Rapid developments in information technology and precision weaponry are said to herald a 'revolution in military affairs' (RMA), making possible quick and decisive victories with minimal casualties and collateral damage. But has such a revolution taken place? The issues that drive conflict will persist, and many of the technical advances associated with the RMA will not necessarily produce a transformation in the nature of warfare. The end of the Cold War has highlighted another revolution one in political affairs. Major powers appear less likely to go to war with one another than they are...
Rapid developments in information technology and precision weaponry are said to herald a 'revolution in military affairs' (RMA), making possible qu...
Peacekeeping in the late 1990s is a complex and diverse task, in which civilian and military personnel are working together to a greater degree than ever before. However, when an international body such as the UN takes strategic decisions, it does so with inadequate input from the military; in the field, there are clashes of culture, confusion over command and control arrangements and insufficient operational coordination. These issues also affect regional organisations such as NATO. The awkward management of operations and their uneven level of achievement have contributed to a decline in...
Peacekeeping in the late 1990s is a complex and diverse task, in which civilian and military personnel are working together to a greater degree tha...
Leifer's assessment posts a warning sign for those who see no reason to worry about the stability of East Asia. He warns that "the ARF is embryonic, one-dimensional approach" to the major changes taking place in the security environment of the vital East Asian region.
Leifer's assessment posts a warning sign for those who see no reason to worry about the stability of East Asia. He warns that "the ARF is embryonic, o...
Since the mid-1970s, Islamist groups have been important opposition forces in the Arab world and have posed a considerable challenge to regimes. However, their increased influence has not led to political power. Ibrahim A. Karawan argues that Islamist movements have been unable to form an effective and united opposition, and have therefore reached an impasse. Although regimes cannot afford to ignore their Islamist challengers, the Arab world is unlikely to witness a wave of Islamist take-overs. More than 17 years after the fall of the Shah, the Iranian revolution remains an isolated case...
Since the mid-1970s, Islamist groups have been important opposition forces in the Arab world and have posed a considerable challenge to regimes. Ho...
Terrorism and the Middle East are often connected. The fear that these will be a future source of threat with weapons of mass destruction, notably nuclear or biological weapons, has grown in recent years. This book looks at the politics of one important state in the region - Iran - and concludes that political reform in that country is changing it in ways that are reducing it as a threat to its neighbours and to international security.
Terrorism and the Middle East are often connected. The fear that these will be a future source of threat with weapons of mass destruction, notably nuc...
This paper seeks to step back from the moral arguments surrounding private military intervention in civil conflicts, arguing that the view that military companies' are merely modern-day mercenaries' obscures the strategic implications of their activities for current conflict-resolution thinking.
This paper seeks to step back from the moral arguments surrounding private military intervention in civil conflicts, arguing that the view that milita...
Since the mid-1990s US and European attitudes, strategies and policies towards the Middle East have diverged. The issue of how to deal with Iran has been most divisive of all, with the US threatening to impose economic sanctions on its European allies to coerce them into following Washington's harder line. This paper examines the reasons for these potentially damaging differences and assesses the prospects for improving transatlantic cooperation in the region.
Since the mid-1990s US and European attitudes, strategies and policies towards the Middle East have diverged. The issue of how to deal with Iran has b...
Arab leaderships have been remarkably stable since the 1970s, particularly given the frequency of military coups in preceding years. Nonetheless, the military remains a key force in most Arab states and political leaders must maintain its loyalty if they are to retain office. Regimes have used a range of methods to ensure the military s backing: In Egypt, President Hosni Mubarak has maintained political control largely through providing the military with private and corporate benefits; selective appointments and institutional checks, are also useful instruments.
Tribal relations...
Arab leaderships have been remarkably stable since the 1970s, particularly given the frequency of military coups in preceding years. Nonetheless, t...
In an age of unprecedented world-wide prosperity, forty per cent of Africa's 600 million people exist on less than USD1 per day, and a third of its 53 states are affected by conflict. The African Union (AU) is intended, in part, to mark a new beginning where Africans are more focused on the current issues they confront. In particular, the New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD) has been hailed by African leaders as an important new initiative in development that asks the Africans themselves to assume responsibility for fostering democracy, good governance, and conflict resolution....
In an age of unprecedented world-wide prosperity, forty per cent of Africa's 600 million people exist on less than USD1 per day, and a third of its 53...
