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This Week at the ISN

Our Weekly Content Roundup

21 25 September 2015

JUMP TO Editorial Plan | Security Watch | Blog | Video

// Security Watch

This week, our hard power-centered Security Watch (SW) series examines the evolution of Islamist terrorism since 9/11;
the development of ship-based unmanned aviation; the transformation of the Chinese People's Liberation Army; the US'
increased military presence in Central and Eastern Europe; and Armenia's and Azerbaijan's respective intelligence
activities. Then, in our second, more wide-ranging SW series, we look at the historical lessons the US can apply to its
grand strategy; the impact of populist rebellions against the privatization of public goods and services; Russia's current

lack of strategic vision; Mali's efforts to regulate religious activity in the southern portion of the country; and John Hobson's
critique of the Eurocentric bias in international relations studies.

Fourteen Years and Counting: The Evolving Terrorist Threat

21 September 2015

It's been fourteen years since the United States and its allies launched the 'war on terror', specifically against al-Qa'ida.
Today, Michael Morrell highlights the victories that both sides have achieved in this conflict, and how the West should
respond to the current threats posed by the so-called Islamic State and other groups. More

American Grand Strategy: Lessons from the Cold War

21 September 2015

How can the Cold War help shape the future trajectory of the United States' grand strategy? Hal Brands believes that by
revisiting the not-so-distant past, policymakers will learn that any calls for a dramatic retrenchment of US power and
influence rest on shaky historical ground. More

Ship-Based Unmanned Aviation and Its Influence on Littoral Navies During Combat Operations
22 September 2015

Indeed, what strategic advantages do sea-based UAVs provide littoral navies that engage in combat? As Ben Ho Wan
Beng sees it, naval drones can at a minimum improve battlespace/domain awareness and enhance the accuracy and
lethality of attacks on enemy vessels. More

Populist Movements: A Driving Force behind Recent Renationalization Trends

22 September 2015

From Latin America to Southern Europe and beyond, populist movements have worked to reverse the privatization of
government goods and services. In response, Anna Klimbovskaia and Jonathan Diab believe states should reinvigorate
social safety nets, renationalize some public sectors, etc. More

PLA Transformation: Difficult Military Reforms Begin

23 September 2015

Xi Jinping appears to have consolidated enough power to push through the biggest overhaul of the People's Liberation
Army (PLA) in decades. Kevin McCauley warns, however, that powerful cliques might still prevent the Chinese President
from implementing the more radical elements of his reform package. More

The Russian Regime in 2015: All Tactics, No Strategy

23 September 2015

Has the Putin regime failed to outline a clear strategic vision for Russia's future? Andrei Kolesinkov believes so. He
attributes this failure to 1) the familiar desire of political elites to preserve their own power, and 2) the whims of the
country's authoritarian political system. More

U.S. Military Presence in Central and Eastern Europe

24 September 2015

State Control of Religious Activity in Southern Mali Following the 2012 Crisis
24 September 2015

Mali has taken several steps to regulate its people's religious life, including establishing a Ministry of Religious Affairs and
educating its imams. According to Tone Sommerfelt and Kristin Jesnes, these measures are also reshaping the country's
approach to state secularism. It's an adjustment that its political elites strongly support. More

Spy Wars in the South Caucasus

25 September 2015

Like other countries, Armenia and Azerbaijan don't say much about their intelligence and counterintelligence activities.
However, Zane Egitkhanoff's analysis of the scant information available provides some intriguing insights, particularly
when it comes to recruiting and exposing intelligence assets. More

John Hobson on Eurocentrism, Historical Sociology and the Curious Case of Postcolonialism
25 September 2015

Why is John Hobson so critical of the 'Eurocentric bias' he observes in international relations (IR) studies? Indeed, will his
pleas for greater inter-cultural thinking in the IR field benefit the discipline in the long run? The answer to these and related
questions can be found in this Theory Talks interview. More

// Blog

North Korea's Quiet Market Reforms

21 September 2015

It seems increasingly likely that Kim Jong-Un has implemented a modest set of economic reforms, writes Andrei Lankov.
However, all attempts to sort fact from fiction have been complicated by the North Korean media's near-complete silence
on this potentially significant development. More

Moldova: Examining the Russian Media Factor in Protests

22 September 2015

How are Russian media outlets portraying the latest round of political protests in Moldova? To no one's surprise, writes
Victoria Puiu, Moscow's propagandists are characterizing the rallies as a very public signal not to join the European Union.
More

CAR in Need of Stability as October Polls Loom

23 September 2015

UN peacekeepers in the Central African Republic are struggling to keep the country's inter-religious violence in check.
With tensions running high, Lamii Moivi Kromah is particularly worried about next month's general elections, which could
trigger a new round of conflict in this volatile state. More

A Brave New Iraq? It Starts with Tackling Corruption and Rebuilding State Legitimacy
24 September 2015

Will Haider al-Abadi's latest anti-corruption drive yield meaningful political change in Iraq? Like many of their Iraqi
counterparts, Tristan Dunning and Damian Doyle are nervously optimistic. After all, they've all been down this road before.
More

Chinese and Russian Cyber Espionage: The Kaiser Would Be Jealous

25 September 2015

The United States is concerned that rival powers are trying to build digital dossiers on its government officials and citizens.
Yet, as Mark Stout reveals, this would be nothing new. Germany tried to do something similar in 1917 by trying to identify
who made up the US Army's officer corps. More

// Video

Lessons of the Israel-Lebanon 1996 Ceasefire: Any Relevance Today?

In today's video, GCSP's Marc Finaud highlights 1) the lessons he learned while participating in the 1996 ceasefire
negotiations between Lebanon and Israel, and 2) how the lessons might apply today. More

Using Militaries as Police in Latin America: A Discussion on Citizen Security and the Way Forward

In today's video, four experts discuss why Central American states are relying on their militaries to provide domestic
security and what this practice means for the countries' citizens, legal processes, and civil-military relations. More

Limiting Non-Strategic Nuclear Weapons: Results of a Track II Dialogue

In today's video, four analysts review the outcomes of a discussion held between American, Russian and European
experts on 1) how to limit non-strategic nuclear weapons, and 2) reinvigorate nuclear confidence building measures
between Washington and Moscow.
More

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

Publications More
// Understanding and Countering Violent Extremism in Afghanistan More
// Violent Deaths due to Legal Interventions More
// Nuclear-Backed "Little Green Men": Nuclear Messaging in the Ukraine Crisis More

Videos More
// The Modern Mercenary: Private Armies and What They Mean for World Order More
Innovative Ideas to Strengthen the Global Protection SystemMore
/Exploring
/
/
/ North Korea's Cyber Operations: Strategy and Responses More

Audio / Podcasts More

// Ilan Goldenberg: US Strategy after Iran Deal
More
// Russia's Soft Power: A Matter for Church and State More
// ECFR's World in 30 Minutes: Britain in Europe Renegotiation ScorecardMore

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