Presentation by Lauren Johnson

Who?
Names
ISIS: Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (more common
name)
ISIL: Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant
Levant: region spanning from southern Turkey to Egypt
and including Syria, Lebanon, Israel, the Palestinian
territories and Jordan


What?
Terrorist and insurgent organization
Insurgent: Rebel or revolutionary
Group that broke away from al-Qaeda
Al-Qaeda: a radical Islamic group organized by Osama
bin Laden in the 1990s to engage in terrorist activities.
Carried out 9/11 attack on the US.
Sunni militants seeking to form a pure Islamic
state. Thus, concentrated on territorial gains in
the Middle East.
Hostile to America, Americas allies, and Shia
Muslims


Sunni vs Shia
The divide between Sunni and Shia Muslims
originates in dispute after death of Prophet
Muhammad over who should lead Muslim
community.
Sunni Muslims regard themselves as the
traditionalist branch of Islam.
The great majority of Muslims are Sunnis -
estimates suggest the figure is somewhere
between 85% and 90%.

Where?
The Middle East
ISIS
Country Profiles
Government Parliamentary democracy
Mix of civil and Islamic law
History of political corruption (i.e.
Saddam Hussein)
Authoritarian regime
Mix of civil and Islamic law
Economy State-run economy dominated by oil
sector, which provides more than
90% of government revenue
Economy continues to deteriorate
due to ongoing conflict that began in
2011


Social Official religion = Islam (99%)
60%-65% Shia
32%-37% Sunni
Official religion = Islam 87%
74% Sunni


History Gained independence in 1932 Gained independence in 1946
Geography Mostly desert with northern
mountainous regions


Mostly desert
Timeline
ISIS has existed under various names and in various forms since early
1990s
By 2004: Merged with al-Qaeda and named itself al-Qaeda in Iraq, or AQI.
Since the withdrawal of U.S. forces from Iraq in late 2011, the group has
increased attacks on mainly Shiite targets
2013: Increasing violence 2013 leaves early eight thousand civilians dead,
making it Iraqs bloodiest year since 2008
February 2014: al-Qaeda disavows ISIS due to ferocity of its tactics
Disavow: deny any responsibility or support for an individual or group




Why the Concern about ISIS?
Made news in the past few months for:
Dramatic military conquest of Iraqi territory
Ruthless treatment of Iraqi minorities
Multiple videotaped beheadings of Western hostages
Noted for their sophisticated, calculated attacks in the past year. Attacks
include:
Prison breaks (ex. Abu Ghraib _
Police stations
Military checkpoints
Assassinations of local officials and reporters (crippling local agents of
government, allowing ISIS to seize control)
ISISs operational potential comes from its unprecedented wealth



Why the Concern about ISIS?
Presents a continuing humanitarian crisis,
with millions of people fleeing for their lives (i.e.
Iraqi and Syrian refugee crises)
Hundreds of thousands being killed.
Presents a threat to Middle East stability, as ISIS
seeks to erase modern borders between
countries and impose its own version of
fundamentalist law
Fundamentalism a form of a religion that upholds
belief in the strict, literal interpretation of scripture.

Current Action Against ISIS
US lead airstrikes
http://www.theguardian.com
/world/2014/sep/10/obama-
speech-authorise-air-strikes-
against-isis-syria
Airstriker supporters: Saudi
Arabia, Jordan, United Arab
Emirates, Bahrain, Qatar
UN Sanctions
Security Council blacklisted
members of ISIS)
Blacklist means these
individuals will be subject to
international travel ban, asset
freeze and arms embargo
Sources
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-27994277
http://www.hscentre.org/middle-east-and-north-
africa/isis-background-ideology-capabilities/
http://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2014/08
/isis-a-short-history/376030/
http://www.pbs.org/newshour/rundown/what-is-islamic-
state-iraq-and-syria/
https://www.cia.gov/
http://edition.cnn.com/2014/09/23/world/meast/syria-
airstrikes-countries-involved/
http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-
east/2014/08/15/U-S-jets-strike-ISIS-armored-vehicles-in-
Iraq-.html
The International
Monetary Fund: An
Introduction
Presentation by Lauren Johnson
International Monetary Fund
In 1944, towards the end of World War II, various countries met in
in Bretton Woods, New Hampshire
Sought to plan post-war international monetary and financial system
A major outcome of the conference was the establishment of the IMF
and the World Bank.
Founded in 1945 with 29 initial member countries
Primary goal of IMF was to rebuild worlds international payment
and trade systems in the wake of World War II.
IMF worked to facilitate trade and loan systems that jump-started
the post-war global economy


IMF Today
Global economic development institution
Headquarters in Washington, DC. Its
Membership comprises 188 of the worlds economies
Works to
Ensure financial stability
promote international trade
promote sustainable economic growth
reduce poverty around the world.
Though a UN specialized agency, the IMF is largely independent, with its
own charter, Board of Directors, governing structure and finances.

Terminology
Quota: How much money countries are obligated to provide to the
IMF. This also determines their voting power in the IMF.
Loan: a sum of money borrowed, that is expected to be paid back
with interest.
Interest: An extra amount of money paid in return for borrowing an
amount of cash
Balance of Payments: The difference between how much a country
spends (for example, on military programs and social programs) and
how much a country earns (through taxes) and borrows (through
loans).
Loan Forgiveness or Debt Relief: When the IMF no longer requires a
government to pay back part or all of its debt.
Least Developed Countries (LDC): Countries with very low incomes
levels and high poverty rates (including high levels of hunger and
child mortality, and low levels of literacy and school enrollment).


The Basics
When a country contributes to IMF, it has
ability to take out loans should it have a
balance of payment problem (when it has
problems paying its bills).
Developed countries make loans to
developing countries
Developing countries can use the money to
stabilize their economies, build roads and
schools, and invest in their people.



Issue
Balance of Payments problems come when a government
Has a loss in tax revenue
Has social spending obligations to keep up
Has another expenditure that it is required for country upkeep
Example: Egypt
losing money because of continued uprisings and regime changes, which
decrease revenue from tourism
Losing money because of increased costs in defense and civil services.
As a result, becomes difficult for borrower nation to maintain basic
services and pay back loans
When a debtor country cannot pay on its loans, it is obligated to either
default or borrow more to finance its expenditures.