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This Week at the ISN

Our Weekly Content Roundup

5 9 January 2015

JUMP TO Editorial Plan | Security Watch | Blog | Video

// Security Watch

This week, our hard power Security Watch (SW) series asks whether the US military can solve its sexual assault problem;
whether Europe can enhance its security by engaging more forcefully in the Arctic; whether India and Pakistan can jointly
thwart nuclear terrorism in their region; how advanced unmanned ground-based robotic technologies have become; and if
Chinese missiles really pose a danger to American satellites. Then, in our second, more wide-ranging SW series, we
consider the tenets of Alexander Dugin's controversial approach to international relations theory; how history has been
used and abused in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict; whether China has a contradictory grand strategy; why Egypt continues
to be 'steeped in authoritarianism'; and what are the different types of 'Islamism' that exist.

Sexual Assault and the Military Petri Dish

5 January 2015

Andreas Kuersten admits that the US military has struggled to address the problem of sexual assault through its own legal
system. However, he also thinks that the military's political independence, centralization of power and sheer size give it a
good chance of succeeding and thereby setting an example for the rest of America. More

Alexander Dugin on Eurasianism, the Geopolitics of Land and Sea, and a Russian Theory of
Multipolarity
5 January 2015

What are the foundations of Alexander Dugin's eyebrow-raising approach to international relations theory? As this Theory
Talk reveals, they include using a geospatial analytic framework, rejecting Western hegemony 'from the right,' and
embracing the principles of a 'Fourth Political Theory.' More

The Arctic as European Periphery

6 January 2015

Origins of the Palestine Mandate

6 January 2015

For Adam Garfinkle, historical analyses must have specific attributes if they are to avoid degenerating into simple partisan
narratives. This is especially true in the case of the Israeli-Palestine conflict, where 'outlandish falsehoods' particularly
about the British Mandate period are still accepted as unassailable truths. More

Tackling Nuclear Terrorism in South Asia

7 January 2015

Feroz Khan and Emily Burke believe that India and Pakistan need to cooperate more closely on countering the threat of
nuclear terrorism. That means regular bilateral meetings between experts and leaders, exchanging radiation data,
indefinitely extending all nuclear agreements, and more. More

Chinese Grand Strategy Is Not Absent, Just Contradictory

7 January 2015

Why do so many analysts insist that China has no grand strategy? Denny Roy thinks it's because Beijing's behavior is
governed by a basic contradiction Chinese leaders would like to avoid the responsibilities that come with being a great
power, but their country's growing status makes that unavoidable. More

The Proliferation, Diversity and Utility of Ground-based Robotic Technologies

8 January 2015

Just how advanced have ground-based unmanned weapons systems become and what military advantages do they now provide? Today,
Gary Martinic reviews the rapidly developing capabilities of these systems and assesses their future impact on ground warfare. More

The Difference between Them and Us: On the Predominance of the Executive Authority
8 January 2015

Amr Hamzawy believes that effective constraints on executive authority whether through civil society organizations, bills
of rights, or countervailing legislative or judicial power are essential features of stable democracies. That's why their
absence in Egypt bodes ill for the country's future. More

Limits of the Chinese Antisatellite Threat to the United States

9 January 2015

According to Jaganath Sankaran, the United States is not 'critically vulnerable' to Chinese attacks on its military satellites.
Indeed, not only does Beijing lack the desire or the infrastructure to conduct extended anti-satellite operations, its missiles
don't have the range to disable US platforms. More

Islamism and Islamists: A Very Short Introduction

9 January 2015

What exactly is 'Islamism' and what forms can it take? For Florence Gaub, the term embraces any political project that's
'inspired' by the Muslim faith. That being said, she also believes Islamism comes in three basic varieties revolutionary,
electoral and authoritarian. More

// Blog
China Dreamin'
5 January 2015

Because it invokes images of the country's 'glorious past,' Xi Jinping's 'Chinese Dream' has raised alarms in the West. For
Michael Barr, however, these fears are misplaced. The dream is about strengthening social order at home rather than
expanding Beijing's influence abroad. More

India Reinforces Maritime Domain Awareness but Challenges Remain

6 January 2015

Has India done enough to address the maritime vulnerabilities exposed by the 26/11 Mumbai attacks? Vijay Sakhuja
worries that although the country's surveillance and coordination capabilities have grown significantly, critical legislation
has either been allowed to lapse or is still not in place. More

Peak Youth Seizing the Moment

7 January 2015

African countries are beginning to experience the same 'demographic transition' that accompanied the modernization of
19th century Europe and 20th century East Asia. But for history to repeat itself, warns the IRIN, healthcare, education and
jobs need to be provided sooner rather than later. More

From Maritime Security to European Seapower

8 January 2015

What can Europe do to preserve freedom of the seas, especially in an increasingly contested maritime environment? Luis
Simon believes it should deemphasize crisis management and focus more on how to project seapower through more
conventional military means. More

Brazil Doubles Down on Cyber Security

9 January 2015

Robert Muggah, Gustavo Diniz and Misha Glenny believe that expanding the Brazilian military's cyber-capabilities is
inappropriate, especially given the limited threats it faces. They think the country should be blunting cyber-crime rather
than militarizing cyber-space. More

// Video

Jihadism on the Rise in Europe: The Dutch Perspective

In this video, Rob Bertholee, who is the Director General of the Dutch General Intelligence and Security Service (AIVD),
discusses the rise of jihadism in the Netherlands and the steps the Dutch government is taking to address the problem.
More

Putting the CIA Interrogation Report into Context

In this video, Stratfor's Ben Sheen and Fred Burton discuss the US Senate Intelligence Committee's recently released
study of the CIA's detention and interrogation program and how its findings might impact US foreign intelligence assets
overseas. More

The Security Council and the Protection of Civilians in Armed Conflict

In this video, four experts share their perspectives on UN Security Council Resolution 1894, which further commits the UN
to protecting civilians in armed conflict. More

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

Publications More
// The Time Has Come for a European Energy Union More
// The Role of Leadership in Transitional States: The Cases of Lebanon, Israel-Palestine More
// On The Periphery of Global Jihad
More

Videos More
// India's Policy Toward China: Land Border Challenges & Opportunities
More
End to South Stream: Russia's New Relations with Southern Europe More
/An
/
Wars: Transforming Conflict, Law, and Policy More
/Drone
/

Audio / Podcasts More

// The Rise of ISIS: Implications for US Strategy, Interests, and Values
More
// Kadri Liik on the Future of Eastern Ukraine
More
// Media Call on Peshawar School Attack
More

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