This Week at ISN

26 - 30 Nov 2012 This week we look at how separatist and secessionist movements may be impacting upon regional and global security dynamics, both now and in the future.

Separatism and Secessionism in Today's World

Separatism and Secessionism in Today's World
26 Nov 2012

Separatist and secessionist movements not only challenge the territorial integrity of existing states, they also test accepted standards of statehood and sovereignty. In this special feature, Simone Florio explores the impact of these movements on what he describes as the fragmentation of geopolitical space. More Can Southern Separatists Break Up Yemen?
27 Nov 2012

Enthusiasm for the unification of the Yemen Arab Republic and the Peoples Democratic Republic of Yemen proved short-lived. More worrying, writes Helen Hacker, is that supporters of a unified Yemen are now being out-maneuvered by the separatists who dominate the cities of Aden and al-Mukalla. More High Stakes for China in Xinjiang
28 Nov 2012

Chinas Xinjiang province continues to experience outbursts of violence by Uighur separatists, but to no avail. As Ting Xu points out, the regions importance to Chinese economic development and energy security virtually guarantee that Beijing will maintain control over it at all costs. More The Kurdish Community and the Security Dynamics of the Middle East
29 Nov 2012

A pan-Kurdish state remains a distant goal, not least because of divisions between Kurdish communities in the Middle East. Given these divisions, Kurdish separatists should redirect their attention towards improving the rights of their communities within existing state structures, argues Robert Lowe in this podcast. More Defense and an Independent Scotland
30 Nov 2012

Trying to determine what an independent Scotlands defense policies might look like is difficult. However, if we are to believe the pronouncements of the most likely governing party, Scotland would be more interested in territorial security than expeditionary operations, or so argues Francis Tusa. More

Security Watch
Five EU Countries Call for New Military 'Structure'
26 Nov 2012

Defense budgets across Europe are falling at a time when European Union (EU) forces could be asked to intervene in Africa and elsewhere. This possibility has prompted five leading EU members to call for new civilian-military planning and operational structures. More The Incredible, Shrinking Modern Military
27 Nov 2012

How small can a modern army become before it is unable to fulfill its mandate? Magnus Nordenman ponders the logic behind trying to create small but increasingly sophisticated armed forces. More

US Marine Deployment in Darwin "Bordering on the Remarkable!"

28 Nov 2012

The US's decision to deploy Marine Corps detachments to Darwin, Australia, has raised a few eyebrows. The Asia-Pacific Defence Reporter's Gordon Arthur considers the possible strategic implications behind this move. More More of the Same from China
29 Nov 2012

Chinas next generation of leaders was recently unveiled at the Communist Partys 18th National Congress. Appointing hardliners to a slimmed down Politburo Standing Committee confirms that dramatic political changes will not be forthcoming, or so writes Axel Berkofsky. More Meet the ICC's New Chief Prosecutor
30 Nov 2012

Fatou Bensouda recently became the Chief Prosecutor at the International Criminal Court (ICC). In an interview with the International Peace Institute, she calls for more proactive engagement between the ICC, UN Security Council and the member-states of the Rome Statute. More

ISN Blog
Russian Nuclear Exercises Display Putin's Misguided Priorities
26 Nov 2012

The Russian nuclear triad was on full display during recent exercises personally conducted by Vladimir Putin. RANDs Olga Oliker analyzes the internal political context that motivated this recent show of Russian political and military strength. More Is Pakistan's Paranoia Pushing it Into a Nuclear War with India?
27 Nov 2012

Pakistans and Indias expanding and increasingly sophisticated nuclear weapons programs continue to complicate their already strained relations. OilPrice.coms Felix Imonti wonders whether the dangerous standoff between the South Asian powers may eventually lead to a nuclear war. More Colombia and the Philippines: Worlds Apart but on the Same Path to Peace
28 Nov 2012

The Colombian and the Philippine governments are presently pursuing peace negotiations with their rebel opponents. The odds of success will increase, Robert Valencia argues, if the talks guarantee the involvement of civil society in post-conflict reconstruction. More 2012 Advanced Distributed Learning Working Group Meeting: Introducing Learning Solutions for Today's Mobile World
29 Nov 2012

In order to inform our readers about some of the existing and new technologies that are available for mobile and e-based learning, we present this brief report from the ISN's Training and ADL Competence Center. More India, Japan and the US Step on the Gas
29 Nov 2012

The recent trilateral dialogue conducted in New Delhi enabled India, Japan and the US to discuss areas of greater cooperation. While all three states have been careful not to label their talks as anti-Chinese, Rupak Borah argues that Beijing is still worried. More International Peacekeeping in Africa: Conference Roundup
30 Nov 2012

The Center for Security Studies recently hosted a two-day conference on peace operations in Africa and the growing challenges they face. In this piece we present a series of brief podcasts that summarize some of the research being done on this topic by conference participants. More Syrian Rebel Use of Social Media
30 Nov 2012

The Syrian opposition knows how to use social media to promote its cause and raise funds. Over time, writes Asher Berman, it has also learned to use this type of media to coordinate combat operations more effectively.

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Video
ISN Launches Video Library In order to serve the members of our community better, the ISN has diversified its Digital Library to include a multimedia repository. The new video page on our website contains a large collection of video resources now available in the ISN Digital Library, currently numbering in the hundreds and growing. Moreover, the video page will regularly feature new videos every Monday, Wednesday and Friday, in addition to those already provided currently on the ISN homepage. More. Canada and Quebec Separatism Stratfor Geopolitical Analyst Karen Hooper examines the Quebec separatist cause in light of the recent shooting and its possible impact on Canada and the United States. More Kenya Crackdown on Separatists Stirs Tensions A government clampdown on a separatist movement in Kenya has increased tensions in and around the coastal city of Mombasa. The Mombasa Republican Council (MRC), a secessionist group that accuses the government of marginalizing residents of the town, has been blamed for recent violence in the region. Al Jazeera's Nazanine Moshiri reports from Mombasa. More Euro-Crisis: Separatist Movements Mount In the face of austerity, separatist movements are blossoming all across the European Union, as seen in this video from Deutsche Welle. More

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