DIPL 2103 AA History of Diplomacy

The goal of this course is to examine the evolution of diplomacy from the earliest times to the present day. Students will learn about the use of diplomacy by nations, large and small, as an element of national power. The course will also deal with the practical aspects of diplomacy: how diplomats are recruited in different countries, their training and career progression; different types of work a diplomat performs in a mission abroad and at headquarters; the organization of missions and headquarters; the representational obligations of diplomats and the role of spouses. We shall also examine some selected case studies. It is expected of the students that they read the case studies and come prepared for a class discussion. I will attempt to invite some outside speakers to deliver lectures

DIPL 4280 The Politics of Terrorism

The course will commence with an in depth study of the David J Whittaker edited The Terrorism Reader . This is one of the best Readers currently available for its depth and scope. The second part of the course will see us studying Akbar Ahmed\u27s new book Islam Under Siege. which has attracted very favorable reviews. The course will conclude with a study of After Terror edited by Akbar Ahmed and Brian Forst. I will give my own insights on international terrorism, based on my involvement with this issue in 1992-94 as Additional Secretary to the Prime Minister of Pakistan for foreign affairs and defense matters. I will circulate articles from newspapers and magazines relevant to the course. I also expect all students to share material they have found relevant with me for onward transmission to the class. Credit will be given to those students who can cite relevant books and articles during class discussions. The careful reading and absorption of the material will advance the understanding and comprehension of students about international terrorism in all its forms and manifestations

DIPL 6500 The Modern Middle East: History, Challenges and Opportunities

The course will commence with an overview of the history of the Middle East. Students are requested to pay special attention to this portion as a grasp of the historical background of the Middle East is crucial to understanding current events. The historical portion which will be based on Albert Hourani\u27 s book will be followed by the emergence of the modern period from 1832 to the present day. The text used for this portion will be the book by Mehran Kamrava. I will give my own insights on Middle East topics based on my diplomatic assignments in Syria, United Arab Emirates , Morocco and heading the Middle East Division at Headquarters in Pakistan\u27s Foreign Ministry. I will circulate articles from newspapers and magazines relevant to the course. I also expect all students to share material they have found relevant with me, for onward transmission to the class if found relevant by me. Credit will be given to those students who can cite relevant books and articles during class discussions

DIPL 4187 U.S. Involvement in the Middle East

The course will commence with an in depth study of American Orientalism: The United States and the Middle East since 1945 by Douglas Little. The book provides an analytical and interpretive approach to U.S. involvement in the Middle East The second book used for the course will be David W. Lesch\u27s The Middle East and the United States. (Third Edition). I will give my own insights on U.S. involvement in the Middle East based on my postings in Syria, United Arab Emirates, Morocco and as Additional Secretary in charge of the Middle East Division in Pakistan\u27s Foreign Ministry. In addition, I will circulate articles from newspapers and magazines relevant to the course. I also expect students to share materials they have found relevant with me, for possible circulation to the class. I shall also focus on current problems and issues faced by the U.S in the Middle East including the US involvement in Iraq. The careful reading and absorption of the material will advance the understanding and comprehension of students

DIPL 4180 The Modern Middle East: History, Challenges and Opportunities

The course will commence with an overview of the history of the Middle East. Students are requested to pay special attention to this portion as a grasp of the historical background of the Middle East is crucial to understanding current events. The historical portion which will be based on Albert Hourani\u27 s book will be followed by the emergence of the modem period from 1832 to the present day. The texts used for this portion will be Rashid Khalidi and Mehran Kamrava, respectively. The final portion of the course will consist of a discussion of three Arab Human Development Reports prepared under the auspices of the United Development Programme. (UNDP) I will give my own insights on Middle East topics based on my diplomatic assignments in Syria, United Arab Emirates , Morocco and heading the Middle East Division at Headquarters in Pakistan\u27s Foreign Ministry. I will circulate articles from newspapers and magazines relevant to the course. I also expect all students to share material they have found relevant with me, for onward transmission to the class. Credit will be given to those students who can cite relevant books and articles during class discussions

DIPL 6520 The Politics of Terrorism

The course will commence with an in depth study of the David J Whittaker\u27s The Terrorism Reader (4 th Ed). This is one of the best Readers currently available for its depth and scope. The second part of the course will see us studying Akbar Ahmed and Brian Forst\u27s book After Terror, which has attracted favorable reviews. The final portion of the course will see us examining violent extremism in the regions bordering Afghanistan and Pakistan, analyzed in The Scorpion\u27s Tail by Zahid Hussain. I will give my own insights on international terrorism, based on my involvement with this issue in 1992-94 as Additional Secretary to the Prime Minister of Pakistan for foreign affairs and defense matters. I will circulate articles from newspapers and magazines relevant to the course. I also expect all students to share material they have found relevant with me for possible onward transmission to the class. Credit will be given to those students who can cite relevant books and articles during class discussions. The careful reading and absorption of the material will advance the understanding and comprehension of students about international terrorism in all its forms and manifestations

DIPL 6520 The Politics of Terrorism

The course will commence with an in depth study of David J. Whittaker’s The Terrorism Reader (4th Ed). This is one of the best Readers currently available for its depth and scope. The second part of the course will see us studying Akbar Ahmed and Brian Forst’s book After Terror, which has attracted favorable reviews. The final portion of the course will see us examining violent extremism in the regions bordering Afghanistan and Pakistan, analyzed in The Scorpion’s Tail by Zahid Hussain. We shall also discuss the latest developments regarding violent extremism in the Middle East. I will give my own insights on international terrorism, based on my involvement with this issue in 1992-94 as Additional Secretary to the Prime Minister of Pakistan for foreign affairs and defense matters. I will circulate articles from newspapers and magazines relevant to the course. I also expect students to share material they have found relevant with me for possible onward transmission to the class. Credit will be given to those students who can cite relevant books and articles during class discussions. The careful reading and absorption of the material will advance the understanding and comprehension of students about international terrorism in all its forms and manifestations

Domestic violence among Pakistani women: an insight into literature

The objectives of this search were to estimate the burden of domestic violence, its contributing factors and strategies based on literature review for the prevention and control of domestic violence. Published literature about domestic violence in Pakistan during the years 1998 to 2008 was analyzed and scrutinized. This article is based on the searched result of 200 articles published in the English language from which finally 13 articles were selected. Search terms included “Violence”, “Domestic violence”, “Domestic violence in Pakistan” and “Strategies and Recommendations for Prevention of Domestic violence”. According to these studies, the intimate partners\u27 violence is reported as in the range of 30% to 79%. In Pakistan, there are some notable factors which make women prone to domestic violence like women\u27s low education, low empowerment, existing misconceptions about Islamic thoughts and traditional norms, misuse of women in the name of honor justifying honor killing, poverty and existence of unjust traditional dowry system in the society. The most common points made by researchers for prevention and control are 1) the need to recognize the domestic violence against women as an important issue 2) enhancement of educational and health facilities for the prevention and control of violence with combined awareness programs by governmental or nongovernmental organizations and 3) enactment and promulgation of comprehensive laws to combat this problem. Our work reveals that a significantly large proportion of women suffer with domestic violence and the factors identified are preventable and modifiable to a greater extent. Further research is also needed in this regar

A Linear Ablating System in the Left and Right Atrium: Feasibility, Catheter Performance and Clinical Results

AbstractIntroductionWe describe the use of a ablating system to compartmentalise and regionally isolate the atria in paroxysmal and persistent atrial fibrillation (AF).Methods40 patients were studied, 25 paroxysmal AF and 14 persistent AF. One patient enrolled was later found to be in left atrial flutter and was excluded. The Cardima Revelation® TX catheter system with Intellitemp® Radiofrequency (RF) energy control device and a Medtronic Atakar® RF generator were used to place wide area circumferential ablations to achieve conduction block into the left and right sided pulmonary veins. Roof lines and mitral isthmus lines were also performed. In patients with persistent AF and in repeat procedures, right atrial compartmentalisation was performed with an anterior superior vena cava (SVC) to inferior vena cava (IVC) line and a septal SVC to IVC line.ResultsAt 6 months, 18 of the 39 patients were asymptomatic, 10 had improved symptoms and 22 were in sinus rhythm. In the paroxysmal group, 11 were asymptomatic, 7 had improved symptoms and 16 (64%) were in sinus rhythm. In the persistent group, 7 were asymptomatic, 3 had improved symptoms and 6 (43%) were in sinus rhythm. The total group AF burden was 37.8±5.4hrs pre-procedure and 23.1±5.1hrs at 6 months post procedure. Mean temperature, impedance and power recorded at each pole demonstrated effective power delivery at all poles. No catheter charring was observed, complication rates were comparable to standard AF ablation technique.ConclusionLinear ablation in the left and right atria to mimic Cox’s Maze is feasible and safe using this ablating system