I reviewed:
Tara Bates
Deadline #4 WP#1
Heather Morris
Heather Morris
I enjoyed reading through other people's posts. Mostly what I left them with were grammatical corrections, alternative wording, and some thoughts on their structure. It really made me wonder a bit about how many errors I probably made on my research proposal so I'll definitely have to run through it. It was also interesting reading about the topics as I looked specifically at ones I knew were of particular interest to me. Another thing I liked about reading them is you can tell, by their writing, a bit about a person so it was a chance to better understand some of my class mates. It's good when you can tell somebody has a passion for what their writing about and it's pretty easy to see in their writing. As of yet, unfortunately, nobody has reviewed my proposal. Or if they did they left no comments and thus I have no feedback. We'll be doing peer review in class so I guess that will have to do.
Thursday, September 27, 2007
Monday, September 24, 2007
D5HW4 Annotated Bibliography
Toosi, Nahal. "Ahmadinejad, in US for UN General Assembly, Gets Blistering Reception From Columbia President." Associated Press. 09 SEP 2007. 09 SEP 2007. < http://phoenix.cox.net/cci/newsnational/national?_mode=view&_state=maximized&view=article&id=D8RS0VL80&_action=validatearticle >.
This is hot off the presses ladies and gentlemen. The article covers Iranian President Ahmadinejad, who is in New York for the UN General Assembly, was invited to speak at Colombia University. He took alot of crap there from the university president, audience, and demonstraters outside. Some important highlights of his comments were 1. He dosen't deny the holocaust (which he reportedly has) He concedes that it occured but dosen't think it is applicable for the Palestinian situation. 2. His government has no intention to attack Israel (when elected he vowed to "wipe Israel off the map." and 3. He denies that homosexuals were publicly hanged in his country and asserts that there are no homosexuals in his country (possibility but doubtful and possible lie). On many other questions he skirted the issue such as Iranian weapon shipments to Iraq and Iranian support of terrorism. Many people fervently stated that Ahmadienjad should not have been invited to speak. These people are either war hawks, or ignorant. If you want to resolve a problem without conflict you have to talk to people, even the nasty ones. Also. Before Ahmadinejad was given the floor the President of Colombia, who invited him in the first place, basically insulted him for an hour on stage. This, I believe, is extremely bad form. Don't get me wrong I don't like Ahmadinejad and think he's full of it in regards to many things but I also believe that for anyone, American or Iranian, to invite someone, saint or scum, somewhere and then verbally bash them before they even speak, especially in front of others, is extremely bad form and I would expect better from the president of such a prominent university.
Country Handbook, Islamic Republic of Iran.
This is a book that I was issued by the Marine Corps. It contains a huge amount of information that would be extremely useful in my research. Unfortunately, it is deemed "For Official Use Only" and thus I cannot use any excerpts from it or quote it in any way. This aggravated me for some time untill I arrived at the conclusion, which I checked out with my chain of command, that I can use it to confirm information I get from other resources. I can't use information I only find in the book but I can use it to backup information I find elseware. It will also help me better understand information I find elseware by offering a simpler version of it. However, you will not find a quote or citation from it in my bibliography or in my research as all I'll be using it for is to back up other sources.
Sokolski, Henry D., and Patrick Clawson. Strategic Studies Institute. Checking Iran's Nuclear Ambitions. Internet Edition. 01 JAN 2004.
This is an ebook I found on using the usa.gov site. It's essentially a report on the nuclear situation with Iran with multiple suggestions on what to do about it. This is a government publication so it's about as authentic as I'm going to find. It goes into depth on the political situation in Iran, U.S. Interaction with Iran,The Challenges of U.S. Millitary Action, and more. I'll need to square away some time to read through the entirety of this book and it will probably be important in my research as it covers such a wide range of factors critical to the situation in Iran.
This is hot off the presses ladies and gentlemen. The article covers Iranian President Ahmadinejad, who is in New York for the UN General Assembly, was invited to speak at Colombia University. He took alot of crap there from the university president, audience, and demonstraters outside. Some important highlights of his comments were 1. He dosen't deny the holocaust (which he reportedly has) He concedes that it occured but dosen't think it is applicable for the Palestinian situation. 2. His government has no intention to attack Israel (when elected he vowed to "wipe Israel off the map." and 3. He denies that homosexuals were publicly hanged in his country and asserts that there are no homosexuals in his country (possibility but doubtful and possible lie). On many other questions he skirted the issue such as Iranian weapon shipments to Iraq and Iranian support of terrorism. Many people fervently stated that Ahmadienjad should not have been invited to speak. These people are either war hawks, or ignorant. If you want to resolve a problem without conflict you have to talk to people, even the nasty ones. Also. Before Ahmadinejad was given the floor the President of Colombia, who invited him in the first place, basically insulted him for an hour on stage. This, I believe, is extremely bad form. Don't get me wrong I don't like Ahmadinejad and think he's full of it in regards to many things but I also believe that for anyone, American or Iranian, to invite someone, saint or scum, somewhere and then verbally bash them before they even speak, especially in front of others, is extremely bad form and I would expect better from the president of such a prominent university.
Country Handbook, Islamic Republic of Iran.
This is a book that I was issued by the Marine Corps. It contains a huge amount of information that would be extremely useful in my research. Unfortunately, it is deemed "For Official Use Only" and thus I cannot use any excerpts from it or quote it in any way. This aggravated me for some time untill I arrived at the conclusion, which I checked out with my chain of command, that I can use it to confirm information I get from other resources. I can't use information I only find in the book but I can use it to backup information I find elseware. It will also help me better understand information I find elseware by offering a simpler version of it. However, you will not find a quote or citation from it in my bibliography or in my research as all I'll be using it for is to back up other sources.
Sokolski, Henry D., and Patrick Clawson. Strategic Studies Institute. Checking Iran's Nuclear Ambitions. Internet Edition. 01 JAN 2004.
This is an ebook I found on using the usa.gov site. It's essentially a report on the nuclear situation with Iran with multiple suggestions on what to do about it. This is a government publication so it's about as authentic as I'm going to find. It goes into depth on the political situation in Iran, U.S. Interaction with Iran,The Challenges of U.S. Millitary Action, and more. I'll need to square away some time to read through the entirety of this book and it will probably be important in my research as it covers such a wide range of factors critical to the situation in Iran.
D5HW5 Field Research
I think I would really like to do some interviews. I'm planning on buying a digital video recorder in october so thats when I'll likely do it. I would like to get interviews from a variety of people; Arabs, Jews, American Civilians, American Millitary, and maybe an Iranian if I can track one down. Arab, by the way, would not count for Iranians as Iranians are Persians not Arabs. I think I would start with just a general question of what they think of the whole situation with Iran. Then I would get specific off of the things that they said and dig deeper. I'd ask things like; what do you think of the Iranian Government, what do you think about Israel, and other things depending on that persons area of knowledge. I think this would provide extremely useful information and probably open me up to possibilities I hadn't thought of.
Thursday, September 20, 2007
Deadline 4/HW7/Deadline Reflection
So ends another week of scrambling. It's been a busy week but hopefully I'm finally getting to the point where I won't have to scramble to meet the deadlines, which I think happened to most of the class after the initial shock of just how much work we have to do here. Hopefully things will cool down from this point on and I'll be able to balance my workload better. It's also been an interesting week because I've seriously settled down with some quality sources and begun pulling information out of them and putting them in my research database. A trick I learned for that. An easy way to keep track of what info you got from who is, instead of just having to look for the citation (which obviously you still need but I just put them all at the front), is color coding each source that way you can just look at your notes and very quickly be able to reckognize where you got them from. From reading other people's blogs I gained some insight on mistakes they've made and learned from that I can then use to look at my own work and apply. Also I gained a sense for just how far behind alot of the class is as far as deadlines which has me a bit worry as I know it's hectic for me as well. Also as I was going through the blog links on my blog erasing the people that either dropped or are complete idiots and not done anything in the past two weeks my links almost all dissapeared for reason and I almost had a heart attack. Blogger is beginning to agitate me.
Paulette Estrada
Deadline #4 HW#1
Coralee Harding
D#4, HW#6, Evaluating Sources
Kathy Lacey
D#4, HW#2 Grammar Assignment #1
Mike Whipple
D#4 HW#1, Reading Reflection
Justin Winters
Deadline #4 HW#1 Reading Reflection
Paulette Estrada
Deadline #4 HW#1
Coralee Harding
D#4, HW#6, Evaluating Sources
Kathy Lacey
D#4, HW#2 Grammar Assignment #1
Mike Whipple
D#4 HW#1, Reading Reflection
Justin Winters
Deadline #4 HW#1 Reading Reflection
Deadline 4/HW2/Grammar Assignment
I have to admit. I did not particularly like this assignment. As a coasted through some of the websites like Grammar Girls and the Owl at Purdue looking at most of the topics I felt like it was a big fat waste of my time. I did however, run accross an interesting podcast at Grammar Girls called, "Simplify Your Writing." It was fairly interesting in that it talked about ways to simplify your writing and make it easier for people reading it not to just look at it and die. This is especially important when your piece is long as mine likely will be. Basically it came down to creating a table of contents, organizing your paper in a logical format with the most important factors first, and using small sections instead of just massive chapters. Other titles I saw were things like, "Capitalizing Proper Nouns", "Units of Measure", and other rather insulting topics. I did find a powerpoint presentating on OWLS for the Rhetorical Situation thats a bit easier to understand than some of the ones Mr. Adams reccomended. If anybody had trouble understanding that the first time around try going to < http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/625/01/ >
Deadline 4/HW6/Evaluation Checklist
1. Is the source relevant?
Check! This article gives great detail on understanding the Iranian Government which is a critical aspect of my research.
2. Does the paper provide evidence and use is appropriately?
Check! Reading the article you can see a good amount of effort was put into it's creation and there is an extensive list of resources at the end.
3 and 4. Knowledgeable Author? Publisher?
Check! Check! The author, Farhad Kazemi, is a writer for the publisher, The Journal of International Affairs, a respected journal which produces articles on current international issues. The article does not give a strong impression of bias. More of a simple written expression of the fruits of the writers research.
5. Is the timeline relevant?
Check! Extremely, this article gives a detailed accound of the rise and structure of the current Iranian Government.
6. Can I comprehend this source?
... Check! No shit huh? If I didn't comprehend it I wouldn't have read to far into it. This article is a monster but it was worth it for the wealth of information it gave me on the Iranian Government.
Check! This article gives great detail on understanding the Iranian Government which is a critical aspect of my research.
2. Does the paper provide evidence and use is appropriately?
Check! Reading the article you can see a good amount of effort was put into it's creation and there is an extensive list of resources at the end.
3 and 4. Knowledgeable Author? Publisher?
Check! Check! The author, Farhad Kazemi, is a writer for the publisher, The Journal of International Affairs, a respected journal which produces articles on current international issues. The article does not give a strong impression of bias. More of a simple written expression of the fruits of the writers research.
5. Is the timeline relevant?
Check! Extremely, this article gives a detailed accound of the rise and structure of the current Iranian Government.
6. Can I comprehend this source?
... Check! No shit huh? If I didn't comprehend it I wouldn't have read to far into it. This article is a monster but it was worth it for the wealth of information it gave me on the Iranian Government.
Deadline 4/HW5/Annotated Bibliography
Katel, Peter. "Middle East Tensions." 1627 OCT 2006 18 SEP 2007
< http://library.cqpress.com.ezp.mc.maricopa.edu/cqresearcher/document.php?id=cqresrre2006102700&type=hitlist&num=1& >.
I found this article using CQ researcher in the library database. Reading it you can see that it is very in depth and seems well researched. Also I have been finding confirmation of it's material in other sources. All this combines to give me the impression that this is a reliable source. This article helps answer many questions about relationships between Middle East countries as well as useful bits on the Iran situation, Iranian government, and the Iranian military. Information from this source will definitely go into my research.
Bahgat, Gawdat. "Iran and the United States: The Emerging Security Paradigm in the Middle East." Parameters 15 MAY 2007 19 SEP 2007 < http://carlisle-www.army.mil/usawc/Parameters/07summer/bahgat.htm >.
This is an article from an army sponsored journal that I found through usa.gov. While I may have my reservations about the army (haha) I still believe this to be a reliable source. Not least because I'm finding alot of information in it corresponding with other sources. That is pretty much what I'm using this information for. To confirm and expand on information I've gotten from other sources.
Kazemi, Farhad. "The precarious revolution: unchanging institutions and the fate of reform in Iran: Iranian politics is a system made by the clerics for the clerics, and for their supporters who prossess a near monopoly on the spoils of the revolution and the country's resources." Journal of International Affairs 57.1 (Fall 2003): 81(15). Academic OneFile. Gale. Mesa Community College. 20 Sept. 2007
< http://find.galegroup.com.ezp.mc.maricopa.edu/itx/start.do?prodId=AONE >.
A very long but extremely useful article. I found this article using Academic OneFile in the library electronis resources. This article basically goes into great detail on the history and structure of the Iranian government, with a particular focus from the 1979 revolution and up. After reading this article I have a much better understanding of the workings of the Iranian government which is a strange mix of democracy, religious based systems, and dictatorship. Took awhile to get through but definitely worth it.
"Guards Have "Length And Breadth" of Gulf Covered: Iranian Commander." Agence France Press 15 AUG 2007 20 SEP 2007 < http://www.defensenews.com/story.php?F=2970882&C=mideast >.
This is a fairly short article that I found at DefenseNews.com. The website seems pretty reliable and it's a pretty recent article but definitely must be taken with a grain of salt as the artice is bassically the commanding general for the Iranian Revolutionary Guard boasting of his military's capabilities. Some of his assertions seem possible and others seem very unlikely but I'll primarily be using this information to know where to check up on the Iranian Millitary with other sources. It is essectially a outline of some things I need to investigate as far as their capabilities go.
< http://library.cqpress.com.ezp.mc.maricopa.edu/cqresearcher/document.php?id=cqresrre2006102700&type=hitlist&num=1& >.
I found this article using CQ researcher in the library database. Reading it you can see that it is very in depth and seems well researched. Also I have been finding confirmation of it's material in other sources. All this combines to give me the impression that this is a reliable source. This article helps answer many questions about relationships between Middle East countries as well as useful bits on the Iran situation, Iranian government, and the Iranian military. Information from this source will definitely go into my research.
Bahgat, Gawdat. "Iran and the United States: The Emerging Security Paradigm in the Middle East." Parameters 15 MAY 2007 19 SEP 2007 < http://carlisle-www.army.mil/usawc/Parameters/07summer/bahgat.htm >.
This is an article from an army sponsored journal that I found through usa.gov. While I may have my reservations about the army (haha) I still believe this to be a reliable source. Not least because I'm finding alot of information in it corresponding with other sources. That is pretty much what I'm using this information for. To confirm and expand on information I've gotten from other sources.
Kazemi, Farhad. "The precarious revolution: unchanging institutions and the fate of reform in Iran: Iranian politics is a system made by the clerics for the clerics, and for their supporters who prossess a near monopoly on the spoils of the revolution and the country's resources." Journal of International Affairs 57.1 (Fall 2003): 81(15). Academic OneFile. Gale. Mesa Community College. 20 Sept. 2007
< http://find.galegroup.com.ezp.mc.maricopa.edu/itx/start.do?prodId=AONE >.
A very long but extremely useful article. I found this article using Academic OneFile in the library electronis resources. This article basically goes into great detail on the history and structure of the Iranian government, with a particular focus from the 1979 revolution and up. After reading this article I have a much better understanding of the workings of the Iranian government which is a strange mix of democracy, religious based systems, and dictatorship. Took awhile to get through but definitely worth it.
"Guards Have "Length And Breadth" of Gulf Covered: Iranian Commander." Agence France Press 15 AUG 2007 20 SEP 2007 < http://www.defensenews.com/story.php?F=2970882&C=mideast >.
This is a fairly short article that I found at DefenseNews.com. The website seems pretty reliable and it's a pretty recent article but definitely must be taken with a grain of salt as the artice is bassically the commanding general for the Iranian Revolutionary Guard boasting of his military's capabilities. Some of his assertions seem possible and others seem very unlikely but I'll primarily be using this information to know where to check up on the Iranian Millitary with other sources. It is essectially a outline of some things I need to investigate as far as their capabilities go.
Tuesday, September 18, 2007
Deadline 4/HW 3/Research Proposal
Conflict in the Middle East is one of the defining issues of our time. Before 9/11 the Middle East was considered a trouble area, an annoyance. Bad children who needed to be disciplined now and again when they misbehaved. The events of 9/11 were a wake up call for the American people. Passions ran high as the Americans urged their government to action against this newly realized threat and, as will typically happen in a democracy, the government obliged. Years have passed and we are now locked in a long, drawn out war, which owes its longevity to not simply mismanagement, but to ignorance. Thinking of the Middle East as a breeding ground of camel riding, shrouded, suicidal fanatics is foolish and dangerous. It is so much more. A land of rich history, art, scholarship, and of course, conflict. The Middle East is an extremely complicated place in which one must take into account religious sects, natural resources, international relations, history, widely varying governmental systems, and more.
When looking at any issue with the Middle East one needs to at least attempt to have a cursory understanding of most of these issues. As our country is embroiled in a war to install a stable, strong, government, which is accountable to the people of Iraq, the situation has revealed its intricacies in a deadly show of reality. It’s shown us that you must understand your enemy, the battleground, and the people, as well as planning for every eventuality. In that spirit I have chosen to do my research project on a growing situation which has the potential to explode into a large scale crisis if not handled carefully; Iran. In addition to wide spread reports of Iranian support to insurgent groups battling Coalition forces in Iraq, Iran is pursuing a nuclear development program which many fear is leading to nuclear weapons development.
As a United States Marine and an American this issue is of extreme importance to myself, and everyone I care about. As I will likely be spending significant amounts of time in the Middle East in the near future I have decided to become as well acquainted with the region as I can. The growing crisis with Iran is an issue that I have meant to educate myself on and now have the chance with this project. As the situation affects my future I have decided to make my project about the future. As I am an American I have decided to make my project about what the crisis with Iran could have in store for the American people. We need to at least have an idea what the future holds for us. Thus I have arrived at my research question.
“Based on the Current Situation in Iran; What Are Some of The Likely Outcomes, And How Will They Effect The American People?”
Looking at this question and what I have already said we find I have two main audiences; the American people and myself. Not only is this a chance to self educate myself on an important issue but I aim to educate others like me who till now only passively followed these events. From a member of Congress to a freshman in college I want to share the fruits of my research so that people will have some idea of what’s in store, and some of the steps, at least in my opinion, that we can take to secure the best possible outcome.
To achieve this I have broken down my research into three steps. The first, and greatest, is to understand the current situation. This will involve becoming acquainted with the Iranian Government, the Iranian Military, Relations Between Iran and Nearby Countries, the U.N. attitude toward Iran, the U.S. attitude toward Iran, Iran’s Nuclear Program, and the effect of International Pressure on Iran. Understanding these core factors will allow me to branch out into my second step; Possible Outcomes. I need to understand the present and past to be even remotely qualified to make guesses at the future. Finally, I need to cater to the needs of my audience. What will the outcomes of this issue entail for myself and for the American people? What will be some of the consequences of our actions?
I’m a working, full time college student. The next few months are going to be very busy for me so I will have to work on this project whenever I can. For the most part my work will be done from home, the library, and at Xtreme Bean. Everyday I’m going to have to make time to work on this. I owe it to myself, and the rest of my audience, to do as good a job with this as I can.
When looking at any issue with the Middle East one needs to at least attempt to have a cursory understanding of most of these issues. As our country is embroiled in a war to install a stable, strong, government, which is accountable to the people of Iraq, the situation has revealed its intricacies in a deadly show of reality. It’s shown us that you must understand your enemy, the battleground, and the people, as well as planning for every eventuality. In that spirit I have chosen to do my research project on a growing situation which has the potential to explode into a large scale crisis if not handled carefully; Iran. In addition to wide spread reports of Iranian support to insurgent groups battling Coalition forces in Iraq, Iran is pursuing a nuclear development program which many fear is leading to nuclear weapons development.
As a United States Marine and an American this issue is of extreme importance to myself, and everyone I care about. As I will likely be spending significant amounts of time in the Middle East in the near future I have decided to become as well acquainted with the region as I can. The growing crisis with Iran is an issue that I have meant to educate myself on and now have the chance with this project. As the situation affects my future I have decided to make my project about the future. As I am an American I have decided to make my project about what the crisis with Iran could have in store for the American people. We need to at least have an idea what the future holds for us. Thus I have arrived at my research question.
“Based on the Current Situation in Iran; What Are Some of The Likely Outcomes, And How Will They Effect The American People?”
Looking at this question and what I have already said we find I have two main audiences; the American people and myself. Not only is this a chance to self educate myself on an important issue but I aim to educate others like me who till now only passively followed these events. From a member of Congress to a freshman in college I want to share the fruits of my research so that people will have some idea of what’s in store, and some of the steps, at least in my opinion, that we can take to secure the best possible outcome.
To achieve this I have broken down my research into three steps. The first, and greatest, is to understand the current situation. This will involve becoming acquainted with the Iranian Government, the Iranian Military, Relations Between Iran and Nearby Countries, the U.N. attitude toward Iran, the U.S. attitude toward Iran, Iran’s Nuclear Program, and the effect of International Pressure on Iran. Understanding these core factors will allow me to branch out into my second step; Possible Outcomes. I need to understand the present and past to be even remotely qualified to make guesses at the future. Finally, I need to cater to the needs of my audience. What will the outcomes of this issue entail for myself and for the American people? What will be some of the consequences of our actions?
I’m a working, full time college student. The next few months are going to be very busy for me so I will have to work on this project whenever I can. For the most part my work will be done from home, the library, and at Xtreme Bean. Everyday I’m going to have to make time to work on this. I owe it to myself, and the rest of my audience, to do as good a job with this as I can.
Deadline 3/HW 8/Deadline Reflection
This last week has been interesting. I learned to take a harder look at my sources before going through them to save time. I also was able to take a look at the various aspects of my project to give me a better idea of who I was writing this for and why. It was also a little frustrating in that I spent so much time doing reading and minor things that helped in minor ways when I could have been focusing on research which is the major thing. There seems to be so much smaller, only mildly helpful things to do, that I don't have enough time to give all the attention to research as I'd like to. Looking at and replying to other people's blogs helped me in that it was a good way to gauge what other people were having trouble with in order to know where to focus on my own project.
I replied to:
Tara Bates
deadline #3 hw#7
Justin Winters
Deadline #3 HW# 7 Annotated Bibliography
Stephann Parizek
Deadline 3 Deadline Reflection
Kathy Lacey
D#4,HW#5 Annotated Bib.x4
Jeff Fitzwatter
d3hw7
I replied to:
Tara Bates
deadline #3 hw#7
Justin Winters
Deadline #3 HW# 7 Annotated Bibliography
Stephann Parizek
Deadline 3 Deadline Reflection
Kathy Lacey
D#4,HW#5 Annotated Bib.x4
Jeff Fitzwatter
d3hw7
Monday, September 17, 2007
Deadline 3/HW 7/Annotated Bibliography
"Iran." CIA World Factbook. 06 SEP 2007. Central Inteligence Agency. 17 Sep 2007 < https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/ir.html >.
This is the CIA's factbook on the Islamic Public of Iran. I found it because I already knew about the site from previous projects. I'm sure this is pretty solid information because it's a government site for the Central Intelligence Agency. It's a good resource because it has information on many things about Iran such as the government, nationalities, languages, history, so on, so on, and so forth. After skimming briefly through this site I'm going to need to go back through with a fine comb and start pulling out notes.
Pike, John. "Quods (Jerusalem) Force Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps." GlobalSecurity.org 26 APR 2005 17 09 2007 < http://www.globalsecurity.org/intell/world/iran/qods.htm >.
This site seems very heavy on the Iran is evil and trying to take over the world mentality. As a result I'm going to try and avoid using the information in it untill I can confirm it from another source. However it does give a detailed account of the structure and history of the Iranian millitary. It states that at first the Iranian government used the millitary for both conventional purposes and as a sort of gestapo. During the 60's/70's the Iranian forces were used to put down anti-government demonstrations and arrest those who didn't strictly adhere to the theocratic governments "social standards." However, it goes on to state that the leaders of the millitary stood up to the government and insisted that they were to be used only in millitary matters. Not as the governments secret police.
Kagan, Kimberly. "The Iran Dossier; Iraq Report VI: Iran's proxy war against the U.S. in Iraq." The Weekly Standard (August 29, 2007): NA. General OneFile. Gale. Mesa Community College. 18 Sept. 2007
< http://find.galegroup.com.ezp.mc.maricopa.edu/itx/start.do?prodId=ITOF >.
I found this article using the galegroup search engine in the library electronic resources so right away it gains some credibility with me. The difficult thing with my subject is that it's hard to be a hundred percent sure on something in light of the many intelligence failures made prior to invading Iraq. In my case it's going to have to be finding what seems to be the most reliable and confirming it with other sources. This article discusses the interference by Iran in Iraq. Claims that Iranian millitary factions are supporting insurgent groups in Iraq are all over the place. Essentially these reports claim that Iran is supporting the insurgents in Iraq much the way the U.S. Millitary has supported various rebel groups throughout recent years. However the circumstances are a bit different in the motivation. Also, once again I see claims that Iran actively supports the terrorist group known as Hezbollah which makes so much trouble over in Lebanon.
Katel, Peter. "Middle East Tensions." 1627 OCT 2006 18 SEP 2007 < http://library.cqpress.com.ezp.mc.maricopa.edu/cqresearcher/document.php?id=cqresrre2006102700&type=hitlist&num=1& >.
I found this article using CQ researcher and I think it's very useful. It's basically a comprehensive rundown on current situations and some of the history of the middle east with a specific focus on Israel, Lebanon, Palestine, and Iran. At first glance I thought the article was a bit to Israel oriented but you realize that it's all related. To understand the trouble in the middle east you need to understand some of the history of Israel. I like this article because it gives a real big look into the relations between middle eastern countries. It also gives a bit of a look into the effect the U.N. security forces have. I'm still combing through the article but gives information which helps answer alot of my questions.
This is the CIA's factbook on the Islamic Public of Iran. I found it because I already knew about the site from previous projects. I'm sure this is pretty solid information because it's a government site for the Central Intelligence Agency. It's a good resource because it has information on many things about Iran such as the government, nationalities, languages, history, so on, so on, and so forth. After skimming briefly through this site I'm going to need to go back through with a fine comb and start pulling out notes.
Pike, John. "Quods (Jerusalem) Force Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps." GlobalSecurity.org 26 APR 2005 17 09 2007 < http://www.globalsecurity.org/intell/world/iran/qods.htm >.
This site seems very heavy on the Iran is evil and trying to take over the world mentality. As a result I'm going to try and avoid using the information in it untill I can confirm it from another source. However it does give a detailed account of the structure and history of the Iranian millitary. It states that at first the Iranian government used the millitary for both conventional purposes and as a sort of gestapo. During the 60's/70's the Iranian forces were used to put down anti-government demonstrations and arrest those who didn't strictly adhere to the theocratic governments "social standards." However, it goes on to state that the leaders of the millitary stood up to the government and insisted that they were to be used only in millitary matters. Not as the governments secret police.
Kagan, Kimberly. "The Iran Dossier; Iraq Report VI: Iran's proxy war against the U.S. in Iraq." The Weekly Standard (August 29, 2007): NA. General OneFile. Gale. Mesa Community College. 18 Sept. 2007
< http://find.galegroup.com.ezp.mc.maricopa.edu/itx/start.do?prodId=ITOF >.
I found this article using the galegroup search engine in the library electronic resources so right away it gains some credibility with me. The difficult thing with my subject is that it's hard to be a hundred percent sure on something in light of the many intelligence failures made prior to invading Iraq. In my case it's going to have to be finding what seems to be the most reliable and confirming it with other sources. This article discusses the interference by Iran in Iraq. Claims that Iranian millitary factions are supporting insurgent groups in Iraq are all over the place. Essentially these reports claim that Iran is supporting the insurgents in Iraq much the way the U.S. Millitary has supported various rebel groups throughout recent years. However the circumstances are a bit different in the motivation. Also, once again I see claims that Iran actively supports the terrorist group known as Hezbollah which makes so much trouble over in Lebanon.
Katel, Peter. "Middle East Tensions." 1627 OCT 2006 18 SEP 2007 < http://library.cqpress.com.ezp.mc.maricopa.edu/cqresearcher/document.php?id=cqresrre2006102700&type=hitlist&num=1& >.
I found this article using CQ researcher and I think it's very useful. It's basically a comprehensive rundown on current situations and some of the history of the middle east with a specific focus on Israel, Lebanon, Palestine, and Iran. At first glance I thought the article was a bit to Israel oriented but you realize that it's all related. To understand the trouble in the middle east you need to understand some of the history of Israel. I like this article because it gives a real big look into the relations between middle eastern countries. It also gives a bit of a look into the effect the U.N. security forces have. I'm still combing through the article but gives information which helps answer alot of my questions.
Thursday, September 13, 2007
Deadline 3/HW 5/Audience Analysis
An Audience Analysis for my topic is difficult as my topic affects people of all ages, sex, ethnicity, nationality, living envrironments, vocations, education, political beliefs, and religious beliefs. For instance if a Long Term Conflict were to emerge in the middle east based around Iran it would likely affect the international community. War effects all people evenly remotely attatched to it in one way or another. In terms of who it would affect the most I imagine it would be the citizens of the United States and the people of the Middle East. Other possiblities such as Short Term Conflict, Iranian or United Nations submission might have smaller audiences but the fact is people everywhere should be concerned with my subject. Not just to know what would happen were there Long Term Conflict but to have a better idea what sort of steps should be taken so that a less ominous outcome results. I'm sure there's some goat farmer in the middle of the Mongolian Stepps who doesn't give a crap-n-a-half about Iran but the reality is that events that could have such wide ranging consequences should allways be monitored and dealt with carefully. The future is the result of enormous numbers of possibilities all combining to be balanced between paradise and destruction. In other words, pay attention or shit happens.
Wednesday, September 12, 2007
Deadline 3/HW 4/My Audience
As stated in my research question my primary audience is the American People. Those who would probably want to read it would be members of the millitary and government who would be the first to deal with the various outcomes. However, the American people, and probably the entire international community as many of the consequences could effect life around the world. I would hope that these people, especially those in the government and millitary, would look at the consequences I come up with and be able to focus more directly on achieving the favorable outcomes, as opposed to the negative. However, this is a very large subject and I'm really not sure how reliable a basis it can be but I'll be trying to shift through the bs and make as educated guesses as I can.
Deadline 3/HW 3/Research Plan
After I decided on my research question I basically disected it into three general topics I would need information on to answer my question and make my theories. First, "Based on the Current Situation in Iran..." I need to understand the current situation. This is probably the biggest toppic. Through brainstorming I decided I needed information on seven things: the Iranian Government, the Iranian Millitary, Relationships Between Iran and Nearby Countries, the U.N. Attitude Toward Iran, and the U.S. attitude toward Iran (which directily has to do with Iran's Influence on Iraq), Where Iran's Nuclear Program Currently Is, and What Effect International Pressure is Having on Iran. Second, I need to look into the consequences of possible outcomes. A few I've thought of already are: Short Term Conflict (such as millitary strikes), Long Term Conflict (War), Iran Gives In, and the U.N. gives in. Finally, I need to look into what effects these Possible Outcomes could have on the American people. I've already found a google spree and pulled up a bunch of articles pertaining to these topics and put the links on my delicious. I've also made a rough Research-Note-Database-majig to hold my citations and notes in a semi-organized fashion. My next step will probably be to look through the articles I have and get rid of those either to old or lacking in credibility. Then I'll probably stick to the library resources to save time with finding credible sources. I've also downloaded an ebook I'll be taking a look at.
Deadline 3/HW 2/Research Question
My general topic was, "Conflict in Iran." After further narrowing it down I decided to write on some of the possible outcomes of the situation in Iran. At first I considered making my audience the international community but decided against it for two reasons. First, the international community is huge and will be affected by the outcome of this situation in far to many ways for me to cover. Second, most of the international community wouldn't be able to read my paper anyway. Thus I decided to make my audience the American People. In terms of my role it seemed obvious that since I would be interpreting the current situation to make educated guesses about the future, my role is as an interpreter. After I came to these conclusions deciding on the exact research question was not difficult. The research question I eventually settled after due consideration is, "Based On The Current Situation in Iran; What Are Some Of The Likely Outcomes And How Would They Effect The American People."
Monday, September 10, 2007
Deadline 2 Reflection/HW 7
This past weeks work made me really realize just how much each deadline is going to require and has definitely convinced me that I need to break it up throughout the week. It's also resulted in me falling in love with delicious (I can just hear Mr. Adams cheering). The advantages to having all my links organized in one place didn't really hit me until I started gathering a smack-ton of articles for my research. Then all of a sudden I had an epiphany and have been putting everything I can think of on delicious since. Looking at other's blogs helped me in little ways such as finding details that I can use to improve my posts and research. It was also interesting seeing the topics everyone else has chosen. As for the reading, aside from giving me a few new vocabulary words I didn't find it particularly enlightening. Most of the information was things we'd been taught before.
I replied to:
Heather Morris
< https://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=654603302740602459&postID=2034868086249469391 >
Jared Zucker
< https://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=1948534495918491875&postID=3140989126089120924 >
Jeff Fitzwater
< https://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=3459907246853324887&postID=761675117536031613 >
Tara
< https://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=6742427514674540795&postID=123827601318395798 >
Stephanne
< https://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=895006152814382067&postID=6205251659290782181 >
I replied to:
Heather Morris
< https://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=654603302740602459&postID=2034868086249469391 >
Jared Zucker
< https://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=1948534495918491875&postID=3140989126089120924 >
Jeff Fitzwater
< https://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=3459907246853324887&postID=761675117536031613 >
Tara
< https://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=6742427514674540795&postID=123827601318395798 >
Stephanne
< https://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=895006152814382067&postID=6205251659290782181 >
Deadline 2/ Homework Assignment 6
Linzer, Dafna. "U.N. Inspectors Dispute Iran Report By House Panel." Washington Post 14 SEP 2006 10 SEP 2007 < http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/09/13/AR2006091302052.html >.
This article basically states that the U.N. was accusing a House of Reps. committee of cherry-picking or fabricating information about Iran in a report for the rest of the legislature. This article is almost a year old but it did serve to remind me to watch for signs of one sidedness and to at least take things with a grain of salt as I continue to gather information for my research.
Lederer, Edith M.. "International Stance on Iran's Nuclear Program Critisized." International Herald Tribune 26 FEB 2007 10 DEC 2007
< http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/02/27/america/NA-GEN-US-Nuclear-Iran.php >.
This article talks about criticisms that are being made of the U.N.'s stance on Iran. It talks about the U.N.'s demand that Iran halts it's uranium enrichment before talks proceed. This basically is a demand that Iran's program must come to a halt before any further progress is made in negotiations. Critics say this wastes valuable time that could be spent attempting to resolve the situation, while also giving more time for Iran to come closer to completing it's programs. At the same time however, succumbing to Iran's refusal weakens the U.N.'s position and basically tells the Iranian government that it can expect the same thing to happen as the international standoff continues. This article helped to further enlighten me on the details of the current standoff with Iran, and will give me a better idea on the base for my theories for future events.
This article basically states that the U.N. was accusing a House of Reps. committee of cherry-picking or fabricating information about Iran in a report for the rest of the legislature. This article is almost a year old but it did serve to remind me to watch for signs of one sidedness and to at least take things with a grain of salt as I continue to gather information for my research.
Lederer, Edith M.. "International Stance on Iran's Nuclear Program Critisized." International Herald Tribune 26 FEB 2007 10 DEC 2007
< http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/02/27/america/NA-GEN-US-Nuclear-Iran.php >.
This article talks about criticisms that are being made of the U.N.'s stance on Iran. It talks about the U.N.'s demand that Iran halts it's uranium enrichment before talks proceed. This basically is a demand that Iran's program must come to a halt before any further progress is made in negotiations. Critics say this wastes valuable time that could be spent attempting to resolve the situation, while also giving more time for Iran to come closer to completing it's programs. At the same time however, succumbing to Iran's refusal weakens the U.N.'s position and basically tells the Iranian government that it can expect the same thing to happen as the international standoff continues. This article helped to further enlighten me on the details of the current standoff with Iran, and will give me a better idea on the base for my theories for future events.
Thursday, September 6, 2007
Deadline#2: Research Topic
Conflict with Iran
I had three ideas for different paths for my research project. Illegal Immigration, Conflict in Iraq, and Conflict with Iran. I decided on Iran for several reasons. First, it's the subject which I know the least about and this gives me an excuse to broaden my knowledge in that area which I have been meaning to do for some time anyway. Second, I'm already in the middle of researching the whole Iraq situation, not for any particular project but just out of my own vested interest, and doing my project on Iran offers a project with a fresh start so I can research the project from the ground up as opposed to doing it on Iraq and having to go through information I've already reviewed for mundane things such as refferences and page numbers. Third, after even a little research into this subject you realize that the growing situation in Iran presents truly disturbing possibilities for the world communities future. Finally, I chose Iran because Iraq is already happening and Iran is an extremely pressing issue. If conflict opens up with Iran it will dramatically increase the amount of troups overseas, amount of money going into the millitary operations, and the stress on the American people. That and, as I've mentioned previously, if major conflicts do occur between the U.S. and Iran I'm likely to end up right in the middle of them so knowledge of the situation is very important to me. Being a marine I like to think of myself as a millitary minded person. I like to know what I'm getting into.
After deciding to do my project on Conflict with Iran I decided that I had two basic narrowed fields; What happens if we go to war with Iran? and What is Likely to Happen? I decided on the latter because it offers a chance to take a broader look at the situation and, as America has learned the hard way, a broader look is necesarry to best understand the situation and probable eventualities. By brainstorming and freewriting I've decided on a few things I need to look at to best understand the situation. First I need to research the Iranian Governement to at least have some Idea of where the power lies, the level of corruption, and the general mindset of the Iranian government. I also ned to research the Iranian millitary to help me understand it's capabilities which will directly influence the government's decisions on how to react to international pressure from the U.S. and U.N. I need to research Irans relationships with it's neighboring countries for the same reason as the millitary and for determining the possibility of a large scale, international war erupting over this issue. I found the easiest method to get these ideas was just to brainstorm on a piece of paper and then look over what I'd written, figuring out what was valid and digging deeper into that. Essentially it was looping.
I had three ideas for different paths for my research project. Illegal Immigration, Conflict in Iraq, and Conflict with Iran. I decided on Iran for several reasons. First, it's the subject which I know the least about and this gives me an excuse to broaden my knowledge in that area which I have been meaning to do for some time anyway. Second, I'm already in the middle of researching the whole Iraq situation, not for any particular project but just out of my own vested interest, and doing my project on Iran offers a project with a fresh start so I can research the project from the ground up as opposed to doing it on Iraq and having to go through information I've already reviewed for mundane things such as refferences and page numbers. Third, after even a little research into this subject you realize that the growing situation in Iran presents truly disturbing possibilities for the world communities future. Finally, I chose Iran because Iraq is already happening and Iran is an extremely pressing issue. If conflict opens up with Iran it will dramatically increase the amount of troups overseas, amount of money going into the millitary operations, and the stress on the American people. That and, as I've mentioned previously, if major conflicts do occur between the U.S. and Iran I'm likely to end up right in the middle of them so knowledge of the situation is very important to me. Being a marine I like to think of myself as a millitary minded person. I like to know what I'm getting into.
After deciding to do my project on Conflict with Iran I decided that I had two basic narrowed fields; What happens if we go to war with Iran? and What is Likely to Happen? I decided on the latter because it offers a chance to take a broader look at the situation and, as America has learned the hard way, a broader look is necesarry to best understand the situation and probable eventualities. By brainstorming and freewriting I've decided on a few things I need to look at to best understand the situation. First I need to research the Iranian Governement to at least have some Idea of where the power lies, the level of corruption, and the general mindset of the Iranian government. I also ned to research the Iranian millitary to help me understand it's capabilities which will directly influence the government's decisions on how to react to international pressure from the U.S. and U.N. I need to research Irans relationships with it's neighboring countries for the same reason as the millitary and for determining the possibility of a large scale, international war erupting over this issue. I found the easiest method to get these ideas was just to brainstorm on a piece of paper and then look over what I'd written, figuring out what was valid and digging deeper into that. Essentially it was looping.
Wednesday, September 5, 2007
HW Assignment/Deadline #2: Annotated Bibliography
Ricks, Thomas E.. Fiasco, The American Millitary Adventure in Iraq. New York: The Penguin Group, 2007.
Fiasco is basically a comprehensive history of the entire Iraq situation dating focusing primarily from September 11 up, but also going into a brief account and analysis from the first Gulf War. The author, Thomas Ricks, who is The Washington Post's senior Pentagon correspondent and held the same job at The Wall Street Journal for upwards of 20 years. He has covered nearly all of the major millitary operations in that time period. His book provides a birds eye view of Iraq taking in millitary operations, civillian agencies, politics, culture and more to provide as factual an account of Iraq as I think I'm going to find in it's scale class. From the Washington Post to the Marine Corps Gazette this book has received praise as well as from major political figures such as John McCain and former president Bill Clinton. The subject of Iraq would be a good research topic for me as the situation there, though it affects everyone, affects me in particular as I'll likely spend time there.
http://wwwwakeupamericans-spree.blogspot.com/2007/08/illegal-immigration-crackdown-nails-160.html
This sight is essentially another blogger who has created a site where they keep information about important issues (or at least as they see them). What I found particularly interesting about the site was not so much the articles, which I can find elsewhere. But the enormous amounts of posts, both pro and con, which follow them. This allows me to get enormous amounts of pro and con arguments and find many different views about the issue, as well as some ideas about what needs to be done. Illegal immigration is an important issue for me because, while working in private security, I come into contact with a large number of illegal immigrants and the fallout of the ease with which such people cross into our country. One idea for a narrower field of research in this subject I found was the idea many people have to send the jobs that we've been sending to china to mexico to improve the economy and make it a environment it's people will want to stay in. I could perhaps do research into whether we should or not.
Harris, Scott. "U.S. Iran Tensions Rise- 2nd Carrier To Gulf." Scoop 10 JAN 2007 05 SEP 2007.
This article is an interview between the author and Trita Parsi, the president of the Iranian-American Council. It discusses the growing tensions between the U.S. and Iran. Trita Parsi tells his opinions on whats being done and what is causing the whole situation. I found Trita Parsi to be someone who looks at both sides of the issue before making an opinion which I found very impressive. Doing research on the growing situation in Iran would be important for me because, for the same reason as Iraq, it is a situation which very directly affects me. It is a situation that could erupt and put me right in the middle of it.
Fiasco is basically a comprehensive history of the entire Iraq situation dating focusing primarily from September 11 up, but also going into a brief account and analysis from the first Gulf War. The author, Thomas Ricks, who is The Washington Post's senior Pentagon correspondent and held the same job at The Wall Street Journal for upwards of 20 years. He has covered nearly all of the major millitary operations in that time period. His book provides a birds eye view of Iraq taking in millitary operations, civillian agencies, politics, culture and more to provide as factual an account of Iraq as I think I'm going to find in it's scale class. From the Washington Post to the Marine Corps Gazette this book has received praise as well as from major political figures such as John McCain and former president Bill Clinton. The subject of Iraq would be a good research topic for me as the situation there, though it affects everyone, affects me in particular as I'll likely spend time there.
http://wwwwakeupamericans-spree.blogspot.com/2007/08/illegal-immigration-crackdown-nails-160.html
This sight is essentially another blogger who has created a site where they keep information about important issues (or at least as they see them). What I found particularly interesting about the site was not so much the articles, which I can find elsewhere. But the enormous amounts of posts, both pro and con, which follow them. This allows me to get enormous amounts of pro and con arguments and find many different views about the issue, as well as some ideas about what needs to be done. Illegal immigration is an important issue for me because, while working in private security, I come into contact with a large number of illegal immigrants and the fallout of the ease with which such people cross into our country. One idea for a narrower field of research in this subject I found was the idea many people have to send the jobs that we've been sending to china to mexico to improve the economy and make it a environment it's people will want to stay in. I could perhaps do research into whether we should or not.
Harris, Scott. "U.S. Iran Tensions Rise- 2nd Carrier To Gulf." Scoop 10 JAN 2007 05 SEP 2007
This article is an interview between the author and Trita Parsi, the president of the Iranian-American Council. It discusses the growing tensions between the U.S. and Iran. Trita Parsi tells his opinions on whats being done and what is causing the whole situation. I found Trita Parsi to be someone who looks at both sides of the issue before making an opinion which I found very impressive. Doing research on the growing situation in Iran would be important for me because, for the same reason as Iraq, it is a situation which very directly affects me. It is a situation that could erupt and put me right in the middle of it.
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