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This Week at the ISN

Our Weekly Content Roundup

3 7 August 2015

JUMP TO Editorial Plan | Security Watch | Blog | Video

// Security Watch

This week, our hard power-centered Security Watch (SW) series examines why America needs to establish a new
cooperative security system in the Middle East; why European defense planners need to pay heed to their spiraling
equipment costs; what is the status of the Islamist militant threat in Egypt; what is the 'parallel development' philosophy of
China's leading fighter aircraft designer; and what are the similarities between NATO's intervention in Afghanistan and
Colombia's military campaign against the FARC. Then, in our second, more wide-ranging SW series, we look at how the
newly established Eurasian Economic Union is faring; whether Eritrea can reintegrate into Africa's regional governance
mechanisms; whether a 'wider Atlantic' region is emerging; what are the dangers posed by global geo-economic
competition ; and what 10 lessons did openDemocracy learn over the course of its openSecurity project.

The New Containment: Changing America's Approach to Middle East Security

3 August 2015

Bilal Y Saab believes the United States can best protect the recent Iranian nuclear deal by developing a more
comprehensive security strategy for the Middle East. Not only should this strategy be creative and cost-effective, it must
also bring regional stakeholders into a new cooperative security system. More

The First Steps of the Eurasian Economic Union: Disputes, Initiatives and Results
3 August 2015

How much progress has the Eurasian Economic Union made in its first six months of existence? Not much, says Kateryna
Bogulavska. Efforts to form important common markets have been put on hold, political relations between member-states
are strained, and everyone's trying to protect their national markets. More

Putting Numbers on Capabilities: Defence Inflation vs. Cost Escalation

4 August 2015

Do Europe's defense planners need to develop a deeper understanding of the problems posed by spiraling equipment
costs? Katharina Wolf believes so. While loose terms such as 'defense inflation' and 'cost escalation' are used to describe
outlays in the defense sector, they don't measure the same things or lead to the same conclusions. More

Eritrea Paths Out of Isolation

4 August 2015

Annette Weber thinks that Eritrea should be reintegrated into Africa's regional structures, especially those that focus on
conflict mediation and economic development. Such a move, she argues, will help build trust and neutralize Eritrean
narratives that stress Ethiopian aggression and international conspiracies.
More

Egypt's Growing Militant Threat

5 August 2015

It remains to be seen whether Egypt's militants can match the successes of the so-called Islamic State, writes Muhammad
Mansour. That's partly due to the Egyptian Army, which remains one of the strongest and most resilient defense forces in
the Middle East. More

The New Atlanticism or a Wider Atlantic?

5 August 2015

Is the traditional dominance of the Atlantic region by the US and Western Europe starting to erode? Johanna Mendelson
Forman believes so. What's emerging in its place is a 'wider Atlantic' that accounts for the growing influence of Latin
America, the Caribbean and other areas. More

China's Expert Fighter Designer Knows Jets, Avoids America's Mistakes

6 August 2015

Geo-economic Competition: Global Disruptions from the New Frontline

6 August 2015

States are relying less on military power and more on economic means to advance their interests. That's not necessarily
good news, says Jonathon Cini. The trend could undermine key governing institutions and their ability to confront future
global challenges. More

The NATO Campaign in Afghanistan: Comparisons with the Experience in Colombia

7 August 2015

In recent times, successful military campaigns have typically combined an appreciation of a state's culture, politics and
society with local capacity-building. Today, Dickie Davies uses these measures to compare the effectiveness of NATO's
intervention in Afghanistan with Colombia's military campaign against the FARC. More

Ten Theses on Security in the 21st Century

7 August 2015

What did our partners at openDemocracy learn from their openSecurity project? Here are Robin Wilson's ten takeaways,
including the following: the true focus of security in a democratic society must be on the individual rather than the state;
mass surveillance doesn't work; and climate justice is the key to a safer world. More

// Blog

Law, Legitimacy and Morality of Warfare: A Conversation about 'Legitimate Targets? Social
Construction, International Law and US Bombing'
3 August 2015

Janina Dill's new book advances a constructivist theory of international law. In today's question and answer session, she
discusses what's new about this approach, the historical shift in the conduct of modern warfare, and other related topics.
More

A Non-Violent Conflict: The Venezuela-Guyana Dispute

4 August 2015

Will the recent flare-up between Venezuela and Guyana over oil-rich coastal waters escalate into a full-blown conflict? W.
Alejandro Sanchez thinks it's unlikely. Moreover, it's in Caracas' best interest to tread carefully, especially given its tense
relations with the United States. More

History is the Key to Making Sense of Nuclear Weapons

5 August 2015

The P5+1 nations' nuclear deal with Iran is based on sound diplomacy, an awareness of history and the realization that
states change over time. As Holger Nehring sees it, the agreement is also a blueprint for how to deal with nuclear
weapons risks in the future. More

Why Borders Matter

6 August 2015

What does the so-called Islamic State's gobbling up of territory tell us about the importance of national boundaries? As
Nicholas Rostow sees it, borders not only define the nature of sovereignty, they're also integral to sustaining international
peace, order and prosperity. More

Russia and the Crisis in Ukraine: Implications for European Security

7 August 2015

The ongoing troubles in Ukraine were the focus of the CSS' most recent Evening Talk. Today, we summarize the main
talking points from the event, which covered the origins of Russia's support for pro-Moscow rebels, what policy
adjustments the West should make in response to Vladimir Putin's adventurism, etc. More

// Video

American Foreign Policy and World Affairs with Senator John McCain

In this video, US Senator John McCain 1) discusses America's current role in the world and the national security
challenges it faces, 2) the growing political and military tensions in the South China Sea, 3) US defense readiness and
reform issues, and other security-related topics.
More

Civil Resistance and Peacebuilding: How They Connect

In this video, three experts consider how non-violent civil resistance and peacebuilding can reinforce each other. While
doing so, they also focus on 1) how civic mobilization fits into larger peacebuilding agendas; 2) how nonviolent campaigns
and movements have contributed to long-term peace and stability in the past, and other related points. More

Russia's Naval Power in the 21st Century

In this video, Dmitry Gorenburg and Olga Oliker discuss 1) the Russian Navy's current status and modernization plans; 2)
the missions it's now being asked to perform; and 3) how the latter fit into Moscow's broader strategic aims. More

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

Publications More
// Parliaments and National Strategy Documents: A Comparative Case-study from the Nordic RegionMore
// 3D Bio: Declare, Document and Demonstrate
More
// Global Peace Index 2015More

Videos More
// The Chinese Cyberthreat: Challenges and Solutions
More
/Collective
/
Approaches to Security in AfricaMore
/
/ Myth of Entangling Alliances Michael Beckley on International Security More

Audio / Podcasts More

// Ukraine and Future Reforms
More
// Assessing the Iran Nuclear Accord More
// Press Call on US-Turkey Cooperation in SyriaMore

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