This week, the international community was divided over the Obama administration’s intent on carrying out missile strikes against Syria, a military mission that would target Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s troops following a chemical weapons attack against civilians in a Damascus suburb. Meanwhile, American citizens commemorated the 50th anniversary of Martin Luther King Jr.’s March On Washington, remembering the civil rights movement and how it transformed American society. To round off the week in news, the sole teen attacker in New Delhi’s well-known gang rape case was sentenced to a juvenile reform facility, but many believe the sentence is too light and must be more severe.
Welcome back to this week’s NEWSFLAH!
Obama Seeks Congress’ Approval to Strike Syria
Following a chemical weapons attack on civilians in the Damascus suburb of Ghouta, the Obama administration is pushing for missile strikes on Syria. But after declaring that he would proceed with the mission regardless of lawmakers’ support, the President changed his mind on Saturday and requested Congress’ approval on the matter.
The international community was heavily divided on the issue, with countries like Russia vehemently opposed to strikes on Syria. U.K. Prime Minister David Cameron faced his country’s parliament to gather support for the U.S., but Members of Parliament voted against any military action in Syria. Other major stances included France’s declaration of support while Iran threatened war against the U.S. and its allies should the Obama administration follow through.
The decision came after more than a week of discussions where the Obama administration pushed for missile strikes against Syria in retaliation for a suspected chemical weapons attack that left 355 civilians dead. The U.S. government and various Syrian rebel groups accuse the country’s President, Bashar al-Assad, of carrying out the attack.
But concrete evidence that al-Assad’s troops fired chemical weapons on civilians has not been presented, leaving many to question the authenticity of Obama’s claims. For instance, an article published in Minnesota-based Mint Press News indicated that witnesses of the attack are pointing to a local al-Qaeda linked rebel group as the perpetrators. Such a claim could undermine President Obama’s rationale for carrying out strikes in Syria, as it would take the blame away from al-Assad.
Other Syrian rebel groups, however, do point the finger at al-Assad. In the meantime, Congress is set to vote on the matter soon.
U.S. Commemorates March On Washington’s 50th Anniversary
While many were not yet born when Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. led thousands of supporters to Washington, D.C. for the infamous 1963 March On Washington, Americans from all walks of life gathered in the capital this past week to celebrate one of modern American history’s defining moments.
For a week leading up to Wednesday’s main anniversary occasion, thousands attended events big and small held all over the D.C. area. Among the main junctures was a Saturday commemoration rally sponsored by civil rights activist Rev. Al Sharpton’s National Action Network, Martin Luther King III and the NAACP. The event featured speeches from Sharpton, Attorney General Eric Holder and a brief address from Trayvon Martin’s mother, Sabryna Fulton. Georgia Congressman John Lewis, the March’s only surviving speaker who led multiple civil rights protests in the South, also addressed the crowd and urged them to continue fighting for equality.
Lewis then returned for Wednesday’s main event, which featured speeches by President Obama and former Presidents Bill Clinton and Jimmy Carter. The President spoke of the racial disparities still entrenched in society, delivering an address that focused extensively on economic inequality. Oprah Winfrey also spoke to the crowd with a speech that has since been criticized for its vagueness.
Despite the March’s groundbreaking effects on the civil rights movement in America, many U.S. citizens argue that the economic and social situation for African Americans has largely remained unchanged. The poverty rate among blacks still sits at three times the rate for white citizens, and unemployment rates for African Americans today mirror those for the same group in 1963.
Teen Involved With India Gang Rape Sentenced
The then-17-year-old attacker in the December New Delhi gang rape case has been sentenced to serve three years in a juvenile reform home.
The boy, who remains unnamed for legal reasons, was found guilty of rape and murder charges when he and five adult men lured a 23-year-old woman and her male friend onto a bus. Both were then beaten by the teen and his accomplices with a metal bar, during which the woman was raped multiple times. She later died of massive internal injuries at a hospital in Singapore, with her death shedding new light on the severity of sexual assault in India.
The judge’s ruling will take into account the last few months the boy spent in jail, meaning that he will spend under three years at the facility. Indians all over the country have voiced their opposition to the sentence terms, believing that the sentence needed to be more severe given the boy’s actions
On the other hand, the five adult men involved in the attack face the death penalty. Their trials began in February but a verdict has yet to be reached for all their cases.