. mad. The article was really informative and I enjoyed it.
DeleteI agree that the US is indeed close to enterring, and I knew little about the conviction of the suspected spies before. Where I disagree is wheter the US should enter. I see it as a necessary evil. Even though thousands of US soliders will likely die, it will prevent a greater future suffering where Iran may use nuclear weapons. We must enter not only to protect us and Israel, but for the world.
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.fpif.org/articles/the_us_and_iran_democracy_terrorism_and_nuclear_weapons
ReplyDeleteThe US and Iran have a strong tension between each other and many things have caused them to dislike each other. The US have blamed them for many things including terrorism, military threats and act of subversion against Arab monarchies, and more. The US and Israel have sought to accuse Iran for many terrorist attacks but have not been able to prove any of them. The US tried to exert pressure on the Saudi government to implicate Iran in the 1996 terrorist bombing of the Khobar Towers in Dehran, which killed 19 US soldiers, but the Saudi government could not prove that it was Iran and could not link it back to them so that has caused bigger tension with the US towards Iran. Iran has challenged the US to try to find evidence against Iran in many cases but the US has not been able to prove that it was Iran. Iran also has been linked to helping the Al-Quida and becoming friends with them and talking to them witch makes the US more suspicious about Iran.
We are also worried about Iran's nuclear power plants and how they could be building a nuclear weopon that could be coming for us. In efforts to stop them, we have tried to get them to sign the Nuclear Non-proliferation treaty and tried to get them to suspend their uranium enrichment and their processing programs until a deal was reached, but that was a couple of years ago and now Iran is said to believe that they are building a nuclear weopon as we speak. Many Iran scientists have been murdered also in the past few years. Iran tries to blame it on us and Israel, which it probably was one of us or both of us, but they have not been able to prove it and that has caused a bigger problem between us. Iran has also caused bigger problems in the past year by threatning to close down the Strait of Hormunz, which my article didn't mention but the article in the classroom did. Tensions are hot and flaring between us and Iran and it is only a matter of time before something tragic happens
This comment has been removed by the author.
Deleteor we start a war.
DeleteThe information in this article was very interesting and informational. I had no idea about how neither the U.S. or Isrial were able to come forth with any evidence proving that Iran had been a part of the terrorism. This makes me think that maybe Iran isn't as much of a threat or as dangerous as they are thought to be. Maybe they are just bluffing about the nuclear production to make other countries think that they are growing powerful.
DeleteAfter reading your article I learned a lot about the tensions the U.S. is facing with Iran, and completly feel War is on it's way. Due to the U.S. not being able to prove terrist attacks, I feel Iran means buisness. Also the nuclear threats reflect how Iran plans on attacking the U.S. or Isrel if we were to go into war. This makes me worry that if the u.s. were to go to war, that it would be a agressive war, maybe even as bad as world war one or two. Also it makes me ask myself, why can't we all just make peace and be friends?*refer to the song, why can't we be friends*
DeleteThis article was both informative and interesting. It helped me to understand the situation between the U.S. and Iran. I felt frustrated because of the U.S. and Israel not being able to provide evidence for Iran's terrorism. All of these circumstances lead me to believe that Iran is very sneaky about anything it does which makes them very dangerous. Even though they could be bluffing like we talked about in class, I still feel that they may be more of a threat than many Americans think because of how powerful they could be becoming.
Deletehttp://usforeignpolicy.about.com/od/countryprofi3/p/usiranprofile.htm
ReplyDeleteThe U.S. Iranian Relationship
The U.S. and Iran were not always enemies and in fact used to be allies in such times as the Cold War. A series of events since then, though, has led to the hatred between the two countries that we know see today. One of the happenings being when they took the U.S. embassy in Iran hostage for 444 days. Another being when the U.S. shot down an Iranian commercial airplane, killing 290 Iranians. And finally, Irans pursuit to build nuclear weapons and their threat to wipe Isrial off the face of the Earth. All these have led to the tension between the U.S. and Iran.
This article surprised me in many ways. One of which being the conflicts between the U.S. and Iran throughout the years. I had no idea or prier knowledge of the hostage situation or the U.S. attack on the Iranian airplane. These situations do, however, make the tension between the two countries more understandable. Also, the article states that Iran is openly producing nuclear power capabilities. This leads me to think that they are bluffing about having made any real progress in this area at all, otherwise they would be keeping it more of a secret.
I found this article very interesting. I liked how the author focused on the past rather than the present, and gave the reader some background info. I would have like more information in the subjects given, however. But, I thought the article clearly showed the tension between the U.S. and Iran.
DeleteI used the same article for my post. I too, was oblivious of the events that led up to the tension between Iran and the U.S before reading it. I liked the way this article was set up, because it really focused on why these countries are now enemies. I did not know that Iran was openly creating a nuclear weapon. I was also surprised to hear this, but I feel that they actually are making progress. This scares me and hopefully you're right and that they are bluffing.
DeleteAfter reading your article, I now have a better understanding of why these two countries are enemies. I too, did not understand the past events that took place between Iran and the United States. I know have a better understanding as to why the tension between the U.S. and Iran is so great. I like how you explained the events in your article that led up to why the two countries are enemies today. It is scary to think that Iran has the capability of constructing nuclear weapons. Lastly, I agree that Iran would be more secretive about their progress in nuclear weapons if they truly had the power.
Deletehttp://www.whitehouse.gov/issues/foreign-policy
ReplyDeleteForeign Policy
This article is about different things done to the United States foreign polices since our current president, has been in office. Very pro-President Obama, which is excepted from the this source. In the middle of this article, it tells you what the changes have been. After this highlighting some key changes (i.e. Responsibly Ending the War in Iraq and Stopping a Massacre and Supporting the Libyan People.)
Some of the things highlighted or even changed I didn't know had happened. They seemed minor but very neccesary. I realized that The United States of America is not just worried about the Middle East or Asia. We have connection all over the world that we continue to work with while the things American people realize are happening are highlighted (i.e. Iran.) After reading this I felt even better about how America and her alliance.
Mackenzie, I appreciate you not solely focusing on tensions with Iran. I enjoyed this article and found it interesting. I also didn't realize some of the foreign polocies we've encountered. Overall, great job and I enjoyed this site. :)
DeleteThis article was very interesting to me and I learned a lot of things I did not know before I read it. It suggests that all of the foreign policies benfitted the United States greatly. This may be true, but it comes off as biast to me. I did like that you used this article though, as opposed to an article covering the relationship between Iran and the United States.
DeleteI like the choice of article you made Mackenzie. The Pro-Obamaism is also apparent to me. I do not like that the introduction portrays Pres. Obama as personally beginning and implementing everything,and gives no mention to relevant people of the past. There are many various and less-heard-of subjects in the article. However, the site seems to only mention the positive aspects which the gov't is trying to bore into our skulls, but, hey, it is an election year.
Deletehttp://thecable.foreignpolicy.com/posts/2012/01/23/us_sanctions_another_big_iranian_bank
ReplyDeleteThis article is about the sanctioning of many banks to deepen Iran's economic isolation. The U.S. Treasury Department hopes that these sanctions of banks with connections to Iran will help impair Iran's ability to finance its nuclear activities. Under the Comprehensive Iran Sanctions, Accountability and Divestment Act of 2010 (CISADA), any foreign bank that does business with these Iranian banks under sanction risks losing access to the U.S. financial system. Many of these banks being sanctioned have been accused of aiding of moving millions of dollars into Iran's nuclear programs. Overall, the U.S. plan of isolating Iran economicly is working; the value of Iran's currency, the rial, is weakening. The Iranian government is going to great lengths to prop up the rial. Some of the actions of the government include banning the sale of Western currency, and blocking text messages including the word "dollar" or "euro".
I understand why the U.S. is going to such great lengths to stop nuclear activity in Iran, and it seems that all of the sanctionings are reasonable. What I don't exactly approve of, is the destruction of the Iranian economy; it seems like, to me at least, that some innocent people are being hurt along the way. Now, I'm not saying that I want Iran to have an atomic bomb, just that I think the U.S. might find a better way to stop it. I also understand that Iran is not very reasonable, so maybe this is the only way we can stop them. I also think that the Iranian government response to this is a little rediculous.
Olivia, I was interested reading the 'financial twist' your article had that I was unaware of. What I mean by this, is I hadn't realized the issues such as sanctions of banks were occuring, helping build tension in Iran. I also would like to say I respect and understand your point of view in regards to the destruction of Iran's economy. However, I feel these means are necessary to stop Iran from their destructive path.
DeleteI found this article very interesting in that I was completely unaware of the U.S's attempt in destroying the Iranian government. As you said, I think it is unfair to the Iranians that have nothing to do with the nuclear devolopment and that our government should find a different way of going about preventing Iran from gaining nuclear power. This article also explains more of how the tension between these two countries came to be.
DeleteEconomy , not government
DeleteI was very interested in this article. I had no idea that we were imposing sanctions on Iranian banks. I think this is a good way to pressure Iran. I am happy with the economic sanctions however. It could perhaps be the only reasonable alternative to war, and if if prevents the death of innocents, than the fact that it hurts them economically doesn't matter as much.
DeleteI also found this article very interesting. I think that this is a good alternative to war as Josh said. Since it is hurting their economy that could be a plus for us because it would pressure Iran to want to stop with their nuclear building. Also I agree with Josh Malik because it is unfair tothe population of Iran uninvolved in nuclear development, but the gains outweigh the cons I think.
DeleteURL: http://www.suntimes.com/news/huntley/10682885-452/could-us-iran-be-headed-for-war.html
ReplyDeleteTitle of article: Could U.S., Iran be headed for War?
Summary: This article explains multiple reasons and concerns with the U.S. involvement with Iran. Iran's persistant attitude involving the creation of nuclear development is causing great tension. As well as conflicts itself such as computer viruses, killings of scientists, and rising tensions with threats of military action on our behalf and multiple threats on Iran's behalf, this article explains fear of a war uprising. Also, The U.S. itself has mixed views potential War uprising. Some feel going to war is not worth the lives lost or the cost. Others believe it is worth making sure Iran does not get its hands on a nuclear weapon. Overall, great tension is rising to the belief War could likely occur between Iran and the United States.
Reaction: I have mixed views on going to war with Iran. I feel I definetly do not wish for Iran to have a nuclear weapon, yet I feel the cost and lives lost would also not be desirable. I worry about the threat Iran proposed about the blockage of the straight of Hormuz, due to the effects it would have economically on our country during this fragile time. Also, I worry this war could plumage into a World War, such as one assasination did during World War One. I fear nuclear warfare could errupt, and hope that these tensions could resolve before war breaks out, although not likely. I wonder how President Obama plans on resolving or handling these conflicts, especially with a presidential election coming up. I hope these tensions will fade and really hope we can figure out a solution that calms both parties down before something horrific happens.
I fully agree with all of your points. The fear of nuclear warfare has the ability to greatly affect on possible upcoming wars. Although I never really considered it you made a good point on the likely-hood of another world war. This fact in itself is extremely scary and has to be dealt with in the right way. I believe that although temporarily effective assasination and other cruel attacks could only make situations worse. I too would like to find out how Obama is going to deal with this especially during an election year.
Deletehttp://usforeignpolicy.about.com/od/countryprofi3/p/usiranprofile.htm
ReplyDeleteThe U.S.- Iranian Relationship
The U.S. and Iran used to be strong allies. For instance, during the cold war, the U.S. supported repressive regimes, such as Iran's government. The tensions between America and Iran have grown stronger over time. In 1979, Ayatollah Khomeini became the ruler of Iran. His policies were very anti-American. This began the hatred between the two countries. In one situation, American hostages were held under Iranian control for 444 days. This definitely did not help. Another event that created conflict was when the USS Vincennes shot down an Iranian commercial flight. There were 290 Iranian casualites. Tensions were continuing to rise. Iran is said to be creating a nuclear weapons. American citizens suspect they are going to attack Israel with this, one of America's closest ally. All of these events have led to bad feelings toward both countries.
I am surprised to hear that Iran and American were once allies. The tensions are so strong right now, it seems almost impossible that they once worked together. Iran's wish to "wipe Israel off the map" seems sketchy to me. I feel as if they do not have a good reason to hate Israel. Some say it is because Israel is mostly a Jewish state and others say it is simply because they are close allies with the United States. I wonder if they really are creating a nuclear weapon and I fear that the safety of U.S. citizens and Israeli citizens could be in jeopardy. I hope that these tensions cool down quite a bit, and that war does not break out.
As I was reading this, I was also shocked to find out that the United States and Iran could go from allies to enemies in such a short period of time. I think the fact that Iran's leaders are publicly saying they want to "wipe Isreal of the map" is absolutly crazy. I am also questioning if Iran is actually building a nuclear weapon and hope that we don't end up in a situation similar to the one in Iraq.
DeleteNice source, i found it weird how Iran and the U.S. could go from being bff's to war, literarlly so quickly (just like high school). It was also ver interesting to see the events leading up to the high tensions that exist today such as american hostages being held for 444 days. nice job!!!
DeleteThis is the same sources I used and the article does have great info relating to American and Iran's past. The fact that they were both allies shows just how much things can change over time. It seems as if Iran is being very stubborn as to not communicating with other countries about making agreements. Also, their threat to Isreal seems illogical because the reasoning does not seem sufficient enough to want to "wipe them off the face of the Earth." Tensions are extremely high with Iran and the U.S. and you can't help but wonder what the outcome will be.
Deletehttp://mobile.boston.com/art/21//news/politics/articles/2012/02/20/iran_dispute_heats_up_foreign_policy_talk_on_campaign_trail?single=1
ReplyDeleteThis article discusses the different approaches that the Republican candidates and Obama are taking to foreign policy. Although it is hard to say that Obama has not been fairly agressive when it comes to foriegn affairs, the candiates do not think he is doing enough. Because of the serious threat Iran currently is to our country, they think the United States government should be doing more. Obama has successfully ended the war in Iraq and ordered the risky raid to kill Osama Bin Laden, but he has taken much action when it comes to the nuclear situation in Iran. Romney, Santorum, and Gingrich have all stated that they are willing to take a much faster and agressive aproach. Although this would most likely take out the risk of a nuclear attack, it could lead the United States to war. The American public seems as wavering as the political parties on this subject. Should we act quickly and take out the nuclear threat, knowing that it would lead to war, or should we hope that Isreal and other countries can do it without us?
This article really got me thinking about how big of a dilemma our leaders are facing. I hadn't really thought about the fact that even if we do take out the nuclear power plant, thousands of Americans could still die anyways in the war it would cause. I feel that if possible we should try and isolate ourselves as long as possible, hopefully avoiding the initial blow and letting Isreal and other nations take out the nuclear power plant. If it turns into a major war, I feel that we are obligated to step in, because the nations we would ally would have saved American lives
Internal political affairs seem to be the backbone of this article. Much of what is mentioned seems like attempts to derail other presidential campaigns. I did notice that this article, along with all others which I have read, give no definite solutions. The article mentioned many valid points and it seems to me that only time will tell how the Iranian nuclear conflict stabilizes. I too feel that if an aggressive war commences, the US will fight, but the biggest question in my mind is how the people will react and how things will stand next time something like this occurs, should it ever.
DeleteI really like the way this aricle talked about political parties specifcally rather than just ideals with Iran as a whole. The thought that Republican canidates would say that Obama didn't do enough is no really shocking but disturbing to me. But then again, I am a biased opinion. But I have to disagree with you about staying isolated. It seems to me that staying isolated could only aggrivate our enemies and make us look like a bigger target.
DeleteI agree with you, Christine. I've never thought about how big of a problem this issue is for our government. The problem is, either decision, staying isolated or being agressive, has high chances of leading us into war. Obviously, we are not looking around trying to get into a war, but at this point the government is just trying to find a solution that will not cause a war in the near future.
Deletehttp://www.whitehouse.gov/issues/foreign-policy
ReplyDeleteThe main paragraph talks about how Obama's administration has pursued the safety of Americans by using their security policies, the topic then changes to how America uses their power abroad in areas such as the Middle-East where they "devastated al Qaeda's leadership". After making a note on how the service men and women in the US armed forces did an extraordinary job in Iraq, the paragraph says that, since the war in Iraq is over, the US can focus on becoming more prosperous and safe. It then lists the progress that the US has made regarding the foreign policy.
When I first looked at this article, my eyes immediately jumped to the second part of the first sentence, saying "...restoring American leadership abroad" which enraged me. What gives America the right to have said leadership abroad? Proceeding that rant, I found that the source was helpful in that it informed the reader on events regarding the US's foreign policy. In addition to that, I think the source may be somewhat biased, being a government site and having the government's point of view on the matter.
http://ww.pbs.org/newshour/rundown/2012/01/iran-war.html
ReplyDeleteAre the U.S., Iran, Headed for War
This article talks mainly about the different points of view that different people have on whether the U.S. should engage in war with Iran. There is a huge debate on whether the U.S. should attack the nuclear facilities in Iran. Many people believe that Iran has gone too far and that attacking Iran is the best of our options. Others believe that attacking Iran is the worst of our options. They believe that deplomacy (negotioation) will eventually solve the crisis and cooler heads will prevail. Another fear is that us convincing other countries to boycott Iran's oil will be viewed as an act of war by Iran and will cause violence. There are many viewpoints on whether or not we should engage in war with Iran but there is one thing experts all agree on is that this is a very dangerous situation.
This article makes me feel a little bit uneasy about our situation with Iran because it talked about people thinking that it is a good idea to go to war with Iran now which I think is a bad idea because violence should always be the last possible solution and war should always be the last possible option. But this article also seems to suggest that the U.S. are trying to explore every peaceful solution possible before war which is good. The article does say that Iran is the bigest military threat the U.S. has faced in decades. The war in Iraq took a long time and if Iran has a better military than Iraq, how long will this war take. But one thing that makes me feel hopeful is that unlike Iraq lots of countries seem to be on our side which is a good thing. That is my reaction to this article.
DeleteYou are right by saying the US should not start a war with iran, but we should still be keeping a close eye on them. We dont trust them with nuclear technology for fear they will use it on other countries. My guess is that we will eventually be forced into a war with them.
Deletehttp://usforeignpolicy.about.com/od/alliesenemies/a/January-2012-Sees-Worsening-U-S-Iranian-Relations.htm
ReplyDeleteJanuary 2012 Sees Worsening U.S.-Iranian Relations
This article is somewhat bias, but covers the topic of the relationship between the U.S. and Iran well by explaining many incidents such as Iran sentencing Amir Mirzaei, an Iranian-American, to death for spying on Iran. The U.S. denies this claim, though, and the U.S. State Department spokesperson, Victoria Nuland says, "We've maintained from the beginning that the charges against him were a fabrication, and we call on the Iranian Government to release him immediately." This disagreement between America and Iran has resulted iin great unease between the countries. Another problem is that Iran has enriched uranium to 20%, implying that it is working towards a different type of nuclear program. Yet another issue is that Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad went to the various allies of Iran's. This was mainly to irritate the United States. Lastly, an issue that continues today is that Iran is threatening to close the Strait of Hormuz if the U.S. interferes with Iran's naval war-games. Again, though this article was fairly biased, it presented many topics within the relationship between Iran and the U.S.
While reading this, I realized that our problem with Iran is not over just one issue. It is caused by many small issues that creates a huge problem. I liked the way that this article broke down our disagreement with Iran into sections so the topic was easy to understand. Although the article is biased because it is written from an American's point of view, I feel it covered the subject well by telling about what is happening today between the two countries. This article made me feel that if the U.S. and Iran worked together to defeat one of these issues at a time, our many problems with each other would resolve.
It is very important that you point out the bias in the article. Your summary is very thourough. It was full of information that helped explain what led to the unease between the US and Iran. I agree that our problems are due to number of causes. You make a good point in saying that with a little work we could resolve our disagreements and end this crisis.
DeleteI also agree wih you about how the U.S. and Iran could come to a conclusion if we just worked out each issue at a time. The only problem I think with this is Iran is not really looking to avoid war, necessarily. Although they dont want to be the ones to start the war, I feel if something little angered them they would not think twice about staying calm and talking it out. But, maybe if the U.S. took the right approach we could settle this dispute without the loss of American soldiers.
Deletehttp://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/feb/19/us-military-chief-israel-iran
ReplyDeleteThis article summarizes the basic views and actions of the UN, USA, European nations, and Iran concerning the Iranian nuclear program. It explained that many believe Israel to be close to a preemptive air strike against nuclear stations, and that many prominent nations and organizations are urging Israel to refrain from attacking. The hope of the advice is to keep the situation somewhat stable, yet Israel's plans are not known. Also, Iran has stopped selling its crude oil to British and French companies, and is threatening to cut oil supply to much of Europe. Briefly mentioned are Iranian attacks against Israeli targets internationally.
This article pretty much repeated all the information that I've heard in the past few months concerning Iranian nuclear capabilities, which is not much, seeing that much is skepticism and rumor. However, it includes the new development of the US urging Israel not to attack Iranian facilities. I am not quite sure what to make of that. I am completely in support of Israel, and I would much rather see a potential threat removed than learning that the threat was real when it is too late to neutralize it. Should war erupt between the two countries, I wonder as to how other countries and the UN would react. More so, I question how other US citizens feel about potentially being involved in a war over possible Middle-Eastern WMD's.
This comment has been removed by the author.
Deletehttp://www.fpif.org/articles/the_us_and_iran_democracy_terrorism_and_nuclear_weapons
ReplyDeleteThis article describes the U.S.'s relation with Iran, and the country's view on foreign policies. It begins by describing the power system in the Middle Eastern country. Iran's power is held in the hands of a military that was not elected by the people and extremists who make harsh decisions. The United States has threatened to send military power to the country to attack Iranians. When Bush was president, he wanted to further isolate the country by exposing their government's hostilities. Iran is not a democracy at all, and this in turn negatively affects the citizens. The article continues to describe difficulties faced by the Iranian government and how the U.S. reacts. It also states that Iran does not believe that the conlict between the country and America is due to terrorism, nuclear weapons, etc, and the U.S. will have more trouble invading this country than it did Iraq.
This article mae me worried about our country's future relations with Iran and their people. It seems that our conflicts are getting worse and military power may be involved in the upcoming future. Terrorism and oil supply are only two of the numerous reasons for our hostility. The U.S. is also critical of their government and its power. America is a democracy, but Iraq is not. The United States seems to continue their role of the "police of the world", and while protecting innocent civilians is important, we may be digging ourseves in too deep. Military action should be a last resort.
DeleteThe point you made about Iran saying they dont think the problem is terrorism and nuclear weapons. I think the US should be very worried because they know what they are trying to do with the weapons they have or will have. Iran will most likely use them for some type of destruction. Whether it is in the MIddle East or even the US. America may eventually forced into military action against Iran.
DeleteThe http//:www.news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/3362443.stm
ReplyDeleteThis article gives a timeline of conflicts between Iran and the US. Iran has had corrupt leadership under people like Ayatollah khomeini, Hashei Rafsanjani, Mohammed Khatemi, and Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. All of these people have been accused of or performed terrorist like actions. In 1979, 63 US citizens are taken hostage by Iranian students. They are not released until 444 days later and 11 people were killed. Other small attacks had been made on US forces in the Gulf, but with little success for Iran. But the current and main problem this article suggests is that Iran may be working on or already have a nuclear bomb.
Title: US-Iran Ties
DeleteThis is a continuation of my article summary. They say they will not use their nuclear weapons for harm, but for protection. But the US does not trust Iran completely, so they have been keeping an eye on them for a couple years, to try to slow down their nuclear weapon technology. This article provides a history of US relations in Iran and shows us why we are in this situation with them today.
ReplyDeletehttp://m.whitehouse.gov/issues/foreign-policy
ReplyDeleteThis article gives a summary of what the Obama Administration has done in an effort to improve America's national security in favor of everyone, including foreign countries. After listing what has already taken place in a effort to improve America's relations with foreign countries, it talks about America's relations in the Middle East. At this time, we are trying to advance public peace and security in Irael so the Jewish people and the Palestinian people may come to an agreement. It also goes into detail about our actions with al Qaida pointing out that we have successfully weakened their leadership. Finally, the article addresses America's role as a leader in changing the worlds climate. Overall, teh article does a great job of informing the public of what the plan is with America's relations with foreign countries.
Article Title: Foreign Policy
DeleteByis article makes me feel that the Obama Administration is doing a good job of making decisions with the benefit of everyone in mind. By withdrawing troops from the war, American's are benefited because people will not be losing their lives through fighting. Also, by consering energy and fossil fuels, not only the US economy is benefitted, but the planet is befitted because America is leading other countries to do the same. In addition, the article makes me wonder how upcoming presidents of the United States will follow through with these proposals. For example, pulling the troops out of the war is very controversial. So, if the next president thinks we should be fighting with Iraq then would we not just have to get more people to fight again? I feel like this would cause a lot of diesagreements that would be very tough to overcome. Then again, even if the troops had not been brought back, this would still be a problem. As a reult, the Obama Administration is making a good effort at doing what is best for everyone.
DeleteIt was good to hear that as said in your article there are many thingsbeing done t try tp resolve the issuesin Iran. Although it may be somewhat biased i agree that the Obama administration is making good decisions. I agree that it is the future plans are still up in air and it is hard to know where we will go from here.
Deletehttp://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/3362443.stm
ReplyDeleteTimeline: US-Iran ties
A chronology of key events:
This article is a timeline that includes important events involving Iran and the US. It start in 1953 and continues to 2008. One of the first major events is a hostage situation involving Iranian student taking hostages at te US embassy. This among other thingssparksunease between the two countries. It continues toexplainnotable event including the invasionby Iraq and the elction of Bill Clinton. Most of the other events are more recent such as in 2002 when many of the initial rumors of nuclear wepons in Iran began. In 2005 Bush makes statements that dontruleout militry action as an option. The last event included inthe timeline states that Irans leader congratulated Obamaon his election and Obama will begin plans for talks with Iran.
This timline reallyhelped make it clear what all has happened with Iran. There didnt seem to be any bias and it just gave the facts. After reading this I understood why problemsbetween the countries were bound to happen because wehave had quite a history. I was surpried how little proofwas given for Iran having nuclear weapons. Yet thegovernment seems to know that there is a big danger. I noticed that there was alot of talk an threaten but there hasnt been that much action involving Iran. I am intererested in how our country will deal with this problem in the future.
http://www.cfr.org/iran/rethinking-us-policy-toward-iran/p26012
ReplyDeleteAccording to this article, Foreign Policy towards Iran is just a part of a huge power struggle between the two countries. The author speaks of the problems between Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei.Ever since Khamenei rejected to fire an intelligence minister many of Ahmadinejad's followers have been arrested or interrogated.
The U.S. comes in after this, with the Iranian president not having much luck politically. The author thinks that with the problems in Iran, the U.S. should be careful about any kind of "deals" Iran proposes about their nuclear war program.
However, experts believe we should consider and compromise on a deal, to avoid any kind of problems with nuclear production in Iran. American's continue to really worry about Iran's supposed production of nuclear weapons. Some think Iran is in the process of building a dangerous nuclear weapon, while others propose that it is simply paranoia on the part of the U.S.
Overall, it is widely believed that the United States should increase pressure on Iran to slow or even stop the production of this nuclear weapon.I liked this article because although it did not online every little detail of the U.S. foreign policy towards Iran, it gave a fairly unbiased opinion on how we can improve foreign relations with the country. The author makes valid points on ways to solve the issues we have with Iran, and points out that our foreign policy can be altered and improved.
I totally agree with you here Keil. This source for the most part gave an unbiased opinion on the Iranian foreign policy. I thought it was interesting that nuclear experts analyzing the situation between us and Iran say that we should try to arrange a deal with them if they have uranium enriched over 5 percent, while they have over 20 percent. I also found it interesting that the UN's nuclear watchdog, IAEA, is concerned about Iran not reporting everything they are doing via development of nuclear missles. I thought this was a good source, and outlined the situation well.
Deletehttp://usforeignpolicy.about.com/od/countryprofi3/p/usiranprofile.htm
ReplyDeleteUs foreign policy with Iran
Iran was once a powerful ally of the United States during the Cold War. The united states saw its first glimpse of radical islam when Ayotollah Khomeini came to power. The first crisis was during the Hostage Crisis was during a iraian revolution when they took over the American Embassy in Iran. Many thought this could be a easily resolved problem, but ended up lasting 444 days. Ronald Reagan had begun his eight year term as the President durikng this time. The second incident that made relations worse was in 1988 when the Us shot down a Iranian commercial flgith over the Persian Gulf, killing 290 iranians. Lastly Iran is trying to develop nuclear weapons. This angered Americans because they vowed to wipe isreal off of the face of the planet.
My reaction to this is that the radical leader of Iran has greatly influenced Iran and America's relationship. I beleive that the relationship would still be ok if Iran hadn't taken over the American Embassy in Iran. Also, i feel it is America's duty to try and stop Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons, and if that mean that Iran hates us, then so be it.
I thought you did a really good job summarizing your article, and then explaining it as well. I also found in your article the USS Vincennes was an import point, on the climax of hatred between the U.S. and Iran. I think you are definately right about our responsibility in preventing Iran from producing nuclear weapons, although we may need some help from our allies. This was a good article that really sums up foreign relations between the United States and Iran.
DeleteI found it really surprising that the United States used to be allies, and now we have such a huge issue with them. Your point on how it is our duty to stop Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons even if it akes them hate us was interesting, and I agree. We can't just sit back and watch as yet another country gets their hands on a weapon of mass destruction.
DeleteI think that your completely right that the one, radical, man in charge of Iran has turned the whole country against the united States. It's a little similar to what Adoflf Hitler's inflence in Germany was like. It is also a little ironic that we used to give them supplies as allies before the nuclear weapon crisis. That just shows how unstable Iran's military actions are, but mabye it suggests that some of the problems could have been prevented by the United States before they started.
Deletehttp://www.suntimes.com/news/huntley/10682885-452/could-us-iran-be-headed-for-war.html
ReplyDeleteCould U.S., Iran be headed for war?
This article outlines the reasons for conflict between America and Iran, and how the American people want to respond. Iran could be extremely dangerous with a nuclear weapon, which they are expected to be constructing right now, and much of the world wants to prevent a military tool like that from being created. The U.S. is one of if not the most involved country in this situation. The citizens of America must make a choice on the U.S.'s handling of these dangerous foreign affairs. 58% of America would say to prevent Iran from having weapons of mass destruction at all costs, including war. Altthough many people want to stop both nuclear weapons and war, this is very unlikley.
This article really showed me a good perspective on why there are tensions between the US and Iran. A nuclear weapon sounds a lot more possible than it did before reading the story. I was also suprised that only 58% of America would be committed to war. I would want to prevent a war altogether, but it sounds like the damage would be far worse if Iran were in possesion of a weapon that could destroy a full city, state, or even country in some cases.
Good, reliable site. (newspaper website)
DeleteThis did seem like a good reliable source. It was also very recent, which is a sign of a good source, considering it is not outdated. The article appears to give a good perspective on the various issues between Iran and the United States. It was interesting to see the statistics on how the American people felt about the situation, seeing that 58 % support military action, but 51% say we should stay neutral if Israel confronts Iran. I think the statistics added emphasis and made the article a legitamate, reliable source.
DeleteI agree with you Zach. I would like to see the United States avoid war at all costs, but Iran is not giving us much choice at this point. I found it surprising that only 58 percent of Americans support the war against Iran. This would make it hard for a president to keep his popularity if he makes a bold move like this, because only 58 percent of Americans would agree with him/her. I believe America should do everything in its power to prevent Iran from having any nuclear weapons, as they have already stated what awful deeds they plan to use them for. I thought this was a good website, and I thought it was very reliable.
DeleteMrs. Ahrens- I don't know if you saw my 1st 2 posts so I posted 2 more. If there is four for me can you just grade the 1st 2. Thank You.
Deletehttp//americanforeignpolicy.org/on-economic-sanctions/iran-economic-sanctions-points
ReplyDeleteThis artical tells about the possible threat of sanctions against Iran. However, it explains that they won't have much effect because not many countries will agree to them. It is a somewhat opinionated, but it shows has good facts considering the downfalls of enforcing sanctions against Iran's oil selling. It tells that if America pushes the sanctions too much, that we will be disliked by many and against the world in that opinion. It also says that we won't do much to dent the selling of their oil because there is a high demand for it and many buyers. It finishes up by saying that a better solution would be negotiating the problem and keeping sanctions as a threat.
The article I read was very opinionated, but it had good facts and good information. I think that sanctions should be used when negotiating is totally out of the picture. The people of Iran, who are not necessarily at fault for the nuclear situation would be the ones paying for the sanctions, which is not fair. But, if Iran keeps avoiding talking about negotiations something will have to be done. I think that it will be a very difficult decision, and the outcome cannot be seen.
Thttp://WWW.nytimes.com/2011/12/18/us/politics/iraq-war-shaped-obamas-foreign-policy-white-house-memo.html?pagewanted=all
ReplyDeleteIraq, a War Obama Didn't want, Shaped his Foreign Policies
This article talks about how the effects of one thing can affect another thing without them being related. The article mainly talked about how Obama's ideals about our war with Iraq influenced policies later on with Afghanistan. It is clear how our government was split between people like military officers who wanted to continue the war and people like Obama who were worried more about withdrawing. Decisions like these have the ability to shape our government and foreign policies around what has happened. I thought this source was unbiased and very factual.
After reading what the New York Times has to say on the subject I was very shocked. I believed that the affairs from one war never carried into the affairs of another. But it is true that all things in government are connected. Another thing I was surprised to learn was that canidates for president have to change and reform their policies to fit changing current events. This made me come to the realization that platforms and ideals are constantly changing.
I found the article that you posted very interesting and i found that it had some interesting information. I found it interesting that Obama didn't side with the Army Officials and keep soldiers in Iran, but brought them back in order to gain favor for his next election. I also found it interesting that candidates are constantly changing their foreign policies based on what is happening in the world.
Deletehttp://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/diplomacy/101106/obama-iran-engagement-sanctions
ReplyDeleteThis article talks about America's involvement in stopping Iran's nuclear development. A Republican Senator, Lindsey Graham, thinks that we should attack Iran and demolish their military and naval force. She also thinks that we need to see some results from Obama soon. She believes that it may be a topic that Republican candidates will jump on in this year's election. The article talks about our trying to reason with Iran, but that didn't go over very well, and now we need to take action.I am not sure wheter I agree or disagree with this article. It does seem like we do need to take action soon, but I don't think we should just head over there and blow up their whole military. I feel like if we did do that there would be major repercussions inthe future.
http//americanforeignpolicy.org/on-economic-sanctions/iran-economic-sanctions-points
ReplyDeleteThis article was somewhat opinionated but had good information reguarding the U.S. and how we are trying to "Cripple" the Iranian economy by not buying their oil. it also talks in reguard to how this will more affect the citizens and regular people rather than the leaders and government that we are concerned with. It also talks about how a lot of countriees do not like the policy because some countries rely mainly or a lot on the oil coming out of Iran and the Straight of Hurmoz.Lastly it Talked about how there are much better ways to deal with the situation and how Venezualean oil is HUGE in Iran seeing as how Venezuala exports enough oil to meet Irans needs twice on over. The only way to prevent that oil to get there is to blockade them at sea which is where they say we can do other things to cripple and negotiate, such as set sanctions with enforcement and consequences.
I believed this to be a pretty good source, opinionated, but good. It did an exceptional job of explaining to me what everything meant so that I could undersetand it. it may not have been that way for everyone who read it but for me it was easy to understand.
I like the article. I am wondering howlong Iran can stand for all these nation not to be beying their oil. Also I wonder how they will react to us not buying their oil . Will they give in, or will they choose war, it is a very dangerous situation.
DeleteI agree with you that it's a very easily understoodarticle. Personnaly, I think it is a very good move to stop Iran's oil exports because it is our only option left that does not include aa war or attack. A war could still potentially happen, but if it does Iran will be forced to make the first move. While reading the article, I had to wonder how this would effect the global economy and weather or not it would be good or bad for it. Especially non oil exporting countries that import their oil.
DeleteCould U.S., Iran be headed for war?
ReplyDeletehttp://www.suntimes.com/news/huntley/10682885-452/could-us-iran-be-headed-for-war.html
This article explains the current tension between the United States and Iran. According to the article Iran is currently constructing a nuclear bomb. If so, this will put the U.S. in great danger. Americans have different opinions on how the U.S. should react. Many people believe (58%) that we should prevent Iran from developing a nuclear weapon. Others (51%) think that the U.S. should stay neutral.
This article helped me to understand why the United States and Iran currently have tension. I understand that many people don't want to go into war, but I also think it is important that we are fully aware of what could happen. If we let Iran attack us there could be extreme damage and mass destruction. We could be putting many states and even countries at risk of being destroyed. I don't agree that we should be fully committed to war with Iran but I think that President Obama should enlighten more Americans about this problem.
http://www.suntimes.com/news/huntley/10682885-452/could-us-iran-be-headed-for-war.html
ReplyDeleteThis article is about the tension between US and Iran and how Iran is trying to create a nuclear facility. Iran has also threatened to block the straight of hermuz. that would be bad because 1/5th of the worlds oil travels through that straight. Irans economy has also been really bad but thats hardly even slowed down Iran from making nuclear facilities. about 58% of americans think that we should stop Iran no matter the cost. but some 51% of the same poll say that we should stay neutral if Israel attacks Iran. the public is in a split decision but war is definately on the radar.
This article was great for letting me know whats going on in Iran and what we could do to stop them. it also lets me know that lots of the problems were facing right now is all because of Iran trying to destroy Israel. in my opinion, we should stop Iran at all cost. our country can destroy Iran easily so we should stop them at all cost. Iran cant do anything to our country because even if they do get a nuclear facility, then we can blow it up. plus since the iran economy is as bad as our depression was back in the 30's, then i think the people might start losing faith in their government and rebel. Iran will have many big problems in its future if it keeps following the path its taking
http://blogs.cfr.org/oneil/2012/02/21/mexicos-burgeoning-economy-amid-drug-violence/
ReplyDeleteMexico’s Burgeoning Economy Amid Drug Violence
This article talks about what the current foreign policies the U.S has with Mexico. Mexico's economy has rebounded surprisingly well from the Great Recession, and is having an economic boom right now, despite the problems with drug wars going on. The sad statistic in this article was the fact that 50,000 people have been killed in the last 5 years due to the drug wars. This becomes a problem when the war starts to spill over to the United States side of the Rio Grande. A great reason Mexico's economy is booming is because they produce 2.5 million barrels of oil daily, much of which they sell to the United States. While I thought this was a good source, I felt it was a bit bias with the author's own opinions thrown in there.
After reading this article, I was a bit surprised. After hearing for years now that Mexico is having a large drug war, its surprising to hear that tourism is very high right now and the overall fact their economy is booming. It's sad to hear how many innocent people die from these wars every day, and the fact is that the U.S. should continue in its aid to Mexico to try to help fight it. If we don't, the war could become our own problem. One of the main reasons drug cartels can run their drug rings is due to us though. Much of their drug exports are to the U.S. We fuel the fire, but we need to stop it. The U.S. has some problems to fix, but it can be done with cooperation.
Your article was very good and i was also really surprised because it wasnt about iran. Im also surprised that mexico's economy is boobing even with drug wars going on. i had no idea that mexico sent oil to us everyday. and its really sad that 50000 people have died so far because of drug wars. but this was a great paragraph. good job
DeleteI like the uniqueness of the article because it is not about Iran. I thought it was interesting how Mexico's economy was booming after the recession and I wondered how. But when I saw that we get lots of oil from them I am wondering why the problem with Iran is so big.
DeleteI found the article you did interesting and unique, because it wasn't about Iran. I found it interesting taht even with all of the drug war, and drug cartels that their economy is still booming. It is also interesting on the amount of oil that they produce, and sell to America everyday.
ReplyDelete