Were chemical weapons used by Assad's army in the Syrian Civil War?

{{{Photo from NY Daily News}}}

The Syrian Civil War began in 2011 when a series of protests around the country led to the formation of rebel armies meant to overthrow the dictator of Syria, Bashar al Assad. Anywhere from 250,000 to 400,000 people have died in the fighting. Millions of refugees have been forced to leave the country.

Initially the United States, under Barack Obama, tried to avoid involvement in this conflict. Later, the Obama administration began to support various rebel armies in their attempt to overthrow Assad. It is hard to understand what Trump's policy might now be - he seemed willing to support a Russian plan to keep Assad in power while eliminating ISIS and negotiating with other rebel groups to stop fighting.

The latest development concerns allegations that Assad's government attacked a city controlled by rebels with chemical weapons. Russia and Assad deny this. Hopefully this latest act of horror will not cause this war to escalate.

Below is an article from the BBC about this latest situation. 

Vocabulary from the above passage:

a protest - when groups of people gather publicly to express disapproval of some government policy or action.

a rebel group/army - a group or army opposed to the established government.

a dictator - one person who controls or dominates the government.

refugees - people forced to leave their own country due to war or some other horrible situation.

allegations - claims that something wrong has occurred.

to escalate - to get worse.

The article:

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-39500319

Vocabulary from the article:

fury (uncountable) - extreme anger

UN Security Council - an organization at the United Nations which is supposed to help ensure peace in the world.

an ally - a friend

pledged - promised

a monitoring group - a group that is supposed to watch what happens

choking - not being able to breathe

foaming at the mouth - lots of small bubbles due to the reaction between poisonous air and internal bodily fluids

to feel dizzy - not to feel stable, to feel as if you are going to fall down

symptoms - evidence of some type of disease or physical problem

neurotoxic - harmful to brain cells

to launch an attack - to make an attack or begin an attack

a depot - an area where things are stored

militants - fighters, soldiers

aviation - air planes

made a strike on - dropped bombs on or shot missiles at

munitions - stuff to be shot out of guns or dropped from planes, ammunition

making a mockery of the peace process - making a joke out of the peace process, not taking the peace process seriously, showing contempt for the peace process

brokered - negotiated

senseless - if something is senseless there is no reason for it

to impose sanctions on - if a country has sanctions imposed on it, other countries might not trade with that country or be allowed to interact with it

obsessed with - completely and totally focused on

a UN Security Council resolution - an order to do something issued by the Security Council

to be staged - if something did not really happen, but people made it look as if it happened, it has been staged

a false narrative - a false story

to deflect attention from - to deflect something means to push it to the side

hinting - not saying something directly but implying something, suggesting something

unilateral action - action by the USA alone

to be compelled to do something - to feel forced to do something

an array - a grouping

broadly aligned groups - groups agreeing with each other in general terms

fanciful - like a fantasy, not real

unsustainable - in this case, not provable

an affront - an insult

subsequently - afterwards

internally displaced - no longer living in their own homes

The Dakota Access Pipeline Controversy - What Will Obama Decide?

{{{Image from US News - click on image to enlarge}}}

A big controversy in the US these days involves the Dakota Access oil pipeline. This controversy involves many different issues, including the issue of the extent to which Native Americans (Indians) should have control over land which has been traditionally/historically theirs.

Essentially, this is a conflict between a large oil company and a group of Native Americans.

Basically, an oil company and the US government would like to run an oil pipeline through land that a group of Native Americans considers sacred (holy). They believe this oil pipeline is not appropriate for a sacred Native American area and they are also worried that the oil may pollute their drinking water.

There have been a number of protests there and many people are waiting to see what the president will say or determine about this situation.

Personally, I am on the side of the Native Americans and I attended a protest held on their behalf in Chicago yesterday (protests took place around the United States as many Americans believe that the US government should respect the rights and wishes of Native Americans).

An article about this topic:

http://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/305637-obama-to-approve-controversial-pipeline-report

Vocabulary from the article:

a controversy - an issue or topic about which many people disagree; controversial - adjective version

admin - administration, the president's administration or close advisers

Army Corps of Engineers - these folks engage in major government engineering projects; a corps means a group and the word is pronounced 'core'

citing - listing, stating

environmentalists - people who want to save the environment from destruction or pollution

The Standing Rock Sioux tribe - the Sioux are a tribe or group of Indians who were forced to move to their current territory in the 1800s. Standing Rock, North Dakota is where the protests against the pipeline are happening. 

allies - friends, supporters

an opponent - someone who is against something: a proponent is for something

sacred - holy, of religious importance

build-outs of fossil fuel structure - extensions or greater development of structures which make it easier to use fossil fuels (oil, coal)

to exacerbate - to make something worse; so opponents are saying we should not be building more structures to make it easier to use fossil fuels (oil) but we should be building alternative energy structures

an easement - the right to use land which doesn't belong to you

to build under Lake Oahe - environmentalists are certain that oil will seep (leak) from this pipeline into drinking water if the pipeline is built under this lake 

has been on hold (to be on hold) - it has stopped while people wait for a decision

consultations - apparently they are consulting with Native American tribes (speaking to them and getting their opinion)

skirmishes - minor battles, little fights

Greens - environmentalists

a new iteration - a new version

The Keystone Pipeline - this was a pipeline (from Canada through the US) part of which was stopped by President Obama.

to frame an issue - to look at an issue in a certain way

sitting on the easement - not doing anything about the easement

India wants to buy weapons from Russia while 3,000 Indian children die, per day, of starvation (not enough food)

There is a moral crisis in India that the world is ignoring. As you can see by this article below, 3,000 children do not get enough to eat and are dying due to a lack of food (starvation). That means 1 million Indian children each year are dying of hunger. That is like 10 Hiroshima atomic bomb explosions in India per year.

This is a silent but real tragedy that has to be stopped.

http://worldnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/02/16/10424930-indias-hunger-shame-3000-children-die-every-day-despite-economic-growth?lite

Frankly, I think it is time for the civilized world to demand that India take care of its children before it buys weapons. Seriously, India needs these missiles to protect whom? Its starving children?

Maybe India should just surrender to its enemies and allow foreign countries to take over so these countries can feed the 1 million children who will otherwise starve. I am surprised that Vladimir Putin has not considered secretly invading India since he is such a great humanitarian (that's called sarcasm) and he is really good at invading countries - Ukraine and Syria for example.

By the way, an Indian citizen told me that I do not have the right to criticize India because there is poverty in the USA as well. It is, however, absurd to equate poverty in the USA with poverty in India.

Children are not dying of starvation in the USA. 3,000 die each day in India. Many of our poor people in the USA live in free housing, with free food and free medical care. They have access to free public schools to the age of 18 (and inexpensive public universities afterwards) and they have access to vote for politicians who will help them. There is a way out of poverty in the USA and many take that road each year. It is true, however, that there is still much work to be done.

Here is an article on the purchase of weapons by India. 

http://thediplomat.com/2015/12/india-cleared-purchase-of-russian-s-400-missile-defense-system/

Vocabulary from the article:

India cleared purchase - it should be: India has cleared the purchase of.....(news sources often abbreviate headlines). So the government has "Ok'd" the purchase of these missiles from Russia. The government is ready to buy the missiles.

acquisition - obtaining, getting

a council - an official group

the procurement - the obtaining, the getting

charged with - given the responsibility to do something

lukewarm - not eager but not completely not eager; if water is lukewarm it is not hot and not cold,just a little warm. India agreed to buy 154 airplanes from Russia and never did so, therefore Russia does not seem to want to sell these missiles to India.

ballistic and cruise missiles - these are different types of missiles: ballistic missiles are guided by the laws of ballistics (gravity) and cruise missiles are guided by some type of computer system.

simultaneously - at the same time 

allegedly - supposedly

purportedly - supposedly

inducted - ready to go

to deploy - to set up or to put something in place somewhere

to bolster - to strengthen