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Condoleezza Rice

2007-07-26T17:55:00Z

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[[Image:Bncjcfjuh.jpg|right|thumb|Condoleeza Rice]]
'''Condoleezza Rice''' is the 66th [[United States Secretary of State]], and the first [[African-American]] woman to hold the post. Prior to assuming her duties as Secretary of State, she served as [[national security advisor]] to [[President]] [[George W. Bush]]. Her objective of transformational diplomacy is to, "work with our many partners around the world to build and sustain democratic, well-governed states that will respond to the needs of their people -- and conduct themselves responsibly in the international system." As she stated at her confirmation hearing, "we must use American diplomacy to help create a balance of power in the world that favors freedom. And the time for diplomacy is now."<ref>[http://www.newsmax.com/hottopics/Condoleezza_Rice.shtml Condoleezza Rice]. Newsmax.</ref>

== Earlier Life and Education ==

Dr. Rice earned her B. A. in [[politics|political]] [[science]] from the [[University of Denver]] in 1974 at age 19. The following year, she recieved her M.A. from the University of [[Notre Dame]]. She returned to the University of Denver, where she was awarded the Ph.D. in 1981. In addition to [[English]], she speaks [[Russian]], [[French]], [[German]], and [[Spanish]].

== Career In Academia ==

Condoleeza was first an Assistant Professor at [[Stanford]] (1981–1987). She eventually earned tenure, becoming an Associate Professor (1987–1993), then Professor, and later Provost.<ref>[http://www.forbes.com/2001/10/15/crice.html Provost].</ref> She was the first black, first woman and the youngest person to be Provost.<ref>[http://www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/2002/black.history/stories/13.rice/index.html Hoover Institute].</ref> She was also a [[Hoover Institute]] fellow. Her primary expertise was the [[Soviet Union]] and [[Warsaw Pact]] nations.

As Provost, Dr. Rice balanced the budget, even though the deficit was said to be impossibly large, a prediction which Rice happily proved wrong. <ref>[http://news-service.stanford.edu/news/1999/june9/rice-69.html Stanford University].</ref>

== Writings ==

*Germany Unified and Europe Transformed: A Study in Statecraft (1995)
*The Gorbachev Era (1986)
*The Soviet Union and the Czechoslovak Army, 1948-1983: Uncertain Allegiance (1984).

== Business ==

*Carnegie Corporation
*Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
*Charles Schwab Corporation
*Chevron Corporation
*Hewlett Packard
*Rand Corporation
*Transamerica Corporation
*William and Flora Hewlett Foundation
*KQED
*J.P. Morgan Chase
*University of Notre Dame
*San Francisco Symphony
*Center for New Generation
*California and East Menlo Park
*Vice President Boys and Girls Clubs of America of San Francisco
*National Council for Soviet and East European Studies
*Stanford Mid-Peninsula Urban Coalition
*Woodrow Wilson Center

She was very involved with Chevron before becoming George W. Bush's. Chevron honored Rice by naming an oil tanker after her, but this was controversial and as a result the ship was renamed the Altair Voyager.[http://www.usmm.org/socalships.html#anchor1306140]

== Career in Joint Chiefs and National Security Council ==

In 1986, while an international affairs fellow of the Council on Foreign Relations, Rice served as Special Assistant to the Director of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. From 1989 to March 1991 she directed and also directed in a senior position, of Soviet and East European Affairs in the National Security Council. She was also Special Assistant to the President of National Security Affairs. Rice was instrumental to help with developing Bush's and James Baker's policies to make full reunification of Germany. She impressed President Bush, so much, that he said to [[Gorbachev]] she "tells me everything I know about the Soviet Union."[http://dir.salon.com/story/politics2000/feature/2000/03/20/rice/index.html]

By 1990 she was already George H. W. Bush's principal advisor on the Soviet Union and one of his assistants for National Security Affairs. She was the highest ranking black woman in the administration.

After the communists were defeated in 1991, Rice victoriously returned to her being a teaching position at Stanford, although she consulted on the former USSR for many. [[Pete Wilson]] made her to a bipartisan committee that had been formed to draw new lines for voting. She was also in a Federal Advisory Committee on men and woman training in the Military.

She was helping George W. Bush for his victorious campaign for President in 2000, a thing for which she became later a key advisor. She said in departure from the failed Clinton policies of the 1990s and an articulation of a new Bush plan at the convention speech “...America's armed forces are not a global police force. They are not the world's 911.”[http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/onpolitics/elections/ricetext080100.htm]

== Advising of National Security ==

On 2000, Rice was made National Security Advisor and no longer served in Stanford. She was the first woman ever there. Over 2001, Rice worked on CIA Director George Tenet almost daily trying to stop the upcoming September 11th which was not yet happened but might have in the future, and did. Rice asked Tenet to give a presentation for the matter to Secretary Rumsfeld and General Attorney John Ashcroft, but they did nothing, absolving Ric of the blame but some have therefore been critical of Rumsfeld.[http://www.realcities.com/mld/krwashington/15662785.htm]

Rice was out on front in terms of the 2003 invasion of Iraq to removal brutal tyrant Saddam from power. She famously editorialized how there was a lying Iraq in The New York Times entitled "Why We Know Iraq Is Lying."[http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2003/01/20030123-1.html]

Rice in 2004 initially decided not to publicly testify at the 9/11 commission. Bush said executive privilege under constitutional separation of powers and said she would not testify. Under pressure, Bush eventually said she would testify [3http://www.cnn.com/2004/ALLPOLITICS/04/08/rice.transcript/] as long as this meant that it wasn't done again necessarily and that others might not testify. She thusly was first of sitting National Security Advisor to testify.

Leading up to the 2004 U.S. Presidential election, Rice became the first National Security Advisor to campaign for an incumbent president. She used this moment to state her belief that Saddam's government in Iraq made for terrorist circumstances that produced terrorism like the 9/11 attacks on America. At a Pittsburgh, she said "While Saddam Hussein had nothing to do with the actual attacks on America, Saddam Hussein's Iraq was a part of the Middle East that was festering and unstable, [and] was part of the circumstances that created the problem on September 11."

She also supported Bush's attempt to end the unfair affirmative action policies at the University of Minnesota. Famously she said once "The problem here is that there will always be some uncertainty about how quickly he can acquire nuclear weapons. But we don't want the smoking gun to be a mushroom cloud."[http://www.cnn.com/2003/US/01/10/wbr.smoking.gun/]

Although some have criticized this as fear mongering she was herself only warning about the need for caution and the consequences of error, and because it was shown that Saddam could have gotten WMDs if he had wanted to the critics generally say that this position has been vindicated.{{fact}}

==References==
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{{DEFAULTSORT: Rice, Condoleeza}}
[[Category:Political people]]

Latin America

2007-07-26T15:52:50Z

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=='''Latin America'''==
Latin America is in the broadest sense, the entire western hemisphere of the Americas including parts of the [[United States]], [[Brazil]], [[Mexico]] and Central and South America. It does not however include Surinaam, [[Guyana]] and [[French Guiana]] (an integral part of the French Republic). Latin America has 523 million people, far more than the United States population of about 300 million. It is considered largely [[Catholic]] and is Spanish-speaking. Currently it has been known for political activities as U.S. President George W. Bush recently toured on a peace mission to try and curb negative influence steming from Venezualan Dictator, President [[Hugo Chavez]].<ref>[http://www.newsmax.com/hottopics/Latin_America.shtml Latin America]. Newsmax.</ref>

==References==
<references/>

[[category:geography]]
[[category:politics]]

Latin America

2007-07-26T15:50:42Z

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=='''Latin America'''==
Latin America is in the broadest sense, the entire western hemisphere of the Americas including parts of the [[United States]], [[Brazil]], [[Mexico]] and Central and South America. It does not however include Surinaam, [[Guyana]] and [[French Guiana]] (an integral part of the French Republic). Latin America has 523 million people, far more than the United States population of about 300 million. It is concidered largely [[Catholic]] and Spanish-speaking. Currently it has been known for political activities as U.S. President George W. Bush recently toured on a peace mission to try and curb negative influence steming from Venezualan Dictator, President [[Hugo Chavez]].<ref>[http://www.newsmax.com/hottopics/Latin_America.shtml Latin America]. Newsmax.</ref>

==References==
<references/>

[[category:geography]]
[[category:politics]]

Middle East

2007-07-26T15:35:14Z

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=='''The Middle East'''==
The '''Middle East''' is a geographic, political, and historical region in south-west [[Asia]] and some parts of north-eastern [[Africa]]. It is located roughly in between the [[Caspian Sea]] to the north, the [[Mediterranean Sea]] to the west, and the [[Arabian Sea]] to the south and west. Countries considered to be part of the Middle East include [[Syria]], [[Jordan]], [[Cyprus]], [[Israel]], [[Lebanon]], [[Iraq]], [[Iran]], [[Saudi Arabia]], [[Oman]], [[Yemen]], [[Bahrain]], [[Egypt]], [[Kuwait]], [[Qatar]], and the [[United Arab Emirates]]. The Middle East is known both for its massive reserves of crude oil and for religious strife. This area, whose history dates back to ancient times, is in modern times - a strategically, economically, politically, culturally, and religiously sensitive region.<ref>[http://www.newsmax.com/hottopics/Middle_East.shtml The Middle East].Newsmax.</ref>

==References==

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[[category:geography]]
[[category:history]]

Nuclear program of Iran

2007-07-26T15:18:20Z

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=='''Nuclear Program of Iran'''==
The Nuclear Program of Iran refers to the amibitions of the Iranian government to acquire nuclear technology. Though the program has been in existence since at least the 1950's, it usually refers to the current program under [[Mahmoud Ahmadinejad]]. This program is under the guise of acquiring peaceful nuclear technology for civilian use,<ref>[http://www.iran-daily.com/1384/2419/pdf/i3.pdf Nuclear Power Plants Will Generate 6,000MW by 2010], retrieved March 16th, 2007</ref> though many nations feel that Iran is intent on acquiring [[Nuclear weapons]].<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/4680294.stm Iran reported to Security Council]</ref>

==U.S. and Iran==
The views of the United States government and several major European nations are that Iran's primary goal is not nuclear power, but rather [[nuclear weapons]]. The concealment by Iran of many nuclear activities for nearly two decades is in violation of its NPT safeguards obligations, including an enrichment program that would enable them to produce high-enriched uranium for nuclear weapons which is not needed for Iran's current nuclear power program.<ref>[http://www.newsmax.com/hottopics/Iran_Nuclear_Push.shtml Nuclear Iran]. Newsmax.</ref>

[[category:politics]]

==Footnotes==
<references/>

Nuclear program of Iran

2007-07-26T15:08:53Z

Pinksqeeze:

'''Nuclear Program of Iran''' refers to the amibitions of the Iranian government to acquire nuclear technology. Though the program has been in existence since at least the 1950's, it usually refers to the current program under [[Mahmoud Ahmadinejad]]. This program is under the guise of acquiring peaceful nuclear technology for civilian use,<ref>[http://www.iran-daily.com/1384/2419/pdf/i3.pdf Nuclear Power Plants Will Generate 6,000MW by 2010], retrieved March 16th, 2007</ref> though many nations feel that Iran is intent on acquiring [[Nuclear weapons]].<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/4680294.stm Iran reported to Security Council]</ref>

<references/>

[[category:politics]]

==U.S. and Iran==
The views of the United States government and several major European nations are that Iran's primary goal is not nuclear power, but rather [[nuclear weapons]]. The concealment by Iran of many nuclear activities for nearly two decades is in violation of its NPT safeguards obligations, including an enrichment program that would enable them to produce high-enriched uranium for nuclear weapons which is not needed for Iran's current nuclear power program.<ref>[http://www.newsmax.com/hottopics/Iran_Nuclear_Push.shtml Nuclear Iran]. Newsmax.</ref>

War on Terror

2007-07-26T14:50:05Z

Pinksqeeze:

[[Image:Waronterror.jpg|thumb|300px|U.S. Marines aboard the amphibious assault ship USS Peleliu]]
=='''The War on Terror'''==
The War on Terror (or War on Terrorism) is a term used by the Bush Administration to refer to the various military, political, and legal actions taken to curb the spread of terrorism. It is a campaign that was launched by the [[United States of America]] with support from [[NATO]] and other allies with the stated goal of ending international terrorism, which is typically understood to refer particularly to radical Islamist terrorism. The campaign was launched in response to the September 11, 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon, for which [[Al-Qaeda]] claimed responsibility. The "War on Terror" has taken many forms, such as diplomacy, going after "terrorist financing," domestic provisions aiming to prevent future attacks, and joint training and peacekeeping operations with a wide variety of nations. <ref>[http://www.newsmax.com/hottopics/War_on_Terrorism.shtml War on Terrorism]. Newsmax.</ref>

==Congressional debate==
In March 2007, a memo sent to Democratic staffers on the [[House Armed Services Committee]] instructed Congressional aides not to use the specific phrases, "'''global war on terrorism'''" and "'''long war'''" in Defense authorization requests for the fiscal 2008 budget. The memo reads,

:"When referencing military operations throughout the world, please be as specific as possible. Please avoid using colloquialisms such as, "'''the war on terrorism'''", or the "Long War" Please do not use the term "global war on terrorism" <ref>[http://www.foxnews.com/projects/pdf/HASC_Memo.pdf Style Guide for Defense Authorization Report]. House Committee on Armed Services. U.S. House of Representatives. 110th Congress. 27 March 2007.</ref>

CNN’s Baghdad bureau chief Michael Ware reported in April 2007,
:"If U.S. troops leave now, you’re giving Iraq to [[Iran]]…and [[al-Qaeda]]. If U.S. troops leave now, that’s who will own it. …Coming back I’m struck by the nature of the debate on Capital Hill, how delusional it is." <ref>CNN, [http://newsbusters.org/media/2007-04-26-CNNAMPhillipsWare.rm Pullout would hand Iraq to Iran and al-Qaeda], 04/26/07. </ref>

==Overview==

==Campaigns==

===Afghanistan===

In immediate response to the 9/11 attacks, the United States invaded [[Afghanistan]] to overthrow the [[Taliban]] and deny [[al-Qaeda]] a base of operations.

===Iraq War===

The [[Iraq War]], also known as the Second Persian Gulf War, began in March 2003 when the United States and a coalition of forces willing to enforce [[United Nations]] Resolutions removed [[Baathist]] dictator [[Saddam Hussein]]'s from power. Gen. David Petraeus, commander of the multinational forces has characterized the Iraqi war as a decentralized fight against clan or family-based terror networks supplied by Iran and Syria, against which more and more Iraqis are willing to fight. Research using robust surveying techniques has estimated that over 650,000 Iraqis have died <ref>[http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v443/n7113/full/443728a.html Iraqi death toll withstands scrutiny], ''[[Nature]]''</ref> since the fall of the Ba'athist regime.

[[Iran]] is actively assisting the major Shiite Muslim political factions in Iraq, most of which have long-standing ideological, political, and religious sectarian ties to Tehran. A key U.S. concern is that Iran is purportedly arming the militias fielded by those factions - militias that are committing sectarian violence and, to some extent, attacking U.S. forces. Since December 2006, the Administration has tried to reverse Iranian influence in Iraq while also engaging Iran diplomatically on Iraq.

Of greater concern to U.S. officials than the Iranian political support to Iraq’s Shiite factions is Iranian material support to militias fielded by the major Shiite groupings. The militias are widely accused of the sectarian violence against Sunnis that is gripping Iraq and which has been repeatedly identified by U.S. officials as a leading security problem, although Iraqi Shiites say they are retaliating for Sunni violence against them.

Senior U.S. and allied military officials and policymakers have provided specific information on Iranian aid to Shiite militias.
* In March 2006, senior U.S. defense officials, including then-Commander of U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) Gen. John Abizaid asserted that Iran’s Revolutionary Guard — particularly its “Qods (Jerusalem) Forces” that conduct activities outside Iran in support of Shiite movements — is assisting armed factions in Iraq with explosives and weapons. The Qods Force is an arm of the Iranian government, but some experts believe it might sometimes undertake actions not fully vetted with senior leaders.
* On August 23, 2006, Brig. Gen. Michael Barbero, deputy chief of operations of the Joint Staff, said the Iranian government is training, funding, and equipping Shiite militiamen in Iraq. On September 28 2006, Maj. Gen. Richard Zahner, deputy chief of staff for intelligence of the Multinational Force-Iraq (MNF-I), said that the labels on C-4 explosives found with Shiite militiamen in Iraq prove that the explosives came from Iran. He added that only the Iranian military apparatus controls access to such military-grade explosives. <ref>''Iranian Government Behind Shipping Weapons to Iraq.'' American Forces Press Service, September 28, 2006.</ref>
* On September 19, 2006, Gen. Abizaid said that U.S. forces had found weaponry in Iraq that likely came from Iran, including a dual-warhead rocket-propelled-grenade RPG-29, as well as Chinese-made rockets. He added that Lebanese Hezbollah members were conducting training in Iran and that they could also be training Iraqi Shiite militiamen but that “[these linkages are] very, very hard to pin down with precision.” <ref>''New Weapons From Iran Turning Up on Mideast Battlefields: Abizaid.'' Agence France-Presse, September 19, 2006.</ref>
* On January 31, 2007, the commander of Multinational Corps-Iraq, Lt. Gen. Ray Odierno, said that the United States had traced back to Iran serial numbers of weapons captured in Iraq. The armaments included rocket-propelled grenades, roadside bombs, and Katyusha rockets.
* In a February 11, 2007, U.S. military briefers in Baghdad provided what they said was specific evidence that Iran had supplied armor-piercing “explosively forced projectiles” (EFPs) to Shiite militias. EFPs have been responsible for 170 U.S. combat deaths from 2003 until April 2007.
* On April 11, 2007, when U.S. military officials said they had found evidence that Iran might also be supplying Sunni insurgent factions, although without asserting Iranian government approval for the shipments. Some experts believe such shipments would not comport with Iranian government objectives because Sunni insurgents are fighting Iran’s proteges and allies in Iraq.
* On July 2, 2007, Brig. Gen. Kevin Begner, in a briefing for journalists, said that the Qods Force is using Lebanese Hezbollah to train and channel weapons to Iraqi Shiite militia fighters, and that Iran is giving up to $3 million per month to its protege forces in Iraq. Bergner based his information on the March 2007 capture – in connection with a January 2007 attack on U.S. forces in Karbala – of former Sadr spokesman Qais Khazali and Lebanese Hezbollah operative Ali Musa Daqduq.
* On July 23, 2007, it was reported the US military found missiles manufactured in [[China]] which have been smuggled into Iraq from Iran. <ref>[http://www.dailystar.com.lb/article.asp?edition_id=10&categ_id=2&article_id=84006 US Army claims Iran is smuggling Chinese weapons into Iraq], ''Daily Star'', July 23, 2007.</ref>

One press report said there are 150 Iranian Qods Forces and intelligence personnel in Iraq. <ref>Linzer, Dafna. ''Troops Authorized To Kill Iranian Operatives in Iraq,'' Washington Post,
January 26, 2007.</ref> In December 2006, U.S. forces arrested two Qods Forces senior officers in the compound of SICI leader Hakim, where they were allegedly meeting with Badr Brigade leader (and member of parliament) Hadi al-Amiri; the two were later released under Iraqi government pressure. In January 2007, another five Iranian agents were arrested in a liaison office in the Kurdish city of Irbil, reportedly against the urging of Iraq’s Kurdish leaders. They remain under arrest until at least October 2007 when their case will be reviewed. Iranian diplomats were allowed access to the five on July 7, 2007, and the Iranians reportedly were told that there are two other Iranian government employees held by U.S. forces.

===South America===
[[MSNBC]] reports that [[Hezbollah]], the [[Iran]]ian created and supported terror organization that until the [[September 11 attacks]] had killed more Americans than any other terrorist organization, has set up operations within the rural regions known as South America’s Tri-Border Area. <ref>[http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17874369/ Hezbollah builds a Western base], From inside South America’s Tri-border area, Iran-linked militia targets U.S. By Pablo Gato and Robert Windrem, ''NBC News'', May 9, 2007. Retrieved from MSNBC.com June 4 2007.</ref>
This area is located between [[Paraguay]], [[Brazil]] and [[Argentina]], and borders Venezuela and Bolivia. All of these countries face the common enterprise of narco-terrorism. These funds are, in turn, are used to wage war against US and Coalition Forces in the Middle East and for clandestine training of future terrorist operatives in their [[jihad]] against the West. Hezbollah, [[Hamas]] and [[al Qaeda]] are all coordinating to affect jihad in the Middle East, Europe, Africa, Asia and South America. Further, many Western intelligence agencies report that al Qaeda nuclear whiz-kid Adnan el Shukrijumah has been spotted throughout South America, the United States and Canada.

Other known terrorist organizations in the region, the [[Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia]] (FARC) and the [[National Liberation Army]] (ELN), facilitate the trafficking of narcotics and the laundering of money derived from that enterprise. <ref> Venezuela: In the Spirit of The Monroe Doctrine], Frank Salvato, ''New Media Journal'', June 1, 2007.</ref>

===Second Lebanon War===

The [[Second Lebanon War]] was fought between [[Israel]] and [[Hezbollah]], primarily in northern Israel and southern Lebanon, in the summer of 2006.

===Waziristan War===

The [[Waziristan War]] (2004-2006) was fought between [[Pakistan]] and [[al-Qaeda]], the [[Taliban]], and sympathetic tribal militias in the [[Waziristan]] province of Pakistan, bordering [[Afghanistan]].

==References==
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[[Category:politics]]