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.
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You seem very passionate about your issue. I look forward to finding out more. i know what you mean about the time problems, Scheduling specific times to work on the project really has helped me, even if i still dont get everything done at the exact time, getting it done is always better then nothing.
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