On 21 January 2013 Barack Hussein Obama was sworn in as president of the United States of America, in his second inauguration. His inauguration this time around was a much scaled down event from the euphoria of his first term, with a much more conciliatory tone, with lots of talk about the middle ground. It was obvious that the reality of ruling has fundamentally shaped Obama's perceptions and will dominate his second term. US presidents are constrained by numerous factors in the US political system including the fact that the Democrats will be running for elections in exactly two years' time, again, for the House of Representatives.

Obama is well known for his oratory skills and has inauguration speech was full of America's unique role in the world and the opportunities that exist for the US public. It is only natural a US president would give a positive and upbeat speech in his inauguration, however he will ultimately be measured by what he does as this is what will be looked at when he is long gone.

When Obama rose to power in January 2009, the US was reeling from a decade of war, its economy was shrinking after numerous bailouts and stimulus packages failed to halt the ‘great recession,' and Russia and China were taking a much more aggressive posture towards US global ambitions. The US was caught on the back foot when the Ummah in what has come to be known as the Arab spring took to the streets to bring change in their countries.

Irrespective of the rhetoric from the Whitehouse, there are a number of strategic issues the US will face in the next 5 years and these in all likelihood will not just define Obama's legacy but US prowess around the world.

US Debt

The USA has a precarious debt situation, one that should have had the US credit rating downgraded a long time ago. Whilst the US may generate more than $15 trillion a year, it is debt that fuels this. The US national debt - the money the central and federal government owes to the US public and the world through the bonds (or IOU's) they have issued - stands at $16.4 trillion. Interest payments on this debt were $3.3 trillion in 2012. This debt emanates from US citizenry's huge appetite for imports and credit cards and as a result consumer debt stands at $864 billion. The desire by American's to own their own homes has resulted in mortgage debts of $12.9 trillion. The debts of US companies amounts to $20.8 trillion. This makes the US indebted to the tune of $52 trillion - more than the combined economies of Japan, China Britain, Germany, France, Brazil, Canada and Italy twice over.

Successive US presidents have increased the amount the US can borrow and constantly rolled over this debt. This rather flexible debt "ceiling" has been raised 34 times since it first was raised over the $1 trillion level in September 1981. The fiscal cliff debacle resulted in congress debating what should happen to the ceiling as the US was fast approaching its limits, due to postponing any solution during the debt ceiling debacle in February 2010. The US once again postponed any tax hikes and spending reduction for another day in effect not dealing with America's unsalable appetite for debt.

For the moment postponing this debt has been the solution, however as this debt grows, America's ability to realistically meet its annual payments will raise the prospects of default and this will impact America's global position which is built upon constantly turning over this debt.

Afghanistan

The US and its allies are all looking to extricate themselves from Afghanistan after a decade of war. Whilst 2014 is the official date when most of America's allies will completely withdraw their troops the challenge for the US is its small presence, which will remain beyond 2014, will struggle to deal with the political architecture that it created.

The US architecture consists of an acceptable dictator, who has struggled to impose his writ beyond his own headquarters. Hamid Karzai has been struggling for years and its unlikely his government will last. This necessitates negotiations with the real power in the country - the Taliban, to shape the country's political future. Obama since he has been in power has made numerous statements which reflect Washington's exploration of ways to talk with and apply pressure on the Taliban to achieve a favourable bargaining position. These have all failed, as the Taliban are winning and do not see the need to negotiate. With a smaller force remaining beyond 2014, the Taliban will be playing a role in the country whatever the outcome, the issue for Obama is can he get the Taliban to enter its political architecture before US elections in 2016.

China

America's biggest challenge is China's assertiveness in the Asia-Pacific. The rise of an alternative power in the region means the loss of critical sea routes for trade and energy directly linked to the US economy and the loss of key tools for containing other nations reliant upon the routes in the region for their economies. Dollar-for-dollar the US military has various military systems to deal with any Chinese aggression, however China has a presence in the region, whilst the US just has a coast line thousands of miles away from the Asia-pacific region. As the region is far from the US, any intervention will require long lines of communication, multiple logistical hubs and forward-positioned supplies. Because the Western Pacific constitutes China's home waters, China's military assets do not have to travel from half way across the world to get to the Asian military theatre as America's must. In the event of war, the US may only get to the theatre when the war is over.

For the first time since the collapse of the Soviet Union the US faces a challenge to its hegemony. This challenge, whilst not to its global position, possess a challenge in one region of the world for the US and comes at a time when China views the US to have weakened due to a decade of war.

Whilst the US is developing its Air-Sea battle concept, the central tenet of which involves very close coordination of US Air Force and Navy capabilities. For the moment, the US military will rely on ports and air bases across theAsia-Pacific region.

Economic growth

Obama's second term will in all likelihood be judged by his domestic performance. The sheer size of the US economy means fluctuations affect the whole global economy. Ever since the financial crisis began various attempts to kick start economic growth have failed one after the other. Initially the Bush government proposed legislation for the government to purchase up to $700 billion of "troubled mortgage-related assets" from financial firms. Then when Obama became president he implemented a stimulus package worth $825 billion (5.8% of GDP). He then later promised more stimulus money for the green economy in the hope of stimulating the wider economy.

The America's economy is dominated by consumer spending and is heavily dependent on the American population's appetite to continually consume. The collapse of the sub-prime market and then the whole real estate market in the US led to consumer spending to drop as many lost their homes, this drop in spending led to a fall in spending in wholesale trade and retail - the twin engines of the US economy.

The US administration continued with stimulus plans in the hope of reviving the US economy. Today, 12.8 million Americans are unemployed, 8.2 million cannot find enough work, and 1.1 million have given up looking for work altogether. For 38 straight months, unemployment has been higher than what the US administration promised.Stimulus entails increasing government spending using money that is borrowed primarily from abroad in the case of the US from countries such as China, or simply created by central banks literally by entering digits into a computer. Any stimulus was always a high-octane boost and a temporary measure. They are designed to kick-start stalled economies, not to fuel sustained economic growth. The growth that has been achieved is really the inflated results of stimulus measures achieving their intended effect to be temporary.

Arab spring

Since the events of 9/11 the ideological divide between the US and the Muslim world has become more and more obvious. With issues constantly taking place which are ideological in nature, add to this the Arab spring where the Muslim world is taking its destiny into its own hands the US is losing support in the Muslim world very fast. The film insulting the prophet (saw) in 2012 is a clear case in point.

Human rights and the free market which for long were US brands are no longer values the Muslims globally are aspiring for. US occupation of Muslim lands, Guantanamo Bay, Abu Gharib and the constant attacks on Islam in the name of Freedom have polarised the world. Ideological Muslims globally are calling for Islam, the Arab spring has shown they can rise up to change the status quo, in Obama's last term the US will have to contend with the political aspirations of the Muslim world.

Syria

The opposition forces in Syria, who lack heavy weapons, have successfully created a stalemate with the regime. The regime has been unable to successfully lead attacks deep into rebel held territory due to the decentralised nature of the uprising. The US has given the regime ample time to quell the uprisings thorough solutions which realistically were never going to placate the opposition. Currently the regime has set up defensive positions in Aleppo and Damascus. Opposition forces have focused on Aleppo and have had success in attacking the regime supply lines from Damascus to Aleppo and are not far away from cutting of Aleppo from the regime. The capture of the Taftanaz base weakened the Assad regime further. When this occurs the regime in Damascus can only hold out for so long and the very real prospect of the overthrow of the regime and replacement by someone who represents the people will likely unfold, bringing an end to US influence in the country.

Adnan Khan

Natasha Walter, acclaimed British feminist campaigner, today claimed that women still need feminism.  She said feminism had changed and women today did have the freedom to be what they wanted, but were still in more need than ever of feminism due to ‘real and urgent' challenges women still faced.

I could not agree more with Walter on one thing - that the challenges women face today are without a doubt, real and urgent. As Walter has described in her previous writings, the sexualisation of women is a crippling and overbearing attitude, valuing women for the size of their waist, the symmetry of their face, over what contributions they could make to society - to the point that being pretty becomes the sole aspiration of masses of young girls.

Despite the Government passing an Equal Pay Act over 40 years ago, the Chartered Management Institute research showed that it would still take till 2067, for the gender pay gap to diminish - meaning society is still on a long way yet to value the contributions women make for what those contributions are, over the gender of the person they arise from. And Prime Minister David Cameron's patronising "calm down dear" comment to a female Minister in the Houses of Parliament may have been forgotten, but it does not take away from the true reality it exposed of how the majority of women are really seen and treated in high level positions and scenarios.

So there is absolutely a real struggle for women not just in the UK, but in the entire Western world. However where I would care to disagree with Walter is how we will overcome this struggle for once and for good. Walter may herald the freedoms women have gained and now enjoy, and propose that it is through these freedoms we continue to struggle, but what she must realise is that these are the very same freedoms which have inspired big business to exploit the woman to advertise a product, violating her honour. It is these same freedoms which make men feel that it is acceptable to use and abuse a woman how you want, for your own desires as has been reflected in the recent Government statistics, revealing 1 in every 5 women in the UK has been a victim of a sexual offence. It is these freedoms which have allowed society to feel free to revel in their prejudices of women; prejudices which assert that women do not have the abilities or same potential as men to be able to achieve like them in a job or role, leading to the glass ceiling, or unequal pay for the same job. So although many feminists like Walter will argue that more freedom for women has been the positive story of feminism, I would argue that with these freedoms and so-called rights, have paradoxically brought women's exploitation. Thus feminists must understand that if they continue to campaign for their rights within the framework of a liberal, free society, ultimately they will be chasing their own tail - they will never meet their ends as this same freedom will continue to simultaneously exploit women and belittle them.

It is incumbent therefore that women globally look towards a system which banishes from the onset the idea that society is free to exploit and treat the woman how they want.  The Islamic Khilafah "Caliphate", obligates society to view and treat women according to the value that Allah (swt) assigned to them, which is of great honour. Such a society would provide no room for prejudice, no room for exploitation in how they viewed her, as everyone from men to businesses would be accountable to a Higher Being, Allah (swt), in how they treated her.  Unless feminists look towards the alternative of Islam, it is sad to say they will not meet their ends.

Umm Abdullah Khan

Women's Media Representative of Hizb ut Tahrir in Britain

Headlines:

• Report: Pentagon Aims for Fivefold Cyber security Boost
• Egypt Army Chief Warns of 'State Collapse' Amid Crisis
• Syria Ready to Launch 'Surprise' Retaliation Attack against Jewish Entity
• French, British, US Warplanes and Troops Occupy Yemeni Capital
• America Eyes Pakistan's Oil and Gas Sectors

Details:

Report: Pentagon Aims for Fivefold Cyber Security Boost:

The U.S. Department of Defense has approved a fivefold expansion of its cyber security force over the coming years in a bid to increase its ability to defend critical computer networks, The Washington Post reported this week. Citing unnamed U.S. officials, the newspaper said the Defense Department's Cyber Command, which currently has a staff of about 900, will expand to about 4,900 troops and civilians. The decision to expand the Cyber Command was made by senior Pentagon officials late last year in recognition of a growing threat in cyberspace, the report said. Last November, Defense Secretary Leon Panetta conceded that U.S. cyber security needed more financial support and human capital. "We've got good people that are involved in it, but, very frankly, if we're going to stay on the cutting edge of what's happening with regards to the changes that are occurring, we have got to invest more in that area," he said during a speech in Washington hosted by the Center for a New American Security. The seriousness of the threat has been underscored by a string of sabotage attacks, including one in which a virus was used to wipe data from more than 30,000 computers at a Saudi Arabian state oil company last summer, "The Post" pointed out. According to the paper, the plan calls for the creation of three types of forces under the Cyber Command. The "national mission forces" will protect computer systems that handle electrical grids, power plants and other infrastructure deemed critical, the paper said. "Combat mission forces" will help commanders abroad plan and execute attacks or other offensive operations, The Post said. Meanwhile, the task of "cyber protection forces" will be to shield the Defense Department's own networks, the paper noted.

Egypt Army Chief Warns of 'State Collapse' Amid Crisis:

Egypt's Armed Forces Chief has warned the current political crisis "could lead to a collapse of the state." General Abdul Fattah al-Sisi, in comments posted on the military's Facebook page, said such a collapse could "threaten future generations." He made his statement following a large military deployment in three cities along the Suez Canal where a state of emergency has been declared. More than 50 people have died in days of protests and violence. In response, President Mohammed Morsi has cut short a planned European trip. On Monday night, thousands of people in Port Said, Ismailia and Suez - where some of the worst unrest has been - ignored a night-time curfew imposed by Mr. Morsi to take to the streets. Thousands were again on the streets of Port Said on Tuesday for the latest funerals of those killed, with mourners calling for the downfall of the president. There were also saw continuing sporadic clashes in the capital, Cairo. Gen Sisi's lengthy statement appears to be a veiled threat to protesters and opposition forces as well as an appeal for calm and an attempt to reassure Egyptians about the role of the military, the BBC's Yolande Knell in Cairo says.

Syria Ready to Launch 'Surprise' Retaliation Attack against Jewish Entity:

Syria has threatened to retaliate for a Jewish entity air strike and its ally Iran said there will be repercussions for the Jewish state over the attack. Syria declared it was ready to launch a "surprise" retaliation attack against the Jewish entity yesterday as Bashar al-Assad's allies Russia and Iran both condemned air strikes on a suspected weapons shipment near Damascus. As tensions mounted following the Jewish entity attacks on Tuesday and Wednesday, the Obama administration warned Syria not to transfer weapons to Hezbollah, thereby "further destabilising the region." Syrian Ambassador to Lebanon, Ali Abdul-Karim Ali, said Damascus "has the option and the capacity to surprise in retaliation" and that it was up to the relevant authorities to prepare the time and place for action. The foreign ministry in Damascus earlier lodged an official complaint with the United Nations over the attack - part of a wave of incursions that was launched to destroy an alleged weapons shipment to Hezbollah. The bombing campaign on military targets around Damascus and the Lebanese border came after weeks of growing concern within the Jewish entity that Syria's disintegration poses a direct threat to its security.

French, British, US Warplanes and Troops Occupy Yemeni Capital:

As the UN Security Council continues its Yemen visit after holding a closed meeting with Yemeni and GCC - Gulf Cooperation Council - officials in Sana'a, the capital, residents woke up under foreign military occupation. Keen to guarantee the safety of its state officials and ensure that no faction, group or individual will try to derail efforts being made in regards to moving Yemen transition of power forward, the United States of America, France and the United Kingdom took control between them of the sky and the ground. Residents told the "Yemen Post" on Sunday they saw French warplanes patrol the sky of the capital in a great show of strength, which they say they felt a bit "over the top" and slightly insulting to Yemen military potency. Retired General Ali Mohsen Khawlani stressed that Yemen should have been put in charge of all security details. "Our armed forces are perfectly capable and well-trained. What kind of message does it send to see foreign troops invade our capital? Are we moving toward a military occupation? Did foreign powers come to announce they will divide Yemen into zones of influence?"

America Eyes Pakistan's Oil and Gas Sectors:

US investors are showing keen interest in oil and gas exploration in Pakistan because of the incentives given in the recently announced Petroleum Policy but the government still needs to create awareness about the benefits to attract more investors from other parts of the world as well. This was stated by US Commercial Consular James Fluker while talking to LCCI President Farooq Iftikhar during his visit on Tuesday. James Fluker said that new discoveries of oil and gas could help Pakistan in overcoming its energy problem to some extent. He said there was a revolution in the US energy sector after the discovery of Shale gas. In fact the US has surplus gas that it could export. The US Commercial Consular said that a large part of US assistance to Pakistan is focused on energy as it is alive to the issue. He said that the US government is committed to help solve the economic challenges being faced by Pakistan. He said that it is a happy sign that the private sector in Pakistan is doing well despite a number of challenges.

Abu Hashim

18 January 2013, two Muslims, named Shahzod Salimov, born 1986, and Rahmatulloh Mahmudov, born 1988, were abducted from one of Moscow's mosques situated on Bolshaya Tatarskaya Street after Friday's Jum'aa prayer. Later on, one of them by phone informed his friend that they have been delayed by FSB officers. He notified that he had received a prosecution by Article 282 Part 1 from the Russian Criminal Code.