Taliban Suicide Bomber Kills 9 Injures 21

Tuesday morning, a Taliban suicide bomber in a four-wheel-drive vehicle blew up his cache of explosives in Heart province in Afghanistan killing nine and injuring 21. A group of people were outside a district headquarters building, waiting to see government officials when the bomber struck. According to the chief of the province’s Guzara district Nasar Ahmad Popul, the bomber was stopped by the police at the district headquarters, but detonated his explosives at the gate. Popul was inside the building at the time waiting to meet with the people outside about different business matters. A spokesman for the provincial police chief said of the nine people killed, three were Afghan police and six were civilians

http://www.bna.bh/portal/en/news/503051

This bombing is another part of the Taliban fighting against Afghan forces slowly taking the lead from U.S. and international troops. In this case, they did all they could do to keep from injuring more people. The police need to keep stopping people at the district headquarters gate to keep them from getting in. In this situation, there was very little they could do once the bomber got to the gate. These suicide bombers are all over the place and they doing great damage to the world. Afghanistan needs to find out what the reasons behind these bombings are and find the best solution. If nothing is done, and if the bombings keep occurring, it could bring war or the crash of Afghanistan. The best solution is to first find out why this is happening and then try and come up with a solution that the majority of people can agree upon.

Mexican drug gang leader sentenced to life in prison

A Mexican drug gang leader pleaded guilty to murder and weapons charges in Texas on Thursday. The charges were linked to the killing of a U.S. consulate employee and her husband. The 34 year-old, Jose Antonio Acosta Hernandez was sentenced to life in prison officials said. Hernandez also pleaded guilty to drug trafficking, racketeering and money laundering charges. Hernandez who is also known as “El Diego,” admitted that he had been a part of more than 1,500 murders since 2008. “El Diego” has been listed among the most wanted criminals and had a 15 million peso reward for information leading to his arrest. He was captured last July and last month was extradited to the United States. Mexican authorities have arrested several other people who they accuse of being connected to the killings.

 http://www.cnn.com/2012/04/06/justice/mexico-drug-gang-leader/index.html?hpt=wo_c2

It sounds like the Mexican authorities are doing a great job shutting down these cartels and their leaders. I know it must be nearly impossible to capture them all, however every single person they capture is one less they will have to worry about. This is how the authorities are handling the situation. Authorities need to keep searching and offering rewards for information on these gang leaders. Every person they believe might be connected to the murders, they need to take in for questioning and find out what they know or who they know. These cartels are affecting everyone because they are costing the economy so much money. If we could shut these cartels down, the money that is going towards these cartels, could be going to the economy. There have also been thousands of drug-related deaths the past few years because of Mexico’s drug war including over 400 police officers and Mexico City’s federal police chief.

Blog 10: School shooting in Finland

Man arrested in school shooting in Finland on Friday after firing six shots throughout the school. He shot through a classroom door and shot a office worker twice in the hand. Police say no one was seriously injured in the shooting. The man supposedly holds a permit for three guns but police have not confirmed whether or not one of the guns was used in the shooting. He entered an office building and shot a man in one hand with a hunting rifle, and then he fired through the door of a classroom. Police arrested man immediately and are currently holding him in the Tampere police station where they are questioning him.

http://www.cnn.com/2012/03/30/world/europe/finland-shooting/index.html?hpt=wo_c2 

This is an issue that can be improved by taking a few steps to making the school safer. It doesn’t really sound like they know everything about what happened right now so they need to interview some of the students and faculty so they can gather some more details on why this man committed this crime. The school could also install security cameras outside of the school and inside so they can always be aware of what is going on around the school. When they see something suspicious or someone they do not recognize on school grounds they could lock all of the school doors. This is a problem that the entire world is facing because everywhere in the world people are going crazy and committing these acts of violence. It not only affects the school but the entire world, because when people hear about these things, it gives the kids that are having a hard time in school the idea of doing the same thing.

Sgt Robert Bales charged with 17 counts of murder in Afghanistan murder

Sgt. Robert Bales from the Army Staff was charged with 17 counts of murder and six counts of attempted murder, as well as six counts of assault Friday, in connection with a massacre in Afghanistan. The massacre was almost two weeks ago after Bales left his base in the morning and shot Afghan civilians in their beds as they were sleeping, including women and nine children. Bales has been kept at the military prison in Fort Leavenworth, Kan. Bales is 38-years-old from Bonney Lake, Washington and is also the father of two children. The decision to charge Bales with premeditated murder suggests that prosecutors plan to argue that he consciously conceived the killings. The maximum punishment for premeditated murder is death, dishonorable discharge from the armed forces and the mandatory minimum sentence is life imprisonment with a chance of parole. However, it was said that the death sentence was unlikely since it has not been used on an armed force in a long time.

http://usnews.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/03/23/10830389-staff-sgt-robert-bales-charged-with-17-counts-of-murder-in-afghanistan-massacre

This is something that is going to have to be investigated thoroughly before they can come to a verdict and come up with the punishments. If he is found guilty of premeditated murder then I say he should be sentenced to life imprisonment with no parole. This is a terrible situation and he needs to be punished for what he did so people will know that this is something that is taken very seriously. When our armed forces kill civilians, it sends a bad message and can cause an outbreak in war and make things even worse than they already are. However, if he is not found guilty of premeditated murder, then he should be charged with a different sentence and should not be released from the armed forces because we do not need people like this in the Army Staff.

Heroin and other drugs in India

Punjab, a state in India is the home of the colorful turban and the golden temple, but it is also a state that has a serious drug problem. India is the largest consumer of heroin in South Asia according a United Nations 2011 drug and crime report. A shocking statistic about this state is that is has one of the lowest poverty rates in the country because of the fertile farmland and abundant water supply. A 20 year old that used to take up to 10 pills a day said that at least half of the students at his school were taking drugs when he was there. At a rehab hospital is another man who said his drug of choice was heroin and that it was never a problem finding the drug because 20 to 25 families were selling it in one village alone. State officials have estimated that round 50 percent of the population between the ages of 18 and 35 are using drugs illegally. Statistics have shown that around one person is dying every eight minutes in Punjab of drug addiction. There is a fear in this state that if nothing changes that a whole generation will be stuck in a cycle of drug abuse and dying.

 http://www.cnn.com/2012/03/08/world/asia/india-heroin/index.html?hpt=wo_mid

This is a problem that is affecting the entire world but it seems it is to an extreme here. If nothing changes then the whole state of Punjab will crumble because people will start going crazy trying to get the drugs they want. This will also affect the murder rate because people will start killing one another for drugs because people will lose all of the money they have buying drugs and will have no other way of getting it besides killing for it. Authorities need to take the right steps here and try to confiscate as much as they can. I know that there will always be drugs available, but it sounds like they have an abundance of it that could definitely be controlled. The article did not say that authorities were taking any steps so I’m not sure if they are trying to do anything about it now or not but if they don’t, like the article stated, they will be stuck in a terrible drug cycle and overdose.

American teacher shot and killed by student in Iraq

An American teacher was shot and killed at a Christian school in Iraq by a Kurdish student on Thursday. The incident occurred on campus of the private school which is an English-based network of schools in the Kurdish region of northern Iraq. Reports said the student and the teacher argued for a while and then the student pulled out a pistol, shot and killed the teacher and then turned the gun on himself and shot himself. He was sent to the hospital but died a few hours later there. The Mayor of Sulaimaniya, Zana Mohammed Saleh told CNN that the investigation is under way and the attack did not appear to have any political or religious motivation and that it was just another crime.
http://www.cnn.com/2012/03/01/world/meast/iraq-american-killed/index.html?hpt=wo_c2

This incident does seem be just another criminal incident but I believe it might have had political or religious motivation. Since the student already had the gun at the school, it is easy to say that this was a planned act. Violence in schools is at an all-time high right now and we need to find a solution. Kids all around the world are bringing guns to school and committing crimes such as these. I don’t really know what we can do to solve this problem but we need to come together and figure out what is causing it first. Racism and bullying seem to be the top reasons students are bringing guns to school and other students are doing nothing to prevent it. Teachers and other academic staff need to be on a closer watch out for these situations and when they think a student has the potential to bring a gun to school, they need to report it. And if a student knows someone who is bullying or being a part of racism, they need to influence them to stop, because it is sad that people’s lives are being taken just because of the color of their skin or their demographic background.

Afghans protest after Quran burnings

Thousands of Afghans started a riot and protested outside of a U.S. military base on Tuesday after the reports of American troops burning copies of the Quran which is Islam’s holy book and other religious items. The U.S. military coalition says the Muslim holy books were sent by mistake on Feb. 19 to a garbage burn pit at Bagram Air Field which is located close to the capital, and that it is under investigation. The protesters fired guns in the air and hurled rocks while yelling things like, “Die, die, foreigners!” and “Death to America”. There were also reports of people burning pictures of Obama. The top NATO general in Afghanistan, John Allen, apologized for the burnings saying it was a mistake and it was never meant to happen. He stated "Along with our apology to the Afghans is our certainty and assurance to them, that these kinds of incidents, when they do occur, will be corrected in the fastest and most appropriate manner possible.” However the multiple apologies have yet to calm the outrage. The total number of deaths since Tuesday is now 25, including two U.S. soldiers.

http://worldnews.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/02/24/10495662-12-die-as-afghan-quran-burning-protests-resume-despite-obamas-apology


This is a situation that could get a lot worse and lead to further deaths and riots. We as Americans need to stop trying to force democracy on the Middle East and stop trying to change them because obviously the majority of them don’t it. The Middle East needs to try and work through these problems by themselves and in their own time. I do think we are doing the right thing by apologizing for the burnings of the Quran. However, I am not sure I believe that the whole thing was a mistake. This could be a cover-up to prevent a huge religious war. The Afghans I believe do have a reason to be upset and start an outrage but I also think they should take into consideration the many apologies that have been released by U.S. officials and government. Once this dispute settles, we need to calm down and let the Middle East decide the type of government they wish to have. If we do this, I believe it will prevent future outrages such as this one.

Suicide Bomber in Pakistan kills at least 26

Friday in Pakistan, a suicide bomber detonated his bomb that was strapped to his chest outside of a mosque in a Shiite neighborhood and killed himself and at least 26 other people. When police arrived, they shot at protesters and killed three more people. After the Taliban and al Qaeda’s virulent anti-Shiite ideology, there has been years of bloody fighting and similar incidents such as this one. Fazal Saeed, who is the leader of a breakaway faction of the Pakistani Taliban, took responsibility for the attack and stated, “We have targeted the Shiite community of Parachinar because they were involved in activities against us." The Shiite Muslims are a small section of Islam, arising from a dispute over the successor to the Prophet Mohammad 1,400 years ago. A lot of the Sunni Muslims consider the Shiite Muslims to be ones who abandon their own religion. Pakistan's army and air force have been conducting operations against militant groups in Kurram since January and many people have been killed in fighting just this month. Leaders of Afghanistan, Pakistan and Iran were at a three-way meeting in Islamabad over the past two days to discuss steps Pakistan could take to help with the situation and other regional issues.

This is a global problem because there is fighting and people getting killed over something that happened over a thousand years ago. The biggest problem here is that people are going on these rampages and it is solving nothing. It sounds to me like Pakistan is taking the right steps to solving the problem by holding meetings with Iran and Afghanistan, who Pakistan has had troubles with especially after last year when a suicide bomber assassinated the former Afghan President in Kabul. Afghan officials accused Pakistan of helping with the killing of the President that had been serving as Afghanistan’s envoy to Taliban peace talks. All of the allegations were denied though. I believe if Pakistan and Afghanistan keeping coming together, they will come up with a solution and create peace.

 http://worldnews.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/02/17/10433858-suicide-bomber-kills-26-outside-shiite-mosque-in-northwest-pakistan

Greece bailout is causing outrage

Greece is a debt-ridden country right now with a needed bailout of 130 billion euros. However, lawmakers are facing tough new conditions that they must meet before the euro zone finance ministers will sign off and give them the billions of euros that are needed. Trade unions began a two day strike to protest the serious measures the deal would require. Hooded youths tossed stones and police set off tear gas and fired stun grenades to defend themselves and try and put a stop to the riots. The youths smashed concrete and threw pieces of marble and stone as well as Molotov cocktails at the police. Three things but be done before the sign off happens says the prime mister of Lexembourg. First, the reform package that was agreed upon by Greece and the European Commission, European Central Bank and International Monetary Fund, must be approved by Parliament this weekend. Secondly, Greece’s political leaders must agree to continue to implement the measures after election in April. The last element that must be done is that Greece must also find 325 million euros in “structural expenditure”. A cabinet meeting is scheduled for Friday evening to discuss the situation.

Everything is being done by the Greek government that can be done but the trade unions and youths are reacting in a manner that is only slowing down the process of getting the bail-out. These riots are effecting the whole world population because it is costing millions in repairs for the damages and it is also setting a bad example for other protesters in the world and pretty much saying that it is appropriate to have an outrage when your government is facing struggle. If the trade unions and other protesters would just calm down and stay out of it, then Greece could work harder on trying to get the three things that are needed for the sign-off rather than trying to fight them off. The sad thing that the protesters and trade unions are obviously not thinking about is about the money that Greece is going to have to spend on repairs for the streets. This money could be going to the people and working on their debt rather than spending it on their outrages.


http://www.cnn.com/2012/02/10/world/europe/greece-debt-crisis/index.html?hpt=wo_c2

Sudan responds to 2011 rebellion

The United States has recently accused Sudan of targeting civilians’ recent airstrikes. One airstrike destroyed a Bible school in South Kordofan which is an oil-rich Sudanese area next to South Sudan. Wednesday was the first day of classes and it was said that at least eight bombs were dropped near the school. Only two of the eight bombs landed inside the school grounds but those two bombs were responsible for destroying two of the Bible college buildings and also igniting grass fires. Thankfully though, no injuries were reported which was a miracle. The White House released a statement that addressed the situation that stated, “"The United States strongly condemns the bombing by the Sudanese Armed Forces of civilian populations in Southern Kordofan,” "Aerial attacks on civilian targets are unjustified and unacceptable. Such attacks are a violation of international law and compound the ongoing crisis in these areas."  Sudanese government responded after failed attempts to be reached and said that it is targeting rebels in the area.

http://www.cnn.com/2012/02/03/world/africa/sudan-bombing/index.html?hpt=wo_c2

This is a global social problem because this could lead to a world war and affect people all around the world. And right now this is hurting the people in South Kordofan that had nothing to do with the past rebellions in August of 2011. The Sudanese Armed Forces are only making things worse for the situation. Like the U.S. officials stated, I believe they could find better ways to find a solution because bombing Bible Schools is not going to help anything. Right now they are basically fueling the fire and making it worse because when you bring people into the situation that had nothing to do with it in the first place, they respond back and suddenly what could have been a rebellion that should have been resolved is now a world war. This is something that is going on all across the country though and not just in Sudan. Countries everywhere try to fix a problem by committing massacres and dropping bombs on each other. Everyone needs to realize this isn't going to fix anything and they need to come together and work out their problems in a less violent way.

Blog 2 Syria Massacre Kills Over 30

Friday morning chaos erupted as machine-gun fire and mortars struck the Syrian city of Homs. It all started Thursday when a string of kidnappings and killings swept through the cities of Sunnis and Allawites. Activists stated that 11 bodies were found bloodied and piled on to beds in a building that had been hit in the city by machine-guns. The bodies included five small children, five women, and a man who varied in ages. 29 people including 8 children were killed in one building when it was struck with machine-guns and mortars. Another bombing occurred at a checkpoint outside the city of Idlib but the number of deaths in this bombing was not released.  Today (Friday) the U.N. Security Council held a private meeting to discuss this outburst and to hopefully find a solution or propose a new draft resolution to Syria. Navi Pillay who is the U.N. Rights Chief spoke and stated "Some areas are completely closed, such as parts of Homs, we are unable to verify much of the information that's coming to us. We are watching the figures, working closely with civil society organizations, and sifting through all the information that's coming to us.”
 
http://news.yahoo.com/women-children-killed-violence-torn-syria-city-124812446.html

These massacres are unbelievable and it is hard to think that these kind of acts are going on across the country. If armed forces or authorities are not sent to Syria to help control these massacres it will only get worse. The political system in Syria is struggling right now and the Council needs to get together and work this out and find the best solution to this problem. The people of Syria are crying out for help but nothing is being done about it. Too many small children are being killed to ignore the problem. All of these problems are because of the unstable government and all of the disagreements people are having over it. They need to find a government that everyone agrees with or at least most everyone agrees with and fix the problem. The people of Syria are trying to matters in to their own hands by committing all of these crimes in hopes that they will get their point across and hope that the government will realize there is a problem. If this problem is not fixed soon, the whole country of Syria will be destroyed and it will be nothing and be wiped off the map.

MEGAUPLOAD Shut Down by Feds

Thursday evening, Megaupload which is one of the world's largest file-sharing sites, was shut down after a federal court in Virginia ordered that the site be shut down. The founder and several company executives with charged with violating piracy laws. The indictment stated that Megaupload had cost copyright holders more than 500 million dollars in lost revenue from pirated movies and other pirated content. HotNewHipHop.com stated "Megaupload was unique not only because of its massive size and the volume of downloaded content, but also because it had high-profile support from celebrities, musicians and other content producers who are most often the victims of copyright infringement and piracy." The site made a statement that said they were going nowhere and would keep running. The statement read, "The fact is that the vast majority of Mega's Internet traffic is legitimate, and we are here to stay. If the content industry would like to take advantage of our popularity, we are happy to enter into a dialogue. We have some good ideas. Please get in touch."
http://www.hotnewhiphop.com/megaupload-shut-down-by-feds-news.1276.html

Everyone downloads music illegally in todays world. Paying $1.29 for one song and anywhere from 10-25 dollars for a cd is outrageous. Whether the government, feds, artists, and copyright holders like it, there will always be an availability to free music online. I do agree that it is wrong and is definitely bad for the copyright holders, I do not think shutting down one site is going to change much. Most of the websites that people steal music from are a legal website but the ones who are downloading the music or movies are the ones that committing the cyber crime. Most websites including Megaupload.com were made to be a personal storage place to keep your own music and listen to other peoples music, it is when these people start downloading music that is not theres to their computer that things get illegal.