Syrian President Bashar al-Assad - Profile

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad - Profile Why Bashar al-Assad Matters: Syrias Hafez al-Assad, in power since June 10, 2000, is one of the Middle Easts most ruthless, autocratic, minority rulers in one of the worlds most closed societies. Assad also maintains Syrias pivotal role on the Middle Easts strategic map: He is an ally of Irans Shiite theocracy, he supports and arms Hamas in the Gaza Strip, as well as Hezbollah in Lebanon, thus maintaining a level of enmity toward Israel that so far has precluded peace: Israel has occupied Syrias Golan Heights since the 1967 war. Presumed a reformer when he took Power, Bashar al-Assad has proved no less repressive than his father. Bashar al-Assads Early Life: Bashar al-Assad was born on Sept. 11, 1965, in Damascus, the Syrian capital, the second son of Hafez al-Assad (1930-2000), who had tyrannically ruled Syria since 1971, and Anisa Makhlouf Bashar. He had three brothers and a sister. He spent years training as an eye doctor, first at a military hospital in Damascus then in London, at St. Marys Hospital. He was not being groomed for the presidency: his oldest brother Basil was. In January 1994, Basil, who led Syrias presidential guard, died in a car crash in Damascus. Bashar was immediately and unexpectedly thrust into the limelightand the succession line. Bashar al-Assads Personality: Bashar al-Assad was not groomed to be a leader. Where his brother Basil was gregarious, outgoing, charismatic, arrogant, Dr. Assad, as he was referred to for a while, was retiring, shy, and appearing to have few of his fathers wiles or will to poweror ruthlessness. Friends admit, The Economist wrote in June 2000, that he cuts a rather meek and awkward figure, unlikely to inspire the same terror and admiration as his handsome, athletic, outgoing and ruthless brother. Basil was the gangster type, says one Syrian. Bashar is much more quiet and thoughtful. Early Years of Power: Bashar al-Assad had been running a private medical practice. But when his brother died, his father summoned him from London, sent him to a military academy north of Damascus, and started preparing him for the reins of power- which he took when Hafez al-Assad died on June 10, 2000. Bashar has gradually turned into a younger version of his father. I have a lot of respect for experience, Bashar al-Assad said just as he was taking power, and I am going to try always to acquire it. Hes lived up to that pledge. He suggested that hd relax Syrias repressive police state, even explore political reforms. He barely did. Toying With the United States and Israel: Almost from the beginning of Bashar al-Assad reign, theres been a yo-yo effect in his relations with the United States and Israelimplying engagement during one phase only to retreat into intransigence and extremism the next. Whether its a strategy or a lack of self-confidence might seem unclear until the approach is seen in the context of how Bashars father maintained power: not by innovating, not by daring, but by keeping the opposition off balance, by undermining expectations rather than living up to them. Theres been a see-saw effect on two fronts since 2000, without as yet producing lasting results. Bashar al-Assads See-Saw: Cooperation With the U.S.: Shortly after the 2001 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, Assad proved to be a relatively reliable ally in the fight against al-Qaeda, cooperating with U.S. intelligence and, in more sinister ways, lending his prisons to the Bush administrations rendition program. It was in Assads prisons that Canadian national Maher Arar was tortured, at the administrations behest, even after Mahar was found to be innocent of any ties to terrorism. Assads cooperation, like Muammar el-Qaddafis,was not out of appreciation for the west but out of fear that al-Qaeda would undermine his regime. Bashar al-Assads See-Saw: Talks With Israel: Assad has similarly see-sawed with Israel over peace talks and the resolution of the Golan Heights occupation. In late 2003, Assad, in an interview with The New York Times, appeared ready to negotiate: Some people say there are Syrian conditions, and my answer is no; we dont have Syrian conditions. What Syria says is this: negotiations should be resumed from the point at which they had stopped simply because we have achieved a great deal in these negotiations. If we dont say this, it means we want to go back to point zero in the peace process. But similar suggestions were made over subsequent years, to no end. Syrias Nuclear Reactor: In September 2007, Israel bombed a remote area of northeast Syria, along the Euphrates River, where, Israel and the United States alleged, North Korea was helping Syria build a plutonium-based nuclear plant that would have been capable of producing nuclear weapons. Syria denied the allegations. Writing in The New Yorker in February 2008, investigative reporter Seymour Hersh said the evidence was circumstantial but seemingly damning. But Hersh raised serious doubt about the certainty that it was a nuclear reactor, even though he conceded that Syria was cooperating with North Korea on something military. Bashar al-Assad and Reform: As with his stance toward Israel and the United States, Bashar al-Assads promises of reform have been many, but his retreats from those promises have been just as frequent. Theres been a few Syrian springs where dissenters and human rights advocates were given a longer leash. But those brief springs never lasted. Assads promises of local elections have not been followed through, though financial restrictions on the economy were lifted early in his reign and helped the Syrian economy grow faster. In 2007, Assad held a sham referendum extending his presidency seven years. Bashar al-Assad and Arab Revolutions: As of early 2011, Bashar al-Assad was firmly planted on Middle Eastern soil as one of the regions most ruthless tyrants. He brought Syrias 29-year occupation of Lebanon to an end in 2005, but only after the likely Syrian- and Hezbollah-backed assassination of Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri triggered the Cedar Revolution on Lebanons streets and drove the Syrian army out. Syria has since reasserted its power over Lebanon, re-infiltrating the countrys intelligence services and, ultimately, reasserting Syrian hegemony when Hezbollah brought the government down and brokered its re-institution, with Hezbollah at the helm. Assad is not merely a tyrant. Like Bahrains Al Khalifa ruling family, which is Sunni and ruling, illegitimately, over a majority of Shiites, Assad is an Alawite, a break-away Shiite sect. Barely 6 percent of Syrias population is Alawite. The majority is Sunni, with Kurds, Shiites and Christians forming minorities of their own. In an interview with the Wall Street Journal in January 2011, Assad said downplayed the risks of revolution in his country: I am not talking here on behalf of the Tunisians or the Egyptians. I am talking on behalf of the Syrians, he said. It is something we always adopt. We have more difficult circumstances than most of the Arab countries but in spite of that Syria is stable. Why? Because you have to be very closely linked to the beliefs of the people. This is the core issue. When there is divergence between your policy and the peoples beliefs and interests, you will have this vacuum that creates disturbance. Assads certainties were soon proven wrong as disturbances erupted in various parts of the countryand Assad assaulted them with his police and military, murdering many protesters, arresting hundreds, and silencing Internet communications that have helped organize protests across the Middle East. In short, Assad is a flirt, not a statesman, a tease, not a visionary. Its worked so far. Its not likely to work for ever.

A Lies Poison As Illustrated In Billy Collins The History Teacher

A Lie's Poison As Illustrated In Billy Collin's The History Teacher What if you found out that everything you learned in school was a lie? The entire time you sat learning math, in vein, all of the facts about the government only a softened truth, the wars that were fought to make America a great country all lies. Well in this poem â€Å"The History Teacher† by Billy Collins, he shows what the consequences would be in sugar coating a serious subjects, not just in school but in daily life. Even though you’d want to spare someone the hard truth it would be best to tell them the truth. In this story the main character is a teacher, this teacher doesn’t want to introduce his students to the hard truth of History therefore he finds different ways to making things friendlier for kids as to not desensitize them, or traumatize them yet still teaching them about history. The outcome of him softening the truth, his kids go out into the playground area and pick on the kids that actually knew the real story because, they thought that the other kids were wrong, which the teacher had to deal with because he couldn’t tell the kids other wise and ruin their â€Å"innocence†. I understand how the teacher wants to preserve the kids innocence but their education isn’t something to compromise. Collins poem brings to light the harm that not telling people the whole truth, and /or keeping others in the dark can pose. I can empathize with the teacher because, as a teacher it is your job to teach kids about life, the past, present, this is also basic skills so if you don’t teach them correctly then it’ll be hard for them to learn the truth later in life. After that I realized that even though he was sparing the children their child hood he was also creating a problem for other kids that knew that what he was teaching wasn’t true because his kids would â€Å"torment the weak and the smart, messing up their hair and breaking their glasses†(Collins). These kids are now posing a threat to the other kids at the school due to their oblivious ignorance. In the end of the poem the teacher walks home thinking of new ways to lie to the kids tomorrow. The fact that astonishes me the most is that he sees that the kids aren’t learning anything, and their ignorance is indirectly harming other kids yet he doesn’t make any effort to stop it or rethink his methods. The meaning of this story is that it would be better to reveal the truth to someone rather than lying to them and letting them roam this cruel, uncompassionate world oblivious to the truth. Not telling people the truth, yea it can be sometimes for their own good, or maybe just to keep your conscience clear but eventually someone is going to tell them the truth or they are going to have to experience the hard truth and all your effort of preserving their â€Å"innocence† would be in vein there for in order to spare yourself the embarrassment and spare them the hard realization because, let’s be really real no one can stay innocent forever. Everyone has to eventually face the truth in life therefore let not one moment of truth be spared because it could be vital to their growth as a human being, to sum it all up Just tell people the truth and save others trauma and drama.

Finance accounting Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Finance accounting - Essay Example Lastly, the reserves of the company is estimated and their modes of utilization so that the write-down of the company can be avoided. Impact of Australian Accounting Standards When the net realizable value for all of the subsequent period. Due to a certain circumstances the inventories of the company needs to be written down below the cost that no longer exists or with the evidence related to the net realizable value caused as a result of the changed economic circumstances (Walton & Aerts, 2006, p.120). This leads to the reversing of the write-down where the amount if restricted to original write-down, so much so, the new carrying amount of the company will be lower than the revised net realizable value along with its associated cost. With the selling of the inventories the carrying cost of the inventories is treated as the expense in the period in which the revenue is recognized. This result in the written down value of the inventory is considered as the cost or occurrence of losses . The concept of reversal write-down value generally occurs from the increase in the net realizable value of the concerned company; which is recognized as a fall in the amount of inventory as an expense in the period of reversal write-down occurrence (Johnston & Johnston, 2005, pp.62-63). Reversal write-down The concepts of the reversal write-down under the Australian Accounting Standards will have a great impact on the current situation of BHP Billiton’s US Shale Gas assets related to the financial statements of the company. The inventory cost of the company will reduce thus reducing the carrying cost of the Shale Gas assets to a remarkable extent. Thus the increase in the net realizable value of the company will be projected at a low rate than now. This in turn will lower the intrinsic value of the company resulting in the valuation of the company being similar to the market value of the company or lower than the market value. Hence the company will be in the condition to r evive of the present condition to a certain extent (Australian Government, 2009, p.17). Current and non-current assets and methods of valuation Yes, the current and non-current assets of the company, BHP Billiton’s have been valued in the financial statements of the company. The income and the deferred tax of the company accounted under the head of other assets of the company has taken the deductible temporary differences resulting in the deferred tax of the company amounting to US$3119 million as against US$2195 million in 2010. These amounts have not been recognized due to the probable future taxable profits as the deductible temporary differences do not expire under the tax legislation. The trade receivable of the company is the considered as the impaired assets of the company. All the financial assets of the company are computed at the fair value price under the consideration of payment and receipt. The fair value method is the not a completely independent process. It is based on the results of weighted average value of the items of the company. In spite of providing a balanced figure of valuation yet its limitation the valuation of the business model still persists. However, the fair value accounting process conveys important information related to

Finance Principles Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Finance Principles - Essay Example An investor will thus, take care of the rate of return to expect and the risk level exposed in the capital market in making a decision on stock and bond allocation. Equity and bond portfolio investment in U.S capital market: Equity investment; An equity investment is supposed to provide long term value growth and the possibility of dividend income. The value of shares can at some time become volatile by being either declining or a rising trend in the overall market period. The stock market index in U.S has being declining in the recent past due to the financial wrangles being witnessed in Europe. The future economic growth of the country is promising to be positive which is a clear picture that in future the prices of the stock will raise. Thus, as a fund manager the current stock prices are in the best lowest prices when I should consider buying for future profit making from sale of the shares in the future. Also, with an economic growth prospects the shares are likely to generate d ividends which will be of benefit to the investor’s economic potential. Bond investment; A bond investment represents a fixed income investment because it attracts a fixed rate of interest and a known maturity time4. The value of a bond investment is determined by the movement of the market interest rates. If the interest rates are high, the price of the bond is low and at the time when the rates of interest are low, the bond price will be high. The interest level of a bond represents the risk level of a bond. The bond market in U.S assessment shows a challenge to fixed income investors because of the way it is associated to the European market which is facing a debt crisis5. This is because the performance of the bond in U.S capital market in the time to approach is likely to be determined by how the events will unfold in Europe6. There has being development of discouraging news from the European market of possible government default in paying back loans, bank crisis and the possibility of euro break up. This has lead to investors demanding a flight to quality on U.S treasury bonds and a poor performance on high yield bonds and emerging debt markets. The flight to quality response by the investors has resulted to the fall of 10- year note to record lows of 2011 with its price rising. This mean of seeking safety has outweighed prospects of earning meaningful long term returns7. Investing in U.S treasury is thus, pegged on a deteriorating of the European market. The expected economic growth in 2012 poses a risk to treasury bonds due to the inflation uptick that may rise which has a negative effect on bond prices. Investing in high yield bonds currently has an unknown future interest earning due to the debt crisis in Europe which can only get better if the crisis are solved to the fullest. Asset allocation; As an investor deciding to invest in the equity and bond market in the American market, the return level and risks associated with two assets due to t he global economic events needs to be allocated with care. From the assessment of the two assets investment opportunities, investing in the stock market is more favorable to an investor than in the bond market for future returns of the investment8. Market performance of any asset has usually being uncertain towards how in future the returns from the assets investment will perform9. This means that an investor has to come up with a portfolio arrangement that will try to caution massive losses from investing in only one asset that seem to have positive future returns. The portfolio investment need to allocate much percentage to an asset that has

The Negative impact of Social Networking Sites in Business Essay

Introduction In recent years, the Internet and especially the social networking sites have enabled a communication revolution: the ability to send and receive timely information everywhere has changed the way we live. As an online social networking site (SNS), it collects personal information and stored in the users’ profiles, and it is extremely popular because it allows people to connect with users with similar interests, build and maintain relationships with friends, and feel more connected with their neighbors or campus. On the contrary, it is obvious that although social networking sites like Facebook and LinkedIn, rank high in people’s daily life, they also give rise to the unexpected disturbing matters in business. Facebook Features Facebook, a popular social networking site founded in 2004 by a Harvard sophomore, has already had more than 800 million active users by July 2011. (Giles, 2011) Like other sites, users must register with e-mail address before using the site. And once a user has logged in, he/she can join a school network, search for friends and view other users’ profile as long as the privacy feature is turned off. Within the account, users can post status, share videos and photos, publish notes, list interests and personal details. Facebook also has the optional privacy features which restrict others access to only partial of their profiles. (Cain, 2007) Facebook and Development Issues An apparent problem with irrational using online SNS is how they ruin your opportunities. Even though we always heard about how Facebook and other SNS help people getting jobs and know about companies before the interviews. But there are some possibilities that those websites can ruin your future career development. And it ... ...ed to Internet increases the time to accomplish a project or even bring a general reduction in quality. Conclusion This paper has provided an overview of how partial social networking sites form the negative impact on businesses. SNS such as Facebook provide individuals the way to maintain connects and broaden the way people used to think and behave, which is beneficial in daily life. These same sites, however, I argue that, also present a danger to people’s expected future development and reputation, safety and working. In order to avoid these disadvantages from using social networking sites, it would be better for people always being smart about what to put on Facebook and other SNS because you wouldn’t be informed being inspected. And try as much as possible to get away from these sites when you are working or studying since attention must paid 100% on them.

Philosophy Epistemology Essay

Epistemology is one of the very important branches of philosophy. It is also known as the knowledge theory. The knowledge theory consists of three questions; â€Å"What is the origin of knowledge? What is the reliability of knowledge? & What is the criteria of knowledge? † Rene Descartes and John Locke really looked into epistemology and both had different theories to approach it. John Locke looked at empiricism and Rene Descartes looked at rationalism. John Locke was an English philosopher and formed his opinion around empiricism. Empiricism is an approach to doing philosophy stressing experience as the in road to all knowledge. The human being is a blank slate to him. Locke was a moderate skeptic, who doubted until valid proof was given to substantiate truth claims of a demonstrative and sensitive nature. The foundations of knowledge functioned in the following manner according to Locke. The human being takes in the external world through sensation (the five senses) and gives form to the experiential data through the processes of reflection. To Locke, intuitive knowledge is the most trustworthy because we automatically recognize the agreement or disagreement of ideas without the intervention of a â€Å"proof†. His criterion of knowledge depended on the force and intensity with which someone perceives either agreement or disagreement between ideas. So for example, we know that 2+3=5. We also know that 2+3 does not equal 7. Locke, unlike Descartes, argues against innate ideas. However, Locke believes that we are all born with the ability to acquire knowledge through the organization of sensate data by the cognitive capacities and capabilities we possess at birth, which are innate to the human. Descartes had a different view of epistemology. He argued for rationalism. Rationalism is an approach to philosophy that employs â€Å"pure reason† to acquire instances of fundamental truth. In Meditations on First Philosophy, Descartes comes up with three fundamental truths by way of pure reason. The first fundamental truth is â€Å"I think, therefore I exist. † This fundamental truth establishes for Descartes the â€Å"essence† of the human being in his philosophy, as the â€Å"thing that thinks. † He is reflecting on himself as the â€Å"object of deception† and reasons that despite being deceived, as long as he can think about it, he exists. Having a clear perception of the fundamental truths can guarantee they can be trusted with absolute certainty and cannot ever be false. The three fundamental truths (self, god, & mathematics) are examples of innate knowledge, or truths that all humans are born with given to by God. Descartes says we can discover these truths through the Meditations, by way of doing philosophy, but we do not pursue these in the same manner we pursue other forms of knowledge such as science. The dream argument is aimed at the external world. It says that â€Å"I often have perceptions very much like the ones I have while I’m dreaming. There are no definite signs to distinguish dream experience from wake experience, so it is possible that I am dreaming right now and all my perceptions are false. † In my opinion, I think that John Locke’s position on empiricism is more philosophically sound to me. Just to re-cap, empiricism is an approach to doing philosophy stressing experience as the in road to all knowledge. The human being as a blank slate really makes sense to me. We automatically know that we can agree or disagree without having to have proof to go along with it. I think that sense experience is always the starting point to knowledge. I think in order to learn something in life you have to experience it first. You can’t just go out and expect the knowledge to be in your brain for no reason. For example, how would you know what the color blue looks like if you were born blind? You would need to use your senses to try and understand what the color is. God couldn’t just put it in your mind because it’s something that you just need to see. Also, you can learn from the experiences you go through. If you do something and it ends up being wrong, then you learn from that experience and how you can go about it differently next time. In my opinion, rationalism has some defects that would make it harder to understand philosophically. A rationalist comes to believe that knowledge is a lot like math. So pretty much, it is knowledge that comes before experience. Something that you already know, but have never experienced before. I think that is a bit problematic because how can you know something that you never experienced? Epistemology plays a big role in philosophy as does John Locke and Rene Descartes. They both have great views on epistemology looking at rationalism and empiricism. When thinking about rationalism, we know that knowledge can be acquired through reason alone and that we don’t need experience. But when thinking about empiricism, we know that we learn through our experiences as a person. Justifying truth as a philosopher, I would agree more with Locke’s view on empiricism. I believe that everything happens for a reason, and that you need experience to learn, and to grow as a person.

The Importance of Emilia in Shakespeares Othello Essay

The Importance of Emilia in Shakespeares Othello In Othello the Moor, Shakespeare combines destiny with a fatal character flaw and that flaw is jealousy. Shakespeares tragedy allows one character to hold the key to the entire web he has spun and that character is Emilia. Emilia is the lone character who garners the knowledge to all circumstances of the events surrounding the characters in Othello the Moor. Although other characters in the play are privy to certain details of the unfolding events, Emilia is the character that uses this knowledge to the benefit of the play. Emilias character is minor yet necessary. Without her character the play would have no means of unraveling the confusion created by the author. Emilia, wife†¦show more content†¦Shakespeares point in Othello the Moor is that each individual has a destiny and fate is central in the lives of his characters. Othello, a great warrior, is the lead character and the target for attack from a disgruntled soldier, Iago. Iago plots with the aide of his wife, Emilia, to plant subtle notions of jealously in the case of Othellos expedient marriage to Desdemona. Othello loves Desdemona and the same is true for Othello, but Iago successfully destroys the trust between the couple with a scheme in which Othello is unable to control his jealousy. There are several other characters that Iago uses to set his plan into motion such as Roderigo, Bianca and Cassio. Cassio is not so much a willing participant in the scheme of the play as he is a scapegoat (or object of irrational hostility; Websters Dictionary, 652) to pin the entire plot on. It is known that Emilias character becomes crucial to the plot, as she is the most essential character to her husbands crusade to destroy Othello and Desdemona. Iago is angered at being passed over in the nomination of first lieutenant by Cassio; along with Roderigo both are resolved to overthrow Othello. Emilia eventually is privy to the most intimate details of their plans. I am glad I have found this napkin; This was her first remembrance from the Moor; My wayward husband hath a hundred times Wood me to steal it†¦.Show MoreRelatedIf Othello Had Been Written in Modern Times How Would It Differ1246 Words   |  5 PagesSpecific question: If Othello had been set in a modern era, how would it differ? Title of text: Othello Task is related to course section Pt 4: Literature- Critical Study, The individual, Community and Identity Task focus: The aim of this essay is to analyse how Shakespeare’s play Othello would differ if it had been set in a politically correct and modern society such as ours. If Othello had been set in a modern era, how would it differ? The play Othello is a tragedy written byRead MoreShakespeare otherness in othello1349 Words   |  6 Pagesï » ¿Michael Grey Paper #2 11/14/13 Shakespeare’s otherness in Othello Shakespeare when writing Othello uses many different underlying themes for the reader to try and pick up on. 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Othello goes on to murder his wife, and after he discovers Iago’s plot, he kills himself. In a time when women were looked down upon, Shakespeare crafted a drama in which women took partRead MoreOthello, By William Shakespeare2013 Words   |  9 Pages Othello by William Shakespeare is a tragedy that follows â€Å"the Moor of Venice.† The opening scene shows us two men talking about the Moor, who we later discover is Othello. Othello, a black man, married a Senators daughter. After much disputing, the Senator brought this to the attention of the Duke and the other Senators. The Duke sees nothing wrong with the situation and actually sends Othello, Desdemona, and his newly appointed lieutenant Cassio to Cyprus in aid against the Turks. Iago then plotsRead MoreOthello, By William Shakespeare962 Words   |  4 PagesIn Shakespeare’s Othello, the nominal character, an honorable Venetian general, is driven to madness through the deceptions of his honest right hand Iago. Iago plots to ruin Othello and through his deception, he drives Othello’s insecurities by implanting the idea of infidelity of his beloved wife Desdemona. Othello goes on to murder his wife, and after he discovers Iago’s plot, he kills himself. In a time when women were looked down upon, Shakespeare crafted a drama in which women took part in majorRead MoreThe Significance of the Handkerchief in Othello823 Words   |  4 PagesHow can one small piece of fabric manifest so much havoc? In William Shakespeare’s Othello, there is great significance of a powerful symbol that completely alters the fate of the story. â€Å"In the case of the handkerchief, it stands for several things, things that cannot be seen† (Hacht 663). This symbol, the handkerchief, is given to Desdemona by Othello, as a token of his love, and to their new beginnings as husband and wife. However, the meaning of the handkerchief is viewed differently in variousRead MoreWomen In Othello1691 Words   |  7 PagesWomen of Othello: Lepers or Ladies? Throughout history, there have been social hierarchies imposed upon society. Perhaps one of the most influential was the imposition upon women during the Renaissance era. Women during the Renaissance patriarchy were expected to be proper, pure, and above all else, mindful of the men in their life. In her essay, â€Å"Women in Othello†, Farah Karim-Cooper argues that William Shakespeare’s play, Othello, creates complicated dynamics and roles for the women within it,