Russia's Most Important Economic Sectors Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Russia's Most Important Economic Sectors - Essay Example Shortly after liberty, the new Russian government announced a much more determined program of political and economic reformation. The agenda included an alteration of the financial system from the values of state planning which is the basic and administrative direction to the well agreed market-based economics. As result â€Å"The economic decline bottomed out in mid-2009 and the economy began to grow in the third quarter of 2009† (Economy – Overview n.d.). On the other side, Russia’s financial growth was still focused mainly in a few sectors. The advantages of growth were not widely dispersed throughout the society. Over one-third of the people of the Russian Federation sustained to live below the poverty line. According to some study it is very clear that Russia’s long term challenges are inadequate workplace, corruption, complexity in accessing capital for smaller – non energy companies, and deprived infrastructure in need of huge investments. Ru ssia ranks ninth as the largest economy of the world: it contributes to the sixth place by purchasing power. The country has abundance of the petroleum, oil and natural gas. The country is also the store house of rare and precious metals. Despite the setbacks faced by the other countries in the erstwhile Soviet Union, Russia managed to be in a good position in the world’s economy. The main sectors of the Russian economy are energy, natural resources, agriculture, industry and manufacturing. Energy Sector: One error of the energy business is its construction, which is subjected by government-backed monopoly and distinguished by inequity next to private businesses, small family operators and global players. State-owned company such as Gazprom or Rosneft, as well as several confidential companies with close links to the supporting leadership such as Gennady Timchenko’s Novatek, has privileged admission to licences, upstream assets, tax exception etc. Foreign investors are able to function in Russia only if they set up good functioning relationships with member of the controlling clans. The quickest way to be honored projects and contract in Russia is to present those clans stake in reputable international companies. The energy sector also endures from poor value of administration. Since the rein of Vladimir Putin and his associates to power in 2000, activities to important positions in the Russian establishment, as well as the energy industry, have been made according to certain criterion: individual loyalty and the capability to manage cash flows Natural Resources Including Coal, Gas, Oil, Timber and Metals Sectors: Russia may contain as much as 35% of the world's supply of natural gas. It has proven reserves nearly twice that of Iran, the number two spot holder. Its reserves of oil are debated, but the US Geologic Survey estimates that they may be as high as 25% of the world's oil. The US Department of Energy states: "Russia is also the world's la rgest exporter of natural gas, the second largest oil exporter, and the third largest energy consumer" (Russian Resources 2010). The vast gas, oil, coal, and timber raw materials of Siberia and the Russian Far East create Russia rich in mineral deposits. On the other hand, most such resources are positioned in remote and climatically adverse

Financial Risk Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Financial Risk Management - Essay Example This study involves a comprehensive study of the risk management policies followed by Bear Stearns and how it led to its demise. Risk Management: An Overview Risk is a term associated with any type of business entity. Without risk it would have been an easy task for managers of a company to allocate its resources in the most effective way. And with the world experiencing the global financial crisis in the year 2008, effective and efficient risk management is the key to success for any financial enterprise. The idea of risk management may differ from person to person. In case of regulators risk management is a means of control, for traders it is a means of hedging their risks and for risk managers it is a means of obtaining the highest return possible by allocating capital in the best possible way. Risk management takes into consideration the magnitude as well as the nature of risks involved. It is all about optimizing the risk-return profile of a company. Sources of risk are many and it is due to the uncertainties of future events. In today’s world banks are engaged in wide range of activities like trading of derivatives to its customers which results in exposure, finally leading to risks. Thus risk management plays a vital role in case of banks. Study and analysis of risk begins with study of Markowitz model of portfolio analysis where he defined selection of portfolios based on mean of variances in return of portfolios. Sharpe and Lintner further added to this analysis by assuming the existence of risk free assets. The rate of return of a risky asset is governed by its systematic risk and ‘beta’ is the measure of this type of risks. Next Black-Scholes model for pricing of options gives a measure of the risk of an underlying security by measuring the volatility in the form of standard deviation. Again works of Modigliani and Miller showed that value of the firm is not dependent on the capital structure of the firm. Increase of debt, leading to greater leverage in the capital structure of a firm increases the financial risk for the shareholders of the firm. This means, reengineering of capital structure of the firm would not help the firm, and the management should consider implementing strategies to increase the value of the firm economically. However, it is very difficult and possesses a challenging task for a company to implement these risk management theories practically. For any financial institutions like global banks, before taking up risk management system they must ensure that, they are up to date with their databases regarding various financial transactions within the company and are also aware about financial rates available in the outside market. Also they must have relevant statistical tools to analyze those data. Risk management policies followed by Bear Stearns Bear Stearns was once considered as one of the most efficient managers of risk but at the end it was their faulty risk management policies that l ed to their downfall. Bear Stearns most profitable division was the securitization of mortgage, which brought in almost half of the company’s revenues. Regarding mortgage securitization, the company followed a model that was vertically integrated and made profit at every step starting from originating loan, securitizing them and then selling them. These

Epic of Gilgamesh - Brandon Barros Essay Example for Free

Epic of Gilgamesh Brandon Barros Essay The Epic of Gilgamesh is considered one of our first recorded literary pieces and I think it has shaped and influenced our present day lives in many ways. One thing that really caught my attention about this piece is the description of the main character, Gilgamesh. Very similar to movies and stories today, Gilgamesh, is described as a beautiful man. They mentioned him having the perfect body, â€Å"endowed† with beauty, courage†¦. and his beauty being perfect compared to others. He is described as being someone everyman wants to be, someone you can only dream of, they take it a step further and say he is two-thirds God and one-third man. He is the ultimate movie star. I think this began defining beauty and the type of person we would expect to see in stories, plays movies. Gilgamesh is a manly man who is not perfect, he is relatable but he is also something you could never be. It leaves you wanting to be like someone you never could. How might our stories and movies be different if we didn’t set this standard of beauty with our first piece of written literature? The story and quest is timeless and we see the same framework used today in many movies, novels†¦etc. The creation of friendships, enemies becoming friends, death, questioning life, all are common in books and movies today. Gilgamesh’s questions about life and dealing with death reminded me of books like, â€Å"Tuesdays with Morrie†, or the movie â€Å"My Girl.† Both of these movies deal with the lost of a friend and take you through a dark period of grief and reflection. Last year I watched a movie called â€Å"Percy Jackson the Olympians: The lighting thief.† I couldn’t help but notice a very similar concept†¦ a boy is part god and part man, defying the Gods, but also seeks the Gods for wisdom and later becomes a hero. Throughout the story he is questioning the problems in his own life, but at the end he realizes decisions were made in his best interest. It seems that this type of literature has heavily influenced the Greeks as well. Another influence that is mentioned when people talk about the Epic of Gilgamesh is the similarities between characters in the story and â€Å"characters† in a modern day Bible. Utnapishtim seems very similar to Noah, he tells a story of the human society being beyond redemption and being punished by a great flood. Utnapishtim is instructed to build a boat, bring on all creatures and becomes a hero after the great flood. If this story has influenced the modern day bible, then its influence on modern times is priceless. The story of Noah is one of the most popular bible stories ever and is still being reinterpreted today. Within the next 24 months there is a big budget movie called â€Å"Noah† starring Russell Crow and Anthony Hopkins coming out. Over time, I think we will continue to recreate these stories and see them retold from different perspectives. Something that I find particularly interesting is how popular this story has become with Ancient Alien Theorists. The History Channel show, Ancient Aliens, goes into great detail about the Epic of Gilgamesh. They believe that what we consider as old myths and stories were once considered stories about our actual past. Is it a coincidence that the book of Genesis in the Bible has a very similar flood story? A great flood, a man who is not perfect given the order to collect animals, abandon riches, the flood seems to punish mans sin. There is an obvious relationship, is it possible that the Hebrew bible â€Å"borrowed† from this mythological story? Years ago in Iraq they found what many people believe could be King Gilgamesh’s tomb. If he really existed, is there any truth to the story? Is it simply a myth? ~ Brandon Barros

The Rise Of China In Governance

The Rise Of China In Governance The topic about the rise of China has been heated up recently after China overtakes Japan as the worlds second largest economy in this year. China has opened its market to embrace the era of globalization after Deng Xiaopings economics reform in 1978. China has attended multiple important international organizations such as joining the World Trade Organization (WTO) in 1995 and becoming a core member in the Group of Twenty Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors (G20) in 2008. China also has established many organizations and forums such as inviting Russia to establish Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) in 2001 which can be considered as the Chinese version of NATO to promote closer cooperation between China, Russia and many former Soviet Union members in Central Asia. In order to maintain the stability of North-East Asia, China also invited North Korea in the Six-Party talks to build a bridge between Pyongyang and Washington to talk about the North Korean nuclear weapons p rogram. It seems that China is becoming more and more influential in the contemporary international politics. I believe that the Economics development of China should be an important topic in the study of international relations. It is because China is unlike other East Asian countries such as South Korea and Japan. They have transformed form very poor countries to advance economies because they follow the western experience to improve their economies. However, China ignores the western model of development, and China tries to find its own way of development which is also called as Socialism with Chinese Characteristics. I believe that the most important accomplishment of this system is that China has lifted more than 500 million people out of poverty line. From the past thirty years, the success of Chinas Economic reform provides an alternative path for many developing countries in Africa, Latin American and former Soviet Union countries. It is because these countries could not reform their economies as successful as China under the regime of Washington Censuses. I am going to examine theor y of neo-realism, neo-liberalism, and constructivism regarding the rise of China. From neo-realism perspectives, they are pessimistic about the rise of China, and China cannot rise peacefully. Neo-realists also called as structural realists. They believe that there is not overarching authority above the states in the international system. In the meantime, they dont agree with classical realists idea of human nature to describe the international system. Due to anarchy and lack of the relative distribution of power in the international system, other states must balance the rise of China because all states are power-seeking and they have to maximize their relative power in order to expand their militaries so that they will not be defeated after all. They believe that the rise of China can be described as the zero-sum game. It means that most states will become weaker when China becomes stronger. Security dilemma always maintains effective in this system. If China expand its military, other states will be worried their survival so that they have to increase their mili tary strength or make alliances with the US. Then, China will do the same to these states to maintain its status. Neo-realists also believe that most states are sensitive to the military capacity of other states, and they will do something to ensure their survival in this system. According to John Mearsheimer, If China continues its impressive economic growth over the next few decades, the US and China are likely to engage in an intense security competition with considerable potential for war. Most of Chinas neighbors, to include India, Japan, Singapore, South Korea, Russia and Vietnam, will join with the US to contain Chinas power. China whether it remains authoritarian or becomes democratic is likely to try to dominate Asia the way the US dominates the Western hemisphere. Specifically, China will seek to maximize the power gap between itself and its neighbors, especially Japan and Russia. An increasingly powerful China is also likely to try to push the US out of Asia, much the way the US pushed the European great powers out of the Western hemisphere.(1) It shows that small states near China have started to feel worried about the rise of China, and they will join together with the US to make a coalition to contain China. It is similar to most states in Western Europe which made an alliance with the US to contain Soviet Union during the Cold War. From neo-liberalism perspectives, they are optimistic about the rise of China, and China is able to rise peacefully. Neo-liberalist also called as neo-liberal intuitionalists because they focus on building institutions such as IMF and WTO to expand trade and to have closer cooperation. When China became a member of the WTO, China officially turned into a capitalist country. A high population can provide cheap labors for American companies, and there is a huge undiscovered domestic market. It can promote trade and cooperation so that most countries can benefit from the rise of China. They believe that the rise of China can be described as the positive-sum game. It means that trading with China will have a win-win scenario. Neo-liberalist also believes in democratic peace theory. It means that two democratic states are very unlikely to fight each other because media freedom and transparencies are very high between two democratic states so that they can know others behavior and intention thoroughly. From The end of history and the last man, Francis Fukuyama argues that liberalism will prevail over all other ideologies, and democratic states will remain the most stable and peaceful in the system. (80, Lamy) After the Cold War, China is not longer a communist state so that there is possibility that capitalism can bring democracy to China if the Chinese societies become mature enough to have a national election in the future. Due to Economic interdependence, neo-liberalists believe that China is very unlikely to have a war with the United States. The relationship between China and the United States are intertwined in the era of globalization. Many American entrepreneurs employ many Chinese labors making all kinds of products. In the meantime, many Chinese people invest in the United States. There is a high cost to start a war, and both states will suffer during the war. Collective security is the second reason that China will not start a war with the United States. According to Robert and Kingsbury, Collective Security refers to an arrangement where each state in the system accepts that the security of one is the concern of all, and agrees to join in a collective response to aggression.(82, Lamy) China is one of five permanent members of the Security Council in UN so that China understands the rules and norms inside the system. Other states will support the United States if China decided to start a war with the US. Constructivists are neither positive nor negative about the rise of China. They are interested in why rise of China could be a threat to the United States. Also, they are interest in how interaction between China and the United States can change or transform the structure inside the system. Constructivists believe that the idea of rising China is socially constructed by people. In order to understand this idea, we must concentrate on the meanings and the identities of rising China, and the Chinese history. The idea of sovereignty was constructed by the treaty of Westphalia in 1648 after the Thirty Years War. China and most East Asia states were forced to accept and practice this idea because China was weak, and China failed to protect its Chinese tribute system at that time. The Chinese tribute system is that most East Asian countries would pay the tribute prize to China so that China would not attack them and accept them as subject countries under the heavenly King. Most East Asia states did not want to be colonized by those European states so that they had to give up the Chinese tribute system and to accept the western model of sovereignty. From a social constructivist perspective, the rising China may not be a destabilizing force in East Asia. It is because constructivists believe that this argument is based on the Western experience, and the history of East Asia is totally different form the Western experience so that it may not be suitable to describe the politics of East Asia. Constructivists would like to review the East Asian history before 1642 and they will not apply the western experience directly into Asia-Pacific. According to David Kang, a strong China had historically been a driving force for stability in East Asia. (15, Kang) It shows that the East Asian countries generally are not worried about the rise of China and thus choose to accommodate rather than balance a rising China. It is because China, unlike Japan, has never sought to utilize its dominant position to colonize its neighbors. I believe that constructivism or neo-liberalism seems a better paradigm to describe the rise of China. Because the neo-realists Euro-centrism and the balance-of-power model cannot describe Chinas foreign policy toward its neighbors. Most East Asia states see China as an opportunity than a threat, and they are rapidly strengthening economic tie with China to take full advantage of trading with China. Most Asian states believe that their economic inter-dependence with China will ensure that they can be mutually beneficial. I also believe the high population of China has created a new market for those states, simulating their economic growth. In response to this growth, their foreign policies are more aligned with China than the United States. The U.S. economic influence in East Asia has significantly diminished with the regional rise of China. Therefore, those states believe that a strong China tends to stabilize East Asia, and the situation of East Asia tends to be chaotic with a weak China. Some people argue that the rise of China will make international system return to bipolar system like the United States and the Soviet Union during Cold war from 1945 to 1989. However, I dont believe that China is able to challenge the USA because there are many domestic problems inside China. Firstly, one third of the population in China will be over 65 years old ten years later. It means that Chinese population will not be so productive. Chinese growth begins to slow after 2020 because of its aging population and one-child policy. In the meantime, the United States can take immigrants to solve the problems of the aging population but China is not able to do so. Secondly, the American government could be the nations largest long-term advantage over China. The United States still has a fundamentally democratic and pluralistic government. On the other hand, Chinas authoritarian government may ultimately make it less stable and prosperous than the American government. Frequent violatio ns of civil liberties such as a Tiananmen-like event could slow down Chinas economic growth rate. If the Chinese government still ignores intellectual property rights, it also threatens long-term investments from foreign investors. In China, information is restricted, and environmental and political problems largely hidden from foreign media. On the other hand, American problems are openly displayed to forging media. The American government cannot easily control the media to devise or fabricate a consistent message about American success to foreign audiences. Therefore, these internal advantages of the United Sates will let the US continue to be the leader of the world.

Role of James Baldwin in the Civil Rights Movement Essays -- NAACP Nat

Throughout most of the 1950’s and 60’s there was a strong push by Black Americans to end their unfair treatment in America. Two main groups during this time were working on this problem. The NAACP and the Nation of Islam were two main groups working on and poised to solve this very dilemma. Despite trying to solve the same crisis their ideas on a solution were very different. Since their views were varied, people in turn had different views on which group they would become associated with. This inspired many writers to publicly display their beliefs on the issue. In â€Å"Down at the Cross,† Baldwin displays favor toward the methodology of the NAACP in the Civil Rights Movement because of their beliefs in the American system. Even though he was partial towards the NAACP he still believed in some of the teachings of the Nation of Islam especially in their views of keeping Black pride and Black values. These notions lead to the fact that Baldwin seeks a mixture of these two factions. The NAACP made many strides in America to help integrate Whites and Blacks. This group’s main method of mixing the races was through the legal system. The path they picked caused many issues with Baldwin and one he perceived is that â€Å"very few liberals have any notion how long, how costly, and how heartbreaking a task it is to gather the evidence that one can carry into court, or how long such court battles take.† (Baldwin 320). So not only is it hard on the pocket, but Baldwin believes â€Å"there is no reason that Black men should be expected to be more patient, more forbearing, more farseeing than whites; indeed, quite the contrary† (Baldwin 321). One can see that Baldwin felt that the NAACP’s methods were slow and that the Black man should ... ...d in this way everyone in America can become part off this greater whole. Then we can learn from each other’s mistakes and successes to become a greater family because â€Å"isn’t love more important than color?† (Baldwin 327). Works Cited Baldwin, James. â€Å"Down at the Cross.† 1955. James Baldwin: Collected Essays. Ed. Toni Morrison. New York: Library of America, 1988. 63-84. Barbour, Floyd B., ed. The Black Power Revolt. Boston: Porter Sargent Publisher, 1968. â€Å"G. O. P. Picks Volpe in Massachusetts.† New York Times 12 Jan 1960. Jones, LeRoi. â€Å"The Need For a Cultural Base to Civil Rites & Bpower Mooments.† Barbour. 119-126. Poussaint, Alvin F. â€Å"The Negro American: His Self-Image and Integration.†Barbour. 94-102. Wright, Nathan Jr. â€Å"The Crisis Which Bred Black Power.† Barbour. 103-118. â€Å"Union Aides Rebut Bias Accusation.† New York Times 5 Jan 1961. Role of James Baldwin in the Civil Rights Movement Essays -- NAACP Nat Throughout most of the 1950’s and 60’s there was a strong push by Black Americans to end their unfair treatment in America. Two main groups during this time were working on this problem. The NAACP and the Nation of Islam were two main groups working on and poised to solve this very dilemma. Despite trying to solve the same crisis their ideas on a solution were very different. Since their views were varied, people in turn had different views on which group they would become associated with. This inspired many writers to publicly display their beliefs on the issue. In â€Å"Down at the Cross,† Baldwin displays favor toward the methodology of the NAACP in the Civil Rights Movement because of their beliefs in the American system. Even though he was partial towards the NAACP he still believed in some of the teachings of the Nation of Islam especially in their views of keeping Black pride and Black values. These notions lead to the fact that Baldwin seeks a mixture of these two factions. The NAACP made many strides in America to help integrate Whites and Blacks. This group’s main method of mixing the races was through the legal system. The path they picked caused many issues with Baldwin and one he perceived is that â€Å"very few liberals have any notion how long, how costly, and how heartbreaking a task it is to gather the evidence that one can carry into court, or how long such court battles take.† (Baldwin 320). So not only is it hard on the pocket, but Baldwin believes â€Å"there is no reason that Black men should be expected to be more patient, more forbearing, more farseeing than whites; indeed, quite the contrary† (Baldwin 321). One can see that Baldwin felt that the NAACP’s methods were slow and that the Black man should ... ...d in this way everyone in America can become part off this greater whole. Then we can learn from each other’s mistakes and successes to become a greater family because â€Å"isn’t love more important than color?† (Baldwin 327). Works Cited Baldwin, James. â€Å"Down at the Cross.† 1955. James Baldwin: Collected Essays. Ed. Toni Morrison. New York: Library of America, 1988. 63-84. Barbour, Floyd B., ed. The Black Power Revolt. Boston: Porter Sargent Publisher, 1968. â€Å"G. O. P. Picks Volpe in Massachusetts.† New York Times 12 Jan 1960. Jones, LeRoi. â€Å"The Need For a Cultural Base to Civil Rites & Bpower Mooments.† Barbour. 119-126. Poussaint, Alvin F. â€Å"The Negro American: His Self-Image and Integration.†Barbour. 94-102. Wright, Nathan Jr. â€Å"The Crisis Which Bred Black Power.† Barbour. 103-118. â€Å"Union Aides Rebut Bias Accusation.† New York Times 5 Jan 1961.

Atmospheres Unlimited in Macbeth :: Macbeth essays

Atmospheres Unlimited in Macbeth      Ã‚  Ã‚   Shakespeare becomes a master of diverse atmospheres in his tragedy Macbeth. We shall examine closely the changing, more forcefully developing atmospheres here.    In his book, On the Design of Shakespearean Tragedy, H. S. Wilson explains why the atmosphere is so important in Macbeth:    Macbeth is a play in which the poetic atmosphere is very important; so important, indeed, that some recent commentators give the impression that this atmosphere, as created by the imagery of the play, is its determining quality. For those who pay most attention to these powerful atmospheric suggestions, this is doubtless true. Mr. Kenneth Muir, in his introduction to the play - which does not, by the way, interpret it simply from this point of view - aptly describes the cumulative effect of the imagery: "The contrast between light and darkness is part of a general antithesis between good and evil, devils and angels, evil and grace, hell and heaven . . . and the disease images of IV, iii and in the last act clearly reflect both the evil which is a disease, and Macbeth himself who is the disease from which his country suffers."(67-68)    L.C. Knights in the essay "Macbeth" mentions equivocation, unreality and unnaturalness in the play - contributors to an atmosphere that may not be very realistic:    The equivocal nature of temptation, the commerce with phantoms consequent upon false choice, the resulting sense of unreality ("nothing is, but what is not"), which has yet such power to "smother" vital function, the unnaturalness of evil ("against the use of nature"), and the relation between disintegration in the individual ("my single state of man") and disorder in the larger social organism - all these are major themes of the play which are mirrored in the speech under consideration. (94)    Charles Lamb in On the Tragedies of Shakespeare comments on the atmosphere surrounding the play:    The state of sublime emotion into which we are elevated by those images of night and horror which Macbeth is made to utter, that solemn prelude with which he entertains the time till the bell shall strike which is to call him to murder Duncan, - when we no longer read it in a book, when we have given up that vantage-ground of abstraction which reading possesses over seing, and come to see a man in his bodily shape before our eyes actually preparing to commit a muder, if the acting be true and impressive as I have witnessed it in Mr.

Terrorists Groups In The Middle East Essay

What have been the most common tactics/weapons and threats used by terrorists/terror groups in the Middle East since 9/11/01? The most common tactics/weapons and threats used by terrorists/terror group in the Middle East since 9/11 are bombings which can include car bombs, improvised explosive devices (IED’s), suicide attacks and explosives. Next we have rocket and mortar attacks, vehicle based attacks which is when they used any motor vehicle to run over people walking or to ram into vehicles. Other common ones are hi-jacking planes, chemical and biological weapons, nuclear weapons, conventional firearms and secondary attacks which are when they have a second type of weapon go off after the original so as to injure the emergency response team. In your opinion, are these tactics, weapons, and threats successful from a terrorist perspective? Why or why not? Explain in detail. Yes I do believe they are successful because they accomplish at minimum what they set out to do. Placing fear and causing panic among the masses is so apparent for terrorists, because how much media attention there is they can watch and enjoy their terror. They have us on the edge of our seats when chaos takes place. They catch us off guard and that too is part of their plan. What do you see as the likelihood of a terrorist organization either acquiring or building a nuclear weapon? Explain in detail. I see the likelihood of a terrorist organization either acquiring or building a nuclear weapon as pretty high likelihood. I do not think for one minute that they are incapable. I do not believe that our government is honest with who we do business with. They have what is called suitcase nukes and they are so small they can fit into a suitcase. Money talks and can buy you anything besides permanent happiness. If you have enough money you can buy materials for a nuclear weapon. If obtained, what do you think would be the top three types of targets on U.S. soil? Explain. I think that businesses, diplomatic offices, and military institutions are the three types of targets on U.S. soil. The first type of target would be businesses. Businesses account for thirty one and a half percent of frequency of attacks. The second type is diplomatic offices and that takes up twenty six percent of frequency of attacks. Last of the targets are military personnel. The United States armed forces can account for nearly forty three percent of attacks against military organizations. What do you think are the factors working in their favor and against their success to obtain WMDs? Explain in detail and be  specific. The factors that I think that the factors that are working in their favor are that they IED’s that can be constructed out of common materials that are easy to obtain. They have eager and loyal followers that have no problem sacrificing their lives for the cause such as suicide bombings and using children as distractions or bait. It is also hard to dif ferentiate the civilians from the terrorists. What is working against their success is the United States has specialized trained elite forces with intelligence gathering techniques. They also have the latest technologize and weaponry such as drones, night vision goggles, tanks, snipers and much more to work against the success of the terrorists. References Kaplan, E. (2006, Sep). Targets for Terrorists: Post-9/11 Aviation Security. Retrieved November 22, 2013, from http://www.cfr.org/border-and-port-security/targets-terrorists-post-911- aviation-security/p11397 McCann, Joseph T., 2006, Terrorism on American Soil: A Concise History of Plots and Perpetrators from the Famous to the Forgotten, Sentient Publ. (Boulder, CO). Retrieved November 22, 2013, from http://books.google.com/books Sageman, M. (2004). Understanding Terror Networks. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press. Ch. 5 pp. 158-161. Retrieved November 22, 2013, from http://www.upenn.edu/pennpress/book