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This Week at the ISN

Our Weekly Content Roundup

13 17 April 2015

JUMP TO Editorial Plan | Security Watch | Blog | Video

// Security Watch

This week, our hard power-centered Security Watch (SW) series looks at how Israel views the Middle East's complex
security landscape; how the operations and rhetoric of the Sinai-based Jama'at Ansar Bayt al-Maqdis have changed since
it aligned itself with the so-called Islamic State; what are the prerequisites for successful littoral operations; whether the
new text Airpower Reborn will appeal to more than just critics and proponents of airpower; and what's the link between the
US' continued presence in the Persian Gulf and its much ballyhooed pivot towards Asia. Then, in our second, more wide-
ranging SW series, we consider why China and the US remain mutually suspicious of each other; why the EU needs an
updated security strategy; why security in the Eastern DRC has devolved to rival armed gangs; how Germany has handled
the Ukraine crisis; and how we should collectively manage the dangers posed by nuclear weapons.

The Middle East Turmoil and Israel's Security

13 April 2015

Despite an increasingly complex security environment, which includes new dangers in the Eastern Mediterranean, the rise
of non-Arab Muslim powers and more, Efraim Inbar thinks that there's still only one potential 'game changer' in the Middle
East's balance of power the nuclearization of Iran. More

The Origins of Misperceptions between China and the US

13 April 2015

What's fueling the mutual suspicions that currently underpin relations between China and the US? Deng Zhenghui's
answer points to Beijing's inability to fully comprehend the workings of the US political system, Washington's decision to
prosecute five PLA officers for cyber theft and more. More

The Province of Sinai: Why Bother with Palestine if You Can Be Part of the "Islamic State"?
14 April 2015

The EU in a Multiplex World

14 April 2015

The EU needs a new security strategy that reflects the dramatic global changes that have occurred since 2003. As
Antonio Missiroli sees it, however, that isn't enough. The strategy also requires the support of a European public that's
better informed about the dangers now facing them.
More

On Littoral Warfare
15 March 2015

According to Milan Vego, littoral warfare requires a reliable theory if it's to be done properly. Indeed, without an
overarching conceptual framework to orient naval planners, it won't be possible to organize and train littoral forces, work
with other services, or ally with other nations. More

Eastern DR Congo (DRC): Security Provision in the Context of Continuous Conflict and Militarisation
15 April 2015

Why have rival groups increasingly assumed responsibility for the security of the Eastern DRC? The unsurprising answer,
according to Kasper Hoffman, lies in Kinshasa's long-term inability to provide basic public services in this troubled region,
especially security. More

Reviewing Airpower Reborn

16 April 2015

Will this new publication appeal to more than just proponents and critics of airpower? JP Mintz believes so. As he sees it, Airpower Reborn
provides strategists of all types with an engaging look at military strategy through the lens of those who believe airpower has fundamentally
changed the character of war. More

German Power and the Ukraine Conflict

16 April 2015

Ulrich Speck thinks the Ukraine crisis has highlighted both the strengths and weaknesses of Germany's foreign policy.
While Berlin has made good use of its economic power and diplomatic skills, it still lacks the military muscle to move the
present faceoff away from confrontation and toward greater dialogue. More

The U.S. Realignment of the Persian Gulf Regional Security Complex

17 April 2015

Maintaining a permanent US presence in the Persian Gulf isn't just about influencing the region's security dynamics, writes
William Allen. It's also an essential feature of Washington's pivot towards Asia and its attempts to keep China's muscle
flexing in check. More

Reflections on the Atomic Age

17 April 2015

How should we deal with the dangers posed by nuclear arsenals and the proliferation of nuclear materials? Today, Joseph
Siracusa looks back at the 'atomic age' and assesses the merits of three approaches that were popular then deterrence,
the Global Zero movement, and sanctions regimes. More

// Blog

Russia's Info-War: The Home Front

13 April 2015

Cameron Johnston thinks that Vladimir Putin's propaganda machine has scored a decisive victory at home. The Russian
President has succeeded in persuading the population that the Ukrainian authorities are fascists, Americans are
aggressors and he is the only person that stands between Russia and total chaos. More

The Roles of Navies in the Yemeni Conflict

14 April 2015

How can foreign navies help limit or even resolve the ongoing conflict in Yemen? According to Claude Berub and his
colleagues, naval forces have multiple roles they could play, including preventing Iran from resupplying Houthi combatants
from the sea, helping evacuate foreign nationals and more. More

Cuba: The Embargo Continues

15 April 2015

Any rumors that the US embargo against Cuba is over are greatly exaggerated, says Joy Gordon. The restrictions
imposed after the 1959 revolution continue to have a profound impact on the country's economy and the lives of ordinary
citizens. More

High Stakes: Understanding Risk and Why This Year's Climate Negotiations Are So Important
16 April 2015

Why are the stakes so high for this year's UN climate change summit in Paris? Theo Wilson worries that failing to
implement national adaptation plans and more will lead to a host of negative consequences, including the further erosion
of public trust. More

Mexican Cartels as Vicious Firms

17 April 2015

According to Paul Rexton Kan, it's time to update how we perceive Mexican drug cartels. If we view them more as profitmaking enterprises than unhinged purveyors of violence, we'll improve the odds of keeping their power and influence at
bay. More

// Video

Unhealed Wound of WWI: Armenia, Kurdistan and Palestine

In this video, Columbia University's Rashid Khalidi explores how the carving up of the Middle East after World War I
continues to fuel conflicts in the region, particularly in the cases of Armenia, Kurdistan and Palestine.
More

Great Powers in Asia: Is Strategic Competition the New Normal?

In this video, six experts discuss the strategic rivalries that now exist in Asia, with a particular emphasis on China, India
and Japan, and how the rivalries are impacting the rest of the world.
More

Salafists and Sectarianism: Twitter and Communal Conflict in the Middle East

In this video, three analysts discuss 1) the historical divide between Shi'a and Sunni Islam and its most recent
manifestations, and 2) the role social media is playing in spreading Salafist and extremist sentiments in the Middle East.

More

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

Publications More
// Managing China's Missile Threat: Future Options to Preserve Forward Defense More
// Transparent Reporting for a Successful Arms Trade Treaty
More
// UN Peacekeeping in the Sahel: Overcoming New Challenges
More

Videos More
// Michael Walzer: The Paradox of Liberation More
/Tracking
/
Arms in Conflict: Lessons from Syria and IraqMore
/The
/
Modi Effect: Inside Narendra Modi's Campaign to Transform India More

Audio / Podcasts More

// China's Role in International Affairs More
// The Campaign against ISIS
More
// Libya: What Went Wrong since 2011?More

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