ETH Zurich
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16 20 March 2015
// Security Watch
This week, our hard power-centered Security Watch (SW) series looks at why NATO needs to forge four new strategic
partnerships in Africa; whether a 'Black Sea Battalion' could have prevented the Ukraine crisis; whether Chinese civilian
leaders actually control the People's Liberation Army (PLA) or not; why the so-called Islamic State is recruiting child
soldiers; and what is the true nature of hybrid warfare. Then, in our second, more wide-ranging SW series, we look at the
EU's nascent migration plan and its problems; the possibility of Afghanistan becoming a permanently neutral nation; how
the DRC's Joseph Kabila is consolidating his grip on power; how ISIS' recent murder of Japanese citizens has rekindled
debates about the country's role in the world; and why so many Muslim states are hotbeds of organized crime.
Samir Tata thinks that NATO will need to forge new strategic partnerships with Algeria, Angola, Libya and Nigeria in the
coming years. That's because this African quartet is set to play a greater role in safeguarding the Alliance's energy
security. More
Why are organizations such as Amnesty International worried about the EU's desire to create a binding, European-wide
migration plan? Among other reasons, Kristy Siegfried worries the outlined agenda is both ill-defined and too incomplete.
More
Should Afghanistan be neutral in its foreign relations, and thereby increase its stability, preserve its territorial integrity, and
dampen the competition for influence among its neighbors? The idea has its merits, admits Nasir Andisha, but daunting
preconditions must first be met. More
China's civilian control over its armed forces works not because the People's Liberation Army (PLA) is apolitical, but
because it's thoroughly politicized. It's an arrangement that Juliette Genevaz expects, for better or worse, to become even
stronger under Xi Jinping. More
Should the diplomatic efforts to prevent the DRC's Joseph Kabila from tightening his grip on power be extended to other
Great Lakes countries? Cristina Barrios believes so. After all, the unconstitutional attempt to extend a president's mandate
could also happen to them. More
The recent murder of Japanese hostages by ISIS has renewed debates about the country's role in the world. As John
Hemmings sees it, the event 1) strengthened the country's resolve to 'normalize' itself, 2) illustrated the weaknesses of the
pacifist Left, and 3) enabled Shinzo Abe to demonstrate his use of 'Kantei Diplomacy'. More
Hybrid warfare may have its roots in past conflicts but it also has the power to transform the strategic calculations of
today's combatants. According to Alex Deep, that's because of the growing proliferation of non-state actors, information
technology and advanced weapons systems. More
A New Enemy - How Conflict in the Islamic World Is Driving International Organized Crime
13 March 2015
Why have so many Muslim states become hotbeds of organized crime? Neil Thompson's answer looks beyond depressed
economies, faltering dictatorships and human rights abuses. Indeed, he sees too many individuals that have become
corrupted by the countless opportunities that conflict provides. More
// Blog
The Time Is Right for US-China Nuclear Dialogue
16 March 2015
Analysts remain divided over the current state of US-China nuclear relations. While some see growing cooperation
between the two states, others worry that a collision of wills is just around the corner. Either way, Ralph Cossa and John
Warden think the time is right for a formalized US-China nuclear dialogue. More
What explains Nicols Maduro's ongoing crackdown on Venezuela's opposition leaders and street protestors? Marco
Aponte-Moreno and Lance Lattig think that the Venezuelan president might be preparing to declare a state of emergency
once threatened by his predecessor Hugo Chvez. More
The Case for Better Aid to Pakistan: Climate, Health, Demographic Challenges Demand New Approach
18 March 2015
Kate Diamond thinks that the United States' next aid package to Pakistan should focus on more than just high visibility
infrastructure projects. As she sees it, the abovementioned issues should be more than mere afterthoughts. More
Are there any shortcomings in the US Coast Guard's recently published Western Hemisphere Strategy? W Alejandro
Sanchez Nieto and Erica Illingworth believe so. For starters, it doesn't fully account for the role that extra-hemispheric
navies are playing in combatting drug traffickers in the Caribbean. More
At the CSS' most recent Evening Talk, Eun-Jeung Lee first focused on the historical and geopolitical factors that continue
to divide the two Koreas. Nina Belz then summarized their neighbors' perspectives on Korean reunification. Here's what
they specifically had to say. More
// Video
In this video, ASP's Seyom Brown uses the insights gleaned from his book, "Faces of Power," to 1) analyze the national
security policies of the Obama administration, 2) compare and contrast them with previous US policies, and 3) assess
their potential impact on future US administrations. More
// Multimedia Content
Here is a selection of this week's additions to the ISN Digital
Library:
Publications More
// Breaking the Cyber-Sharing Logjam
More
// False Dichotomy: Stability versus Reform in the Arab World
More
// From Replica to Real: An Introduction to Firearms Conversions
More
Videos More
// China's Security and Foreign Policies Part 2
More
Future of American Power and Influence More
/The
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//The Syrian Conflict: Four Years OnMore
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