Title: Briefing Paper of the United States of America About [finish title ]The United States of America is a country of resilience, flaws, and prosperity. The United

States contains a highly diverse population, the product of numerous and sustained waves of immigration. Ethnic and racial diversity is celebrated as a core element of the American ideology. America has taken a leading role on the international stage, its foreign policy aims and actions are likely to remain the subject of heated debate and criticism, as well as praise. The pursuit of self interest with its mission to spread democracy is often conflicted and we are working on ways to resolve that. We learn from our past mistakes and planned to use our wisdom as a guide to future international decisions.

The United States has had a long history of becoming involved worldwide, especially in the Middle East and Iraq. Spring of 1982 marked the beginning of tilt toward Iraq by Reagan. This tilt was formalized in a secret National Security Decision Directive issued in June 1982. While the US was officially neutral, this NSDD declared that the US would do whatever was necessary to prevent Iraq from losing its war against Iran. This was just the beginning of what was going to happen. As history continued

Security in the United States plays a really big role on every basis. We have security for food, elections, museums and everywhere that is public has security. The President’s highest priority is to keep the American people safe. The government has to be committed to ensuring the United States is true to our values and ideals while also protecting the American people. The President is committed to securing the homeland against 21st century threats by preventing terrorist attacks and other threats, preparing and planning for emergencies, and investing in strong response and recovery capabilities. We will help ensure that the Federal Government works with states and local governments, and the private sector as close partners in a national approach to prevention, mitigation, and response.

The United States and Iraq agreement is designed to help secure Iraqi sovereignty and helping voice out the opinion of the Iraqi people, while securing the interest of the United States in the Middle East. The framework of this agreement guides the political, economic, cultural and security ties that the United States has with Iraq. This is why it is imperative that this agreement for a relationship of friendship stays intact. The United States hopes to one day see Iraq as a sovereign republic and that it may fulfill its potential as a democratic society. The United States diplomatic presence in Iraq is meant to ensure the advancements in the cooperation between Iraq and the United States.

Please list all of your names as to which Committee you are representing and in the order in which the Committee appears in the instructions:

Kayhla Wiggins, Marcell Baez, Kimberly Romero, Siham Fatmi, Vanessa Gay, Rusheika Gordon- Committee regional affairs

Part A: Introduction

This should be only one paragraph in length: that is how you want to present your delegation to the conference. Pull out from each Committee and think how you want to be seen by others at the meeting

Part B: Key Points

Cite the 7 most important and pressing issues for your delegation in the context of democracy and sectarianism in bullet point format : Use one key issue from each Committee

Part C. Background of your country or organization (3 pages): Start writing, please Part D. Issues

I. Committee on Federalism and Autonomy

The United States’ political interest is to develop a positive relationship with Iraq which

could then lead to economic benefits for both countries in the future. The first step that the

United States plans on taking in order to fulfill this goal is to help the Sunni refugees find homes

in Jordan and in the United States. By providing humanitarian relief in the country (Iraq) not

only can the United States be seen as an ally, but as a country that can be trusted. The United

States also desires to maintain the role of being the world’s “peacemaker” in order to maintain a

sentiment of respect from surrounding countries.

Present day Iraq is an extremely divided country. With a government that functions

mainly through a capitalistic economic system, those who are apart of the minority often lack a

voice and thus, borders are developed. In recognition to the fact that the United States is

dependent on resources produced from Iraq, such as oil, the United States seeks to bring peace to

Iraq by making the country a unified state. The people within Iraq are not the only ones affected

by the conflicts in occurrence, but the countries who share economic connections with the

country also experience the ripples of this ongoing conflict.

Due to many of the disagreements within Iraq in relation to religion and regionalism,

there are many conflicts present concerning foreign policy. These conflicts have a negative effect

on the United States’ economic, political, and humanitarian interests because prices of traded

necessities in the United States, such as gas and oil, often fluctuate due to a scarcity of available

resources. In order to accomplish our aspiration of eliminating borders within Iraq, the United

States plans to negotiate with the Dawa Party in attempts of promoting peace and compromise.

Unfortunately, due to the apparent issue of sectarianism, compromise will not be easy.

Sectarianism plays a significant role in defining the borders within Iraq. Iraq’s economic system

is dependent upon the Shia group, whom are the dominantly represented group of people existent

in the country today. Unfortunately, those who possess the bulk of power are the ones who

establish border lines in order to separate themselves from the rest of the minority. In this case,

that is one of the central reasons as to why there is an overwhelming amount of violence in the

country today.

The minorities of people, whom consist of a group called the Sunnis, face issues such as

discrimination and prejudice which has led to many of them being forcefully removed from their

homes (Maher). The existence of sectarianism in Iraq is so severe that those who seek to

evolutionize its social condition face the risk of being killed. Due to the major problem of

sectarianism, those who are a part of the Shia community have been forced to move to areas of

Iraq where sectarianism does not exist. These areas often comprise of public land and buildings

where living conditions are rough.

In addition to being dislocated from their homes, those of the Sunni community often

struggle to find jobs and make a decent living. Thus, the United States has made it a mission to

establish peace and prosperity within Iraq. Not only do we hope to gain the favor of Iraqi

refugees by opening up our borders and welcoming them into our country to find temporary

shelter; however, we also desire to work with the Iraqi government in order to ensure that social

change will occur in order to prevent similar conflicts in the future. An initiative that the United

States has already taken in order to preserve peace is the deployment of troops to Iraq to

maintain safety for the civilians.

Some view the presence of our troops in Iraq as a threat; however, that is not our

intention. We recognize the fact that the Iraqi government is one that is not very stable at the

moment. For that reason, we have made our presence in the country evident in order to provide

reassurance to the civilians who are incredibly dubious about their futures. Overall, the United

States’ stance on the Autonomy and Federal state of Iraq is that the country should be unified

and both the Sunni and Shia communities should work together in order to preserve peace.

Work Cited

Maher, Ahmed. "Violence in Iraq Sparks New Sectarian Displacement."

BBC News. BBC, 06 Nov. 2013. Web. 13 Mar. 2014.

<http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-24838333>.

II. Committee on Security

Security in the United States plays a really big role on every basis. We have security for

food, elections, museums and everywhere that is public has security. The President’s highest

priority is to keep the American people safe. The government has to be committed to ensuring

the United States is true to our values and ideals while also protecting the American people. The

President is committed to securing the homeland against 21st century threats by preventing

terrorist attacks and other threats, preparing and planning for emergencies, and investing in

strong response and recovery capabilities. We will help ensure that the Federal Government

works with states and local governments, and the private sector as close partners in a national

approach to prevention, mitigation, and response.

Gathering and sharing information is extremely important to our security as a nation. The

way we usually work is we gather intelligence on who is trying to attack us and interdict those

who intend to do us harm. We must also invest our capability to share information across all

levels of government. We are also a growing digital country. Unfortunately we have a lot of

infrastructure concerning cyber space, and we should focus on securing that more so it can be

even of more use to the American people. Effectively protecting cyberspace requires strong

vision and leadership and will require changes in policy, technology, and education.

Iraq entered a relatively stable period between 2006 and 2008 after the sectarian violence

or the ‘civil war’ subsided between the various competing factions, mainly the Arab Shias and

the Sunnis. The attempts of the US to control this violence by supporting the tribal Al-Sahwa

movement, contributed substantially to declining insurgency in the Anbar province as well as the

Sunni regions. The US had earlier promoted the ‘Sons of Iraq’ to fight against Al-Qaeda as well.

Congress has several tools by which to exercise oversight regarding the negotiation, form,

conclusion, and implementation of the arrangement by the United States. Things like the current

legal framework governing U.S. military operations in Iraq need to be discussed. Then a general

background needs to be provided as to the types of international agreements that are binding

upon the United States, as well as considerations affecting whether they take the form of a treaty

or an executive agreement.

It is all too clear that the wrong kind of internal security efforts, and national security

spending that limits the ability to meet popular needs and expectations can do as much to

undermine national security over time as outside and extremist threats. The challenge to national

security planners is now to bridge the gap between traditional measures of security and the

causes of the current upheavals, and find ways to assess stability as well as security.

Unfortunately, there are no simple or agreed upon ways to do this, and experts differ sharply as

to the factors that cause popular unrest, how to measure them, and how to weight given factors.

Moreover, much depends on popular perceptions and expectations as well as underlying trends

and causes, and there is no convincing way to predict the point at which trends and problems that

take years or decades to develop will suddenly reach a flash point that can cause a national

security crisis.

One of the key challenges for regional security and stability is how to reshape governance

to meet popular needs. These measures treat “legitimacy” largely in terms of how governments

are chosen and not how well they govern. They also tend to understand the regional emphasis on

“justice” versus “democracy,”. Put simply, far better and more sophisticated measures are

needed. This is also a key issue in judging the level of military expenditure and the tradeoffs

between direct national security expenditures and other investments in stability. The data on

military expenditures are so different in definition that many do not take account of the cost of

police, paramilitary forces, and the justice system. This can sharply understate the effort in given

countries.

Questions to consider:

● Electronic voting machines that fundamentally lack security. This includes an inability to

detect tampering or intrusions.Failure to examine and thoroughly inspect some voting machines can result in hardware tampering.

● What do you think the goals of violence are and what impact does it have on Iraq?● What are the different challenges of domestic and international terrorism in Iraq?● How does regional instability undermine domestic security?● What is your relationship with the police and army in Iraq and how do their actions affect

your organization/country’s goals?● How do you view foreign intervention and would you turn to foreign actions if there were

domestic security concerns?

Siham, you need to answer all of these questions; some of your information can be moved to Part C above

III. Committee on 2014 Elections

The United States has been known for historically working with the Dawa party, but we are willing with anyone else in ensuring that the 2014 Iraq Elections are fair and transparent. The United States is trying to navigate away from their negative involvement in Iraq and more towards elections. We acknowledge our faults and that many of the decisions we have made have been impetuous. For example the stationing of thousands of troops in Iraq may have been viewed as impulsive. We assure you that the Obama administration is willing to work with Iraq, because they believe that a fair election is essential.

The Obama administration is trying to solve this problem by working alongside the Iraqi Deputy, Saleh al-Mutlaq, who also believes that a fair election would help save Iraq from civil war. This politician is currently asking President Obama to provide observers for the national elections in Iraq scheduled for the end of April. Mutlaq believes that the United States should try and save Iraq’s political system before strengthening its army. “But the strength of the army is not only measured by the weapons they carry. The strength of the army is also measured by its national unity.” (Mutlaq) Therefore the fear is that if the new election will give rise to a government that only cares about the interest of the Shi’ite Arabs in the country, then another civil war will outbreak. The Obama administration is trying to prevent an outbreak such as this and help monitor the election.

We are aware that the effect of violence has extremely affected elections in the past and we are trying to prevent this from occurring once again. Time after time when election days are approaching there is an eruption of violence amongst the Iraqi people. On 3 March 2010, just days before the election, a series of suicide bombs in Baquba, killed at least 32 people and injured at least 42. These types of violent acts are usually seen before elections and are used as a way of intimidation. The United States’ goal is to avoid these acts of violence and guarantee that Iraq elections are done in a more democratic way. We believe that this is necessary for the stability of Iraq, as well as secure the interest of the United States. In the past the United States has initiated security to prevent violent acts (Smith). In the 2013 elections security had been imposed so tightly, that in order to vote most people had to walk. Streets also had to be closed off to prevent bombings and other violent acts. The results of these past votes are designed to demonstrate Iraq’s potential political direction.

The United States considers it an obligation to make sure that the upcoming Iraq elections are without corruption and free of violence, because we are interested in working with a government which is stable and that would enable us to trade freely.“We would like to see the United States and the world and the non-governmental organizations, to send election monitors, to ensure through technology there will be no fraud”(Mutlaq) The key factor is that the process

of the election must be perceived as legitimate by the Iraqi people. We are aware of the severity of the contending problems in Iraq and acknowledge that security must be instilled. This will be the first national election since U.S troops were withdrawn in 2011. There is fear that the election in April will bring more upcoming violence and thousands of casualties. Over the past months there are more fatalities than there were in the 2006 and 2007, when sectarian fighting was at its highest. These past attacks have driven people from their homes and refugees out of the country (Tarabay).

The instability is casting a shadow over general elections due in April 2014. The United States is willing to help Iraq in monitoring these elections. This is why we are moving past previous negative involvement in Iraq and are focusing on making the elections fair. We believe that fair elections are needed to help voice out the opinion of the Iraqi people. We are willing to work with everyone to accomplish this goal.

Marcell, nice start; add more details and please cite your sources using complete MLA format

Works Cited

Arango, Tim. "Some Iraqis Doubt Benefits of First Vote Since U.S. Departure." The New

York Times. The New York Times, 20 Apr. 2013. Web. 18 Mar. 2014.

IISS. "Iraq Violence Grows Ahead of Elections." Strategic Comments. IISS, 24 Feb.

2014. Web. 15 Mar. 2014.

Lake, Eli. "Iraqi Deputy PM Asks Obama for Election Monitors." The Daily Beast.

Newsweek/Daily Beast, 14 Jan. 2014. Web. 18 Mar. 2014.

Smith, Ben. The Parliamentary Election in Iraq, March 2010. N.p.: Library House Of

Commons, 11 May 2010. PDF.

Tarabay, Jamie. "Caution IconAttention." Iraq in 2014: Back to Civil War? Al Jazeera

America, 21 Dec. 2013. Web. 17 Mar. 2014.

IV. Committee on Religion and Sectarianism

Could one of you, write 2 or 3 paragraphs on these issues? Provide an overview of religious issues.

Questions to consider:

· What is the relationship between Sunni and Shi’a in Iraq, now and in the past?· How has religious affiliation affected the development of politics and political

parties in Iraq? · How have religious affiliations impacted violence in the country?· Is Iraq a religious or secular country? · Are women allowed to vote in Iraq? · Are they encouraged to vote? · What should be the role of women in public and political life? · What role do the youth play in political parties? In religious organizations?

The Sunni and Shia communities in Iraq have been at odds for many years. The Shia,

who are the dominantly represented community in Iraq today, hold the bulk of political power.

On the other hand, the Sunni community, which is the minority group represented in Iraq, face a

lot of political discrimination. Those in the Shia community believe that the Sunnis are not “real”

Muslims due to their slight contrast in beliefs. In result of this notion, an overwhelming amount

of violence has arisen.

One of the conflicts that have arisen is the issue of dislocated civilians. Many of those in

the Sunni community have been forcefully removed from their homes because of the problem of

sectarianism. Sectarianism is the sole reason for conflict in Iraq, which is why the United States

wants Iraq to be a unified nation. Sectarianism has negative effects on both foreign trade and the

economic interests of the United States because the price of oil and gas fluctuate in result of the

scarcity of available resources. For that reason, the United States has made it their sole

responsibility to resolve the problems in Iraq and unify both communities.

V. Committee on Regional Affairs

The Obama Administration has attempted to make a distinction on democracy

promotion and the tactics of previous advisors. In his June 2009 speech in Cairo, president

Obama had argued that no government should impose their system upon another nation.

For the past century, the United States foreign policy has been entrenching their system on

other

countries which evidently resulted to wars. In Obama’s September 2010 address to the

United Nations General Assembly, Obama expressed a commitment to engaging with civil

society there willingness to make change. Currently, the Obama Administration had been

moving away from military-led development projects and towards a more independent

cautionary initiative for international Human Assistance to reduce poor governance not

only in the Iraq but any nation. The Obama Administration has tried to meet the needs of

the people by the efforts for cooperative foreign trade and global involvement, promoting

world peace ending the war in Iraq.

The United States and Iraq had a contentious relationship for the past three decades

over various conflicts. The goals of the United States is now to preserve the national

security, promote world peace, and a secure global environment, maintain a balance of

power among

nations, work with allies to solve international problems, promote democratic values and

human right and cooperative foreign trade and global involvement in international trade

organizations. The United States acknowledges the fact their tactics for the past three

decades in the Middle East and North Africa sand in Iraq were impulsive, irrational and

evidently out of greed and fear. The United States have tried to continue their crusade for

American democracy in the Middle East and North Africa which cause more harm and

distrust of said countries towards the United States. The latter being reasonable action

because of the terrorist acts that had a profound effect on the nation’s history. For

instance, the 2003 Iraq

Invasion was a result from the fear of another terrorist attacks and false projection and

ignorance of the Jihad and Arab world. The United States acknowledges there many

disputes with Iraq such as their infringement of democracy in the Iraq, stations of

thousands of troops in Iraq, and the deadly and costly battle for oil which they hope today,

Iraq will forgive and

understand their various predicaments and trying to maintain peace and sovereignty.

The United States want to maintain stability in Iraq and the Middle East and have

been making collective efforts with Iraq, the Dawa party, Jordan, turkey, and Saudi

Arabia since the Obama Administration. United States wants to continue efforts in the

allotment of aid, humanitarian and security to help Iraqi international relations. The

United States has “provided $70 million for programs to help refugees in Iraq”

(Richard).With conditions continuing to deteriorate in Syria, the Obama administration is

making a major policy shift

allowing thousands of new Syrian refugees into the United States. Also, the United States

provided $800 million to help Syrian refugees. In addition, November 1, 2013 President

Barack Obama had a meeting with Iraqi prime Minister Nouri Al-Maliki to discuss U.S.

assistance to combat the violence in Iraq which resulted in U.S. “sending missiles and

surveillance drones to Iraq” to fight the extremists in Iraq and subdue conflicts(Gordon).

During Bush Administration, the United States decided that a democratic transition

in the Middle East is essential tool for a regional stability and international security that

involved putting rhetorical and diplomatic pressure on regimes to reform by direct

American military engagement. These efforts fail and cause more problems than solutions

especially with US. sending troops as a way for reinforcement. Presently, the United States

is making a different approach in order to create a better amicable relationship between

Iraq and other Middle Eastern North African countries.

Works Cited

Gordon, Michael R., and Eric Schmitt. "U.S. Sends Arms to Aid Iraq Fight With

Extremists."

The New York Times. The New York Times, 25 Dec. 2013. Web. 17 Mar. 2014.

Maher, Ahmed. "Violence in Iraq Sparks New Sectarian Displacement."

BBC News. BBC, 06 Nov. 2013. Web. 13 Mar. 2014.

<http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-24838333>.

Richard, Anne. "The Syrian Refugee Crisis." U.S. Department of State. U.S. Department of

State, 07 Jan. 2014. Web. 17 Mar. 2014.

VI. Committee on Resources

Questions to consider:

How are these resources divided? What principles or laws have determined the current situation?What needs to be corrected to make the distribution fairer in your view?

The House Committee in the United States on resources is led by Doc Hastings of

Washington. The committee considers legislation about American energy production, mineral

lands and mining, fisheries and wildlife, public lands, oceans, Native Americans, irrigation and

reclamation. The Committee is comprised of 47 Representatives, 26 Republicans and 21

Democrats. [why is this relevant? Focus on Iraq] (the basics of iraq resources introduce what

they have to provide to America)

There was a rapid decline of global oil supplies, the United States was heading for an

economic crash but not like anything since the 1930s. And the collapse of the dollar will affect

every nation on earth. The United States went to the Iraq with the hope of more resources for

back home. The US has gone to great lengths to counter Iranian influence in Iraq, including

using its status as an occupying power and Iraq’s main source of aid, as well as through

information operations and more traditional press statements highlighting Iranian meddling.

However, containing Iranian influence, while important, is not America’s main goal in Iraq. It is

rather to create a stable democratic Iraq that can defeat the remaining extremist and insurgent

elements, defend against foreign threats, sustain an able civil society, and emerge as a stable

power friendly to the US and its Gulf allies.

The Iraqi Government has stated its desire to transition from a centrally run economy to

one that is more market-oriented, though progress has been slow and uneven. Iraq is gradually

deepening its trade with the international community, with both exports and imports showing

rapid growth in recent years. [elaborate] (whom they trade with, how they changed 2001-

now show growth , percentage of growth, what they trade)

(In America) The resources are divided into energy and mineral; fisheries,wildlife,

oceans, and insular affairs; public lands and environmental regulation; also water and power.

There several subcommittees that are responsible for each of the resources listed above. The

subcommittee of energy and mineral is responsible for issues of mineral resources on public

land, geothermal resources, mining interests and most of the U.S. Geological survey. The

subcommittee on Fisheries, Wildlife, Oceans and Insular Affairs is responsible for all issues

pertaining to wildlife resources, fisheries, oceanography, and insular areas.The Subcommittee on

Public Lands and Environmental Regulation is responsible for all matters related to the National

Park System, public lands, monuments and objects of interests. Subcommittee on water and

power is responsible for matters concerning America’s water resources, generation of electric

power from federal water projects and interstate water issues.

Rule X of the Rules of the U.S. House of Representatives, 112th Congress determined the

current situation of the United States back home.

The United States has designated Iraq as a beneficiary developing country under the

Generalized System of Preferences program and a number of U.S. companies are active in Iraq,

including in the energy, defense, Information technology, automotive, transportation sectors.

Two-way trade in 2011 was $19.3 billion, with U.S. exports to Iraq at $2.4 billion (a 46.8%

increase over 2010), and Iraqi exports to the United States at $16.9 billion, almost entirely

consisting of crude oil. In the first half of 2012, U.S. exports totaled $951.7 million, down from

$1.365 billion in the first half of 2011.

The Public Diplomacy Grants Program can be corrected to make the distribution fairer.

The program supports initiatives that promote educational and cultural engagement and foster

mutual understanding between the United States and Iraq. Grants are awarded for projects

designed to further the development of Iraq’s future leaders, build the capacity of Iraqi

institutions, and promote awareness and understanding of shared U.S. and Iraqi values. However

the grants can also support the initiative of better technology to produce more resources for both

the United States and the Iraq. The amount of resources will increase and the distribution will be

fairer.

Kayhla: Good start, add more information and cite your sources

VII. Committee on Media

Describe the media presence of your country or organization including social media, propaganda, and censorship in Iraq:

● How does your country or organization utilize media to further its goals and strategies?● How do your media messages intersect with your media from around the world and how

do these potentially differing perspectives shape events and your actions?● How are journalists viewed?● What are concerns with their presence?

The 2003 invasion of Iraq involved unprecedented U.S. media coverage, particularly by

FOX News.The coverage itself became a source of controversy, as media outlets were accused of

pro-war bias, reporters were casualties of both Iraqi and American gunfire, and claims of

censorship and propaganda became widespread. In 2003, a study released by Fairness and

Accuracy In Reporting stated the network news disproportionately focused on pro-war sources

and left out many anti-war sources. According to the study, 64% of total sources were in favor of

the Iraq War while total anti-war sources made up 10% of the media. During the invasion, critics

argued that the mainstream media unduly focused on optimistic events, such as the toppling of a

Saddam Hussein statue in Firdos Square, which was staged with the help of the U.S. military

forces, thus downplaying more negative news developments. In particular, the mainstream media

has been criticized for underreporting news about Iraqi civilian casualties, which are estimated to

be anywhere between 100,000 and 650,000. As the security situation in Iraq has worsened since

the invasion, many journalists have found it increasingly difficult to report from Iraq without

jeopardizing their lives. Some media outlets have even abandoned their bureaus in Baghdad.

This trend has forced journalists to depend even more heavily on U.S. military sources, which

has led some critics to call into question the impartiality of their reports on events such as the

Iraqi elections. Media critics have alleged that the media acted as propaganda for not questioning

the legality of the Iraq war and thus, took on the fundamental assumptions given by the

government.

The United States utilizes media constantly to further its long term goals and strategies in

many way. During the Iraq wars the government portrayed many pro-war images which

influenced people on their stance on the war. This kept the public happy and satisfied which left

the government open to do as they pleased with the view on the war. In this way, media has

influenced how we view our government and if we view their actions in foreign affairs as

positive or negative. All that propaganda and social media spreads the word about what’s

happening or what they want us to think is happening. The media messages from the United

States intersect with the media from around the world in a very complicated way. We at times

have the same thoughts as our allies but in other situations we don’t. Our opinion varies from

topic to topic and we all have differing perspectives. These perspectives at times cause conflicts

because we do tend to dominate on our opinions but we have the tendency to try to work with

others to resolve problems. Our media messages can cause uprisings, marches, and people

standing up for a change. We have huge impact on how our citizens view the outside world and

although we don’t try to hinder them by completely taking away their freedoms, we always are

overseeing. The light in which journalist are viewed matters in what country they are reporting

in. Usually in most cases, they are known for being nosy, secretive, and potentially dangerous. In

the United States many people view journalists as informative individuals who have the

responsibility to research important topics that affect people worldwide and domestically. In

other countries they can be put in dangerous situations where they are viewed as prey for that

country. It just matters which place they are located in. Some concerns of their presences is

getting information that can make them vulnerable to other countries, health risks which can be

present in the other country, and getting injured in war zones.

Journalism is often overlooked in terms of the list of dangerous jobs, yet it can also be

one of the most dangerous professions. Journalists report on the scene of terrorist attacks, during

major crimes, among countless other dangerous situations. On April 15, 2013, journalists

reported live after the explosions during the Boston Marathon. These journalists were right on

scene while people were in the street wounded and in critical condition. It takes a brave person to

stand on the street right where the bombing took place and report in an environment as

dangerous as a war zone. Journalists go to the Middle-East where the US is fighting in the

middle of a war. Journalists are at great risk of getting seriously wounded or even killed when

they report in these dangerous “war zones.” Not only do these journalists report at the scene of

the dangerous event, they also report live at the most dangerous times of these potentially life

threatening events. It is hard to report these events and keep calm at the same time. These

journalists are very busy and their jobs are very demanding because they don’t really have time

off from their jobs. Just recently, in a report for CNN, Anderson Cooper actually had to duck

because an explosion happened right behind him. The news does not use special effects; these

reporters’ lives are truly in danger. News reporters and journalists are very skilled at their jobs

because they always have to cover every important event. People often take the news for granted

and they expect live footage with journalists on scene reporting the news. These reporters are

still human and we forget that the people on the other side are risking their lives, often times, to

bring us these stories. There have been many cases where a reporter has died at a dangerous

scene. In 2012, 70 journalists died. Journalists from all over the world died. 28 of these

journalists were killed in Syria.

E. Cite Five Issues your Country or Organization would like addressed at the conference in order of importance (bullet format).

choose one issue from the 5 in Part B and rank them