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This Week at ISN

24 28 February 2014

Our Weekly Editorial Roundup

JUMP TO Editorial Plan | Security Watch | Blog | Video

// Nuclear Proliferation and Security

Are existing non- and counter- proliferation measures still capable of controlling the spread of nuclear weapons? While some analysts believe they remain 'remarkably' effective, others argue that the 'demand side' of proliferation needs greater attention. This caveat, its backers contend, is especially important in the case of Iran's nuclear program and what remains an 'unchecked' nuclear arms race in South Asia. Fair enough, their colleagues add, but we're not 'out of the woods yet'. A new generation of security challenges, including the politics of uranium extraction in Africa, may bedevil the world's nuclear nonproliferation efforts yet again. More

The NPT: The Center Can Hold

24 February 2014

The Non-proliferation Treaty (NPT) has been remarkably successful in restraining the nuclear ambitions of most states, or so argues William Tobey. If it is to succeed in the future, however, the 'best' must uphold their convictions while the 'worst' must recognize that proliferation is ultimately a dead end. More

The Politics of Nuclear Non-Proliferation

25 February 2014

While traditional nonproliferation measures are still effective, Ursula Jasper believes they also neglect the 'demand side' of the problem. A better understanding of why states want nuclear weapons in the first place could help prevent their spread in new ways. More

Nuclear Iran? Optimistic Pessimists versus Pessimistic Optimists

26 February 2014

Given three options deterrence, counter-proliferation or non-proliferation which one has the greatest chance of containing a nuclear-capable Iran? According to Frank Sauer, the choice is clear. Non-proliferation works best. More

India, Pakistan and the Nuclear Race

27 February 2014

Are India and Pakistan locked in a nuclear arms race that New Delhi is destined to win? Today, five Indian and Pakistani analysts respond to Michael Krepon's prediction. More

Africa and the Global Market in Natural Uranium

28 Feburary 2014

While uranium extraction provides an important source of income for African countries, Ian Anthony and Lina Grip remind us that it also represents a threat to global security. Like it or not, the commercial benefits of extraction must be balanced against its potential contribution to nuclear proliferation. More

// Security Watch
An Emergent US Security Strategy in Southeast Asia
24 February 2014

Why are Southeast Asian states now coalescing around the US's security strategy for their region? Look no further than game theory, argue Marvin Ott and Kenneth Ngo. A competitive arena with multiple actors inevitably creates the types of coalitions that are now forming across the region. More

Azerbaijan and the West's Rapprochement with Iran

25 February 2014

Now that ties are improving between Iran and the US, what must Azerbaijan do to remain strategically relevant to the West? According Richard Kauzlarich and Eldar Mamedov, Baku needs to commit itself to democracy, human rights and the peaceful resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. More

Franafrique and Africa's Security

26 February 2014

Will military interventions solve the myriad crises facing Francophone Africa? Only temporarily, asserts Abdelkader Abderrahmane. In the long-term, the African and European Unions must take the lead with local civil societies and tackle the root causes of the region's problems. More

Militarised Public Security in Latin America: Mexico Gambles on Vigilante Security

27 February 2014

Should the Mexican government ally itself with armed vigilante groups against the country's drug cartels? Sarah Kinosian doesn't think so -- the government's eight-point agreement with them is flawed and the militarizing of public security has been disastrous for other Latin American states. More

Without International Support, Yemen Could Slide Backwards

28 February 2014

While Yemen's National Dialogue Conference (NDC) recently agreed on the basic principles needed for a new constitution, the country's future remains uncertain. In today's question and answer session, two local activists explain why Yemen's political transition still needs international support. More

// Blog
Friendless China
24 February 2014

China's growing territorial assertiveness and its strained relations with Myanmar and North Korea leave it without any bona fide allies, or so claims Brahma Chellaney. The question now is whether Washington can capitalize on Beijing's poor geopolitical relations with others. More

Europe's Middle East Mission

25 February 2014

As the United States gradually withdraws from the Middle East, what does Europe need to remember while pursuing its own policies in the region? According to George Weidenfeld, the answer to this question is simple enough don't take sides. More

The Myth of Isolationist America

26 February 2014

Is the US really turning towards isolationism? Not according to Joseph Nye. The country's relative economic strength, its network of alliances, and its open and innovative culture almost guarantee that it will remain globally engaged for decades to come. More

Asia's New Security Trifecta

27 February 2014

Will India's growing ties with Japan and South Korea be enough to offset China's growing influence in Asia? Not according to Jaswant Singh. He believes the three states need to build a formal 'tripartite security arrangement' that puts previous historical animosities to rest. More

The Last of the Sudeiri Seven

28 February 2014

Even by local standards, King Abdullah's personalizing of Saudi Arabian politics is unprecedented. Today, Mai Yamani describes how putting kinship and loyalty before merit has impacted the Kingdom's regional and foreign policies. More

// Video
India's Nuclear Challenge
In this video, Manpreet Sethi, who is a senior fellow at the Centre for Air Power Studies in New Delhi, focuses on 1) the tests India faces as a non-NPT nuclear weapons state, 2) the nuclear dimensions of its relations with its neighbors, and 3) the role nuclear technology plays in its domestic energy programs. More

The Three Great Naval Wars of Recent History, and their Implications for American Seapower Today
In this video, noted historian Paul Kennedy, who is the Director of International Security Studies (ISS) at Yale University, first analyzes the roles navies played in three wars i.e., the composite French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, and World Wars I and II. He then highlights which naval functions and practices remain applicable even today. More

Strengthening the Non-Proliferation & Disarmament Regime: Jacek Bylica

In this video, the European External Action Service's Jacek Bylica discusses the inherent weaknesses in today's WMD non-proliferation and disarmament regimes, including those that affect the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT). More

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Next week's theme: Finance and Security

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