1979 Seizure of the Grand Mosque in Mecca

1979 Seizure of the Grand Mosque in Mecca The seizure of the Grand Mosque in Mecca in 1979 is a seminal event in the evolution of Islamist terrorism. Yet the seizure is mostly a footnote in contemporary history. It shouldnt be. The Grand Mosque in Mecca is a massive, 7-acre compound that can accommodate some 1 million worshippers at any one time, especially during the annual hajj, the pilgrimage to Mecca centered on circling the sacred Kaaba in the heart of the Grand Mosque. The marble mosque in its current shape is the result of a 20-year, $18 billion renovation project began in 1953 by the House of Saud, the ruling monarchy in Saudi Arabia, which considers itself the guardian and custodian of the Arab Peninsula’s holiest sites, the Grand Mosque topmost among them. The monarchy’s contractor of choice was the Saudi Bin Laden Group, led by the man who in 1957, became the father of Osama bin Laden. The Grand Mosque, however, first came to wide Western attention on November 20, 1979. Coffins as Weapons Cache: Seizure of the Grand Mosque At 5 that morning, the final day of the hajj, Sheikh Mohammed al-Subayil, imam of the Grand Mosque, was preparing to address 50,000 worshipers through a microphone inside the mosque. Among the worshipers, what looked like mourners bearing coffins on their shoulders and wearing headbands made their way through the crowd. It wasnt an unusual sight. Mourners often brought their dead for a blessing at the mosque. But they had no mourning in mind. Sheikh Mohammed al-Subayil was shoved aside by men who took machine guns from beneath their robes, fired them in the air and at a few policemen nearby, and yelled to the crowd that â€Å"The Mahdi has appeared!† Mahdi is the Arabic word for messiah. The mourners set their coffins down, opened them up, and produced an arsenal of weaponry that they then brandished and fired at the crowd. That was only part of their arsenal. An Attempted Overthrow by a Would-Be Messiah The attack was led by Juhayman al-Oteibi, a fundamentalist preacher and former member of the Saudi National Guard, and Mohammed Abdullah al-Qahtani, who claimed to be the Mahdi. The two men openly called for a revolt against the Saudi monarchy, accusing it of having betrayed Islamic principles and sold out to western countries. The militants, who numbered close to 500, were well armed, their weapons, in addition to their coffin arsenal, having been stashed gradually in the days and weeks before the assault in small chambers beneath the Mosque. They were prepared to lay siege to the mosque for a long time. The siege lasted two weeks, though it did not end before a bloodbath in underground chambers where militants had retreated with hundreds of hostagesand bloody repercussions in Pakistan and Iran. In Pakistan, a mob of Islamist students enraged by a false report that the United States was behind the mosque seizure, attacked the American embassy in Islamabad and killed two Americans. Irans Ayatollah Khomeini called the attack and the murders a great joy, and also blamed the seizure on the United States and Israel. In Mecca, Saudi authorities considered attacking the hold-outs without regard for the hostages. Instead, Prince Turki, the youngest son of King Faisal and the man in charge of reclaiming the Grand Mosque, summoned a French secret service officer, Count Claude Alexandre de Marenches, who recommended that the hold-outs be gassed unconscious. Indiscriminate Killing As Lawrence Wright describes it in The Looming Tower: Al-Qaeda and the Road to 9/11, A team of three French commandos from the Groupe d’Intervention de la Gendarmerie Nationale (GIGN) arrived in Mecca. Because of the prohibition against non-Muslims entering the holy city, they converted to Islam in a brief, formal ceremony. The commandos pumped gas into the underground chambers, but perhaps because the rooms were so bafflingly interconnected, the gas failed and the resistance continued.With casualties climbing, Saudi forces drilled holes into the courtyard and dropped grenades into the rooms below, indiscriminately killing many hostages but driving the remaining rebels into more open areas where they could be picked off by sharpshooters. More than two weeks after the assault began, the surviving rebels finally surrendered. At dawn on Jan. 9, 1980, in the public squares of eight Saudi cities, including Mecca, 63 Grand Mosque militants were beheaded by sword on orders of the king. Among the condemned, 41 are Saudi, 10 from Egypt, 7 from Yemen (6 of them from what was then South Yemen), 3 from Kuwait, 1 from Iraq and 1 from the Sudan. Saudi authorities report that 117 militants died as a result of the siege, 87 during the fighting, 27 in hospitals. Authorities also noted that 19 militants received death sentences that were later commuted to life in prison. Saudi security forces suffered 127 deaths and 451 wounded. Were the bin Ladens Involved? This much is known: Osama bin Laden would have been 22 at the time of the attack. He would have likely heard Juhayman al-Oteibi preach. The Bin Laden Group was still heavily involved in the renovation of the Grand Mosque: the company’s engineers and workers had open access to the mosque’s grounds, Bin Laden trucks were inside the compound frequently, and bin Laden workers were familiar with the compound’s every recess: they built some of them. It would be a stretch, however, to assume that because the bin Ladens were involved in construction, they were also involved in the attack. What’s also known is that the company shared all maps and layouts they had of the mosque with authorities to facilitate the Saudi Special Forces’ counter-attack. It would not have been in the bin Laden Group’s interest, enriched as it had become almost exclusively through Saudi government contracts, to aid the regime’s opponents. Just as certainly, what Juhayman al-Oteibi and the â€Å"Mahdi† were preaching, advocating and rebelling against is almost word for word, eye for an eye, what Osama bin Laden would preach and advocate subsequently. The Grand Mosque takeover was not an al-Qaeda operation by any means. But it would become an inspiration, and a stepping stone, to al-Qaeda less than a decade and a half later.

Homeland security has changed in the past years since 9-11 essays

Homeland security has changed in the past years since 9-11 essays Homeland security has changed in the past years since 9-11 dramatically. There has been four main changes; Law Enforcement, Border and port security, Transportation, environmental and energy security. Now these changes are not the only ones that have taken place but are merely the ones that effect us as citizens in the state of Massachusetts. As far as the Law Enforcement goes, the state of MA was a direct effected by this change. Established were 56 Joint Terrorism Task Forces and nearly 100 Anti-Terrorism Task Forces to coordinate the investigations and improve communications among federal, state, and local law enforcement. Border and Port security changed in MA also by Increased National Park Service personnel and upgraded security equipment and the procedures at highly visible national monuments, such as the Statue of Liberty in New York, the National Mall in Washington, the Liberty Bell and Independence Hall in Philadelphia, the Gateway Arch in St. Louis, and other sites in the 384-unit National Park System. Transportation Security change the most visibly. New passenger boarding procedures were developed and they trained pilots and flight crews for hijacking scenarios. Now all airport personnel are to undergo background checks. There are also limited airport access points. There are also more than 9,000 National Guardsmen to help secure the nations airports. Now environmental and energy security seemed to effect me the most because I see it ever time I go anywhere. In Plymouth we have a nuclear power plant and all plants across the nation were put on the highest level of security. ...

Milgram Experiment Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Milgram Experiment - Assignment Example In light of such revelations, the researcher exposes the entire study to some level of inaccuracy since the respondents alter their responses, as human being inherently condition themselves to behave in a certain manner to stimuli. Respondent behavior or operant behavior has widely been studied to reveal that respondents act in a certain way to fit in the expectations following psychological perception of the stimuli. The results obtained in such study must factor in some level of alteration as an assumption since respondent behavior becomes very central to the expected outcomes (McLeod, 2007). The author accounts for a way to deal with the alteration of perceptions using Milgram’s study of obedience where the procedure applied is concealed in form of a deception. McLeod (2007) argues that it is allowed to alter the respondents’ perception on the procedure but not in a material way such that the respondents remain protected in the study. The deception must be kept at its minimum possible level aimed at eliciting the expected results and avoiding alterations from respondents’ perceptions. It therefore means that the ethics can slightly be constricted but the researcher must ensure that it is not materially tampered

Interest Rates an Exchange Rate Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Interest Rates an Exchange Rate - Essay Example The government raised interest rates to increase the demand for pound in the international market, this increase in demand was anticipated to make the pound stronger against other major currencies, however a speculative attack by investors led to the loss of funds, the government lost and some investors gained huge profits on that day. This model depict that there is a relationship between the prevailing interest rates and the exchange rate, using historical data a country can use the data to estimate an appropriate model that will help in forecasting future values. The model depicts that a rise in interest rate will lead to a rise in the value of the currency, when interest rates fall then the value of the currency declines, the following diagram shows the relationship between the two variables: From the above diagram it is evident that an increase in the interest rates will lead to an increase in the value of the currency, however a decline in interest rates will lead to a decline in the value of the currency. However the assumption of this model is that there are no speculative attacks and that the exchange rate depends on the demand and supply of the currency. The relationship between the exchange rate and the interest rates can be demonstrated using two currencies from countries with different interest rates, we take hypothetical values and countries to demonstrate this and we choose country A and country B, for country a the interest rate is 4% and for country B the interest rate is 6%, those who have their funds deposited in country A will earn 4% for their investment, however it is more profitable to invest the funds or deposit the amount in country B due to high interest rates and therefore higher earning. For this reason therefore investors will move their fund from country A to country B, investors from country A will exchange their money to get country B currencies, as a result of this the demand for country B currency will rise and therefore will the value of the currency. Therefore higher interest rates will encourage investors to invest in country B, if country B was to increase the interest rates from 5% to 10% then the higher will be the demand for their currency. British forecast: The exchange of the pound in 1992 was determined by the market demand and supply, in September the British government experienced a decline in the demand for their currency, many investors started selling the pound to acquire other currencies, as a result of this demand declined and therefore the pound lost value against other currencies. The government had a role to play to resolve the crisis and this was done by increasing interests rates as described by the above model, the prevailing interest rates at the time was 10% and the government increased the interest rates to 12%, however despite this effort the investors still sold the pound to hold other currencies. Realizing this problem the government on the same day announced an increase in interest rates to 15%, this was the second attempt to resolve the problem, however it was unfortunate that investors kept on selling the pound and purchasing other currencies, as a result of this the value of the pound declined and this resulted into a decline in the value of the

Risk Management Paper Essay Example for Free

Risk Management Paper Essay I interviewed James Alviar RN, the Coordinator of Risk Management at my current place of employment the Queens Medical Center West Oahu. I asked him if there were any current risk management issues at our facility that we could discuss, but he said all current issues were confidential and he could not divulge any information to me. Instead, James pointed me in the generic direction of hospital falls that is a nationwide risk management issue and also pertains to us at Queens Medical Center. This paper will be discussing risk managements role, what falls are, how falls are addressed, how risk management would remedy the problem, and how the similar situation is discussed at another facility. Queens Health Systems Risk Management (Risk Management) serves the Queens Health Systems (QHS) by developing and applying an integrated program for the preservation of QHSs capital assets and resources. The role of the Risk Management Department is to plan, direct, and coordinate the risk management and insurance function of Queens Medical Center, subject to and consistent with the Queens Health Services Mission Statement, policy and procedures, guidelines and applicable laws. Risk management is a process with four major components: identification, assessment, mitigation, and monitoring. Risk management addresses many issues that include patient safety, potential medical questions or errors, federal regulations, and legislation impacting healthcare. At Queens Medical Center, there are two options to file an event report. The employee may submit an event report anonymously or log onto the hospital intranet and utilize the RLs Risk Management software. The software is an easy step by step program for writing a thorough incident report to be submitted to Risk Management. The purpose of the occurrence report is to: Assist in identifying potential liability issues, facilitating appropriate corrective or remedial measures. To develop only information for investigation,  evaluation, and a final disposition of the reported incident. The information collected will provide management with a means of analyzing risk and quality levels. Fulfill QHSs internal reporting requirements, regulatory requirements, or insurance carriers requirements or legal obligation. Once the Risk Management department gets the report, they determine whether the situation should be investigated. If the situation needs to be examined, other departments are called upon to review the case. The other departments are but not exclusive to Falls Prevention and Protection Committee/Patient Safety, Department Managers and their nurses, Risk Managers, Human Resources, and Patient Advocate. Follow-up reports will be completed within three weeks, unless circumstances require a quicker response. I visited a smaller 57-bed hospital located central on the island to serving the residents of Central Oahu and the North Shore. Their incident reports are submitted on a form requiring the following information: How, when (date and time) and where the incident or offense took place The names of any injured persons and witnesses The nature and location of any injury or damage arising out of the incident or offense If a security report was made, a forwarded copy is required. If an incident report is written up, it would be submitted to the Risk Management where it would be reviewed. An investigation begins with a meeting with the department manager of the unit where the event occurred. If the incident was a fall, the incident is investigated to see if the ultimate cause of the fall was physiological or environmental. If the patient fell for physiological reasons, a plan of care is initiated. If it were an environmental reason like a loose handrail, they would be repaired immediately. Specifically to this paper, we will focus on patient falls. Patient falls are ubiquitous. According to the American College Of Surgeons National Trauma Data Bank 2013 Annual Report (2013), the highest mechanism of injury by region are falls with a total of 338,805 reported cases and with the second highest mechanism of injury from motor vehicle injury at a total of 234,164 reported cases. A patients fall is an unintended descend to the floor that may or may not result in any injury to the patient. A fall is when a patient lands on a surface where you would not expect to find the patient. There are many risk factors associated with falls such as:  Physiological reasons (changes in blood pressure, Parkinsons, arthritis, neuropathy, vision problems ) Environmental reasons (wet floor, rugs without non-skid backing, poor lighting) Adverse effects of medications An assisted fall is when a staff member witnesses a patients fall and attempts to minimize the impact of descend. Many patient falls occurring during hospital encounters may cause little or no harm but some can result in serious and even possibly life-threatening consequences for many patients such as hip fractures and head trauma. Even when a fall does not lead to death, it can require prolonged hospitalization. Some could suffer disability, loss of function, and lose their independence or premature death. â€Å"Patient falls in hospitals are a common and often preventable adverse event. Nurses routinely conduct fall risk assessment on all patients, but communication of fall risk status and tailored interventions to prevent falls is variable at best.† (Hurley, Dykes, Carroll, 2009). When reporting a fall, the event report should be submitted as soon as possible after the event is discovered. The employee who is involved or observes the incident should complete the report. Although employees can submit an incident report anonymously, submitting through the Risk Management Website in the QMC intranet using the RLs Risk Management program is preferred. Documentation should be objective, fact-based, and not include personal opinions or subjective information. If a visitor falls or is involved in the incidence, the Security Department should be called to take statements, names, and any necessary evidence, such as photographs. An incidence report should be complete including names of witnesses and any pertinent information. If a visitor is injured, he or she should be encouraged to be treated in the Emergency Department. After submitting the report, Risk Management and the designated managers are notified immediately. The responsible manager will review all submitted reports, investigate the events as indicated, and institute any necessary corrective action. If its indicated, the incident report may be presented to the Performance Improvement Coordinator for analysis. Risk management periodically reports event information to the hospital Patient Safety Committee. These activities are considered quality improvement related and a patient safety work product. The event reports are intended for  administration use. If it were a patient here should not be any reference to the incident report in the patients medical record. The event, effects on the patient, and action taken must be documented in the medical record for patient care purposes. Prevention of falls in inpatient settings requires a multidisciplinary, multifaceted approach. There is not one definitive factor that is the silver bullet in preventing falls. Even though hospitals have devoted quality improvement and research efforts to prevent falls, patient falls consistently compose the largest single category of reported incidents in hospitals. (Rowe, 2013). It is important that hospitals maintain a safe and effective environment to prevent or limit falls and/or fall-related injuries by patients, visitors, and staff. Departments such as Risk Management, Falls Prevention and Patient Safety, and Patient Advocate were created to help maintain a hospital’s safe, healing environment. References American College of Surgeons National Trauma Data Bank 2013 Annual Report. (2013). Retrieved from https://www.facs.org/~/media/files/quality%20programs/trauma/ntdb/ntdb%20annual%20report%202013.ashx Hurley, A., Dykes, P., Carroll, D. (2009). Fall Tip : validation of icons to communicate fall risk status and tailored interventions to prevent patient falls. Studies in health technology and informatics, 146(), 455-459. University of Phoenix Online Library. Rowe, J. (2013, June). Preventing Patient Falls What are the Factors in Hospital Settings that Help Reduce and Prevent Inpatient Falls?, Home Health Care Management Practice, 25(3), 98-103. University of Phoenix Online Library

The Maritime Education And Training Education Essay

The Maritime Education And Training Education Essay E-learning systems have several names which basically mean the same: Virtual Learning Environment, Learning Management System, Course Management System, Learning Content Management System (LCMS), Managed Learning Environment (MLE), Learning Support System (LSS) and Learning Platform (LP). In Europe the term VLE is mostly used, but in United States the term CMS is favored over others (Kanninen, 2009). Todays learners can use some different ways to learn. One of them is technology based environments is inclusive of using of computers and Internet. Online learning is one of these type environments. An attractive side of online learning is that education service to come to the learner itself and flexible usage of it. In online learning, to perform effective instructional design is being difficult because of the learners characteristics that are related to learning are not being known. As a matter of fact, to bring into existence of effective learning for the learners in online learning environments, needs and expectations of the learners that are in these environments are comprehended and development of convenient environments which are adequate for different learning styles are required. Technology density environments cause a change of learning styles of the learners and bring up a concept that is online learning style to the agenda (DaÄÅ ¸ Geà §er, 2009). In the literature, the explanation of the online learning has been used different terminologies. Because of this, makes it difficult to develop a generic definition. Terms that are commonly used include e-learning, Internet learning, distributed learning, networked learning, tele-learning, virtual learning, computer-assisted learning, Web- based learning, and distance teaching (Anderson Elloumi, 2004). In the literature, there are many definitions which are reflect the diversity of practice and associated technologies of online learning. For example, while some researchers define online learning as educational material that is presented on a computer, the others defines online instruction as an innovative approach for delivering instruction to a remote audience, using the Web as the medium (Anderson Elloumi, 2004). Kanninen (2009) online learning is learning which takes place in a network; it could be the Internet or just a schools internal/closed net. Ally (2004) wrote that there are at least the 6 following synonyms used for online learning: e-learning, Internet learning, distributed learning, networked learning, tele-learning, virtual learning, computer-assisted learning, web-based learning, and distance learning. So it can be said that in online learning the learner is at a distance from the tutor or instructor and the learner uses some form of technology to access the learning materials. (Ally 2004) Online learning can be divided into three classes: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Contact learning supported by the net à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Multiform learning in the net à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Self studying in the net Online learning (sometimes referred to as e-learning or distance learning). In this study, online learning adopted the ASTD (American Society for Training Development) definition, which describes it as education which is facilitated and supported via information and communications technology (ICT). ASTD states that e- learning is: A broad set of applications and processes which include web-based learning, computer- based learning, virtual classrooms, and digital media. Much of this is delivered via the Internet, intranet, audio and videotape, satellite broadcast, interactive TV, and CD- ROM. The definition of e-learning varies depending on the organization and how it is used, but basically it involves electronic means of communication, education, and training (Franetovic, 2011). McGill Hobbs (2007) mentioned that a virtual learning environment (VLE) is an information system that facilitates e-learning. VLEs process, store and disseminate educational material and support communication associated with teaching and learning. Virtual learning environments (VLEs) are widespread in higher education today, typically used to deliver instructional materials and facilitate communication within a course. Briefly, we can define online learning in this thesis as an approach to a TEL (Technology Enhanced Learning), in a self regulated method, which utilizes information and communication technology to maximize the acquisition and processing of the knowledge in a VLE (Virtual Learning Environment) as a learner centered educational framework. Our conception of education is that it should help students to develop their personalities and to cope with the tasks and challenges that arise from their environments. More formally, education should assist young people in developing meaningful goals and provide them with the knowledge and skills to achieve these. To the extent that they manage to monitor and control the activities to reach their goals, they are said to self-regulate these activities (Steffens, 2006). The online environment calls for students to demonstrate self-regulated learning (Ally, 2004). Dabbagh (2007) characterized successful online learners as those who exhibited self-directed learning skills. Self-regulated learning has been framed in the online education context by Carson (2012) research as an active, constructive process whereby learners set goals for their learning and then attempt to monitor, regulate and control their cognition, motivation and behavior, guided and constrained by their goals and the contextual features in their environments (Bandura, 2001; Pintrich De Groot, 1990; Schunk, 2005; Zimmerman, 2002). the processes of self- regulation as a reciprocal cycle consisting of forethought, performance and self-reflection (Figure 2-2). Each of the phases consists of sub processes that play a greater or lesser part in learning depending on the task, the learner, and the environment (Carson, 2012). Figure (2-2): Phases and sub processes of self-regulation. From Zimmerman, B., Campillo, M. (2003). Motivating self-regulated problem solvers. Manochehr (2006) has made a study where he compared the effects on e-learning versus those on traditional instructor-based learning, on student learning, based on students learning styles. The result was that the learning style in traditional learning was irrelevant but in e-learning it was very important. The study showed that learners with an assimilating or converging learning style achieved better learning results in e-learning. DaÄÅ ¸ Geà §er (2009) stated that recent developments of the online learning are also related to Adaptive educational Hypermedia Systems (AEHS). An AEHS aims to build a model of the goals, preferences and knowledge of each learner and use this model throughout the interaction with the leaner, in order to adapt learning content to the needs of that learner that is adapted specifically to the learners (Brusilovsky, 1996). For example, in an AEHS, learning content knowledge of the subject is given to the learner. In addition, AEHS can support learners in their navigation by limiting browsing space, suggesting most relevant links to follow, or providing adaptive comments to visible links (Brusilovsky, 2003). AEHS researches are centered on learning style based personalization researches (Brown, 2006; Paredes Rodriguez, 2004; Piombo, Batatia Ayache, 2003; Graf, 2007).

Book Report on How Soon Can I Leave

At first, Miss Bartlett shrank from the hints and persuasions for the reason of not wanting to abandon hope by retreating into a life only with another woman at the age of forty. However, she eventually decided to live with Miss Restrooms with the thought of doing the latter some good instead of needing someplace warmer and someone to take care of. As time went by, Miss Bartlett ran a larger business with the help of MISS Restrooms. Nevertheless, the more well-kept the home Is, the more unsatisfied she felt. But they still lived a happy life until one day Angela, MissRaccoon's niece came for a visit. This visit dramatically provoked the awareness of Miss Bartlett ‘s dependence upon Miss Restrooms and made her regret missing so many opportunities possible. Then she moved back. Only to face the damp and cold cottage. And with no one's help any longer, she had to do all the chores Just like a At the end of the story, Miss Bartlett returned the bungalow. She grown woman. Came to kn ow her folly but It was too late. From my point of view. The story turned out to be a tragedy. I feel strongly sympathetic towards Miss Bartlett.As we know, he lost her mother early, so the family background can be blamed for her incapacity. In comparison, Miss Restrooms is the only girl in a nine-child family. No wonder she can look after the home very well. Moreover, it is quite pathetic for Miss Bartlett to think that she had been treated as a pet plaything. Actually, the seven years living with MISS Bartlett made MISS Restrooms truly appreciate her talents. In other words, MISS Restrooms Is not only helping her, but also finding some meaning In life, a real active life. Last but not the least, the story reminds me of the relationship between parents and children.Take Miss Restrooms as an example, we can simply regard her as an epitome of many parents, or many mothers, more specifically. Mothers are often considerate, concerning a lot over their children, providing food and cloth es, trying their best to take care of all stuff beforehand. Only they can still care about the children even If the children misunderstand them and go away. Back to the story, isn't it great for Miss Restrooms to play a role only as a friend of Miss Bartlett but act like her mother? The death of Miss Restrooms must be caused by the heartbreak of loneliness and lack of sense of purpose.To put it in a nutshell, my understanding of this story can be summarized as a tragedy of improper love. All realization Is too late for both the motherly one and the childlike one. Objectively, parents should love their children In a reasonable way, not by totaling on teen Walt all things prepared. I nee count to teach CNN learn now to level an independent life instead of offering all they want. In the other way round, as a child, he should not take everything for granted. And when he comes to a career, Just learn to deal with it without parents' help. Besides, never let parents down.