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This Week at the ISN

Our Weekly Content Roundup

11 15 May 2015

JUMP TO Editorial Plan | Security Watch | Blog | Video

// Security Watch

This week, our hard power-centered Security Watch (SW) series looks at the five tenets behind China's concept of military
strategy; the steps the US Department of Defense must take to revolutionize its approach to military intelligence analysis;
Chad's uncertain role in fighting terrorism in Africa; the history of tunneling in warfare; and the unique challenges posed by
right-wing terrorism. Then, in our second, more wide-ranging SW series, we explore how the West has stopped being the
prime instigator of global political change; what are the prospects for a US-Saudi-Iranian rapprochement; how Japan can
ensure its long-term security; what is the current status of the Western Sahara conflict; and how the quality of healthcare
provided by UN peacekeepers might be improved.

China's Concept of Military Strategy

11 May 2015

Timothy Thomas thinks that China's current concept of military strategy rests on at least five tenets. They include the use
of stratagems integrated with technological innovations, the constant search for a strategic advantage or shi, and more.
More

The New Global Marketplace of Political Change

11 May 2015

Has the West lost its role as the prime instigator of political change around the world? Thomas Carothers and Oren
Samet-Marram believe so. As they see it, a new global marketplace now exists where non-Western democracies and
authoritarian governments are performing this task. More

Activity-Based Intelligence: Revolutionizing Military Intelligence Analysis

12 May 2015

What steps should the US Department of Defense take to change its approach to military intelligence analysis? Chandler
Atwood thinks the Pentagon should 1) harness the potential of big data more effectively, and 2) shift to a pattern-based
form of analysis known as Activity-Based Intelligence (ABI). More

US-Saudi-Iran Rapprochement Needed Before Peace in Syria Can Happen

12 May 2015

Treating the Syrian conflict in isolation from other regional problems just might facilitate a US-Saudi-Iran rapprochement,
argues Neil Thompson. 'De-escalating' the material support provided to the warring factions and imposing a
complementary economic embargo might also help spur the process along. More

Chad: A Precarious Counterterrorism Partner

13 May 2015

Benjamin Nickels and Margot Shorey think it's a bad idea to make Chad a 'go-to' partner for counterterrorism operations
across Central and West Africa. Despite its recent successes against Boko Haram, the country still has too many social,
economic and political problems to deal with at home.More

Shinzo Abe and Japan's History Challenge

13 May 2015

What steps should Shinzo Abe's government take to ensure Japan's long-term security and stability? John Hemmings
thinks that Tokyo first needs to reconcile its long-standing desire for closer ties with the West and the more illiberal
aspects of its national identity. More

Fighting Under the Earth: The History of Tunneling in Warfare

14 May 2015

Has underground tunneling played an effective role in human conflict? Paul Springer believes so. As he sees it, tunnels
have been used to create defensive nightmares for attackers, negate the advantages held by technologically superior
conventional forces, and gain other advantages for the tunneler. More

Western Sahara Since the Arab Spring: Any Hope for Change?
14 May 2015

The Western Sahara has experienced none of the perceived benefits of the Arab Spring. Worse still, warns Nisrine Amel
Lamamra, the decades-old conflict over this disputed territory is likely to remain frozen until more decisive action is taken
to resolve it once and for all. More

Right-Wing Terrorism in Germany and Beyond

15 May 2015

Daniel Koehler believes that right-wing terrorism is a unique form of political violence. As his analysis of the German
DTGrwx dataset confirms, it's a type of violence that's carried out by well-defined actors who use specific methods to
target distinct types of victims. More

Healing or Harming? The Provision of Health Care by Peacekeepers

15 May 2015

How can the quality of health care provided by UN peacekeeping missions be improved? Sara Davies argues that not
enough attention has been paid to the 'game changing' relationship between the health of peacekeepers and the
assistance available to civilians in emergency settings. More

// Blog

Where Have All Japan's Young People Gone?

11 May 2015

Japan's population has aged twice as fast as Germany and four times faster than France. Today, Peter Drysdale outlines
the reasons for this phenomenon, its impact on Japanese society, and how Tokyo can alleviate the problem of fewer
young adults entering the job market.More

How the Military Can Keep its Edge: Don't Offset Hedge
12 May 2015

What's the best way for the US military to maintain its technological superiority over potential adversaries an offset or
hedging strategy? Ben FitzGerald and Scott Cheney-Peters vote for the latter. As they see it, hedging would allow the
DoD to re-establish a once familiar high-low mix of military capabilities. More

Obama Administration Releases New Nuclear Warhead Numbers

13 May 2015

Hans Kristensen welcomes the Obama administration's decision to disclose the number of US nuclear weapons that are
awaiting dismantlement. He also expects other nuclear-armed states to not be as forthcoming about the details of their
arsenals. More

Thailand: A New Constitution for a New Kind of Democracy?

14 May 2015

What are the odds of Thailand's new draft constitution being ratified? Not good, says Miles Kupa. Not only does it contain
controversial provisions such as appointing rather than electing prime ministers, it also faces the challenge of garnering
support from the country's already divided politicians. More

Building a Viable Ukraine: Can the EU Deliver?

15 May 2015

Like many others, Julia Muravska believes that the key task for Ukraine is to build a viable democratic state with a
competitive economy. She also thinks that won't happen unless the EU scales up its presence in the country to dethrone
the oligarchs, counter corruption and help ensure the rule of law. More

// Video

Dynamic Stability: Strategy for a World in Transition

This video features a discussion of the Atlantic Council's new strategy paper, "Dynamic Stability: Strategy for a World in
Transition." The paper explores the global trends that have created a "Westphalian-Plus" world and recommends a new
US strategy to cope with them. More

Freedom with Philip Pettit

In this video, Princeton University's Philip Pettit discusses his book "Just Freedom," which outlines his interpretation of the
condition and how it relates to notions of social, democratic and international justice.
More

Thieves of State - Why Corruption Threatens Global Security

In this video, the Carnegie Endowment's Sarah Chayes discusses her book, "Thieves of State: Why Corruption Threatens
Global Security." The text argues that violent extremism and other international security problems are indeed linked to
corruption, which is not merely a socio-political concern.
More

// Multimedia Content
Here is a selection of this week's additions to the ISN Digital
Library:

Publications More
// Sahel Strategies: Why Coordination is Imperative
More
// Myanmar: Cross-Cutting Governance Challenges More
// Toward a Social Compact for Digital Privacy and Security More

Videos More
// Defeating the Jihadists in Syria: Competition before Confrontation
More
/Drone
/
Warfare: Towards International Standards and Norms More
/Public
/
Opinion and the Peace Process in Colombia More

Audio / Podcasts More

// A Conversation with H E Masoud Barzani, President of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq
More
// US-Iran Relations
More
// Fortieth Anniversary of the Fall of Saigon More

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