May 24, 2013

Scared of the Dark – Syrian Internet Blackout

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A recent remake of the American classic Red Dawn was released into theatres. It’s a story of an invasion of the North Koreans into the United States. A key point in the plot is the cutting of communication across parts of the United States. Today just after 10:00a.m, Syria’s Internet was dramatically cut off and cell phone service has been unreliable. The Damascus airport has mostly come to a halt. In the past, both Egypt and Libya have used Internet blackouts in reaction to their own uprising. It is still unclear of the intentions or even who … [Read more...]

President Obama’s Foreign Policy in Syria – Face it Together

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By Kelly Edwards As someone who strongly connects with music, the new Adele song “Skyfall” struck me emotionally in reference to Syria. For me, the chorus captures the manner of the Syrian rebels:   “Let the sky fall, When it crumbles, We will stand tall, Face it all together” With his re-election, President Obama must instantly face the mounting security issues in the Middle East. The deadly Syrian crisis is sharing the spotlight with a nuclear Iran. These foreign policy issues just add to the stack of economic troubles facing … [Read more...]

United States and Europe’s Support for Syrian Opposition – Syrian National Coalition

France has been unsettled by the activities in Syria and has being calling for action since August of this year. It has wanted to support the Syrian rebels, but has never gained the support of its fellow European countries. Finally, last week, France took a bold step in announcing its support for the Syrian National Coalition as the proper government of the Syrian people. Quickly after France announced it, Italy followed and, then, Britain.   The Foreign ministers of 27 European nations of the European Union met Monday to reach an agreement … [Read more...]

Catastrophic End to Ceasefire – Syria

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By Kelly Edwards Early Friday a car bomb exploded in a street in Damascus, the Syrian capital. Five people were killed and more than 30 were wounded. Saturday followed with heavy shelling just outside of Damascus by the Syrian army and the continuation of violence across the country. UN envoy Brahimi proposed the four-day truce starting Friday October 26th for the Eid al-Adha holiday in hopes of inspiring peace to a violence-racked country. Both regime and rebels state that they would recognize the truce only if they other side held fire. … [Read more...]

Stories Behind the Headlines – Syrian Refugees

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By Kelly Edwards In honor of a great mentor in my life, my article discusses the refugees of Syria. Every day newspaper headlines come out with more figures and numbers tracking deaths and refugees. To create a more impactful image of the Syrian refugees, I looked into the stories being told by them. This helped me find the meaning behind the headlines. The regime has used hospitals and medicine as weapons against the rebels and civilians. Those injured or sick don’t go to the hospital, in fear of being tortured and questioned or denied … [Read more...]

Drawing the Line in the Sand – Syria and Turkey

With the recent exploding headlines and Ambassador Napper speaking to my International Studies class at Texas A&M, the importance of Turkey’s and the United States relations have been put in the spotlight. On Wednesday October 3rd, Turkey received artillery shelling across the border from Syria that killed five civilians. This was not the first time Turkey has received shelling from Syria. This past Thursday the Turkish Parliament passed a bill that approved military action across the border against Syria and anti-war protests erupted in the … [Read more...]

Big Brother, Where Art Thou?

While the world watches the Syrian civil war battle on, the UN Security Council members encounter a conflict among each other. During the past year, Russia and China have both vetoed UN resolutions that threatened Syria. In her recent visit to China, Secretary of State Hilary Clinton was faced with the unyielding Chinese position to support the Assad regime. China believes the Syrian civil war should be resolved through negotiations rather than outside intervention or pressures. However China has been the main financial backer for the Assad regime and … [Read more...]