Geography Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 9

Geography - Essay Example She even added that since no huge uprisings have taken place, the UN estimated a total death toll of 60,000 by the starting of 2013. The article further cites an event of airstrikes that were conducted on gas station located in the region of Damascus and the article states that Pillay’s estimates of the death toll of 60,000 might be correct. The article further states that the Syrian Observatory of Human Rights have stated that a total of 45,000 deaths have taken place and those who have died are mostly civilians living in Syria, the report provided by UN failed to distinguish whether more civilian lives or more combatants lives have been taken away (UN, 2013). Pillay further adds that if a resolution to the conflict is not figured out, soon there will be more deaths and sufferings. The most intriguing part of the entire article was not that over 60,000 lives have been taken away; the most intriguing part was Pillay’s statement that a resolution is necessary. This led me to figure out what is being done to solve the issue. To find answers I found an article written by Ayman Mohyeldin who is a correspondent with NBC News and she states that $60 million amount has been accepted by the US to give aid to the people of Syria and this aid is not lethal in nature (Mohyeldin, 2013). The article writer asserts that this kind of aid is very necessary but it is not going to be helpful in resolving the issue. The most eye catching element stated in the article is the UN has levied a ban on using arms to support the case of Syria. This is of high concern because several civilian lives have been lost in the battle and still there is no resolution and many more will be taken away until some real help in the shape of arms and ammunition and military support is extended to Syria. This is because even if the people of Syria outnumber the army, still the

Research assignment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Research assignment - Essay Example In an attempt to curb Iran’s nuclear program, France, Germany, and Britain persuaded Tehran to abandon its nuclear ambitions in exchange for peaceful civilian energy programs. Under the deal, Iran was to disclose its past nuclear activities, stop enrichment, and ratify additional protocol to the NPT. Tehran accepted the deal and signed the additional NPT protocol in December 2003. It also suspended uranium enrichment in November 2004 in exchange for aid and renewed trade talks. Because the deal appeared to work, America responded by dropping objections on Tehran’s efforts of joining the World Trade Organization. However, in 2005, the agreement broke down following the election of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad (Katzman 23). In 2005, Tehran breached the IAEA’s seals by resuming uranium conversion at its Esfahan facility. The move raised concerns about Tehran’s commitment to NPT and also security fears in the region. Because Tehran was no longer committed to the previous agreements, the issue became a great concern to the US. American indeed had some good reasons to worry about security threats from a nuclear-armed Iran. First, president Ahmadinejad pursued an aggressive foreign policy, which was a direct threat to the US interests and its allies in the Middle East. Second, Tehran has links with radical groups such as Hamas and Hezbollah, which it can use to attack the US. Third, there is a considerable risk that Iran could share its nuclear technology with Islamic extremists such as al-Qaeda. Lastly, Iran’s missiles pose a significant threat to the US forces, ships, and allies in the Gulf (Katzman 31). Iran’s nuclear program is still prioritized in the US foreign policy because there is no permanent future deal in place. However, the lection of Hassan Rouhani raised hopes of a new nuclear deal that could limit Tehran’s capability to develop