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This Week at the ISN

Our Weekly Content Roundup

1721 August 2015

JUMP TO Editorial Plan | Security Watch | Blog | Video

// Security Watch
This week, our hard power-centered Security Watch (SW) series focuses on NATO's possible 'whole of government'
response to Russia's military threats; the prevention of Great Power conflict in the Taiwan Strait; the increased number of
ceasefire violations in Kashmir; the ongoing 'war of ideas' with the so-called Islamic State; and the production debates
surrounding Australia's new submarines. Then, in our second, more wide-ranging SW series, we look at the UN's efforts to
engage young people in peace and security issues; the challenge of replacing Mahmoud Abbas as the Palestinians'
leader; the deteriorating security situation in North Africa; the recent efforts to resolve territorial claims in the Arctic; and
the proposals to safeguard the public health and food supplies of the Mediterranean region.

Putin's Gordian Knot: The Changing Face of Russian Intervention

17 August 2015

Douglas Mastriano thinks that NATO should develop a 'whole of government' response to the ambiguous and nontraditional military threats currently posed by Russia. This includes diplomatic efforts to bring Sweden and Finland into the
Alliance, countering Moscow's propaganda machine, etc. More

Investing in Young People: Q&A with Youth Envoy Alhendawi

17 August 2015

How have the perceptions of young people evolved in recent years, particularly as political actors and decision-makers?
Further, how have these changes shaped the UN's efforts to engage youths in peace and security issues? Find out in
the question and answer session with Ahmad Alhendawi, the UN's Envoy on Youth. More

Deep Accommodation: The Best Option for Preventing War in the Taiwan Strait
18 August 2015

The Post-Abbas Palestinian National Struggle

18 August 2015

Mahmoud Abbas is widely expected to step down as the unilaterally declared President of the State of Palestine in the
months ahead. Daoud Kuttab looks back on his time in office and the difficulties of replacing the last remaining founder
of the Fatah Movement. More

Growing Violence along the Kashmir Divide

19 August 2015

The number of ceasefire violations along the India-Pakistan border has accelerated since 2012. According to Julia
Thompson, this development has its roots in New Delhi's and Islamabad's faltering diplomatic efforts, particularly when
it comes to nuclear-risk reduction measures. More

A Critical Moment in North Africa

19 August 2015

Does North Africa's deteriorating security status warrant even greater attention from Western policymakers?
Absolutely, says Karim Mezran. As things currently stand, their policies for the region are superficial, inadequate and
even willfully delusional. More

The Truth Campaign and the War of Ideas

20 August 2015

What can those who are rhetorically battling the so-called Islamic State learn from the 'Truth' anti-smoking campaign of the
late 1990s? The answer, according to Pete Favat and Bryan Price, is that it's going to take a comparably risky counterstrategy to "un-sell" the group's message to disenfranchised Muslim youths. More

Continental Shelf Claims in the Arctic: Will Legal Procedure Survive the Growing Uncertainty?
20 August 2015

Timo Koivurova and his colleagues are confident that the Arctic States will settle their continental shelf claims in an
orderly fashion. Having said this, potentially adverse political dynamics may yet undermine the states' adherence to the
legal processes currently in place. More

Opening Australia's "Black Box": The Domestic Debate over Submarine Production
21 August 2015

Involving Japan in the production of Australia's new submarine makes more than financial sense, says Mina Erika
Pollman. It might also demonstrate that Canberra is both willing and able to share the burden of maintaining
regional stability with the United States and other allies. More

Food Security and Health: The Need for Better Inclusive Planning
21 August 2015

What steps should policymakers take to ensure the public health and food security of the Mediterranean region?
Javier Albarracn and Roser de la Torre suggest 1) greater investments by multilateral organizations; 2) integrated
national systems for public health and food safety; and 3) the development of a regional policy framework. More

// Blog
Why the Next Fighter Will Be Manned, and the One After That
17 August 2015

Any air arm which contemplates replacing its manned fighters with unmanned ones is surrendering to a technological
fantasy, argues Mike Pietrucha. That's because technology is no substitute for experience, particularly when it comes
to human 'endeavors' like tactical execution and weapons employment. More

Is the EU Losing the Western Balkans? What Local Experts Think

18 August 2015

Is the European Union still the leading external actor in the Western Balkans? Not according to participants at a recent
high-level workshop. They believe Brussels is currently on 'policy autopilot' and that's bad news. The inattention, after
all, could help push the region into strategic paralysis. More

Could a Long-term Solution to Boko Haram Come From the World Bank?
19 August 2015

Ian Allison thinks the World Bank's $2.1 billion loan to Nigeria will permit the government to factor non-military solutions
into its fight against Boko Haram. Ah, but that's only if the money is spent wisely on infrastructure projects and
economic development. More

Poland's New Hawkish President Could be Shape of Things to Come from Warsaw
20 August 2015

How much influence does Andrzej Duda have over Poland's foreign policy? Aleks Szczerbiak thinks the answer will
become clear after this October's parliamentary elections. Indeed, a victory for the president's Law & Justice Party
could result in a more 'robust' Polish presence on the international stage. More

Veiled Ambitions: Understanding Iran's Nuclear Posture

21 August 2015

According to Mitchell Belfer, it's becoming increasingly obvious that the P5+1 nations made a mistake by exclusively
focusing on the more 'obvious' aspects of Iran's nuclear program. By doing so, the US and its partners overlooked
the thoroughly clandestine and asymmetric nature of Tehran's nuclear ambitions. More

// Video

The Future of EU Defence Policy

In this video, FRIDE's Daniel Keohane discusses the role of the Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP) within the
EU and the importance of having a military option to support it. Keohane also considers why military interventions and
deployments are not prevalent in EU foreign policy and whether this pattern will change anytime soon.
More

Preparing for the UN General Assembly Special Session on the World Drug Problem

In this video, a mix of experts and practitioners preview the 2016 United Nations General Assembly Special Session on
the World Drug Problem (UNGASS). More specifically, they discuss UNGASS' planned agenda and what results the
session might yield, including a greater emphasis on drug prevention rather than repression.
More

Common Interests, Common Solutions

In this video, four prominent leaders 1) take stock of the existing international order, 2) consider whether the institutions
that underpin it need to be reformed, and 3) contemplate what these reforms might look like, assuming that there is a
global consensus to enact them. More

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

Publications More
// New Technologies to Foster Critical Thinking More
// A Framework for Categorizing Disruptive Cyber Activity and Assessing its Impact More
// Potential for Nordic-Baltic Security Cooperation More

Videos More
// After the Iran Deal: Regional Repercussions and Dynamics
More
//Empowering America: How Energy Abundance Can Strengthen US Global LeadershipMore
/
/ Responding to the Rise of ISIS More

Audio / Podcasts More

// Snowden and the Debate on Surveillance Versus Privacy
More
// What Caused the Chinese Stock Market Crash? (Part 1)
More
// Cyber Risk Wednesday: Rethinking Commercial EspionageMore

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