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This Week at the ISN

Our Weekly Content Roundup

4 - 8 April 2016

JUMP TO Editorial Plan | Security Watch | Blog | Video

// Security Watch

This week, our first Security Watch (SW) series examines Mark Galeotti's views on hybrid warfare; the ongoing war of
ideas with the so-called Islamic State; how policymakers should conceptualize violent radicalization; the proliferation of
military bases in Djibouti; and the Syrian Army's accidental resilience. Then, in our second SW series, we look at how
social constructivism became an important part of international relations (IR) theory; how authoritarian regimes establish
their legitimacy; why John Hobson deplores the Eurocentric bias in IR studies; the possibility of the so-called Islamic State
shifting its center of operations to Libya; and Russia's economic retrenchment.

Hybrid War as a War on Governance

4 April 2016

While the concept of hybrid warfare is hardly new, Russias aggression against Ukraine has rekindled an interest in this
particular form of combat. In this question and answer session, Mark Galeotti outlines the Russian approach to hybrid
warfare, what hybrid defenses should look like, etc. More

The Evolution of Social Constructivism, Turns in IR, and a Discipline of Our Making
4 April 2016

Social constructivism is an important part of international relations (IR) theory, but does it help the discipline stake out
reasonably well-defined subject matter and generate concepts that are unique to the field? Nicholas Onuf has his doubts.
He sees more disciplinary machinery than substance in IR studies. More

The Truth Campaign and the War of Ideas

5 April 2016

What can those who are rhetorically battling the so-called Islamic State learn from the Truth anti-smoking campaign of the
late 1990s? The answer, according to Pete Favat and Bryan Price, is that its going to take a comparably risky counterstrategy to un-sell the groups message to disenfranchised Muslim youths. More

How Do Non-Democratic Regimes Claim Legitimacy?

5 April 2016

Christian von Soest and Julia Grauvogel believe we need a stronger sense of how authoritarian regimes manipulate the
concept of legitimacy to secure their rule. One option is to use the Regime Legitimation Expert Survey (RLES) and then
apply it to the non-democratic regimes that existed in the post-Soviet space from 1991-2010.
More

Violent Radicalization Revisited: A Practice-Oriented Model

6 April 2016

How should policymakers and researchers conceptualize the process of violent radicalization? In this article, Daniel
Koehler proposes a model that treats it as a form of intellectual de-pluralization which deliberately occurs outside of
mainstream political culture. More

John Hobson on Eurocentrism, Historical Sociology and the Case of Postcolonialism

6 April 2016

In this interview, John Hobson focuses on 1) the Western bias in international relations theory; 2) the arguable belief that
the West is THE source of globalization and innovation; and 3) the need to think harder about the interconnections
between the West and non-West. More

Djibouti is Jumping
7 April 2016

Whats going on in Djibouti? China and Saudi Arabia recently announced that theyre going to build military bases that will
butt up against an important US AFRICOM facility. In this article, Joseph Braude and Tyler Jiang explain why this small
resource-poor nation has become one of the more important security beachheads in the developing world. More

How Realistic Is Libya as an Islamic State Fallback?

7 April 2016

Are the so-called Islamic States (IS) military successes in Syria and Iraq attributable to the large cadre of ex-Baathist
army officers within its ranks? Barak Barfi doesnt think so. By comparing three IS battles with past Baathist campaigns,
he confirms that IS military doctrine and methods are based on a hybrid of experiences. More

Strength in Weakness: The Syrian Army's Accidental Resilience

8 April 2016

When Syria plunged into civil war in 2011, its army was ill-prepared. Decades of corruption had obviously stripped it of its
operational effectiveness. And yet, five years later it has withstood a massive public revolt, a multi-front war, and tens of
thousands of defections. Well, how did that happen? Heres Kheder Khaddours answer. More

Back to the Future: Economic Retrenchment in Russia

8 April 2016

It seems like old times in Russia. The country may be flexing its military muscles but its still unable to provide the Russian
people with the staples they need. As Peter Rutland sees it, thats because the countrys economy relies too much on
commodities, suffers from Dutch disease, and has failed to benefit from trade groups such as the EEU.
More

// Blog

The Future of Political Demography and its Impact on Policy

4 April 2016

Is political demography set to play an even greater role in policymaking? Its quite possible, says Schuyler Null. After all,
the demand for more prediction-heavy analyses is increasing, primarily because of phenomena such as urbanization and
the rise of Arab Spring-type moments.
More

InterviewA Window into the Life and Mind of Mary Kaldor

5 April 2016

Why has Mary Kaldor maintained her firm belief in cosmopolitanisms ability to resolve todays conflicts? Also, does she
regret having popularized the distinction between new and old wars? The answer to these and other questions can be
found in this question and answer session with this prominent academic. More

Ecological Security
6 April 2016

When analysts talk about security and the environment, they tend to focus on how environmental problems inevitably
become security ones. This must change, says Matt McDonald. Thats because this approach tends to ignore the social
construction of security and other concerns. More

Nord Stream 2: Trust in Europe

7 April 2016

Is the Nord Stream 2 pipeline project creating serious problems within the EU? As Severin Fischer sees it, a selfinterested Germany continues to back the project while Brussels remains uncertain about the relative importance it should
give to the market and geopolitical dimensions of the project. More

African Parliaments Lead the Continent's Fight against WMD

8 April 2016

Are militant jihadists in Africa interested in both obtaining and producing weapons of mass destruction, including ricin,
botulinum and sarin? Nicolas Kasprzyk believes so, as do Africas states. The latter broadly support UNSCR 1540, but
they also lack the enforcement mechanisms they need to blunt the spread of WMD on the continent. More

// Video

The Modern Mercenary: Private Armies and What They Mean for World Order

In this video, Sean McFate discusses his book "The Modern Mercenary," which examines the private military industry's
role in today's security environment. McFate specifically looks at the industry's economic structure, current operations,
future and potential impact on international relations, etc.
More

Order without Law? Gangs and Other Forms of Alternative Social Order in and Beyond the Prison

In this video, three researchers debate 1) the significance of prison gangs and other manifestations of informal social
organization; 2) the conditions under which such groups arise; and 3) their relationship to formal sources of power.
More

The Challenges of a Colombian Peace Deal

In this video, Latin America Analyst Reggie Thompson discusses the difficulties Colombia will face in the wake of its peace
agreement with the FARC.
More

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

Publications More
// Net Worth: Australias Regional Fisheries Engagement More
// European Defence Spending 2015: The Force Awakens
More
// Moscow's Arctic Dreams Turned Sour? Analysing Russia's Policies in the Arctic More
// The Future of Papua New Guinea: Old Challenges for New Leaders More
// Syrian Armed Opposition Powerbrokers More
// Japan As A Peace Enabler: Views From The Next Generation More

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