ICC
ICC
Head Chair: Kelvin Ervais
Vice Chair: Natalia Nakhjavani
Lawyers: Razan Al-Obaidy, Kira Presley
Position papers will be due on February 2, 2018. The position paper format and all other important conference documents can be found on our conference website, http://lhhsconference.weebly.com/.
Email all position papers to our committee email: lhhsICC@gmail.com. Feel free to contact us via email if you have any questions or concerns.
Hello delegates my name is Kelvin Ervais and I will be the head chair of ICC at this year’s MUN conference. I am a senior and this is my sixth year in MUN. I am the starting catcher on the varsity baseball team, as well as a board member for CSF, Think Pink, Red Cross, and the founder of Libraries for All. I am also an IB diploma candidate and a active member of NHS. In my free time I enjoy hanging with friends, going to the beach and snowboarding. I am looking forward to this year's committee and hope you all enjoy our conference!
Hello delegates! My name is Natalia Nakhjavani and I am a senior. This is my second year in MUN and also my second year in ICC at our conference. I love to cheer, figure skate, and go dirt biking/ camping with my family. I hope we have a great productive committee and can’t wait to meet you all! Make way for princess Natina
Your lawyers will be Razan Al-Obaidy and Kira Presley. Since this is a one day conference, we will be starting with Henry Kissinger and might move onto Bashar al-Assad if time permits. Witnesses are preparing beforehand for the trial with their names provided below; many of their names are made up. We look forward to seeing you guys in committee!
Topic A: Henry Kissinger
Background:
Henry A. Kissinger was born May 27, 1923 in Fürth, Germany. He is an American political scientist, who, as adviser for national security affairs and secretary of state, was a major influence in the shaping of foreign policy under Presidents Richard M. Nixon and Gerald R. Ford. In 1973 he was awarded the Nobel Prize for Peace with Le Duc Tho of North Vietnam for their efforts to negotiate a peaceful settlement of the Vietnam War. Although he originally advocated a hard-line policy in Vietnam and helped engineer the U.S. bombing of Cambodia, Kissinger later played a major role in Nixon’s Vietnamization policy, the disengagement of U.S. troops from South Vietnam and their replacement by South Vietnamese forces. On January 23, 1973, after months of negotiations with the North Vietnamese government in Paris, he initialed a cease-fire agreement that both provided for the withdrawal of U.S. troops and outlined the machinery for a permanent peace settlement between the two Vietnams. For this apparent resolution of the Vietnam conflict, Kissinger shared the 1973 Nobel Prize for Peace with the North Vietnamese negotiator, Le Duc Tho.
Prosecution:
A gregarious but manipulative man, Henry Kissinger, the former United States Secretary of State is assailed as a criminal of war who manipulated, facilitated and had oversight of untold human violations against innocent people in foreign lands such as the carpet bombing of innocent villages in Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos. It was Kissinger’s handling of wars in Vietnam and southeast Asia that brought him substantial amounts of criticism and hatred. He faked the beginning of a nuclear war in order to advance some perverse personal game theory. He carelessly committed international crimes without even thinking about it. Henry Kissinger claimed that he “helped” the U.S by secretly bombing Cambodia and Laos; two countries that had absolutely nothing to do with the Vietnam War. This caused deaths of millions in these two countries. Although Kissinger did help his country, he put other countries at huge risk. Not only Henry Kissinger is a liar, he is also selfish because of the actions that he took towards the Vietnam War. These are only some of the manipulative and selfish actions he has done. All in all, Henry Kissinger should be considered absolutely guilty and should be prosecuted for the ignorant actions that led other countries to be at risk and war crimes that took place during his time as Secretary of State.
Defense:
Henry Kissinger, a powerful man who was formerly the Secretary of State and National Security Advisor, has been put on trial as a criminal of war who used master
manipulation to advance the United States. Kissinger has been brought under speculation for the crimes of illegally and manipulatively handling the brewing wars in Vietnam and Southeast Asia, faking the beginnings of a nuclear war during the Cold War, committing international crimes, and secretly bombing Laos and Cambodia. In turn, many have not taken into account that Kissinger loyally helped his country with his actions and did what he truly thought was right. Furthermore, Kissinger truly only set fire at his and the U.S.’s enemies. From Nixon’s orders to the direct bombers’ comply to these orders, Kissinger only advised and warned. One should remember that since Kissinger was NOT the pilot, bomber, or shooter, and that he does not have blood on his hands. Furthermore, it is a waste of time to put Kissinger on trial as this old soul has recently reached the age of 94. At the ripe age of 94, Kissinger is too frail, old, and physically and mentally deteriorated to be prosecuted for these crimes. Overall, Kissinger was not the killer or perpetrator in any of his charged crimes and instead performed his actions only for the good of the U.S., and is also too old to go to jail or be prosecuted for something in which he is completely innocent.
Witnesses:
Henry Kissinger
Nancy Kissinger - wife of Henry Kissinger.
Dinh Nguyen - leading general in Vietnamese collaboration with U.S. to peacefully end in Vietnamese War
President Richard Nixon - President of the U.S. during the time of Kissinger’s alleged crimes, appointed him Secretary of State
Francis Cullens - political friend of Kissinger's in the Soviet Union, military advisor
Henry Manton Hutchinson- Lead consultor on the President’s foreign intelligence advisory board
Ann Fleischer- Henry’s ex wife
Tom Thanquol- the pilot that was ordered by Kissinger to drop several bombs in Cambodia and Laos
Dara Chung- a survivor from the bombings that killed thousands including her parents in Cambodia
Jordan Thompson-the head general of UN peacekeeping that assisted with saving Cambodian’s victims
Christopher Hitchens-the author of the book “The Trial of Henry Kissinger” that presented Kissinger’s involvement in a series of alleged crimes in several countries
Questions to Consider:
Topic B: Bashar al Assad
Background:
Bashar al-Assad, the incumbent president of Syria, and has held the role for over seventeen years. Prior to his election, Assad attended medical school in Syria and worked as a doctor in the Syrian Army. Since he became president, Assad has been the target of scrutiny and has been accused of committing war crimes multiple times. In 2005, he was accused of ordering the assassination of the former Prime Minister of Lebanon. During the Syrian Civil War that started in 2011, Assad has been accused of multiple human rights violations. These include but are not limited to: the usage of chemical weapons, threats of violence and fear to intimidate members of the press and politically motivated murders. Also during his term as president, one of the largest refugee crises in the world started, mostly from citizens fleeing his war-torn nation.
Prosecution:
The Syrian Crisis started in 2011 when Bashar Al Assad became the president and took control of the people in his country. With Bashar’s use of tanks, bomb attacks and execution of children, protesters spread and opposition groups decided to take action and defend their rights. Assad gave orders to crush these dissents, rather than deal with it in a peaceful way. President Assad took on a dangerous dimension by using prohibited chemical weapons to harm his citizens. This caused the deaths of 240,000 humans and almost half of the country’s population was forced to flee their homes. The UN stated that over 4 million syrians are now refugees. One of the main reasons why Bashar Al Assad is considered to be 100% guilty is due to the use of chemical weapons against his civilians. Bashar is no different than dictators or terrorists who use these terrible weapons. Bashar al-Assad’s government has carried out 27 chemical attacks including a sarin gas attack against the town of Khan Sheikhoun that killed more than 80 people, according to the UN. Assad has been proving that he is not capable of becoming in power for the past six years. The recent Sarin gas attack is only the most recent on a long list of other human rights violations. All in all, Bashar Al Assad has no right whatsoever to stay in power and should get prosecuted immediately for he is considered guilty because of his ignorant actions.
Defense:
Bashar al-Assad, the current President of Syria, is on trial for war crimes, crimes against humanity, and is to be held as the perpetrator for multiple chemical attacks, bombings, and threats on / directed towards Syrian civilians. Contrary to popular belief, Bashar al-Assad should not be put on trial for these crimes and is furthermore innocent due to many cases of evidence that prove that his associates, in turn, were the perpetrators, and that al-Assad had justifiable means. Furthermore, as violence and protests sparked into a civil war, Bashar did all that he could to protect as well as aid his country while bringing the overall state back to peace. The people at fault for starting the initial chaos are the civilians and individual military groups that tortured government opposers. The phrase, ‘the end justifies the mean’ can be coined in Bashar’s favor as from beginning to end, al-Assad’s goal was to modernize and help his country. Even when violence broke out, al-Assad ordered for the chaos to be stopped so that his country would have peace once more. As you can see, the crimes that Bashar al-Assad is on trial for are in no means his fault, and should be directed towards his military associates and the generals who ordered the bombings and shot civilians.
Witnesses:
Bashar al-Assad
Maher al-Assad- republican guard chief, Bashar’s younger brother and advisor.
Rami Makhlouf - Syria’s powerful economic advisor, controls which foreign companies do business in Syria.
Hassein Rumi - Syrian politician, and friend of Bashar.
Asma al-Assad - Wife of Bashar.
Jassem al-Fadd - Deputy Secretary General of UN Peacekeeping in Syria.
Amir Salih- a refugee who fled his home, Syria, due to the several attacks Bashar ordered
Hassan Aboud-the leader of “Ahrar Al Sham”, a rebel group that wants to overthrow Assad government
John Zanders- the head general of UN peacekeeping that dealt with Syrian Refugees
Sheikh Ahmed Aziz- a religious leader from Iraq that is the leader of a tribal group opposing and fighting against Assad
Questions to Consider:
Sources:
https://www.britannica.com/biography/Henry-Kissinger
https://www.biography.com/people/henry-kissinger-9366016
http://www.cnn.com/2012/12/06/world/meast/bashar-al-assad---fast-facts/index.html
http://www.bbc.com/news/10338256
Head Chair: Kelvin Ervais
Vice Chair: Natalia Nakhjavani
Lawyers: Razan Al-Obaidy, Kira Presley
Position papers will be due on February 2, 2018. The position paper format and all other important conference documents can be found on our conference website, http://lhhsconference.weebly.com/.
Email all position papers to our committee email: lhhsICC@gmail.com. Feel free to contact us via email if you have any questions or concerns.
Hello delegates my name is Kelvin Ervais and I will be the head chair of ICC at this year’s MUN conference. I am a senior and this is my sixth year in MUN. I am the starting catcher on the varsity baseball team, as well as a board member for CSF, Think Pink, Red Cross, and the founder of Libraries for All. I am also an IB diploma candidate and a active member of NHS. In my free time I enjoy hanging with friends, going to the beach and snowboarding. I am looking forward to this year's committee and hope you all enjoy our conference!
Hello delegates! My name is Natalia Nakhjavani and I am a senior. This is my second year in MUN and also my second year in ICC at our conference. I love to cheer, figure skate, and go dirt biking/ camping with my family. I hope we have a great productive committee and can’t wait to meet you all! Make way for princess Natina
Your lawyers will be Razan Al-Obaidy and Kira Presley. Since this is a one day conference, we will be starting with Henry Kissinger and might move onto Bashar al-Assad if time permits. Witnesses are preparing beforehand for the trial with their names provided below; many of their names are made up. We look forward to seeing you guys in committee!
Topic A: Henry Kissinger
Background:
Henry A. Kissinger was born May 27, 1923 in Fürth, Germany. He is an American political scientist, who, as adviser for national security affairs and secretary of state, was a major influence in the shaping of foreign policy under Presidents Richard M. Nixon and Gerald R. Ford. In 1973 he was awarded the Nobel Prize for Peace with Le Duc Tho of North Vietnam for their efforts to negotiate a peaceful settlement of the Vietnam War. Although he originally advocated a hard-line policy in Vietnam and helped engineer the U.S. bombing of Cambodia, Kissinger later played a major role in Nixon’s Vietnamization policy, the disengagement of U.S. troops from South Vietnam and their replacement by South Vietnamese forces. On January 23, 1973, after months of negotiations with the North Vietnamese government in Paris, he initialed a cease-fire agreement that both provided for the withdrawal of U.S. troops and outlined the machinery for a permanent peace settlement between the two Vietnams. For this apparent resolution of the Vietnam conflict, Kissinger shared the 1973 Nobel Prize for Peace with the North Vietnamese negotiator, Le Duc Tho.
Prosecution:
A gregarious but manipulative man, Henry Kissinger, the former United States Secretary of State is assailed as a criminal of war who manipulated, facilitated and had oversight of untold human violations against innocent people in foreign lands such as the carpet bombing of innocent villages in Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos. It was Kissinger’s handling of wars in Vietnam and southeast Asia that brought him substantial amounts of criticism and hatred. He faked the beginning of a nuclear war in order to advance some perverse personal game theory. He carelessly committed international crimes without even thinking about it. Henry Kissinger claimed that he “helped” the U.S by secretly bombing Cambodia and Laos; two countries that had absolutely nothing to do with the Vietnam War. This caused deaths of millions in these two countries. Although Kissinger did help his country, he put other countries at huge risk. Not only Henry Kissinger is a liar, he is also selfish because of the actions that he took towards the Vietnam War. These are only some of the manipulative and selfish actions he has done. All in all, Henry Kissinger should be considered absolutely guilty and should be prosecuted for the ignorant actions that led other countries to be at risk and war crimes that took place during his time as Secretary of State.
Defense:
Henry Kissinger, a powerful man who was formerly the Secretary of State and National Security Advisor, has been put on trial as a criminal of war who used master
manipulation to advance the United States. Kissinger has been brought under speculation for the crimes of illegally and manipulatively handling the brewing wars in Vietnam and Southeast Asia, faking the beginnings of a nuclear war during the Cold War, committing international crimes, and secretly bombing Laos and Cambodia. In turn, many have not taken into account that Kissinger loyally helped his country with his actions and did what he truly thought was right. Furthermore, Kissinger truly only set fire at his and the U.S.’s enemies. From Nixon’s orders to the direct bombers’ comply to these orders, Kissinger only advised and warned. One should remember that since Kissinger was NOT the pilot, bomber, or shooter, and that he does not have blood on his hands. Furthermore, it is a waste of time to put Kissinger on trial as this old soul has recently reached the age of 94. At the ripe age of 94, Kissinger is too frail, old, and physically and mentally deteriorated to be prosecuted for these crimes. Overall, Kissinger was not the killer or perpetrator in any of his charged crimes and instead performed his actions only for the good of the U.S., and is also too old to go to jail or be prosecuted for something in which he is completely innocent.
Witnesses:
Henry Kissinger
Nancy Kissinger - wife of Henry Kissinger.
Dinh Nguyen - leading general in Vietnamese collaboration with U.S. to peacefully end in Vietnamese War
President Richard Nixon - President of the U.S. during the time of Kissinger’s alleged crimes, appointed him Secretary of State
Francis Cullens - political friend of Kissinger's in the Soviet Union, military advisor
Henry Manton Hutchinson- Lead consultor on the President’s foreign intelligence advisory board
Ann Fleischer- Henry’s ex wife
Tom Thanquol- the pilot that was ordered by Kissinger to drop several bombs in Cambodia and Laos
Dara Chung- a survivor from the bombings that killed thousands including her parents in Cambodia
Jordan Thompson-the head general of UN peacekeeping that assisted with saving Cambodian’s victims
Christopher Hitchens-the author of the book “The Trial of Henry Kissinger” that presented Kissinger’s involvement in a series of alleged crimes in several countries
Questions to Consider:
- What other options did Kissinger have during the Vietnam War besides carpet bombing?
- Was Kissinger thinking in the interest of the United States?
- Was the United States justifies in its involvement in the Vietnam War?
Topic B: Bashar al Assad
Background:
Bashar al-Assad, the incumbent president of Syria, and has held the role for over seventeen years. Prior to his election, Assad attended medical school in Syria and worked as a doctor in the Syrian Army. Since he became president, Assad has been the target of scrutiny and has been accused of committing war crimes multiple times. In 2005, he was accused of ordering the assassination of the former Prime Minister of Lebanon. During the Syrian Civil War that started in 2011, Assad has been accused of multiple human rights violations. These include but are not limited to: the usage of chemical weapons, threats of violence and fear to intimidate members of the press and politically motivated murders. Also during his term as president, one of the largest refugee crises in the world started, mostly from citizens fleeing his war-torn nation.
Prosecution:
The Syrian Crisis started in 2011 when Bashar Al Assad became the president and took control of the people in his country. With Bashar’s use of tanks, bomb attacks and execution of children, protesters spread and opposition groups decided to take action and defend their rights. Assad gave orders to crush these dissents, rather than deal with it in a peaceful way. President Assad took on a dangerous dimension by using prohibited chemical weapons to harm his citizens. This caused the deaths of 240,000 humans and almost half of the country’s population was forced to flee their homes. The UN stated that over 4 million syrians are now refugees. One of the main reasons why Bashar Al Assad is considered to be 100% guilty is due to the use of chemical weapons against his civilians. Bashar is no different than dictators or terrorists who use these terrible weapons. Bashar al-Assad’s government has carried out 27 chemical attacks including a sarin gas attack against the town of Khan Sheikhoun that killed more than 80 people, according to the UN. Assad has been proving that he is not capable of becoming in power for the past six years. The recent Sarin gas attack is only the most recent on a long list of other human rights violations. All in all, Bashar Al Assad has no right whatsoever to stay in power and should get prosecuted immediately for he is considered guilty because of his ignorant actions.
Defense:
Bashar al-Assad, the current President of Syria, is on trial for war crimes, crimes against humanity, and is to be held as the perpetrator for multiple chemical attacks, bombings, and threats on / directed towards Syrian civilians. Contrary to popular belief, Bashar al-Assad should not be put on trial for these crimes and is furthermore innocent due to many cases of evidence that prove that his associates, in turn, were the perpetrators, and that al-Assad had justifiable means. Furthermore, as violence and protests sparked into a civil war, Bashar did all that he could to protect as well as aid his country while bringing the overall state back to peace. The people at fault for starting the initial chaos are the civilians and individual military groups that tortured government opposers. The phrase, ‘the end justifies the mean’ can be coined in Bashar’s favor as from beginning to end, al-Assad’s goal was to modernize and help his country. Even when violence broke out, al-Assad ordered for the chaos to be stopped so that his country would have peace once more. As you can see, the crimes that Bashar al-Assad is on trial for are in no means his fault, and should be directed towards his military associates and the generals who ordered the bombings and shot civilians.
Witnesses:
Bashar al-Assad
Maher al-Assad- republican guard chief, Bashar’s younger brother and advisor.
Rami Makhlouf - Syria’s powerful economic advisor, controls which foreign companies do business in Syria.
Hassein Rumi - Syrian politician, and friend of Bashar.
Asma al-Assad - Wife of Bashar.
Jassem al-Fadd - Deputy Secretary General of UN Peacekeeping in Syria.
Amir Salih- a refugee who fled his home, Syria, due to the several attacks Bashar ordered
Hassan Aboud-the leader of “Ahrar Al Sham”, a rebel group that wants to overthrow Assad government
John Zanders- the head general of UN peacekeeping that dealt with Syrian Refugees
Sheikh Ahmed Aziz- a religious leader from Iraq that is the leader of a tribal group opposing and fighting against Assad
Questions to Consider:
- Was Assad justified in his retaliations to the rebels?
- Was Bashar or the Syrian rebels at fault in starting the civil war?
- Should Assad be prosecuted for crimes committed by his soldiers?
Sources:
https://www.britannica.com/biography/Henry-Kissinger
https://www.biography.com/people/henry-kissinger-9366016
http://www.cnn.com/2012/12/06/world/meast/bashar-al-assad---fast-facts/index.html
http://www.bbc.com/news/10338256