So International Humanitarian Law is a topic that i find quite fascinating so I thought I would blog about it.
(I am getting all my facts from ICRC.org)
International humanitarian law aka the law of war or law of armed conflict, according to the International Committee of the Red Cross, is set up to limit the effects of armed conflict. However, it doesnt regulate if a state may use force or not. That is established by a distinct part of international law displayed in the United Nations Charter. IHL applies to armed conflict in which two or more states are involved.
IHL is set out to control the means and methods of warfare. IHL is meant to protect those no longer participating in conflict/hostilities.
A major part of IHL is that parties of conflict must distinguish between civilians and combatants. IHL states that the civilian population can not be attacked. Attacks can only be made against the military. Its against IHL to kill an opponent who surrenders or who is no longer able to take part in war. Any weapons or methods that cause excessive suffering or unnecessary loss is not allowed as well as anything that causes long-term harm to the environment is not allowed.
International Humanitarian law is established in the Fourth Geneva Conventions (1949). However, there have been myriads of international humanitarian law violations.
More on this a bit later.
20.5.09
something to ponder
In the Koran it is "written that a son of Arabia would awaken a fearsome Eagle. The wrath of the Eagle would be felt throughout the lands of Allah and lo, while some the people trembled in despair still more rejoiced; for the wrath of the Eagle cleansed the lands of Allah and there was peace."
The United States is represented by an Eagle. A son of Arabia, could arguably be Osama Bin Laden since he was born in Saudi Arabia. So I just find it very interesting that the son of Arabia awakened this eagle. Basically Bin Laden shook America up when the September 11th attacks happened and now America its casting its wrath upon the Islamic world starting with Iraq and Afghanistan with the war on terror. Should we wonder if this will spread to other countries in the Middle East? Look at the current situation in Pakistan....is that country next? What about Iran? Obama is opening peace talks with Iranian president Ahmadinejad.
I am just saying this is something to consider.
The United States is represented by an Eagle. A son of Arabia, could arguably be Osama Bin Laden since he was born in Saudi Arabia. So I just find it very interesting that the son of Arabia awakened this eagle. Basically Bin Laden shook America up when the September 11th attacks happened and now America its casting its wrath upon the Islamic world starting with Iraq and Afghanistan with the war on terror. Should we wonder if this will spread to other countries in the Middle East? Look at the current situation in Pakistan....is that country next? What about Iran? Obama is opening peace talks with Iranian president Ahmadinejad.
I am just saying this is something to consider.
Very interesting info on Iraq
So I am not sure where I found this but its really interesting...I think someone emailed it to me. Its just some quick tidbits of info.
Mesopotamia, the cradle of civlization is present day Iraq.
The garden of Eden was in Iraq.
The Tower of Babel was in Iraq.
Noah built the ark in Iraq.
Isaac's wife is from Nahor,Iraq
Jacob met Rachel in Iraq.
Assyria, which is in Iraq, conquered the ten tribes of Israel.
Babylon which is in Iraq destroyed Jerusalem.
Daniel was inthe lion's den in Iraq.
The wise men were from Iraq.
Peter preached in Iraq.
Nebuchadnezzar carried the Jews captive into Iraq.
The second most mention nation in the Bible, after Israel, is Iraq. However it was not called that. It was called Babylon, Land of Shinar, Mesopotamia. The word mesopotamia means between two rivers. (tigris and euphrates) The name Iraq means country with deep roots.
I just find it fascinating that Iraq has so much history behind it. It is so interesting that a country that is in shambles today was one the homeland to so much history.
Mesopotamia, the cradle of civlization is present day Iraq.
The garden of Eden was in Iraq.
The Tower of Babel was in Iraq.
Noah built the ark in Iraq.
Isaac's wife is from Nahor,Iraq
Jacob met Rachel in Iraq.
Assyria, which is in Iraq, conquered the ten tribes of Israel.
Babylon which is in Iraq destroyed Jerusalem.
Daniel was inthe lion's den in Iraq.
The wise men were from Iraq.
Peter preached in Iraq.
Nebuchadnezzar carried the Jews captive into Iraq.
The second most mention nation in the Bible, after Israel, is Iraq. However it was not called that. It was called Babylon, Land of Shinar, Mesopotamia. The word mesopotamia means between two rivers. (tigris and euphrates) The name Iraq means country with deep roots.
I just find it fascinating that Iraq has so much history behind it. It is so interesting that a country that is in shambles today was one the homeland to so much history.
Favorite Websites/most visited websites
Youtube.com- I listen to a ton of great music on this site as well as watch clips of shows I may have missed. I listen to everything from arabic music to french to turkish to english music on here.
Twitter.com- I keep myself in the know with updates from all different media outlets while also letting everyone know whats going on in my life. Twitter is such a great source for keeping yourself updated on the go because the messages can be sent right to your phone.
Cnn.com- great news source
bbc.com- another excellent news source. I find it to be reliable and not too biased like most other sources.
aljazeera.net- excellent source for news all over the world but in particular the middle east. Best resource for Middle Eastern news because it tends to be the most factually correct.
verabradley.com- shoppinggggg duh. Adorable items. Anything from stationery to backpacks to purses to laptop cases.
coach.com- who doesn't love coach purses,accessories, shoes etc?
macys.com- great sales, great shoes!
sephora.com- oh my gosh some of the best make-up everrrrrrrr!!!!! gotta love it. :)
UN.org- keeps me in the know about what is going on at the United Nations and the world.
google.com- because I am always needing to google something.
abc.com- news source
nbc.com- news source
facebook.com- keeps me in touch with my friends and family
fmylife.com- I loveeee reading about other peoples lives because it makes mine seem a bit more normal. some the stories are really effed up but for the most part pretty funny :)
blogger.com- keep my blog updated and vent about the garbage that goes on in the world.
washingtonpost.com- great news source
juicycampus.com
formspring.me - ask me all the juicy questions that you can't ask me to my face.
bing.com - the best search engine know to man.
THE LIST GOES ON AND ON AND ON!!!!!
Twitter.com- I keep myself in the know with updates from all different media outlets while also letting everyone know whats going on in my life. Twitter is such a great source for keeping yourself updated on the go because the messages can be sent right to your phone.
Cnn.com- great news source
bbc.com- another excellent news source. I find it to be reliable and not too biased like most other sources.
aljazeera.net- excellent source for news all over the world but in particular the middle east. Best resource for Middle Eastern news because it tends to be the most factually correct.
verabradley.com- shoppinggggg duh. Adorable items. Anything from stationery to backpacks to purses to laptop cases.
coach.com- who doesn't love coach purses,accessories, shoes etc?
macys.com- great sales, great shoes!
sephora.com- oh my gosh some of the best make-up everrrrrrrr!!!!! gotta love it. :)
UN.org- keeps me in the know about what is going on at the United Nations and the world.
google.com- because I am always needing to google something.
abc.com- news source
nbc.com- news source
facebook.com- keeps me in touch with my friends and family
fmylife.com- I loveeee reading about other peoples lives because it makes mine seem a bit more normal. some the stories are really effed up but for the most part pretty funny :)
blogger.com- keep my blog updated and vent about the garbage that goes on in the world.
washingtonpost.com- great news source
juicycampus.com
formspring.me - ask me all the juicy questions that you can't ask me to my face.
bing.com - the best search engine know to man.
THE LIST GOES ON AND ON AND ON!!!!!
Netanyahu's talk with Obama...hope for the Palestinians?
During his campaign, Barack Obama promised to shed a new light on the dark path of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Will he keep this promise or will the turmoil that has existed for the past 60 years continue to worsen?
Just recently the Prime Minister of Israel Benjamin Netanyahu, one of the most right wing and controversial leaders (according to bbc), met with President Barack Obama to discuss the situation. Their talks seemed to go much smoother than during Clinton's Presidency when Netanyahu was Prime Minister of Israel.
So of course, the Israeli Palestinian conflict was discussed. Obama called on Netanyahu to push forward for a two-state solution. I think Netanyahu's request is fair that Palestinians must recognize Israel as a Jewish state but on the same note I think Israel needs to make more of an effort to stop the humanitarian crisis that exists in Gaza and give Palestinians their freedom and basic rights. While I think Israelis need to have a homeland, I believe Palestinians do too. Palestinians have always been displaced. A large majority of Palestinians are not living in Palestine but in other countries as displaced people/refugees.
In my opinion, its a bit ironic because Obama and Netanyahu both agreed that a nuclear Iran was a threat to the international community yet prior to the 1970's Iran was very close allies with Israel and the United States. However, Obama emphasized the need to open talks with Iran. This could be a positive thing as long as there are results in these talks that lead towards better Middle East diplomacy.
Netanyahu also agreed to reopen talks with Syria...this is a step in the right direction. hopefully. The disputes that are ongoing between Syria and Israel and Israel and Lebanon need to be addressed immediately because they are situations that can easily escalate. That would not be good for the international community at all. The turmoil that exists in the Middle East causes an extremely delicate situation to exist. this hotspot is literally in the middle of the map. any upset in the region shakes the balance of the entire world. Plus with all the oil reserves that exist in countries like Iraq and Saudi Arabia, the two leading nations in oil exports, we need to make sure the region is stable.
Lets just hope Barack Obama does a good job with direct diplomacy and takes a more aggressive but positive stance in Middle East policy.
Just recently the Prime Minister of Israel Benjamin Netanyahu, one of the most right wing and controversial leaders (according to bbc), met with President Barack Obama to discuss the situation. Their talks seemed to go much smoother than during Clinton's Presidency when Netanyahu was Prime Minister of Israel.
So of course, the Israeli Palestinian conflict was discussed. Obama called on Netanyahu to push forward for a two-state solution. I think Netanyahu's request is fair that Palestinians must recognize Israel as a Jewish state but on the same note I think Israel needs to make more of an effort to stop the humanitarian crisis that exists in Gaza and give Palestinians their freedom and basic rights. While I think Israelis need to have a homeland, I believe Palestinians do too. Palestinians have always been displaced. A large majority of Palestinians are not living in Palestine but in other countries as displaced people/refugees.
In my opinion, its a bit ironic because Obama and Netanyahu both agreed that a nuclear Iran was a threat to the international community yet prior to the 1970's Iran was very close allies with Israel and the United States. However, Obama emphasized the need to open talks with Iran. This could be a positive thing as long as there are results in these talks that lead towards better Middle East diplomacy.
Netanyahu also agreed to reopen talks with Syria...this is a step in the right direction. hopefully. The disputes that are ongoing between Syria and Israel and Israel and Lebanon need to be addressed immediately because they are situations that can easily escalate. That would not be good for the international community at all. The turmoil that exists in the Middle East causes an extremely delicate situation to exist. this hotspot is literally in the middle of the map. any upset in the region shakes the balance of the entire world. Plus with all the oil reserves that exist in countries like Iraq and Saudi Arabia, the two leading nations in oil exports, we need to make sure the region is stable.
Lets just hope Barack Obama does a good job with direct diplomacy and takes a more aggressive but positive stance in Middle East policy.
18.5.09
Dancing with the Stars
Dancing with the stars is a show were they pick these b-list celebrities and partner them up with professional ballroom dancers. I love this show because its a competition and its nice to see how the competitors progress each week and what the judges have to say about them. Every season they have some great celebrities on there. I love Len Goodman and Bruno Tonioli...Carrie Ann Inaba annoys me a little but she has some beautiful dresses. Len and Bruno are just absolutely hilarious judges. Bruno is so passionate about giving feedback and I love how he holds his paddle and throws his arm in the air if the score is high. I would love to be on dancing with the stars...too bad I cant dance though. :(
This season particularly was very good. So the finalists were Shawn Johnson, Gilles Marini and Melissa Rycroft. I thought Shawn Johnson, the olympic gymnast was fantastic. She perservered throughout the competition even when it was difficult. She was adorable...she is only seventeen too. That is impressive that a seventeen year old has that much determination and will power. Go you shawn johnson!!!!
I am shocked Melissa lasted as long as she did in the competition because I did not think she was that good even though she does have a background in ballet so she definitely has a bit of dancing experience. Her partner is hot!!! I feel like she only lasted so long because the fans felt bad for her after she was dumped on national t.v. She should be happy that guy dumped because now her career has skyrocketed...no one really knew who she was before that anyway...atleast I didnt.
See now as far as Gilles goes, I would have loved to see him win because he had so much passion and character when he was dancing but I do not like his partner Cheryl. Gilles Marini acted in the blockbuster hit "Sex and the City the movie". He has a gorgeous body and beautiful eyes. He makes any lady want to be his dancing partner. I think after this show every woman is jealous of Cheryl because she got to dance with him for eleven weeks. But anyway, like i was saying Gilles would have been an excellent choice for the trophy but I am kinda happy he didn't win because Cheryl is just too cocky. I find her a bit annoying. However, I must admit she is an excellent dancer with grace. She moves so flawlessly on the dance floor. I loved when Bruno said "french class meets american flair" after a dance Gilles and Cheryl did.
It was an excellent season of DWTS and I am glad Shawn won. She wanted it so badly!!!
This season particularly was very good. So the finalists were Shawn Johnson, Gilles Marini and Melissa Rycroft. I thought Shawn Johnson, the olympic gymnast was fantastic. She perservered throughout the competition even when it was difficult. She was adorable...she is only seventeen too. That is impressive that a seventeen year old has that much determination and will power. Go you shawn johnson!!!!
I am shocked Melissa lasted as long as she did in the competition because I did not think she was that good even though she does have a background in ballet so she definitely has a bit of dancing experience. Her partner is hot!!! I feel like she only lasted so long because the fans felt bad for her after she was dumped on national t.v. She should be happy that guy dumped because now her career has skyrocketed...no one really knew who she was before that anyway...atleast I didnt.
See now as far as Gilles goes, I would have loved to see him win because he had so much passion and character when he was dancing but I do not like his partner Cheryl. Gilles Marini acted in the blockbuster hit "Sex and the City the movie". He has a gorgeous body and beautiful eyes. He makes any lady want to be his dancing partner. I think after this show every woman is jealous of Cheryl because she got to dance with him for eleven weeks. But anyway, like i was saying Gilles would have been an excellent choice for the trophy but I am kinda happy he didn't win because Cheryl is just too cocky. I find her a bit annoying. However, I must admit she is an excellent dancer with grace. She moves so flawlessly on the dance floor. I loved when Bruno said "french class meets american flair" after a dance Gilles and Cheryl did.
It was an excellent season of DWTS and I am glad Shawn won. She wanted it so badly!!!
17.5.09
Kuwait's step towards womens rights
Yay! the oil-rich state of Kuwait has made a great step toward democracy when they elected their first female members of Parliament. Rola Dashti and Aseel Al-Awadhi (a U.S. educated woman) were recently elected in Kuwait in the third district, according to BBC News.
This is a huge step for Kuwaiti democracy...its just exciting because the Middle East is always under fire for its so called "backwards" human (woman's) rights policies. However, now that woman have been elected to Parliament, its a leap in the right direction. Womens right to vote started back in 2005, however not much advancement was made but now that Dashti and Al-Awadhi along with two other woman have been elected to parliament it shows Kuwaiti women's desire for change and advancement. According to ABC, its a major milestone as these women secured their place for the first time in parliament.
I can't wait to see what happens next for women in Middle Eastern countries such as Kuwait.
This is a huge step for Kuwaiti democracy...its just exciting because the Middle East is always under fire for its so called "backwards" human (woman's) rights policies. However, now that woman have been elected to Parliament, its a leap in the right direction. Womens right to vote started back in 2005, however not much advancement was made but now that Dashti and Al-Awadhi along with two other woman have been elected to parliament it shows Kuwaiti women's desire for change and advancement. According to ABC, its a major milestone as these women secured their place for the first time in parliament.
I can't wait to see what happens next for women in Middle Eastern countries such as Kuwait.
World Economic Forum
At the World Economic Forum in the Dead Sea, Jordan (may 15-17th 2009), the main issue that concerned most of the arab leaders seemed to be the Arab-Israeli Conflict. Many argued that it was causing instability in the region.
This is an agreeable statement. How can we achieve a more stable economy without stable peace???? we need peace in the region before any other issue can be logistically addressed.
Jordan's King Abdullah opened the World Economic Forum by urging Israel to join Arab states in finding a solution to the conflict. He said he felt a sense of encouragement when Obama expressed commitment to a solution in which both Palestine and Israel had a state.
A Dubai-based group for private equity donated millions of dollars at the World Economic Forum to Gazans who became orphans during the recent Israeli offensive in Gaza during December 08- January 09.
Egypt's minister of Trade summed up things the best, in my opinion. He noted that reform was much needed in the middle east in order to deal with the effects of the economic crisis.
Queen Rania did her first twitter interview during the world economic forum.
This is an agreeable statement. How can we achieve a more stable economy without stable peace???? we need peace in the region before any other issue can be logistically addressed.
Jordan's King Abdullah opened the World Economic Forum by urging Israel to join Arab states in finding a solution to the conflict. He said he felt a sense of encouragement when Obama expressed commitment to a solution in which both Palestine and Israel had a state.
A Dubai-based group for private equity donated millions of dollars at the World Economic Forum to Gazans who became orphans during the recent Israeli offensive in Gaza during December 08- January 09.
Egypt's minister of Trade summed up things the best, in my opinion. He noted that reform was much needed in the middle east in order to deal with the effects of the economic crisis.
Queen Rania did her first twitter interview during the world economic forum.
15.5.09
Donald Trump's decision
So after hours of hair and makeup and bathingsuits and questions, Miss California won the pageant. Then not too long after, it was revealed that she took some pictures that were considered controversial.
I think Donald Trump granting the winner the right to keep her crown was fine, after all he is the owner of the pageant. She took some photos that might have been risque but who the hell cares. Who hasn't taken "risque" photos? so who cares? plus if people are worried about little girls looking up to the contestants in pageants, they should realize that they are only human. besides there are alot worse things being done by people who are looked up to by young girls than someone taking some risque photos. just get over it. :)
k byeee
I think Donald Trump granting the winner the right to keep her crown was fine, after all he is the owner of the pageant. She took some photos that might have been risque but who the hell cares. Who hasn't taken "risque" photos? so who cares? plus if people are worried about little girls looking up to the contestants in pageants, they should realize that they are only human. besides there are alot worse things being done by people who are looked up to by young girls than someone taking some risque photos. just get over it. :)
k byeee
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