Cop Issues

Haiti police force ill equipped to handle crisis

There is rising tension in Haiti as people search for recoverable items due to the lack of aid. The police and U.N. enforcers are having little impact on the looters. A task force of a mere 4,000 has shrunk to 1,500. To add to the work load is the fact that the extremely old prison collapsed releasing over 4,000 of the inmates. Things are running amuck in Haiti."I am afraid you're going to have an escalating spiral where people who were willing to be patient lose their patience due to supplies being withheld for security reasons," Concannon said. "And then that impatience escalates and brings increased security, which further cuts the flow of supplies."

People in Haiti are suffering. Not only have earthquakes devastated their homes, but now criminals that have escaped are running around looting and pillaging. The lack of police is going to be detrimental to rebuilding Haiti. Fortunately, there is some U.N. backup and United States security on backup. But the government of Haiti has severely clamped down on the powers of police forces, which is fairly limiting to them. The police can hardly itch their nose without an okay. Perhaps the present crisis will relinquish some of the grip so the cops can actually do their jobs. There is nothing better than a crisis to push for reform.

http://www.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/americas/01/19/haiti.police/index.html?eref=rss_topstories&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+rss%2Fcnn_topstories+%28RSS%3A+Top+Stories%29

Saving Haiti Digitally

Digital fundraising still pushing Haiti relief

A 48-hour-old fundraising campaign to help the devestated Haiti earthquake victims, done through text messages on Thursday hit $3 million. The next morning it was $6 million. The campaign, made viral on networking sites like Twitter and Facebook, had raised $8 million by Friday. The Red Cross campaign's tally would be double the $4 million that was donated to all charities by mobile texts in all of 2009.

This is a great, fast and efficient way to send relief to earthquake-struck Haiti. Americans are experts on dealing with phone technology. So what a better way to use the technology than to help people? The victims in Haiti are receiving help due to the benefits of texting! That is amazing that so much good can be done through little text messages. This method of campaigning and fundraising has been proved successful. In the future, this way to spread information, knowledge or awareness should be used to do so in quick and efficient way.

http://www.cnn.com/2010/TECH/01/15/online.donations.haiti/index.html?eref=rss_topstories&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+rss%2Fcnn_topstories+%28RSS%3A+Top+Stories%29

Mass Confusion in Haiit

Fears of lawlessness grow amid chaos in Haiti

Fears of civil strife grew Friday in earthquake-ravaged Haiti as emergency crews raced against the clock to rescue those trapped under rubble and to keep survivors alive, fed and sheltered.
Despite relative calm, there were reports of sporadic looting and violence after Tuesday's 7.0-magnitude earthquake clobbered the capital, affecting millions of people and possibly killing tens of thousands. The priority is to crank up rescue and relief efforts to stave off restiveness.

In times of chaos especially in country that wasn't necessarily stable in the first place, the crime rates shoot up in times of crisis. No doubt Port-au-Prince, Haiti is in trouble right now. The actions of the government to save as many as possible right now is very good. In the very near future, however, after everyone is back to a somewhat healthy condition, shelter and protection will be needed. The government needs to be looking forward to what should be done in the future. Obviously subduing panic is a priority right now and keeping people safe as well, but looking to what will be done to return the country to a state of "normal" needs to be sought.

http://www.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/americas/01/15/haiti.earthquake/index.html?eref=rss_topstories&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+rss%2Fcnn_topstories+%28RSS%3A+Top+Stories%29

Airport Security Increases

Stop the panic on air security

In Bruce Schneier's editoral to CNN, he states that the U.S. is focusing their security in the wrong place. AbdulMutallab's attempt at terrrorism failed at the checkpoint. The reason security is being boosted and Nigerian's are being full body searched is because the airport failed to listen to his father's warning and found a bomb in his underwear and he was Nigerian. Now instead of trying to deal with the bigger issues, the government is trying to protect post 9/11 terrified passengers.

The U.S. definitely has upped the anti in airport security. The recent attempt (and subsequent fail) has everyone in the air on edge. They have every right to protect citizens and stop potential terrorists. The government is looking at the wrong problems to solve, though. As Bruce put it, "Focus on the general risk of terrorism, and not the specific threat of airplane bombings using PETN-filled underwear. Focus on the general risk of troubled teens, and not the specific threat of a lone gunman wandering around a school. Ignore the movie-plot threats, and concentrate on the real risks." The U.S. needs to deal with what they are doing in their own country before they try to deal with outside forces.

http://www.cnn.com/2010/OPINION/01/07/schneier.security/index.html?eref=rss_topstories&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+rss%2Fcnn_topstories+%28RSS%3A+Top+Stories%29

U.S. feels threatened by Yemen

Source: U.S. embassy closure followed terror threat

The United States embassy in Yemen is closed due to a tip that four Al Qaeda operatives would be using the embassy as a target. A possible number of eight terrorists were predicted to be involved. Britain, Japan, France, Spain and Germany also either limited access or increased security of their Yemen embassies. "What we've seen over the past several years in Yemen is an increasing strengthening of al Qaeda forces in Yemen" according to John Brennan, assistant to the president for homeland security and counterterrorism. The threat of a bombing or attack was too great, so America shut the place down.

The United States has every right to be worried about attacks in the middle east. The attacks are coming from people who want to make a statement about the U.S. We are obviously not very popular in that area of the world right now and if we continue to wage war in the middle east, we must be prepared for a lot of opposition. Yemen has a tumltuous history that maybe the United States has not heeded in the past. Pulling our embassy is a smart step to keep Americans safe. Yemen has attacked the building previously. Though the attackers were deterred, it doesn't mean that a group that is wiser, faster and with a bigger motive wouldn't want to do the job themselves.

http://www.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/meast/01/04/yemen.embassies/index.html?eref=rss_topstories&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+rss%2Fcnn_topstories+%28RSS%3A+Top+Stories%29

Photographs of Terrorist Abuse

Appeals court ordered to revisit decision to release detainee photos

The American Civil Liberties Union had filed a Freedom of Information Act request for the photos and the Bush administration declined. The ACLU's perserverance is now prevailing. President Obama first agreed to release them, but he was strongly discouraged from doing so. Therefore, he signed the Homeland Security Appropriations Bill, which gave the Department of Defense the right to withhold the photos that show terrorists being tortured. The battle is now going to court.

There are two sides to this issue. Both sides have legitmate claims. The government is trying to protect the country and are pulling the "national security" card. The other side is the public's right to know and not remain ignorant of issues. I believe that the dangers the photos would cause are minimal compared to the issues that have risen due to their nature. If they are being withheld to their contraversial content, that is NOT a reason to keep them from the American people. Citizens should be able to know what the government is doing in their name if issues occur, it is our right and privilege to deal with them.


http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/11/30/detainees.photos/index.html

Terrorists Moved to New York

Holder defends decision to try accused 9/11 terrorists in New York

Guantanamo Bay, Cuba is where alleged terrorists have been held since the twin towers were struck. The prisoners are now leaving the United States Detention facility to one in Chicago as they wait to go on trial in New York. Attorney General Eric Holder is defending the idea of trying them in civilian court. Many disagree and want a military tribunal to take place instead. He believes that Americans will finally be given justice. The attorney general intends to get the maximum penalty on all five suspects: the death penalty.

Now that the suspects are finally being brought to justice, many people will be crying for blood. Americans are still very sore from the attacks on 9/11. There is no doubt in my mind that all of the terrorists will be executed. There is no way Americans would be satisfied with any other result. This is going to cause a very biased trial to take place. We are trying the men from our standards and they will pay, the American way, for their actions. While I do not agree with the death penalty-- that in itself is a different issue-- I believe that that is the only way that people of the United States would feel that some justice has been done.

I strongly disagree with Jordan Weaver and Tim Lukes who believe it to be a bad thing that the detention center in Cuba is closing.

http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/11/18/holder.new.york.trial/index.html?eref=rss_topstories&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+rss%2Fcnn_topstories+%28RSS%3A+Top+Stories%29