Is Iran a threat to the U.S Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Is Iran a threat to the U.S - Research Paper Example Iran’s military also plans for a three-stage missile capable to hit targets some 3700 km away4. Despite Iran’s repeated assurances that its nuclear program is for purely peaceful purposes, the West and Israel believe that the Islamic Republic is striving to obtain a nuclear weapon, which is more or less substantiated by the latest IAEA’s report on the issue5. Alternatively, Iran doesn’t pose any serious threat to the United States because of the reasons below: Iran’s economy is suffering heavy blows with the country’s oil revenues being dramatically slashed and other trade disrupted due to the international sanctions6. This would eventually hamper both the country’s geopolitical ambitions and military programs; The expansion of the Iranian ballistic missile arsenal, along with both space and nuclear programs, will drain the country’s resources sooner or later; The military capabilities of United States overwhelmingly exceed even the most unbridled wishes of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards; Iran has recently declared that welcomes a US offer of bilateral nuclear talks. With all the ambiguity of the possible outcome, such talks have the potential for a certain reconciliation7; The so-called Arab spring, or its after effects, whatever the case might be, would eventually reach the Islamic Republic. Weighing the Pros and Cons The US-Iran relations have gone from bad to worse ever since the Shah’s fall from power in 19798. The hostage crisis, which lasted for 444 days, along with the American support for Saddam Hussein and the number of armed incidents involving US and Iranian air and naval units during the Iran-Iraq war, brought about a deep crisis in the bilateral relations9. The first Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, had demonized the US as the â€Å"Great Satan† in 1979, which image was projected across the Middle East and beyond, as well as deeply embedded in anti-American rhetoric10. Not surprisingly therefore, Hezbollah’s leader Nasrallah stated in 2002 - one year after 9/11 – that â€Å"our hostility to the Great Satan is absolute†11. Accordingly, Iran was placed on the list of rogue states, alongside Cuba, Burma, North Korea, etc., and was designated by the President George W. Bush as one of the countries that constitute the â€Å"Axis of Evil†12. The current Supreme Leader of Iran, Ayatollah Khamenei, is renowned for his animosity to the US13, and if his power and the survival of the Islamic theocracy are in danger, he would not hesitate to order strikes against US targets within the operational range of the Iranian ballistic missiles, including military and civilian installations, as well as against key American allies, most notably Israel. The anti-Semitic and anti-American rhetoric of the incumbent president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad also implies such a possibility, although the real clout in Iran belongs to Ayatollah Khamenei and the circle around him. What makes the situation particularly precarious, however, is the fact that

Tax Accounting Questions. Assignments Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Tax Accounting Questions. Assignments - Essay Example For example, the collection of fees in advance will be recorded in GAAP when it earned while according to tax accounting it will be considered as rent taxable income automatically. Another example is the recording of depreciation of fixed assets. Under the GAAP it asset will depreciated using different methods such as straight-line while under the tax accounting only one method is allowed known as MACRS. Under both the depreciation methods, the effect is on the net income. The difference resulting from both the accounting methods may cause differed tax assets or liabilities which can be transferred from one accounting period to the other depending on the financial situation of the company. Another difference between GAAP and tax accounting is the recognition of other revenues or items. For example, the revenue earned from municipal bonds is recognized as interest earned in GAAP whereas such revenues are exempt from federal taxes accounting. The filing status depends on an individual’s marital status and his/her family situation. There are five possible filing statuses. These are married filing jointly, surviving spouse, head of household, single, and married filing separately. Although there are five filing statuses, only four rate schedules or tax tables are used because surviving spouse and married filing jointly usually use the same rate. The characteristics that distinguish each of the filing statuses are based on four factors which also determine how much tax rate is applied to each of them. These factors are maintenance of household, having any dependents, marital status, and citizenship. The characteristic of a surviving spouse is that he/she has to maintain a household, have dependents such as a daughter or a son, the marital status remains the same for atleast two years and is a citizen. The tax rate is that same as that of