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This Week at the ISN

Our Weekly Content Roundup

14 - 18 March 2016

JUMP TO Editorial Plan | Security Watch | Blog | Video

// Security Watch

This week, our first Security Watch (SW) series focuses on Pakistan's efforts to join the Nuclear Suppliers Group; the
radicalization and terrorist recruitment of Kenya's youth; the limitations of hybrid warfare; the differences between
'negative' versus 'positive' approaches to peace; and how to determine Europe's military priorities for the future. Then, in
our second SW series, we look at President Obama's desired versus actual foreign policies; the possible impact of a
Brexit on European defense; how Russia uses energy geo-economics to divide Europe; how low oil prices are
complicating the Iraqi Kurds' drive for independence; and Russia's ambiguous role in trying to normalize North Korea's
external behavior.

A Nuclear Deal for Pakistan?

14 March 2016

Pakistan's prestige-seeking efforts to join the Nuclear Suppliers Group have finally gained the support of the US, but with
a catch. Washington will back Islamabad's candidacy only if it agrees to limit its nuclear weapons program. While no
agreement is yet in sight, Jonas Schneider believes this tit-for-tat behavior is a truly positive development. More

The Legacy of Obama's Foreign Policy

14 March 2016

Barack Obama has pursued a foreign policy marked by "military reticence," an emphasis on dialog with past enemies, and
a shift in focus away from Europe towards Asia and to a lesser degree the Middle East. So, what has complicated the
American President's ability to pursue these ends as fully as he might? Here are Christian Nnlist's observations. More

Radicalization and Terrorist Recruitment among Kenya's Youth

15 March 2016

European Defense and Brexit: A Tale of Three Cities

15 March 2016

The UK's withdrawal from the European Union won't really upset the continent's existing defense arrangements, right?
Wrong, says the CSS' Daniel Keohane. Both France and Germany will probably see London's departure as a hostile act
and might revive an old, anti-NATO idea setting up an EU Military Headquarters. More

Confessions of a Hybrid Warfare Skeptic

16 March 2016

For ten years Christopher Paul has been tantalized by the possibility that there is something genuinely special or different
about Hybrid Warfare, otherwise known as gray zone, ambiguous or political warfare. Well, not anymore. And while we're
at it, he adds, we should abandon the traditional distinction between peace and war. More

Dividing the EU with Energy? Unpacking Russia's Energy Geoeconomics

16 March 2016

Does Russia's economic ideology continue to serve its national security interests, particularly against the EU? You bet,
say Toivo Martikainen and Antto Vihma. The Nord Stream II gas pipeline project and the Fennovoima nuclear power
project are two of the most recent examples of Moscow's "wedge strategy" at work. More

Low Oil Prices Complicate Iraqi Kurdish Independence

17 March 2016

As Mohammed Salih sees it, Iraq's Kurdish Regional Government (KRG) failed to invest the peak oil revenues it earned in
2012 and 2013 into a more developed and diverse local economy. As a result, its partial autonomy, relationship with
Baghdad, and ongoing conflict with ISIS now hang in the balance. More

European Military Capabilities and Future Conflict

18 March 2016

EU member states continue to be pulled in different directions. Some want to rebuild the credibility of their conventional
deterrence while others want to engage in multifaceted crisis management operations. As Bastian Giegerich sees it, what
Brussels really needs to do is peg its military ambitions on the future of conflict rather than on today's challenges. More

Russia's Role in the North Korea Conundrum: Part of the Problem or Part of the Solution?
18 March 2016

Russia is not, as many would have it, "the forgotten player" in the Korean drama. Over the last two years, the intensity of
Russian-North Korean relations has grown remarkably. What interests Artyom Lukin, however, is whether Moscow's
growing deference to Chinese interests in East Asia will also apply to the Hermit Kingdom. More

// Blog

Deconstructing the Narrative of Arctic War

14 March 2016

The dominant narrative surrounding the Arctic region is that self-interested states in their eagerness to secure lucrative
natural resources and shipping routes are trapping themselves in an irreversible arms race that will ultimately lead to
military confrontation. Well, Benjamin Schaller isn't buying it and here are the reasons why. More

A Ripe Moment for Change at the UN?

15 March 2016

The UN conducted three major peace and security reviews in 2015. Today, Youssef Mahmoud provides a comprehensive
analysis of the common themes and areas of convergence that arose from the reviews. Of particular concern is the UN's
militarized responses to violent conflicts, particularly in situations where there is no peace to keep. More

This is Your Jihad on Drugs

16 March 2016

The links between crime, radicalism, and the so-called Islamic State (IS) have only recently come into greater focus,
argues Paul Kan. The same holds true for drug consumption by IS members and other jihadist groups. Today, Kan takes a
look at how members of the "Captagon Caliphate" use narcotics. More

The Question of Women's Roles in Conflict

17 March 2016

Has the US paid sufficient attention to the roles women play in conflicts as aggressors, crucial fighting support, or powerful
peace builders? Not according to Brenda Oppermann, who also believes this lack of recognition has led to multiple lost
opportunities to defeat insurgents, stabilize communities and promote peace. More

Interview J Ann Tickner

18 March 2016

J Ann Tickner is well known for her feminist analyses of international relations (IR). Today, she discusses 1) how to see
the world from the margins; 2) the "masculine" tilt of IR studies, which inevitably drives the questions its practitioners ask;
3) the impact of gender on the distribution of power, and other thought-provoking topics. More

// Video

George Friedman on the Global Crises

In this presentation before the Chicago Council on Foreign Affairs, George Friedman provides a comprehensive review of
today's global hotspots, including Europe, Russia, the Middle East, China and more. More

Dark Territory: The Secret History of Cyber War

In today's video, Fred Kaplan discusses his new book, "Dark Territory," which focuses on the untold story of those who
created cyber warfare and who have been planning and engaging in this type of conflict for decades now. More

Defense Reform in the 21st Century

In today's video, four CSIS analysts discuss the growing demands to retool the US' epochal 1986 Goldwater-Nichols
Department of Defense Reorganization Act. As the discussants see it, the global security landscape has changed
sufficiently to warrant large-scale US military reforms.
More

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

Publications More
// A European Border and Coast Guard: What's in a Name? More
// Resetting India's Engagement in Central Asia: From Symbols to Substance
More
// Pakistan and Saudi Arabia: How Special are the "Special Relationship" More
// The EU and Africa: A Changing Security Partnership More
// Weaving a Stronger Sunni Axis
More
// China's New Foreign Politics: Xi Jinping's Universal Rule by Virtue? More

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