In the post-9/11 era, the practice of establishing profiles to help identify potential terrorists has been the subject of significant public controversy. Despite this, building such data has remained a core goal of law enforcement and intelligence officials.
Large gatherings such as concerts, sporting events, religious ceremonies and demonstrations are an essential part of a society’s vibrant public life and traditions, but they also carry risks. Participants can suffer from stress-related illnesses or sustained exposure to extreme temperatures, and even be injured or die as a result of uncontrolled crowd behaviors.
On February 23, 2012, the United Nations issued report outlining the case that during the Syrian uprising the country’s regime has committed “gross human rights violations” and that “such violations originated from policies and directives issued at the highest levels of the armed forces and the Government.”
For both President Obama and members of Congress, the calculus of whether or not to intervene in the Syrian conflict has many variables. Some are unique to this particular moment in time and conflict, but stepping back, researchers have examined some of the more general dynamics and principles that may help guide understanding of war and peace decision-making.
