US and Iran

There are a lot of recent articles, mostly from British sources, about possible US actions against Iran. The latest is British PM Tony Blair coming out against military action in Iran. British papers have also mentioned that the US has detailed plans for strikes in Iran. Here is a story covering Iranian reactions.

Does it make sense for the US to have plans for attacks in Iran? Why do you think British papers are the ones leaking this information? Any strategy taking place?

Tensions are definitely high in the Middle East. Here, a US Fleet Commander warns of an unprecedented level of tension in the Persian Gulf. And here, there is a discussion of Syrian moves toward the border with Israel, including new weapons purchases from Russia.

UPDATE: Here is a NYTimes article on increasing armament purchases by Arab states wary of Iran.

Study Tips

I've noticed the recent proliferation of a lot of good guides for students on how to take lecture notes, study for exams, etc..., and I've posted some of the more interesting ones (from my perspective) below:

Note taking and studying:
How to take perfect lecture notes is here.
How to study better is here.

Test taking:
How to study for your next test is here.
How to ace your next test is here.

Writing:
How to avoid using colloquials in writing is here. (Note: I think this is one of the biggest hurdles for undergraduates to overcome!)
Correct punctuation is a good thing.

Syllabus for PSC644 International Conflict

Here is the syllabus for the graduate-level International Conflict course.

NOTE: Most of the readings from this syllabus refer to journal articles that are available using the electronic journals link at UA (http://www.lib.ua.edu/ejournals/). A few of the journals are not listed on this source, or no coverage exists for certain years of the journal, so students will have to go to the library to make copies of these articles. Finally, ome of the readings refer to book chapters that will be distributed to the class as the semester progresses.