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International Relations and Security Network www.isn.ethz.ch
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This Week at the ISN Our Weekly Content Roundup
13 17 October 2014 JUMP TO Editorial Plan | Security Watch | Blog | Video
/// Security Watch
This week, our hard power-oriented Security Watch (SW) series asks how the US should respond to rising terrorism in
Tanzania; what Russia's recent military exercises tells us about the state of its armed forces; why classic
counterinsurgency (COIN) doctrine is a poor match for today's intrastate conflicts; why Russia and the US have deployed
more nuclear weapons since the implementation of the New START Treaty; and whether the use of private military and
security companies (PMSCs) is a positive development or not. Then, in our second and more wide-ranging series, we
consider whether the Russia-Ukraine-EU gas dispute will be resolved soon; how unmanned weapon systems should be
managed on the battlefield; what options the Palestinian Authority might pursue in re-engaging with its refugee
communities; what the collective response provisions of Article 44 of the Lisbon Treaty entail; and how the Islamic State
has impacted the national identity of Iraq's Kurdish community.
The Rising Terrorist Threat in Tanzania: Domestic Islamist Militancy and Regional Threats
20 October 201
How should the US respond to a growing number of Islamist attacks in Tanzania? Andres Lesage thinks Washington
should 1) pay attention to the problem, particularly at the policy level, and 2) commit the intelligence, law enforcement, and
strategic communications assets that are needed to help curb the violence. More
The Ukraine-Russia-EU Gas War
20 October 2014
Will further talks between Moscow, Kiev and Brussels finally resolve the Russia-Ukraine gas dispute? Szymon Karda and
others aren't optimistic. As things currently stand, Russia remains more than capable of manipulating European gas
supplies in the months ahead. More
Russia Demonstrates Its Strength in the East
21 October 2014
What lessons should Asian nations learn from Russia's recent "East 14" military exercises? According to Anna Maria
Dyner, the exercises did demonstrate the growing combat readiness of the Russian military, but they also exposed
obvious gaps in the country's forward defense capabilities. More
Drone-tocracy? Mapping the Proliferation of Unmanned Systems
21 October 2014
Wim Zwijnenburg believes that it's time to curb the proliferation of military drones. The problem, however, is that today's
arms control agreements are not comprehensive enough to regulate the growing investment in unmanned systems. That's
why new and specific regulations are indeed necessary. More
Intervention in Intrastate War: The Military Planning Problem
22 October 2014
Should governments apply classic counterinsurgency (COIN) doctrine to intrastate conflicts, particularly since today's
efforts seem so forced and misguided? Not according to William Gregory. The doctrine concentrates too much on war and
not enough on politics. More
Bringing Back the Palestinian Refugee Question
22 October 2014
Our partners at the International Crisis Group think that it's time for the Palestinian Authority to resolve its differences with
its refugee communities. Not only are their divisions a recipe for further strife and unrest, but they also undermine the
credibility of the two-state solution. More
Since entering into the New START Treaty three and a half years ago, both Russia and the Unites States have added to
their deployed nuclear weapons arsenals. As Hans Kristensen sees it, this behavior hardly sets the right tone for next
year's nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty conference. More
In Groups We Trust Implementing Article 44 of the Lisbon Treaty
23 October 2014
Will Article 44 of the Lisbon Treaty permit the EU to improve its rapid response capabilities, particularly in the case of
military interventions? Thierry Tardy isn't convinced. There are still many unknowns surrounding the overall purpose,
implications and value of this yet-to-be-implemented Article. More
The Hazards of Going to War for Profit
24 October 2014
Has the growing reliance on private military and security companies (PMSCs) been a good thing? Not according to James
Pattison. Among other sins, PMSCs are ineffectively regulated, dubiously selected, potentially unreliable, and an ideal way
for policymakers to circumvent constitutional or parliamentary constraints. More
Nationalism under Pressure: Islamic State, Iraq and Kurdistan
24 October 2014
Has the Iraqi Kurds' sense of national identity been strengthened by the emergence of the so-called Islamic State? Not
necessarily, says Erlend Paasche. If anything, mounting socio-economic and political tensions inside northern Iraq have
been tearing at Kurdish nationalism for the last decade. More
/// Blog
IR and the Future Wars of First-Person Military Shooters
20 October 2014
What's wrong with first-person military shooter games that pit the United States against familiar enemies? Not much, says
J ohan Hgland. While these games might reinforce a sense of global insecurity, they also present viable models for
managing present and future crises. More
Germany's Islamic State Problem
21 October 2014
Why should Germany put the NSA surveillance scandal to rest? According to Benjamin Weinthal, German politicians and
media outlets are starting to worry that it's overshadowing more dangerous concerns, including the homegrown radicalism
being provoked by organizations such as the Islamic State. More
We Need to Fix the Way We Talk about National Intelligence
22 October 2014
Damien Van Puylvede believes that the current debates about intelligence gathering in modern democracies are
necessary and valuable. However, they also need to be substantive, which means not blathering on about the latest ill-
conceived and unauthorized disclosures provided by the media. More
New Book Suggests Rigid Norms Delay Crisis Response Times
23 October 2014
When faced with armed conflicts, why do international organizations vary so much in their response times? The answer,
according to Michael Snyder, can be found in Heidi Hardt's "Time to React," a book that explores such reasons as 'rigid
norms'. More
The Bildt-Sikorski-Effect
24 October 2014
Carl Bildt and Radoslaw Sikorski are no longer the Foreign Ministers of Sweden and Poland. Daniel Fiott thinks that's bad
news for the EU. At a time when Europe is facing a crisis on its eastern flank, Brussels can ill afford to lose two of its most
experienced statesmen. More
New START: Russia and the United States Increase Deployed Nuclear Arsenals
23 October 2014
/// Video
Before the First Shots Are Fired
In this video, retired US General Anthony Zinni discusses his book, "Before the First Shots are Fired: How America Can
Win or Lose off the Battlefield," which prescribes new strategizing and planning options for 21st century militaries. More
Lessons Learned from Failures and Successes of the Israeli-Palestinian Peace Negotiations
In this video, Yair Hirshfeld describes his personal experiences in the most recent phase of the Israeli-Palestinian peace
process. More
Dancing with a Wounded Bear: Russia and the West
In this video, Barnard College's Kimberly Marten explores the reasons behind Vladimir Putin's current foreign policy and
how the latter might impact the US, Europe, Canada and Ukraine. More
/// Multimedia Content
Here is a selection of this week's additions to the ISN Digital
Library:
Publications More
/ / / The Future of US Extended Deterrence in Asia to 2025 More
/ / / The Indian J ihadist Movement: Evolution and Dynamics More
/ / / The Nightmare Years to Come? More
Videos More
/ / / The New Security Reality in Europe More
/ / / Why States Recover: Changing Walking Societies into Winning Nations from Afghanistan to Zimbabwe More
/ / / Indias Role in Climate Change Realities: Perspectives from the Asia Pacific More
Audio / Podcasts More
/ / / Elite Perceptions of the United States in Europe and Asia More
/ / / The Future of Artificial Intelligence: Robots and Beyond More
/ / / Closing Myanmar's Pandora Box: Resolving the Buddhist-Muslim Conflict More
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