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This Week at the ISN

Our Weekly Content Roundup

1620 November 2015

JUMP TO Editorial Plan | Security Watch | Blog | Video

// Security Watch

This week, our hard power-centered Security Watch (SW) series examines the prospects of a European-wide approach to
arms procurement; why the Syrian Army's officer corps remains loyal to the Assad regime; what the US can do to prevent
the gradual erosion of its military edge; what roles US Pacific Command (PACOM) plays in sustaining Indo-Asia-Pacific
security; and why the African Union Mission to Somalia (AMISOM) has been unwillingness to acknowledge the casualties
it has suffered. Then, in our second, more wide-ranging SW series, we look at how the United States and Russia can
maintain their melting Arctic borderlands; the EU's efforts to create an Energy Union; why Turkey's AKP government
needs to reestablish peace with the Kurds; how Germany's attitude toward the EU might evolve in the near-term; and what
role the Middle East will play in next year's US presidential elections.

Arms Procurement (I): The Political-Military Framework

16 November 2015

According to the CSS' Martin Zapfe and Michael Haas, a European-wide approach to arms procurement remains a distant
prospect. However, that doesn't mean that gradual military harmonization and industrial integration could lead to a more
efficient procurement process in the medium- to long-term. More

The US and Russia Face to Face as Ice Curtain Melts

16 November 2015

What steps should the United States and Russia take to ensure the stability of their melting Arctic borderlands?
Connecting them to markets in Asia is one option, says Humphrey Hawksley, but it shouldn't preclude other stabilization
measures, including establishing a permanent US naval presence in this part of the world. More

Assad's Officer Ghetto: Why the Syrian Army Remains Loyal

17 November 2015

Searching for an Energy Union

17 November 2015

Severin Fischer thinks there are five preliminary conclusions we can draw from the EU's attempts to develop an Energy
Union i.e., 1) the content of energy security debates has been increasingly securitized over the past twelve months; 2)
the Union will not be a geopolitical actor, etc. More

Arresting the Erosion of America's Military Edge

18 November 2015

America's military superiority is slowly but steadily eroding. That's why the CNAS' Shawn Brimley believes the US
Congress, the Pentagon and other stakeholders need to develop a comprehensive and bipartisan strategy that will
maintain the country's qualitative military edge. More

Violence Saved AKP's Power, but the Regime Needs Peace with the Kurds
18 November 2015

Should Recep Tayyip Erdoan follow up the AKP's recent electoral success by withdrawing Turkish troops from Kurdish
areas? Halil Karaveli believes so. After all, the future stability of the government depends on such a move. More

PACOM's Role in Sustaining Indo-Asia-Pacific Security

19 November 2015

What German Solidarity Means for the EU

19 November 2015

Our partners at Stratfor expect Germany's attitude towards the EU to become more conservative over the next two years.
Berlin will probably 1) envision the union as a bloc that moves at multiple speeds; 2) put some limits on the free movement
of people; and 3) reject France's push for deeper financial integration. More

Should AMISOM Release an Accurate Death Toll?

20 November 2015

Our partners at the ISS believe the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) should release accurate information on
the fatalities and injuries it has suffered. After all, the ambiguity surrounding AMISOM's casualties may undermine its
ability to fulfill its mandate. More

Recalibration and Surprises: A Primer on the Middle East and the 2016 Presidential Election
20 November 2015

What role will the Middle East play in next year's US presidential election campaign? Indeed, how do the prospective
candidates view this troubled part of the world? The answer to these questions and others can be found in Allen
Keiswetter's primer on the campaign season ahead. More

// Blog
Why North Korea Is so Corrupt, and Why That May Be Good
16 November 2015

The willingness of officials to take bribes and ignore regulations has helped save the lives of many North Koreans over the
past 20 years. Andrei Lankov warns, however, that this type of corruption isn't helpful at all when it comes to the country's
fitful attempts to develop economically. More

Finally! A Peace Policy for Kenya

17 November 2015

Will Kenya's long-awaited peace policy bring greater stability to the troubled country? Maria Osula believes so. That's
because it encourages local peacebuilders to coordinate their respective conflict prevention, management and resolution
activities more effectively More

Religious Politics and the Rise of Illiberal Religion

18 November 2015

Throughout the world, progressive visions of religion and society are being replaced by illiberal and exclusionary ones.
Today, Scott Hibbard partly blames this development on mainstream political actors and their growing hostility towards the
idea of inclusive societies. More

Russian Applications for US Asylum Skyrocket in 2015

19 November 2015

Indeed, why have the applications skyrocketed this year? Carl Schreck points to 1) Moscow's outlawing "propaganda" that
supports nontraditional sexual relations, and 2) a sharp rise in political harassment and persecution. More

Don't Expect Too Much from Growing SinoIndonesia Ties

20 November 2015

As Gatra Priyandtra sees it, a number of economic and geostrategic obstacles will continue to hamper Sino-Indonesian
relations in the future. Jakarta's problems with corruption, bureaucratic red-tape, and China's growing presence in the
South China Sea are just three of them. More

// Video

2016 Index of US Military Strength

In today's video, four analysts present the conclusions of the "2016 Index of US Military Strength." In particular, the report
1) gauges the American military's current abilities to face global threats; and 2) discusses how and why portions of US
national security grew stronger or weaker during the past year.
More

Islam in China

In today's video, Pomona College's Dru Gladney assesses China's long experience with 'Asian Islam' and how the
Chinese government and people view Islamic politics, culture and practices. Gladney further discusses Beijing's tense
relations with Muslim minorities, particularly the Uighurs in Xingjiang Province. More

A National Blueprint for Biodefense

Today's video focuses on the recently released report entitled "A National Blueprint for Biodefense: Leadership and Major
Reform Needed to Optimize Efforts." The report 1) outlines the US' vulnerabilities to biological weapons and pandemic
diseases, and 2) provides recommendations on how it can defend itself against these threats. More

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

Publications More
// National Dialogues: A Tool for Conflict Transformation? More
// Back to the Future? Russia's Hybrid Warfare, Revolutions in Military Affairs, and Cold War Comparisons More
// Turning Vision into Reality: Namibia's Long-term Development Outlook More

Videos More
// Leveraging the Internet of Things for a More Efficient and Effective Military
More
/Understanding
/
ISIS: The Past, Present, and Future of the Islamic State More
/
/ ISIS Leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi and Saudi Crown Prince Muhammad bin Nayef More

Audio / Podcasts More

// Implications of the Turkish Parliamentary Elections
More
// Lawyers, Causes and Political Violence: Re-examining Legal Professionalism in Conflicted and Transitional Societies
More
// Global Approaches to CybersecurityMore

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