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This Week at ISN

24 28 March 2014

Our Weekly Editorial Roundup

JUMP TO Editorial Plan | Security Watch | Blog | Video

// The Future of Energy Security

Whereas last week's dossier focused on how the world's energy producers are adapting to a changing marketplace, this week we examine how consumers including the United States, Japan and the European Union are responding. But what tests will these consumers face as they try to meet their energy security needs? While some maintain that geopolitics will continue to present the most serious obstacles, others believe that climate change and technology will play roles, and thereby unleash a whole new generation of scarcity-related security challenges. More

The Geopolitics of Energy Security

24 March 2014

What are the most significant threats to energy security today? They remain geopolitical ones, argues Gawdat Bahgat. While some would like to isolate the economics of energy from the politics of security, the recent experiences of Egypt, Libya and other states confirm that it's neither realistic nor possible. More

Energy Security: Asking the Wrong Question

25 March 2014

Is energy security nothing more than a geopolitical competition for scarce resources? Not for long, argues Michael Bradshaw. In his view, this type of security isn't just about supply and affordability. More

New Realities: Energy Security in the 2010's and Implications for the US Military
26 March 2014

How will changing patterns in global energy consumption affect US security and the effectiveness of its military? Today, the Strategic Studies Institute profiles these patterns including developments in China, India and elsewhere in order to assess how the US might respond. More

Ensuring Japan's Critical Resource Security

27 March 2014

Given its economic needs and security concerns, how will Japan deal with one of its most enduring challenges as a nation i.e., its critical lack of energy resources. According to the American Enterprise Institute, the country has few available options and they're 'fraught with vulnerabilities'. More

Energy Moves and Power Shifts: EU Foreign Policy and Global Energy Security
28 March 2014

Emerging economies may be putting greater demands on the global energy market, but so is the European Union. Today, Iana Dreyer and Gerald Stang appraise their competing needs and the impact the latter might have on Brussels' energy security policies. More

// Security Watch
High-Speed Cruise Missiles in Asia: Evolution or Revolution in Fire Power?
24 March 2014

Recent reports indicate that China is moving closer to developing a high-speed cruise missile. With this possibility in mind, Kalyan Kemburi looks at the growing interest in this weapon by different Asian states and how it might impact the region's security dynamics. More

Does Declining Oil Revenue Equal Less Security for Azerbaijan?

25 March 2014

Declining oil revenues and a changing energy marketplace are placing Azerbaijan's social and economic development under strain. Worse still, observes Eric Eissler, the lost income might curtail the country's defense spending at a time when Baku needs it most. More

Private Security Firms Prosper as More Migrants Detained

26 March 2014

Private security contractors are managing more and more border control facilities and immigration centers. That's a problem, claims Kristy Siegfried. Replacing government agencies with a new 'migration industry' means less accountability when things go wrong. More

Yemen's 'Steady' Political Transition?

27 March 2014

With broad external support behind it, is Yemen's reform-minded government inching the country towards greater unity and security? Not according to Casey Coombs. In his view, the country continues to be buffeted by self-interested sheikhs, tribes and political elites. More

Is the FD-2000 an Albatross or a Raptor-killer?

28 March 2014

Why is China proposing to sell FD-2000 anti-aircraft missiles to Turkey? James Hasik thinks there are three possible reasons Turkey is impressed with the system, China isn't expecting a military confrontation with America any time soon, or internal disputes are clouding Beijing's decision-making processes. More

// Blog
The Election Question
24 March 2014

The upcoming elections in India and Afghanistan face serious logistical and security problems. Today, Jaswant Singh wonders whether their outcomes will help determine, at least in some minds, if popular elections remain a legitimate way to judge a country's commitment to democracy. More

Cloaks of Invisibility: The Latest Frontier in Military Technology

25 March 2014

What's the next great leap in defense technology that the United States and others are pursuing? According to Nayef AlRodhan, it's applying 'invisible' stealth technologies to the battlefield.More

Duties Without Borders

26 March 2014

What advice should leaders follow when trying to determine the right policies to pursue? In the case of international relations, Joseph Nye thinks the answer is becoming harder. We now live, after all, in a world in which multiple 'imagined' communities routinely transcend state borders. More

Searching for an Exit: Latin America and Venezuela

27 March 2014

Venezuela's political crisis is escalating. Worse still, writes Javier Ciurlizza, the country's politicians and civil society may not be able to call on the services of the one regional organization known for resolving disputes that's right, it's the Organization of American States (OAS). More

What Does "Small Footprint" Really Mean?

28 March 2014

The United States continues to hone and develop its 'small footprint approach' to military operations. That's appropriate, argues Jonathan Schroden, but Washington also needs to remember the added utility of soft power and greater coordination with its partners. More

// Video
Energy and INsecurity: Iran, Middle East, Russia and Eurasia
In this video, four experts discuss global energy security and dependence and how the ongoing turmoil in the Middle East and Ukraine could affect them both. More

The Origins of the Final Solution: Eastern Europe and the Holocaust
Why did the Holocaust happen? In this video, and in the specific case of Eastern Europe, the LSE's Timothy Snyder cites three interrelated reasons -- Hitler's 'metaphysical anti-Semitism', the experience of German power in the region, and national histories. More

US Energy Independence: A New American Narrative?

In this video, a mix of analysts and practitioners discuss the US's increased energy independence. In particular, they focus on the economic, political and security implications of this growing autonomy and whether it has a dark side. More

Coming Up
Next week's theme: Strategic Trends 2014

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