Weapons of Mass Destruction The Terrorist Threat

Introduction In 1945, the U.S. caused an extensive obliteration when it dropped two atomic bombs on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, which also ended the Second World War. This incident made the whole world to come to terms with the threat that weapons of mass destruction (WMD) pose to the world security.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Weapons of Mass Destruction: The Terrorist Threat specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Regrettably, as the major countries have agreed to stop the use of WMD, terror groups have made efforts to acquire and use them for causing havoc in various places around the world. Worse still, technological advancement of this century has increased the possibility of their construction and smuggling for illicit use in almost everywhere in the world. This paper provides an assessment on how a significant terrorist WMD attack can be conducted. Lacy and Benedek note, â€Å"WMD are used to kill large numbers of people, destroy large amounts of property, achieve political goals, and create terror, chaos, and social disruption† (2003, para. 2). They also say that the weapons include â€Å"biological or chemical agents, nuclear weapons, conventional bombs contaminated with radioactive materials, large conventional or â€Å"truck† bombs, and surprising sources such as hijacked airplanes† (Lacy and Benedek, para.2). Recent horrific incidences such as the Japanese subway attack using Sarin nerve agent, which resulted in the death of thirteen individuals and severely injured several others, have raised the alarm of the possible terrorist use of WMD. In addition, North Korea and other regimes such as Iran have issued threats of possible use of different biological and chemical weapons for causing widespread destruction. Therefore, their use by terrorist organizations is a cause of worry for many nations around the world. Chemical terrorism Chemical wea pons are made from chemical materials with toxic properties and they are meant to injure or incapacitate the enemy, or render a particular place unfit for productive use. Unlike conventional weapons or nuclear weapons, these dangerous weapons do not rely on explosive force to realize their goals; however, they rely on the unique characteristics of the chemicals in causing harm (Croddy Wirtz, 2005). In this century, approximately seventy different chemicals are available that can be used as chemical terrorism agents. During the First World War era, chemical weapons that were used were in the form of gases. In the modern era, however, terrorists can use liquids, solids, or gases having poisonous effects to cause mass casualties. Terrorists can either use persistent or non -persistent chemical weapons to cause destruction. Non-persistent agents, such as chlorine and sarin, stay for a limited period before losing their effectiveness after dissemination; therefore, this makes them to be beneficial for terrorists who want to take over and control a target as fast as possible. On the other hand, persistent agents stay for many days before losing effectiveness.Advertising Looking for essay on political sciences? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Chemical terrorism can be effected by use of agents that are organized into five different groups based on how they cause harm to the human body. The five categories are blister (vesicant), blood (systemic), choking, nerve, and psychotomimetric agents. Blister agents refer to the chemicals that cause extreme skin, eye, and mucosal pain and irritation resulting in large, aching blisters on parts of the body of those affected. The most common types of blister agents are sulfur mustards and lewisite, and they are heavier than air hence stay in the atmosphere for an extended period of time. Sulfur mustard is inexpensive and easy to manufacture, making it likely to be used by terrorists. The agents readily penetrate the skin causing life-threatening symptoms such as skin pain and irritation, large fluid blisters that are prone to infection, and mild respiratory distress. Since the blister agents are not as lethal as are the nerve agents, they are less likely to be employed by the terrorists. Blood agents, which are cyanide or arsenic based, get into the blood through inhalation or ingestion and cause death in a matter of minutes or seconds by inhibiting the conversion of oxygen into energy. At ambient conditions, the toxic chemical agents are volatile colorless gases, hence are more destructive when terrorists use them in confined areas. They are normally disseminated as aerosols and saturate the blood when inhaled. In order to be effective, terrorists can consider using higher doses of the blood agents that can cause symptoms of dizziness, weakness, and nausea on those affected. Permanent brain damage and muscle paralysis might also occur. A third type of chemical agent is a choking agent, which affect the victims breathing system by leading to a build-up of fluids in the lungs. The fluid-filled lungs render the affected individual unable to breathe and eventually suffocate. When the chemical agents are exposed to the eyes and skin, they corrode the surfaces leading to distorted vision and severe deep burns, and when they are inhaled, they cause multiple complications to the respiratory and the circulatory system. Even though some individuals can survive choking agent attacks, they end up suffering from life-long breathing problems. Currently, some of the choking agents that terrorists might use to achieve their objectives include chlorine gas, chloropicrin, diphosgene, phosgene, and trichloronitromethane.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Weapons of Mass Destruction: The Terrorist Threat specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Among these chemical weapon agents, moder n terrorists are likely to use phosgene since it is the most dangerous and since it is denser than air, it can remain in the air for a considerable amount of time. Chlorine is the most common and the degree of damage it causes depends on the level of contact one has with it. It is believed that modern terrorists can try to simulate the massive use of these weapons, which occurred during the First World War. For example, on April 22, 1915, the German forces opened up 168 tons of chlorine gas on their enemies at the Second Battle of Ypres in Belgium, which resulted in the death of many unprepared soldiers. The fourth type of chemical agents is the nerve agents, which attack the victim’s nervous system by restricting the movement of the nerve impulses in the body. Therefore, the affected persons are unable to control their muscles, vomit and lose the ability to control their bladder, lungs stop working and they lose their ability to breathe. Eventually, the victims die by asphyx iation as control of the respiratory muscles is lost due to the effects of the agent. A number of the deadly nerve agents are easily vaporized or aerosolized. They mainly enter the victim’s body through the respiratory system and they can also be absorbed through the skin. Since they are considered as some of the most powerful and lethal of all chemical weapons, they have the potential of causing mass casualties when used by terrorist organizations. Nerve agents fall into two classes: G-series, such as tabun and sarin, and V-series, such as VE, VG, and VM. The fifth type of chemical weapons is the psychotomimetic agents, which affects a person’s mind. They make the victim to develop complications in his or her nervous system and reduces his or her ability to make decisions or move. The person becomes disoriented and can have delusions. The types of this agent that terrorists can use include 3-quinuclidinylbenzilate, Phencyclidine, and LSD In order to achieve the intend ed goal of use of chemical weapons, terrorists must ensure that they are effectively delivered or disseminated to the targets since their effectiveness is highly dependent on the prevailing atmospheric conditions as many of them are in gaseous form. Inappropriate weather observations and forecasting reduces their effective delivery. The most probable forms of attack that terrorists might use are dispersion, thermal dissemination, and aerodynamic dissemination. Dispersion techniques, such as the use of munitions, bombs, and spray tanks, are the easiest form of attack since they involve putting the agent on or next to a target immediately before dissemination, with the intention of efficiently using the material. Terrorists can use this technique by opening a container full of poisonous substances in a place full of people, for example, in a city bus stop.Advertising Looking for essay on political sciences? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Thermal dissemination is a dispersal technique of chemical weapons by the use of explosives or pyrotechnics and it offers the advantage of disseminating the agent over a considerable distance. This may make it preferable to the terrorists over the dispersion technique. In disseminating the chemical agents, terrorists may use bombs or projectile shells, which expel the agent tangentially when detonation occurs. In spite of the limitations of the use of thermal dissemination devices, terrorists can efficiently use them in the early stages of chemical weapon development. Another delivery method is aerodynamic dissemination method in which a chemical weapon is released from an airplane without any explosion. Aerodynamic stress then spreads the agent to the targeted area. Today, terrorists can opt for this method over the thermal dissemination technique since it eliminates some of its limitations. In addition, the advances in technology have allowed ideal conditions to be predetermined b efore disseminating the chemicals through aerodynamics. Biological terrorism Biological terrorism refers to the deliberate use of pathogens such as bacteria, viruses, or toxins, to kill, incapacitate, or seriously cause extensive harm to a person or persons. The biological agents normally exist in nature, but terrorists may try to modify them in order to increase their ability of causing illness or death to individuals. They can also be made to be resistant to medications or easier to move from one place to another. The bioterrorism agents are spread through inanimate materials and they are not easy to detect when present in these means of dispersion. The agents can also take sometime, up to several days, before causing disease. Other significant attributes that make the bio-weapons attractive for terrorists include their ease of acquisition, ease of dissemination, and can cause mass panic and disruption of a society apart from the real harm they can cause. In the past, bioterrorist s have successfully used biological agents to cause harm to innocent people. For example, in 1993, a religious group in Japan tried to aerosolize anthrax spores in Tokyo but the attack was a total failure. Only one person was infected. And in late 2001, letters infected intentionally with anthrax were sent to news media and the United States Congress and resulted in the death of five people. These instances, and many others not mentioned, illustrate that terrorist organizations are ready to obtain and use biological weapons to cause mass casualties. The United States Center for Disease Control and Prevention (the CDC) has classified the biological weapons into three different categories based on the degree of danger that every agent can pose to the population. This also depicts how a significant bioterrorism attack can be conducted. Category A consists of high-priority agents that pose a significant risk to national security, â€Å"since they can be easily disseminated or transmitt ed from one person to the other, they have the ability of causing high deaths, are able to result in major public panic and social disruption, and need exceptional action for public health vigilance† (Friedewald, 2006, xxviii). The agents in this category are the ones that terrorists are likely to use for carrying out an attack and they consist of â€Å"tularemia, anthrax, smallpox, botulinum toxin, bubonic plague, and viral hemorrhagic fevers† (Porteus, 2006, para.9). Tularemia or rabbit fever is caused by a very infectious bacterium called Francisella tularensis, which causes fever, localized skin ulcerations, sore throat, systemic infection, and sometimes pneumonia. Infection to individuals is usually caused by breathing or intake of tainted food materials. Since Francisella tularensis widely occurs in nature, terrorists can isolate and grow it in large quantity in a laboratory for carrying out an attack. Anthrax is a non-communicable ailment caused when the spores o f the organism called Bacillus anthracis are inhaled into the lungs where they become active and multiply producing massive bleeding and swelling in the victim’s chest. The person then dies due to blood poisoning. As illustrated in the earlier sections of this paper, terrorists have attempted to use anthrax in several occasions. A highly notorious virus called variola causes smallpox and it is transmitted through the atmosphere from one infected person to the other. Smallpox has a high mortality rate of between twenty to forty percent. Although the World Health Organization declared its complete eradication in 1980, some cultures can still be found in Russia and the U.S. It is believed that the crumple of the Soviet Union made some nations to acquire virus samples of smallpox. This can fall in the hands of terrorists, which they can use to achieve their goals. Other significant threats as forms of biological warfare agents in this category include botulinum toxin and bubonic plague. Category B biological weapons consist of those that are second highest priority agents â€Å"since the terrorists find it moderately easy to disseminate, lead to moderate levels of ailment and low casualty rate, and need specific public-health action such as enhanced diagnostic and detection procedures† (Porteus, 2006, para. 10). Some of these agents or diseases include â€Å"brucellosis, food safety threats such as the Salmonella species, water supply threats such as vibrio cholerae, glanders, ricin, and Q fever† (Porteus, 2006, para. 10). Lastly, Category C is the third highest priority agents. They consist of emerging disease causing organisms that terrorists can modify for mass dissemination. This is because they are readily available, are fairly easy to manufacture and distribute, and are capable of causing mass casualties. Some of these agents or diseases include â€Å"nipah virus, yellow fever, the tickborne hemorrhagic fever, yellow fever, and tubercul osis† (Porteus, 2006, para. 11). Probable forms of attack by use of biological weapons exist, but the means of delivery depends on the target chosen and the extent of damage anticipated. The first means of dissemination that terrorists might use is through the air by aerosol sprays. To accomplish the intended goals, a biological weapon must be made airborne so that an individual can be able to inhale a sufficient quantity of the pathogens to cause disease and eventually death. Second, the biological agents can be delivered by use of explosive devices. However, this method is not as effective as aerosolizing the agents since some agents are damaged by the blast leaving about five percent of the agent to reach the intended target. Third, terrorists can deliver them by contaminating food or water. This can be done either at the source or at some point in the distribution process. Another way can be through direct human contact. For example, a number of ricin-tipped umbrellas have been employed in different assassination attempts. Lastly, biological agents can also be delivered indirectly by means of infected animals or inanimate objects. Nuclear terrorism Terrorists’ use of nuclear weapons is the most destructive of all weapons of mass destruction. It involves the terror groups acquisition and use or threat of use of nuclear weapons or materials whereby sustained fission reaction takes place (Cameron, 1999). This implies that nuclear terrorism is confined to the use of highly enriched uranium (HEU) or plutonium (Pu); nevertheless, some people use the term to allude to any type of terrorist weapon using radioactive materials, which involves the use of radiological dispersal devices (RDDs). Terror organizations, with the intention of causing mass casualties in a place, can employ RDDs materials, for example, cesium -137, strontium -90, and cobalt-60. These elements are readily available in several places around the world. A significant nuclear terroris m act can be conducted by the use of either of the two basic types of nuclear weapons: those that produce their explosive energy through nuclear fission reactions alone or through nuclear fusion reactions alone. Nuclear weapons that give out large quantity of energy by means of nuclear fission reactions are commonly called atomic bombs or atom bombs and their active material is enriched uranium or plutonium. Because of technological advances of this century, terrorists can easily manufacture them by use of either gun assembly or implosion method. The gun assembly method is whereby one piece of fissile uranium is fired into another so as to ignite an exponentially growing nuclear chain reaction. In the implosion method, either uranium or plutonium, or both, are compressed until they reach a critical mass. However, since this method is more complicated than the former, terrorists are less likely to use it in causing mass destruction. The second type of nuclear arsenal that terrorists can consider using is that which produces energy by means of nuclear fusion reactions and they are usually called thermonuclear weapons or hydrogen bombs. The bombs depend entirely on fusion reactions that take place involving the isotopes of hydrogen; though, they obtain a major part of their power from the ensuing fission reactions. In contrast to fission weapons, hydrogen bombs lack inherent limits to the energy they can produce, hence they are more powerful than the uranium- or plutonium-based fission bombs. In a typical thermonuclear weapon, the explosion of a fission bomb compacts and increases the temperature of lithium deuteride, resulting in the emission of neutrons, which strike the lithium atoms leading to the production of tritium. As the temperature of the fission reaction increases, tritium and deuterium are fused together leading to the production of helium and neutrons by both fission and fusion reactions. The reaction then continues through a series of chain reactio ns until it ends in an enormous explosion accompanied by a blast of neutron radiation. In addition to the two basic types of nuclear weapons, there are others that terrorists can consider using. Examples are the boosted fission weapon, which uses fusion reactions to enhance its efficiency, neutron bombs which can be specially designed to yield enormous quantity of neutron radiation, and â€Å"suitcase† bombs which are portable and could be about 48,000 cm3. The probable forms of attack that terrorists can use to deliver the nuclear weapons to their target include the use of gravity bombs, ballistic missiles, or cruise missiles. In order to successful, terrorists must consider the significant costs related to the delivery of nuclear weapons. Gravity bomb, whereby a bomber airplane is used to deliver the weapon, is the most traditional method of delivering nuclear weapons and it is much simpler since it does not offer limitations on the size of the weapon. On the other hand, it restricts the range of attack as well as the number of bombs that can be released. Currently, with the advancement in technology, terrorists can deliver nuclear weapons by the use of strategic bombers, with or without state sponsorship. Terrorists can increase the efficiency of delivering nuclear weapons to targets when they are mounted on missiles, which also lowers the chances of missile defense. Modern technologies, such as intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) and multiple independently targetable reentry vehicles (MIRVS) make the delivery of nuclear weapons possible in any part of the world with maximum accuracy. Cruise missiles have a shorter range and terrorists can target them to any place on the earth. Terrorists can prefer using cruise missiles to ballistic missiles because they are more difficult to detect and they have the ability of maneuvering anti-missile systems. Other potential terrorist forms of attack are the use of artillery shells and land mines. In addit ion to causing harm to individuals through their impact and detonation, nuclear weapons also affect individuals by the enormous quantity of radioactive material that they give out. The radiation can reach people through a number of ways. First, the radiation can reach the body of an individual when it is absorbed through an exposed portion of body parts such as the skin. Second, contamination takes place when radioactive substances gets into the atmosphere as minute particles and get inside the body of a person through the lungs, digestive system, or wounds on the skin. The radioactive substances can be in the form of solids, liquids, or gaseous particles. Lastly, body tissues and organs can be contaminated when they absorb gamma radiation, beta radiation, or alpha radiation. The contamination can occur before radiation drops to trace levels after an explosion has taken place. Radiological weapons Many atomic experts believe that terrorist organizations are likely to prefer using ra diological weapons in causing mass destruction. This is because, in contrast to nuclear bombs, they are able to spread radioactive substances over a wide area. This increases the possibility of causing destruction to people, animals, and infrastructure. A radiological weapon is principally referred to as a dirty bomb or salted bomb as it employs conventional explosives, such as wastes from nuclear power industries, to spread the deadly radioactive material. Because of these reasons, it is not recognized as a true nuclear bomb. Terrorist organizations can successfully employ radiological weapons for causing fear and death in an area with a large number of people. Because of the adverse effects of radiological weapons, they can make areas contaminated by radioactive dusts and smokes to be inhabitable for a considerable period, unless expensive decontamination efforts are carried out. Even though terrorists have not used radiological weapons before, previous incidences have raised the concern that terrorists may acquire and use them for causing mass casualties. For example, some radiological materials planted by Chen rebels were discovered and disarmed in 1995 and 1998. Moreover, some terrorist organizations, such as al Qaeda, have publicly expressed their willingness to acquire these weapons. Possible means of deployment of the radiological materials include the use of either radiological dispersal devices (RDD), which spreads the material into the environment, or radiological emission devices (RED), which uses an immobile radioactive source to make people come into contact with high levels of radiation. The source of RED can remain undiscovered for a considerable period of time such as the accident that took place in Goiania, Brazil in 1987 in which four people died and several others suffered from contamination effects. Terrorists’ use of RDD is likely to be more catastrophic, causing massive disruption and widespread panic among the population. If the RDD uses a chemical explosive, the preliminary outcome would come from the huge impact used to disperse the radioactive substance, and the radioactive fallout from this little â€Å"dirty bomb† would spread over a wide area. A â€Å"dirty bomb† is easily available to terrorists. It is a conventional chemical explosive laced with lower-grade radioactive substance that spreads when the bomb detonates, and it kills people through the initial impact as wells as through the resulting airborne radiation and contamination. Terrorists can deliver dirty bombs through various devices such as artillery shells, dynamite, and TNT. Radiological weapons can be employed in poisoning animals, aquatic life, and foodstuffs. Since they are not soluble in water, terrorists cannot poison water sources using them. Terror organizations can also launch a systemic attack in a nuclear plant. They can achieve this by overloading the reactor so that it functions as a radiological weapon. Potential terrorist targets The potential terrorist targets by the use of weapons of mass destruction are inexhaustible. If the chosen target will make the terrorist to realize his or her objectives, then is a viable quarry. Ideal targets may consist of, but not limited to, a place where there is large gatherings of individuals, packed stadiums, restaurants, office buildings, shopping malls, trains, subway systems, airliners, dams, oil refineries, seaports, nuclear power plants, and hazardous cargo on trucks and trains. It is important to note that terrorists may find some targets to be more attractive than others may be. For instance, a bus stop with no people may be less attractive to a terrorist than a full bus stop on a busy Monday. In using weapons of mass destruction, a terrorist is attracted to highly populated targets where many people can lose their lives and excessive damage on infrastructure can occur. The modern terrorist is usually attracted to symbolic targets; that is, places considered to be the might of a country. The September 11 attacks on the U.S. soil illustrate this. The terrorists destroyed the World Trade Center, which symbolized the economic strength of the U.S. and also represented the globalization that Muslim fundamentalists found to be so objectionable. Soft targets; that is, places that are poorly defended, also rank high on the modern terrorist’s target list. Examples are institutions of learning, hospitals, and shopping malls. These places are highly vulnerable to terrorists’ attack by the use of weapons of mass destruction since they lack adequate physical security necessary to deter terrorist. Conclusion To this end, it is clear that terrorists’ use of weapons of mass destruction is a major threat that must be countered in this century. Nevertheless, efforts can be made to counter its effects by adopting appropriate measures for prevention, detection, and action. Terrorism will not be completely obliterated from th e face of the earth if individuals settle down and stop making efforts to win the war that has been fought since the beginning of recorded history. This calls for establishment of drastic measures that can prevent them from obtaining or accessing chemical, biological, nuclear, or radiological weapons. Consequently, with the adoption of these counter strategies, the war on terror can be won significantly. Reference List Cameron, G. (1999). Nuclear terrorism : a threat assessment for the 21st century. New York: Palgrave Macmillan. Croddy, E., Wirtz, J. J. (2005). Weapons of mass destruction : an encyclopedia of  worldwide policy, technology, and history. Santa Barbara, Calif.: ABC-CLIO. Friedewald, V. (2006). Clinical guide to bioweapons and chemical agents. Notre Dame, Indiana: Springer Verlag. Lacy, T. K., Benedek, D. M. (2003, July). Terrorism and Weapons of Mass  Destruction: Managing the Behavioral Reaction in Primary Care. Medscape Today. Retrieved from https://www.medscap e.com/viewarticle/452845 Porteus, L. (2006, June). Weapons of Mass Destruction Handbook. Fox News. Retrieved from https://www.foxnews.com/ This essay on Weapons of Mass Destruction: The Terrorist Threat was written and submitted by user Madeleine U. to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Free Infrared Surveillance Essay

Free Infrared Surveillance Essay Infrared Surveillance Contemporary world experiences plenty of challenges in the sphere of security The reality is such that old traditional safety and security measures are not capable of coping with the growing threats of terrorist attacks, crimes, natural disasters, etc. Now is the time when novel sophisticated tools appear to solve the problem of ever-growing need for eliminating danger. One of the challenges of potentially dangerous situations might be solved by a tool, which enables people to see in the darkness systems of infrared surveillance. This essay focuses on infrared surveillance and spheres of its application in the modern world, ranging from military to fire control. Infrared security cameras have the special ability to render video in low-light conditions and in total darkness, thus making it possible to disclose what is happening in places where and at the time when human eyes cannot serve reliably (Security Camera Warehouse). Security PRO USA, one of online security centers, states that with the help of infrared surveillance systems people obtain a possibility to get the necessary picture even under the most severe atmospheric or environmental conditions (Security PRO USA). Infrared cameras were originally developed for the military use during the Korean War to further enhance night vision capabilities (Sierra Pacific Corp., 2012). Later on, this technology transferred to various spheres. Now infrared surveillance is widely used in numerous fields, such as military, law enforcement, maintaining perimeter integrity, mobile surveillance, marine surveillance, search and rescue, fire control, facilities safety and security, event or crowd management, etc. (Infrared Cameras Inc., 2012). Infrared surveillance has found its widest application in the military: night seeing, weapon sighting, remote sensing and force protection are just several examples of how infrared surveillance can be used in the military and paramilitary spheres (Sierra Pacific Corp., 2012). Infrared thermal imaging has become an important, cost-efficient solution for a wide variety of military missions such as surveillance, search rescue, force protection, drug interdiction, perimeter integrity maintenance and etc. (Security PRO USA). Border security is one of the vital tasks for any state today This unique challenge combines vast unpopulated territories with long distances and various climate and weather conditions. Carl Zeiss Optronics GmbH, one of the leading providers of optical and opto-electronic products and services for defense and security, indicates that monitoring and protecting larger areas presents security institutions with considerable problems, particularly at night and when poor visual conditions exist (Carl Zeiss Optronics GmbH). Infrared surveillance systems are an excellent opportunity to control a situation, as their cameras can be networked and provide high-quality imaging under any conditions (IEC Infrared Systems, 2008). Similarly, maintaining perimeter integrity at such facilities as refineries, nuclear power plants, ports, airports and other critical infrastructure also requires an overall control of the territory. Infrared surveillance enables to augment and sometimes completely replace conventional mobile patrols at night - in total darkness states Infrared Cameras Inc., one of the leaders in security systems manufacture (Infrared Cameras Inc., 2012). Mobile infrared systems enable the modern military to deal successfully with improvised explosive devices, which have become the weapon of choice for terrorists and insurgents (IEC Infrared Systems, 2008). Another task that infrared cameras help to fulfill is search and rescue of lost survivors (Infrared Cameras Inc., 2012). Search in the darkness used to be impossible and all attempts stopped at night. Now many lives are saved owing to this modern technology. One more challenging task for infrared surveillance is fire control and management Firefighting and firefighting management requires rapid information receipt. When a territory is covered in smoke, it becomes crucial to get a reliable picture as soon as possible to be able to save lives and prevent further spread of fire. Infrared cameras are the tool to gain this valuable real-time tactical information, which is invaluable in the decision making process (Infrared Cameras Inc., 2012). Many facilities have open-door displays of their products, such as automobiles or simply large areas, which should be protected from penetration. Moreover, they usually have large parking lots, warehouses or long and dark walkways, where it is almost impossible to ensure full and continuous lighting. On the one hand, using infrared surveillance helps save on electricity by eliminating unnecessary lighting over product displays and empty areas. On the other hand, it decreases the risks for employees when they are in poorly lit areas (Infrared Cameras Inc., 2012). Infrared surveillance can benefit law enforcement agencies in general, as it them with an opportunity to see what is not meant to be seen, as most crimes are committed in darkness. In this case infrared surveillance can either help witness a crime and stop it timely, or prevent it by spreading the information in the area that is being watched. There is one more sphere where infrared surveillance may play an important role, which is marine control. Waterfront security is a real challenge as people and equipment have to work in the most severe conditions and there are various threats to detect from swimmers to vessels, submarines and underwater mines. To sum up, infrared surveillance systems can help protect borders, military camps, troops, private and business property, detect explosives and drugs; search for the lost and save lives in fire. Nevertheless, infrared surveillance can not only fulfill security tasks, but also scientific queries, energy audits, etc. as it provides a wide range of applications with the possibility of receiving unique information, which cannot be obtained by other means either due to technology or conditions.

The strategic management of human resources Essay

The strategic management of human resources - Essay Example This paper investigates the implementation of strategic human resource management (SHRM) integrating with the scope of linkages between SHRM and Corporate Strategy Process. To demonstrate the integration SHRM and corporate strategy process, strategic integration framework of Golden and Ramnujam's (1985) has considered as a base and evidences has been drawn from both global and UK corporate houses. The out6comes should provide support to the momentum for the HRM activity to accomplish an enhanced level of strategic integration with the corporate planning process. Evidence also supports that after integration HRM activities within the companies have gained a strategic status inside the business planning process. Yeung, A., & Brockbank, W., (1995) mentioned that a very important output of the planning process is a strategy for an organisation. The term strategy refers to what managers want the organisation to accomplish. A strategy positions the organisation in a particular place in the organisation's environment. On the other hand, human resource management (HRM) is the management function that deals with recruitment, placement, training, and development of organisation members. So, we can define strategic human resource management as the management process that involves an organisation's engaging in strategic planning and then acting on those plans by utilizing human resources to get better output and thus any organisation meet its goals. Managers always remember that most important resources are the people who supply the work, talent, creativity, and drive to the corporate strategy process. The Role of Strategic Management with the Corporate Strategy Process: Stephen, T, (1998) added that the corporate Strategy is the broad program for defining and achieving an organisation's objectives, the organisation's response to its environment over time. Basically, administrative tasks needed to put strategy into practice. The management process that involves an organisation engaging in strategic planning and then acting on those plans is known as strategic management. Strategic management provides a disciplined way for managers to make sense of the environment in which their organisation operates, and then to act. In broad terms, two phases are involved: 1. Strategic planning is the name we customarily give to the sense-making activity. This includes both the goal setting and the strategy-formulation processes that Hofer, C. W. Schendel, D., (1978) distinguished. 2. Strategy implementation is the name we customarily give to actions based on that kind of planning. This stage includes Hofer, C. W. Sch

Movie summary on Tough Guise Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Movie summary on Tough Guise - Research Paper Example Movie summary on "Tough Guise" When Katz asks young men to define what it means to be a man, he gets feedbacks like physical, in control, strong, athletic, stud, tough, and powerful. However, when men fail to conform, they are called emotional, bitch, fag, queer, and pussy. In this film, it is depicted that men tend to be more aggressive and physical, but women are the exact opposite. Towards the end in a section referred to as â€Å"Better Man,† Katz documents that America has made some positive attempts and features several earlier examples from more human and sensitive men and media content. Analysis of feminist theme in â€Å"Tough Guise† Masculinity and violence â€Å"Tough guise† was well-developed, using effective and interesting examples to bring out its main topic about masculinity and violence. The rest of the ideas presented were well supported to give good insight into the concepts of masculinity constructed by the current society. Regardless of these strengths, the movie over exem plified the idea of masculinity by merely addressing â€Å"toxic characters.† However, this does not erase the fact that the movie clearly shows the application of masculinity to violence and crime. The movie is really a challenging one especially when one thinks of the way films and the media marginalize men. While watching the movie, it is important to reflect on the discussion in the book, Women's Voices by Shaw and Janet Lee about gender and performance. They argue, â€Å"There are politics in sexual relationships because they occur in the context of a society that assigns power based on gender and other systems of inequality and privilege† (Shaw & Lee 46). Most of the critiques of masculinity may be inclusive of arguments that it disregards dissimilarities and outlines ideas in a heteronormative conception of gender. Such critiques are put forward by feminist thinkers who discuss this concept. The arguments by Shaw and Lee are very interchangeable and have a clear connection with the film because it is argued that masculinity can be replaced by â€Å"aggressiveness† and â€Å"femininity† with â€Å"passiveness.† The constant arguments constructed on ideas of femininity and masculinity proves the authors’ suggestions that none of these misconceptions are natural but mere performances. When the society scrutinizes dissimilarities between women and men as well as ideas of gender, it seems like people will often be performing to a certain degree. I agree with the theme of violence and masculinity in this movie that the two issues are part of the continuing crisis in America. The question that really arises when one watches the movie is â€Å"why do men behave in the way they do, and why is a huge percentage of violence committed by men and boys?† It is not merely in such few places like in video games that these happen, but it is in what is evident in normal culture. It forms part of the normal conditioning and training of

The Betrayal of Anne Frank Essay Example for Free

The Betrayal of Anne Frank Essay For decades, historians around the world have been reviewing facts about the betrayal of Anne Frank. On August 4th, 1944, the Gestapo captured Anne Frank and the other residents of the ‘Secret Annex’. Months of torture were ahead of them in three different concentration camps. The camps got the best of seven out of eight people from the ‘Annex’. Otto Frank, Anne’s father, was the only survivor of the Holocaust. The betrayer of Anne Frank and her family needs to be found, they all deserve it. Until now, no one has known who made the fatal phone call to the Secret Police. Anton Tony Ahlers is the infamous betrayer of Anne Frank. Tony Ahlers son said, â€Å"Your suspicions of my dad possibly betraying the Franks is wrong. He DID betray them.† Ahlers was also a known betrayer. Lana Hartog told one of the Frank family helpers that she knew Jews were hiding and could not just sit back and let it continue. Although investigated after the war, she was not found guilty. This proves Lana’s innocence; therefore, she is not guilty. Ahlers is a clear suspect who hated Jews, and Otto and his family were Jews. Ahlers was a worker for the DNP (Dutch National Party- Nazis) and had a hand in dozens of betrayals. Ahlers half sister, Margaret Block, says that Tony bragged about turning in the Franks; however, because everyone in their family was terrified of him and what he could do to them, they never turned him in. If Ahlers had betrayed many other Jews and had turned them in, what would stop him from doing it again? That question leaves historians at a stop sign, at which they are paused momentarily. Tony Ahlers was the only person in the investigation of the betrayal of the Frank family that had a motive; he desperately needed money. With his business bankrupt, he truly had nothing else to lose. Otto was of no use to him any longer in the aspect of business. Otto Frank did business with the German Army, and Ahlers found a letter stating Otto believed the Germans would lose the war. Ahlers used the letter to blackmail Otto. Tony desperately needed money, and his last resort was Otto Frank. Tony Ahlers is still the #1 suspect in the betrayal of Anne Frank. The events of Annes betrayal and the Holocaust happened many decades ago. Certain things are fresh in the minds of historians everywhere; after all, Tony Ahlers has always been the prime suspect of the infamous betrayal. His sons confession, his job, and the only one with a motive, the arrow points right to him. His name needs to be brought to the table, so the Annexs residents can rest in peace. â€Å"In Spite Of Everything, I Believe That People Are Good At Heart.†

Describe The Elements Of Death :: essays research papers

Describe the elements of war and death in Stephen Crane’s The Red Badge of Courage. This book is divided into two parts. In the first part the main characters, Henry Flemings. illusions disappear when confronted by the reality of battle(WAH 642). During the first battle he sees vague figures before him, but they are driven away. In the next battle he is so frightened that he runs away becoming one of the first heroes in literature to actually desert his fellow soldiers in the field. While Henry is separated from his fellow soldiers, he wanders through the forest. There he experiences the kind of illusions that predominate in all of the writings of Crane (WAH 642). First he tells himself that nature does not blame him for running. Next he finds himself in a part of the woods that he believes is religious. The insects are praying and the forest takes the appearance of a chapel. Henry is comfortable with this until he finds a dead soldier in the heart of the â€Å"chapel†. Henry sees an ant carrying a bundle across the face of the dead soldier. That view is beautiful in the sense of conveying great emotion through minute detail(WAH 643). As he moves back henry sees a line of injured soldiers including his friend Jim Conklin,who is badly wounded and another friend called â€Å"the tattered man†. Trying to make up for deserting his friends, Henry tries to help Jim Conklin who is dying.After Conklin dies, the tattered man probes deeply into Henry’s conscience by repeatedly asking â€Å"where ya hit†(Bowers 132). Henry deserts the tattered man. When Henry stops another soldier he asks him the novels most important question which is â€Å"why† The soldier hits henry on the head for starting trouble. Ironically this wound becomes Henry’s â€Å"Red Badge of Courage†. Henry is then lead back to his regiment by a â€Å"cheery soldier† who helps wandering soldiers. This leads Henry into the second half of the book. Henry’s wanderings are over. Not until the end of the book does he ask questions. Most of the repudiations are complete: heroes do not always act like heroes; no one understands the purpose of life or death; nature may be malevolent, probably no different, but is certainly not the benevolent pantheist realm of the transcentalists, and God, is simply nowhere to be found(Weatherford 32). In the second part of the novel Henry beco0mes a â€Å"war devil†, the hero that he wanted to be originally when another battle is over, all Henry has accomplished is negated. Many critics found the last chapter confused and muttled, Henry’s feelings range from remorse to the â€Å"sin† which is not responsible

Globalization in Australia Essay

Globalization literally means the process by which the local phenomenon is transformed into global ones where every person in the world is united into a single society and work together as dependent partners. For a country to be globalized, it has to coordinate its economic, social, cultural, political and political aspects. Basically, the term Globalization has been used to refer to only the financial aspect of Economic Globalization which is the transformation of National Economy into International Economy through Technology, Capital Flow, Foreign Investment, Migration and Trade (Hirst and Thompson, 247). According to the UN-ESCWA , the term means, elimination or minimizing of national boarders so that the flow of goods, services, capital and labor can be facilitated. As globalization continues to sweep every nation, it has had its ups and downs. While on one side it helps in opening up of new markets and wealth creation, on the other end, it is a major contributor to the world disorder and unrest. Economic globalization can be measured using mainly four economic flows:- goods and Services, Technology, Capital and Labor (Bracer and Costello, pp. 19). This essay will look at the features of Globalization in Australia, How the process is driven, the effect that it has had on political scene of the country and finally it will look at how it has affected Australian relationship with other countries. Political Perspective of Globalization Australian Globalization has taken effect on its political system, research resented in (Gupta, pp. 37) show that, apart from concerning itself with the issues of the national governments like security and economic welfare of its people, the Australian government has taken into pursuing political matters in the global arena. They have joined the member groups of known World institutions like the European Union, International Monetary Fund, World Trade Organization and the World Bank among others to help them in this effect. The influence of the Australian Government through these institutions has managed to transcend even beyond its boarders. By using the Central national government, many NGOs with their origin in Australia have been established to help in numerous global issues like the human right concerns, environmental concerns and civil society matters. Domestic Aspect of Politics of Globalization Globalization effect in Australia has seen the gap between the rich and the poor fall by nearly Ten Percent in less than three decades. And not only did that happen, but there was also a notable reduction in the number of undernourished children. The average life expectancy in the same period of time shot to 66 from 58 years while the infant survival per every 1000 rose to 67 from 44. As the country’s economy grows, say by for instance 10%, so do the poorest people in the country by the same margin, thanks to the liberalization of Trade and high technology(Oxley,2003). Since it started expanding, Australia has done so without any sign of recession. It has been so good in doubling the countries wealth and cutting down on unemployment. This big boom has seen the prime minister, John Howard bolster his political fortune with great confidence. The Australian market which was once an isolated market, has undergone great transformations to the point where it can comfortably take advantage of the global market. Australia’s Domestic and International Economy Australia’s economic system is one of the most open in the globe that is; in terms of foreign investment and tariffs. The positive effects of globalization to this country are numerous, some of which are; the Reduction in the transport cost, Easy communication and Cheap offshore production. While it is apparent that globalization can either bring blessings or curses, to Australia it has brought blessings in abundance, The Australian government, through the labor unions have secured great productivity gains. The labor unions which were held in a high state demanded for high pay to their members†¦ they were granted this wish and the results of it was astounding. It saw a dramatic gain in productivity (Arnoldy. pp. 13). Relationship Between Australia and other Developed and Developing Countries The relationship that Australia has had with different nations is shaped by its position as the leading nation in trade and more so its role as being a major donor of humanitarian aid. It has a strong bilateral tie with all its allies and there keen concern regarding the debated on terrorism, free trade and other economic cooperation strategies ( Croucher, pp. 10). Their active participation in the affairs of Commonwealth Nations and United Nations put them in a position of being a darling of every sovereign state. Australia has also joined several of such world organizations like the Economic and Social Funding in 1994, Security Council in 1986 and Cairns Group of Countries (to press for Agricultural trade reforms). It focuses most of its attention to developing countries like Singapore, Indonesia, Philippines, Thailand, Malaysia and Brunei. On the other hand developed nations like the United States, United Kingdom, Japan and China are not left behind. Australia’s major import partners include China Japan, Germany, and Singapore while its export partners are Japan, China, New Zealand and South Korea (www. worldgrowth. org). The future of Australia seems to be quiet bright as far as globalization is concerned. If the current trend continues, then we will witness a lot more fragmentation, personal freedom, Emergence of bigger organizations and wider connectivity. Works Cited Alan Oxley. (2003) â€Å"Globalization and Australia†. Australian APEC Center, Monash from www. worldgrowth. org Retrieved on 09-02-2009. Ben Arnoldy. (2006). â€Å"Australia at the crossroads of globalization †. The Christian Science Monitor. Sydney, Australia. pp. 12-19. Bhagwati, Jagdish. (2004). â€Å"In Defense of Globalization†. Oxford, New York: Oxford University Press. pp. 51-87. Hirst and Thompson. (2002) â€Å"The Future of Globalization†. Published: Cooperation and Conflict, Vol. 37, No. 3, pp. 247-265. Jeremy Brecher and Tim Costello. (1994): â€Å"Global Village or Global Pillage: Economic Reconstruction From the Bottom Up†. Boston, South End. pp. 19-23. Satya Dev Gupta. (1997): â€Å"The Political Economy of Globalization†. Boston, Zed Books. pp 29-64. Sheila L. Croucher. (2004). â€Å"Globalization and Belonging: The Politics of Identity in a Changing World†. Rowman & Littlefield. pp. 10.