News | Media on War

Looking Back Part 3, The Invasion

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The invasion of Iraq really began in 2002 when an invasion team of CIA agents infiltrated the country to prepare for traditional troops. The purpose of these operatives was to persuade various military groups within Iraq to surrender and not resist the American troops. One important skirmish was against Ansar al-Islam, which led to finding chemical weapons in Sargat.

The real invasion began on March 20, 2003. Other countries besides the U.S. helped with the invasion and included 248,000 soldiers from the U.S., 45,000 soldiers from Britain, 2,000 soldiers from Australia, and 194 special forces soldiers from Poland, as well as about 70,000 soldiers from Iraqi Kurdish militia troops.

The objectives of the war were as follows:

â€¢ End Hussein’s regime
â€¢ Destroy an weapons of mass destruction found
â€¢ Eliminate Islamist militants
â€¢ Gather intelligence about any militant networks
â€¢ Distribute aid
â€¢ Secure the infrastructure for Iraq’s petroleum
â€¢ Create a democratic government that uses representatives

One of the first early successes of the war was on April 9 when the city of Baghdad (Iraq’s capital) fell and a statue of Hussein was torn down. Finally, after 24 years of ruling, Hussein’s empire was ended. Many citizens were grateful the end of this tyranny, but without a firm leader to take over and lead the country, there were riots and looting and increased crime.

After this initial victory, President Bush declared in a speech in San Diego that the war was essentially won. Hussein was still at large and there were pockets of resistance, but overall, he believed the war to be won.

Then religious radicals and other Iraqi citizens joined in the resistance. They were angered because of the invasion and having U.S. troops on their land. Most of the resistance came in the form of guerrilla tactics â€” suicide bombings, snipers, IEDs, car bombs, missiles, RPGs, and more.

During this time, a post-invasion Iraq coalition was formed in an effort to establish a new form of government that used democratic ideals. The United Nations helped in establishing this government as well.

More to come . . .

Filed Under: Educational Reference, Media Workers, News, War Tagged With: Ansar al-Islam, George W. Bush, Iraq, Middle East, Saddam Hussein, United Nations, United States armed forces, Warfare and Conflict

Unique Marketing Strategies for Your Affiliate Marketing Business

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Affiliate marketing is a very popular online business method that is turning some people into multimillionaires. With affiliate marketing, there is little to no start-up costs, you don’t need special training, and you can work from home or anywhere there is a computer and Internet connection. The hardest part of affiliate marketing is to market your websites to drive traffic and make sales. If you have any bit of a creative bone in your body, this is the best time to use it. Unique marketing strategies will make your websites stand apart from others and will only help to increase your earnings.

Offline marketing for affiliate websites can be just as productive as online marketing. Have some flyers made up and leave them around town, with the proper permission of course. Tack flyers to bulletin boards in grocery stores, department stores, local deli shops, and anywhere else that will allow it. Flyers are a very inexpensive way to market your affiliate marketing business.

While we are talking about offline marketing, head back to the basics and put an ad in the newspaper. People still do read the paper form of newspapers, and some even go straight for the classified section. And, since most people only think to promote online businesses online, you will have a pretty good advantage over those that only take part in online marketing.

The final unique marketing strategy involves videos. Take advantage of the millions of You Tube viewers and break out the video camera. We are not talking about an Emmy award winner here, but a simple one minute video will do wonders for your business. What would be even better is if you are holding the item your customers are looking to purchase through your links. If you’d rather not put your face in front of the camera, try a program that can turn presentations and screenshots into videos.

Filed Under: Educational Reference, News Tagged With: Affiliate marketing, Business, Marketing

Looking Back Part 5, Insurgency Attacks Continue to Rise

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On January 31, 2005, an election took place to elect members of the Iraqi Transitional Government. The purpose of the government was to draft a constitution for the country. This event was marred by a widespread Sunni boycott, but most of the Kurd and Shia members of the population participated.

From February to April, violence died down causing hope that soon the U.S. troops would be pulled out of Iraq. That hope was ended in May 2005. Violence surged and included suicide bombers spread throughout the entire countries targeting Shia gatherings and places where there were concentrations of Shia citizens. In one month alone, over 700 citizens of Iraq died along with 79 U.S. soldiers.

In October 2005, a referendum was held to ratify the new Iraqi constitution. In December, there was another election to elect an Iraqi national assembly. This election was participated by the Sunnis in addition to the Kurds and Shia.

In total, the number of insurgent attacks reached 34,131 in 2005, up by 7,635 attacks from the previous year.

The year of 2006 felt very much like a civil war in Iraq with citizens of Iraq targeting other citizens with their violence. On February 23 alone, over 100 dead bodies were found with bullet holes in them and the death rate in Baghdad averaged around 33 a day.

On May 20, 2006, the Iraqi government officials who won the elections in December took office. Other major events in 2006 included the release of the Iraq Study Group Report and the hanging of Saddam Hussein. The Report was led by former U.S. Secretary of State James Baker and former U.S. Representative Lee Hamilton and concluded that the situation in Iraq was quickly deteriorating and that there seemed to be no foreseeable end to the conflict. The recommended having diplomatic measures increased and working harder to train Iraqi troops as quickly as possible.

With Saddam Hussein’s trial ending (after a year of being tried for crimes against humanity by an Iraqi court), the former regime was effectively dead. But the end of 2006 did not bring hope for an end.

Filed Under: Educational Reference, Media Workers, News, War

Sexy Costumes for Holiday Parties – Or any Time

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Depending on the kind of party you’re attending and who all will be there, you’ll want to think carefully about your choice of costume. If you’re going to something upscale you’ll want to dress with class and elegance. If you’re going to a neighborhood block party or something where there will be a lot of children, you’ll also want to be very careful about what you wear, so you don’t take the chance of offending someone. Going to a more adult-themed party, though, could let you buy and wear something that’s a little more revealing or something that you wouldn’t normally consider.

Not everyone likes to wear sexy costumes, but many women (and quite a few men) would be happy to wear one if they were attending a party of other event where it wasn’t frowned upon. As long as there are only adults at the party and you know everyone well, there shouldn’t be any problem with wearing something a little sexier. It’s important to realize that sexy doesn’t have to be completely revealing or inappropriate. Some of the sexiest costumes are ones that only hint at things and don’t actually show anything. The idea of the ‘big reveal’ later keeps people interested, and you don’t even have to show a lot of skin.

It’s mostly in the cut and style of the costume, and how you carry yourself while you’re wearing it. If you’re not sure what kinds of sexy costumes are out there, it’s time to look around. There are always holiday parties and other occasions when you could wear something like that, so it’s good to have a few hanging in your closet. That way you can dress up on a moment’s notice and you don’t have to miss the party because you were unprepared.

Filed Under: News Tagged With: Children, Clothing, Costume, Halloween costume, Parties, Recreation, Shopping, Wear

Looking Back Part 4, War Continues

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The summer of 2003 was spent trying to uncover leads of Hussein’s regime. On July 22, Hussein’s sons were found and killed by the U.S. 101st Airborne Division as well as soldiers from Task Force 20. In total, over 300 of the top leaders from Hussein’s regime were captured or killed.

Then on December 13, 2003, finally the leader of the regime, Saddam Hussein himself was found and captured. His hideout was on a farm near Tikrit. His hiding place was leaked by members of Hussein’s family members and his former bodyguards.

The beginning of 2004 led to insurgency groups picking a new target: the Iraqi Security Forces, a group of Iraqis who were created to police the country. Hundreds of these police officers, as well as Iraqi civilians, were killed using a series of bombings.

On March 31, 2004, insurgents ambushed some private military contractors in Fallujah who were protecting caterers. These U.S. contractors were killed and their bodies set on fire and hung over a bridge that crosses over the Euphrates River. As a response, the U.S. started a battle called the First Battle of Fallujah in April 2004 to try and pacify the city. The effort was unsuccessful.

In November 2004, a second battle began lasting 46 days. This battle was won by the multinational group of soldiers, but resulted in the loss of 95 U.S. soldiers as well as 1,350 insurgents. Luckily civilian casualties were low because most of them had abandoned the city before the second battle began.

With Bush’s “Mission Accomplished” speech given in May 2003, many would have thought that the war would have been over by the end of 2004, especially since the provisional government set up to run Iraq was signed over to Iraqi’s Interim Government on June 28, 2004. But with the insurgents continuing to fight and with the government so unstable, Bush’s administration most likely felt that pulling out now would likely cause more problems than it would help. So the fighting continued as the rebuilding effort of the cities and government began.

Stay tuned . . .

Filed Under: Educational Reference, Media Workers, News, War Tagged With: Euphrates, Fallujah, First Battle of Fallujah, Iraq, Iraqi Security Forces, Middle East, Politics, Saddam Hussein

The Safety of Media Workers

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As long as there are wars going on in the world there will be a demand for media workers such as camera crews, journalists and photographers to be sent close to the battlefields. In fact, media workers that head into the heart of the battlefield are some of the bravest, courageous media workers of all times.

Even though these media workers are heading into a dangerous situation there are certain precautions that can be taken to ensure that these workers are safe and cared for as they are headed into the war zone.

The first way to ensure that media workers are safe when they are heading into the war zone is to make sure that they are aware of all the safe zones. Most areas of war have neutral zones, or areas that are zoned off for media workers and other people to be safe within. It is important that these workers know where these zones are and how to get to them, should something happen.

The other way is through more traditional ways to care for workers. Media workers need to be protected overseas, just as if they are on their homeland. That means that if they are planning on driving they need to have company supplied car insurance through a company like 21st century insurance, and if they are heading into dusty areas they need protective masks. Also, if they are heading into a landmine area they need a guide so that they don’t step on the landmines.

Safety is important and media workers, even though they are heading into a dangerous situation, need to be protected as best as they can. By knowing the safe zones and having protective measures taken, such as insurance and protective gear, these workers will have some level of security as they enter the war zone.

Filed Under: Educational Reference, Media Workers, News Tagged With: Anhui, Global Times, Laborer, Land mine, Occupational safety and health, Personal protective equipment, Sichuan, Xinjiang

Raid by Iraqi and U.S. Forces Leave Seven Dead

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On Wednesday, September 16, U.S. forces led a task force of Iraqis into Falluja at around 1 a.m. to issue an arrest warrant for an insurgent leader of Al Qaeda in Mesopotamia, which are thought to be responsible for attacks on Anbar Province in western Iraq. As they arrived at the location, the troops were fired upon and so they shot back. Four were killed who were suspected insurgents and three were wounded. Two residents of the village also were killed when they came out of their homes with weapons.

It is uncertain if the mission was successful because the spokesman for the military, a Major Rob Phillips, did not have this information. It is believed that the Al Qaeda leader may have been captured or killed. One of the other dead was a colonel in the Iraqi Army under Saddam Hussein and it’s believed he might have been the original target all along, though this is uncertain. It was discovered later that the four killed on location were brothers between the ages of 10 and 18.

According to witnesses of the raid, it was not just the Iraqi police officers who used their weapons; in fact, it was mostly the American soldiers who fought. About 4,500 Special Operations troops were left in Iraq to help with counter-terrorism operations such as these. Iraqi police officers on the scene claimed they were not included in the raid and only arrived after it had begun.

All of this makes you wonder whether the combat in Iraq is really over. The spokesman for the U.S. troops claim they were only in an advisory role, but this does not seem to be the case. If we are to train the native forces in Iraq to take over so they no longer need our help and our troops can be pulled out completely, then we need to let the Iraq police force do their jobs and really only participate to advise as we claim to be doing.

We’ll have to see if our claim to no more combat is reality or just a fantasy.

Filed Under: Educational Reference, Media Workers, News, War Tagged With: Al Anbar Governorate, Al Qaeda, Al-Qaeda in Iraq, Fallujah, Iraq, Iraqi Army, Saddam Hussein, United States armed forces

Was the War on Terror The Right Move? It Looks Like It Might Have Been

There is a good chance that over the last eight years you have been handed flyers or sent emails speaking out over the War on Terror. There wasn’t one person who wasn’t critical of the Bush administration’s decision to send soldiers onto foreign soil. Of course, no one could be blamed for being critical, because any time American men and women are asked to risk their lives there has to be some sort of objection.

Now that we are almost eight full years into the War on Terror, there has to be some question as to whether Bush might have been right after all. Look, there isn’t a way to keep score of a war, but that doesn’t mean that there haven’t been victories.

It was an oversight by the Bush administration to go in looking for weapons of mass destruction but removing Saddam from power wasn’t a bad thing. The person was an evil dictator and ridding the world of him was a good thing.

Many said that the president was reactionary when it comes to his response to 9/11, but when you examine it, it was the only play he had. The country was outraged and looking for justice. We had to do what was right in order to protect the integrity of our soil. This meant rigorously attacking those that attacked us. He knew who the culprit was and mobilized troops to attack those in power and those responsible.

The reality is that we won’t really know for years just what the implications are of the War on Terror. Sometimes what seemed to be futile can have a long lasting impact. The point here is that you can’t jump to conclusions. You have to give it time to see if the War on Terror worked.

Filed Under: Media Workers, News Tagged With: Presidency of George W. Bush, United States, War on Terror

Payday Loans are Often a Controversial Subject

Payday loans can provide relief when an emergency arises. Many good people run into bad situations. Disaster can strike anyone and if there are no funds in your savings, then you might just need a cash advance to help with your bills. When your credit is bad, there might not be many options for this quick cash loan. In some cases a payday loan can be the only solution and it might be just the relief you need.
However, even though many use them to survive an emergency situation, these paycheck advances are also controversial. Without passing judgment on these loans, let us take a look at why many people do not like this way of obtaining cash loans.
One of the biggest complaints against the cash advance industry is the high interest rates. Many jurisdictions place a cap on the amount of interest a business can charge on these short-term loans. Even where these are capped, opponents argue that they are still too high and that some companies ignore these regulations.
Another argument against these loans is that they target people with low incomes and help to drain money out of low-income communities. It is a fact that most of the clients of these business have lower incomes that those who use traditional loans. But unfortunately when these people need emergency funds, these payday loan businesses are often the only ones willing to help.
Third argument opponents cite when discussing this industry, is that it perpetuates the cycle of debt. The argument is that the cash advance companies charge such high rates that the consumer is often forced to use one short-term loan to pay another high-interest loan. The consumer continues to build debt and not put away savings for the next emergency. This cycle of debt then continues and will keep the paycheck advance company in business.
No matter if you agree or disagree with the business practices of companies offering payday loans, many people need to use them. Either way, education is key for all involved. The consumer should always understand all their options and all the terms of the short-term money they are borrowing.

Filed Under: News Tagged With: Business, Loan, Payday loan

Employment Outlook Looks Bright for Those With a Masters in Health Services

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As there will always be a need for qualified and competent health-care employees, the need is not limited to the trained doctors, nurses and technicians. As the population continues to grow and age, the need for more health-care facilities and the skilled individuals capable of running and managing the administrative aspects tied to those facilities is also in critical need.

Job growth for those in the medical and health services field are expected to increase 16 percent from 2008 to 2018, according to data from the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2010-2011 Edition.

Individuals skilled in the disciplines of health care and business management are the backbone to health-care facilities, hospitals and other institutions that provide medical treatment. Health-care administrative and executive management personnel, many of whom have obtained a masters in health services, are vital to the smooth operation of health care organizations. These individuals are charged with the planning, directing and supervising the delivery of health care, meanwhile making sure to keep up with the latest regulatory issues, technological advances, complex medical delivery systems and medical trends that are always changing in today’s health care community. Whether these individuals are responsible for overseeing a clinical department or an entire health-care facility, their jobs present numerous challenges as they must struggle to provide top-notch health care to patients, while managing cost and efficiency, and as more regulations are thrust upon this industry, more challenges abound.

The average compensation range for medical and health services managers as of 2008 was between $62,170 and $104,120, according to results from a salary survey conducted by the Professional Association of Health Care Office Management. A breakdown of facility type and size revealed that the largest annual salaries were awarded to employees working in general medical and surgical hospitals.

Filed Under: Educational Reference, Media Workers, News Tagged With: Employment, Facilities, Health, Health care, Health insurance, Health Systems, Medicine, United States