Vital Signs U..S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE/WIKIMEDIA Syrian Refugees Continue to Pour into Neighboring Countries CONTINUING US GUN VIOLENCE • ROUHANI AND THE IRANIAN NUCLEAR PROGRAM • SNOWDEN’S CULPABILITY 2 Vital Signs w IN THIS EDITORIAL International Crisis - America ISSUE Stays at Home Syrian Civil War Tanay Gupta 2 With ongoing violence in Syria, the Geneva II peace talks Sex Scandals in Politics exist as a forum in which America should be an active par- 5 Melanie Naratil ticipant without engaging in direct military involvement. Snowden - Guilty or Not? 6 diplomacy appears to be the best route in a Brandon Kong BY TANAY GUPTA region plagued by uncertainty, the enormous iPhone 5C Breaks the Apple Norm costs of war, and factionalism. Allison Yu 8 In January 2011 a man lit himself on fire The opposing sides in this battle have Guns for All and All for Guns in Tunisia, an act that sparked revolutions clear allies; understanding the different Nate Ballintyn 9 across the Arab world known as the Arab countries’ interests in and relations with Spring. However, its effects lasted far longer Syria put the war into context. The “Friends French View on US Gun Violence than just one season, as the name implies. of Syria” group that is collaborating with Osa Omoregie 11 Countries such as Tunisia have been fairly the Rebel Free Syrian Army includes the Budgetary Problem in Washington successful in their transitions to- United States, France, Britain Guarav Gupta 13 ward democracy, according to and Turkey. Bashar Al Assad’s The Economist. In Egypt, even Syrian government is mean- Pope of Change after two successive revolutions while supported by Iran, Russia, Pradyuth Maganti 15 overthrew Hosni Mubarak and China, and Lebanon’s Hezbol- The Un-American Miss America? Mohammed Morsi, respectively, lah. CNN’s Holly Yan explained Hannah Curtis 16 the environment still remains why the three nations support The Feasibility of Time Travel unstable. Meanwhile, Syria is a regime that has supposedly plagued by a civil war among slaughtered tens of thousands 18 Andrew Alder Bashar Al Assad’s government of civilians. According to Yan, Drugged forces, the rebel Free Syrian strategy and religion bind Iran to Sam Kececi & Bryce Weisholtz 19 Army and various Islamist revo- Syria: through Syria, “Iran can Iran’s Nuclear Program lutionary militias. America will have to de- threaten Israel with an arsenal of short-range Peter Shim 20 cide which alternative it wishes to pursue: missiles.” This is a major concern for Amer- arming the rebels and thus becoming inex- ica since Washington deems Iran its greatest Squandered Inheritance tricably involved in the deteriorating crisis, threat in the region. Therefore, an attack on Hunter Stires 21 or engaging in diplomacy and enacting sanc- Assad’s regime could provoke a dangerous The Woolly Mammoth Revival tions against Syria while thousands continue reaction from Iran. Iran is also dominated by Natalie Lifson 22 to die. As the actions of its allies and foes Muslim Shiites; consequently, it supports the divide America between support for and op- Alawites, a Muslim sect which is an offshoot Is College Worth It? position to intervention in Syria, meticulous of the Shiites. Bashar Al Assad’s government Joshua Metzger 24 is mainly Alawite, and Syria is ruled by this minority, which represents only 12 percent of the population. Vital Signs Other facets of the Assad regime than Pingry’s Journal of Issues & Opinion its sectarian identity have resulted in its al- VOL. 23, No. 1 • THE PINGRY SCHOOL, BASKING RIDGE, NJ 07920 • FEBRUARY 2014 liance with Russia and China. Russia and Chief Editors/ Tanay Gupta, Melanie Naratil Associate Editors/ Hunter Stires, Pradyuth Maganti Copy Editors/ Guarav Gupta, Allison Yu On the Cover: Since July 2012, Layout Editor/ Andrew Alder the Za’atari refuge camp has Art Editor/ Charlotte Zee become a shelter for nearly Faculty Advisor/ Dr. Alfred DeSimone 150,000 refugees - making it Technical Advisor/ Mr. Thomas Varnes Jordan’s fourth largest city (UN The opinions expressed in Vital Signs are not necessarily those of the Pingry School, its students, faculty, administration, or trustees. Articles, letters, and cartoons represent the views of their authors. Unsigned letters will not be published. Refugee Agency). 2 | Winter 2014 3 China have similar interests in working with reaction for a country weary of war after a Moreover, arming the Free Syrian Army is a Assad, which are driven by economics and decade in Afghanistan and Iraq. A Reuters’ risky endeavor because they are only united resistance to America’s international domi- poll finds that only about nine percent of the by the goal of taking down Assad; beyond nance. In particular, the Russian defense American population wants Obama to take that end, there is little unity in strategy or industry has made four billion dollars from action against Syria. What’s shocking about communication. Taking into account the fact contracts with Syria. As a key arms supplier the anti-Assad rebellion America supports, that Al Qaeda will likely expect a piece of the for Assad, Russia is in direct conflict with however, is that many of its foot soldiers are victory if Assad is overthrown, arming the the United States, as a country that is strug- actually affiliated with Al Qaeda, according rebels does not appear to be a shrewd move gling to decide whether to supply the Rebels. to the Chief Foreign Correspondent for NBC, for America. Furthermore, Russia believes that too often Richard Engel. In early 2013, USA Today re- Though some argue that the time for ne- America uses the alibi of humanitarianism flected the same message, adding concisely, gotiations has passed, perhaps China’s call as “an excuse for pursuing [its] own political “President Obama refuses to provide any for diplomacy to bring about a solution to and economic interests.” Complicating the direct military aid.” Members of Congress the Syrian crisis is the best. Time’s Hannah issue, Russia holds veto power in the United as well as government opposition forces in Beech says that “Beijing’s opposition to pos- Nations Security Council, and has already Syria have been pleading with the President sible American intervention echoes the con- exercised that right against American-backed to take action, but in a conflict that lacks a sensus from much of the rest of the world.” resolutions to strike Syria. China similarly “good” side, noninterference may be the best Just like Americans at home who want the holds economic interests in Syria, and yet it option. focus to be fixing the country’s financial sta- deals with both the Rebels and the regime. With atrocities being committed by both tus, the aggregate international community Trade between China and Syria had reached Assad’s regime and rebel forces, it is difficult does not want a superpower to meddle in the $2.5 billion just before the Syrian Civil War, for America to commit to aiding the rebels. Middle East. Chinese President Xi Jinping Al Jazeera’s Massoud Hayoun reports. Chi- This statement is even more valid due to said that while military force might seem to na has worked with Russia by vetoing UN the fact that, as United Nations Humanitar- be a quick fix at first, only a political agree- sanctions against Syria on several occasions. ian Chief Valerie Amos observes, both sides ment mediated by the United Nations will It also echoes a Russian belief that foreign show shocking disregard for the innocent by- create a lasting solution. How he proposes to countries should not interfere with the inter- standers caught in the middle, as the oppos- do that, however, is unclear. While officially nal affairs of UN member states. Iran, Rus- ing forces “indiscriminately attack schools, allied with Russia and Syria’s Assad, China sia, and China thus stand at odds with Amer- hospitals and power plants, and even medical has always opposed the use of military force ica and the Friends of Syria. personnel.” She says that they do nothing to to bring about resolutions in foreign affairs. America’s foreign policy is being put to protect civilians as they engage in military Time’s Beech goes on to cite a major Chi- the test in Syria, especially under a Demo- activity in high population areas. To try to nese paper that states that America’s hidden cratic president—who would generally op- equip one side or the other with arms would agenda is to have Syria overthrown because pose a very active international presence. thus seem counter-intuitive if the primary ob- of Assad’s allegiance to Iran, which is a ma- President Obama’s hesitancy is a respectable jective was to limit the amount of violence. jor cause of tension for Israel—a key ally. Free Syrian Army Rebels cleaning their guns in Aleppo, Syria duing the Civil War. SCOTT BOBB/WIKIMEDIA | 3 4 Vital Signs w The US hoped that the rebels would be able country of Syria. Washington Post’s Caitlin that this was the first time that “the govern- to succeed in the Arab Uprising that began in Dewey analyzes the effects of the Civil War, ment and some people who were opposing 2011, but “the rebels are so divided that they noting the “relentless bombardment in civil- it met publicly and under the auspices of the cannot overthrow the Syrian government.” ian areas.” Seeing the before and after effects United Nations.” Former US State Depart- Part of America’s diplomacy abroad appears of missile strikes on Aleppo, a Syrian city ment official, Anne Marie Slaughter said that to be governed by its relationship with Israel. with a population just less than that of Los the Obama Administration’s Syria policy is America is really in a bind in the Middle Angeles, has been daunting.