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SINGAPORE CHINESE GIRLS’ SCHOOL PRELIMINARY EXAMINATION 2012
COMBINED HUMANITIES Paper 1
2192/01
Social Studies
Friday
27 July 2012
1 hour 30 minutes
Additional materials: 2 Cover Sheets 2 Strings READ THESE INSTRUCTIONS FIRST Write your candidate name and index number on all the work you hand in. Write in dark blue or black pen on both sides of the paper. You may use a pencil for any rough working. Do not use staples, paper clips, highlighters, glue or correction fluid. Section A Answer all parts of Question 1. Section B Answer one question. Write all answers in the writing paper provided. Start your NEW question on a NEW sheet of writing paper. Complete the Cover Sheets and attach accordingly. At the end of the examination, fasten Section A and Section B SEPARATELY. They will be collected SEPARATELY. The number of marks is given in brackets [ ] at the end of each question or part question.
This document consists of 6 printed pages.
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Section A (Source-Based Case Study) Question 1 is compulsory for all candidates. Study the Background Information and the sources carefully, and then answer all the questions. You may use any of the sources to help you answer the questions, in addition to those sources you are told to use. In answering the questions you should use your knowledge of the topic to help you interpret and evaluate the sources. 1
(a)
Study Source A. [5]
Why was this interview given? Explain your answer.
(b)
Study Sources B and C. How similar are the sources in showing the threats Iran’s nuclear build-up posed to the world? Explain your answer.
(c)
Study Source D. How useful is the source as evidence that Iran’s nuclear buildup poses a danger to the world? Explain your answer.
(d)
[6]
[7]
Study all the sources. “The prospect of war breaking out, due to Iran’s nuclear buildup is real.” How far do the sources agree with this judgment?
[7]
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What threat does Iran’s nuclear build-up pose to the world? BACKGROUND INFORMATION Read this carefully, it may help you answer some of the questions. Iran’s nuclear programme started in the 1950s with help from the United States as part of the Atoms for Peace programme. This continued until the 1979 Iranian Revolution (Muslim fundamentalist) toppled the Pahlavi Dynasty headed by the Shah of Iran. Consequently, Iran sought help from various states including France, Argentina, China, Pakistan and Russia to continue in its quest for nuclear capability. Its efforts have always been hampered and criticised most severely by the United States and Israel, through economic sanctions and continuous harassment by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). Iran’s stand has always been that her nuclear capability is meant for peaceful use. However, in 2009, the IAEA had evidence that Iran had defied a UN Security Council ban on uranium enrichment and secretly built a uranium enrichment facility. The IAEA demanded that Iran immediately suspend further construction and expressed "serious concern" that Iran's stonewalling of an IAEA probe means "the possibility of military dimensions to Iran's nuclear program". Therefore, what threat does Iran’s nuclear build-up pose to the world? Study the following sources to find out. Source A:
From the Financial Times interview with Ali Akbar Salehi, the head of Iran's Atomic Energy Organisation in 2004.
In matters of national security we are not timid. We will assert our intentions. If nuclear weapons would have brought security, we would have announced to the world that we would go after them... We do not think a nuclear Iran would be stronger... If we have weapons of mass destruction we are not going to use them – we cannot. We did not use chemical weapons against Iraq (Iran-Iraq War 1980-88). Secondly, we do not feel any real threat from our neighbours. Pakistan and the Persian Gulf, we have no particular problems with them, nor with Afghanistan. The only powerful country is Russia in the north, and no matter how many nuclear weapons we had we could not match Russia. Israel, our next neighbour, we do not consider an entity by itself but as part of the U.S. Facing Israel means facing the U.S. We cannot match the U.S. We do not have strategic differences with our neighbours, including Turkey.
Source B:
From The Guardian, February 2012.
Iran has stepped up its rhetoric with the west by warning that it could launch pre-emptive action if its enemies put the regime's national interest at risk, raising the stakes over sensitive nuclear talks in Teheran*. Deputy head of the Islamic republic's armed forces, Mohammad Hejaz's warning comes amid increasing fears of an Israeli military strike against Iran's nuclear facilities. Last week, two Iranian naval ships sailed through the Suez Canal in a move closely watched by the U.S. and Israel. In recent weeks, Iran has adopted a policy of retaliatory actions against western economic sanctions or threats of an Israeli pre-emptive strike, while expressing readiness for nuclear talks. Iran’s semi-official Fars news agency Hejazi was quoted as saying, “Our strategy now is that if we feel our enemies want to endanger Iran’s national interests, and want to decide to do that, we will act without waiting their actions.” *Teheran: Capital of Iran
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Source C:
From Associated Press, 2006.
Israeli Vice Premier Shimon Peres in an interview to Reuters on Monday said that the president of Iran should remember that Iran can also be wiped off the map. This was reported by Army Radio. According to Peres, "Teheran is making a mockery of the international community's efforts to solve the crisis surrounding Iran's nuclear program." "Iran presents a danger to the entire world, not just to us," Peres added. Peres' vehement expressions came the same day that Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad reportedly wrote to U.S. President George W. Bush proposing "new solutions" to their differences in the first letter from an Iranian leader to an American president in 27 years. On Monday, Iran's top nuclear negotiator said that the Iranian president's letter to Bush could create a "new diplomatic opening", but also warned that the letter did not reflect a softening in Iran's position.
Source D:
From CNN, “Iran atomic programme has no brake”, 2007.
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Source E:
From Reuter, an international news agency, November 2011.
Last week's IAEA report presented a stash of intelligence indicating that Iran has undertaken research and experiments geared to developing a nuclear weapons capability. Almost unanimously, the agency's 35-nation board passed a resolution expressing "increasing concern" about Iran's nuclear program. But the compromise text - adopted by 32 votes for and only Cuba and Ecuador against omitted any concrete punitive steps, reflecting Russian and Chinese opposition to cornering Iran. Indonesia abstained in the vote. Moscow's and Beijing's reluctance to further punish Iran, a major oil producer, makes clear Western states will have to act on their own if they want to tighten sanctions on the country. That in turn is likely to disappoint Israel, which has not ruled out military action against its arch-foe if diplomatic means fail to stop a nuclear program which the Jewish state sees as an existential (relating to human existence) threat.
Acknowledgements: Source A - www.ft.com/cms/s Source B - www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/feb/21/iran-tension-threat-pre-emptive-action Source C - www.associatedpress.com Source D - www.COXANDFORKUM.com Source E - www.reuters.com/article/2011/11/18/us-nuclear-iran
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Section B (Structured Essay Question) Answer one question.
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Conflict and Harmony in Multi-Ethnic Societies (a)
(b)
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[12]
“Introduction of the internment laws is a more strategic solution than the use of violence in resolving the conflict in Northern Ireland.” Do you agree? Explain your answer.
[13]
Managing International Relations (a)
(b)
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How far do you agree that the education system in Northern Ireland is the primary reason for the conflicts? Explain your answer.
How far do you agree that competition for scarce resources is the primary cause of conflicts between countries? Explain your answer.
[12]
“Membership to international organisations is a more strategic response than membership to regional organisations in promoting Singapore’s interests.” Do you agree? Explain your answer.
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Facing Challenges and Change (a)
(b)
How far do you agree that capable leadership is the primary reason for the rise of Venice as an empire by the 15th century? Explain your answer.
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“Maintaining good relations with other states is a more strategic response than sustaining economic development in managing challenges faced by Singapore in an ever-changing world.” Do you agree? Explain your answer, using lessons learnt from the case study of Venice.
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END OF PAPER
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