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This Week at ISN

20 24 May 2013

Our Weekly Editorial Roundup

JUMP TO Editorial Plan | Security Watch | Blog | Video

// North America: Changing Contexts and Evolving Dynamics

While the US' geopolitical dominance of North America remains unchallenged, closer economic integration continues to change its character. Some of these changes, such as greater cyber integration, may add to the region's vulnerabilities, while others, such as cross-border public exchanges, are just a fact of life. This week, we trace how the nature of US dominance in the region continues to evolve.

The Geopolitics of the United States

20 May 2013

While its influence on the global stage may be declining, the US' hegemonic sway over North America remains intact. Our partners at STRATFOR present some of the under-appreciated reasons behind this dominance, which then provide the foundations for the US' global power. More

Ties That Bind?

21 May 2013

Despite its geopolitical and economic dominance, the United States has nevertheless advocated the creation of closer political ties across North America. Well, is this process actually happening? And if so, will regional integration extend and reinforce America's long-standing preeminence in the region, or might it actually dilute it? To help answer these questions, Ambassador Andrs Rozental discusses the prospects for further regional integration in North America. More

Shortcut to U.S. Economic Competitiveness: A Seamless North American Market

22 May 2013

Is the benefit of having a single North American market strictly economic? Yes, Robert Pastor admits, such a market would impose a common external tariff and lift restrictions on assorted activities, but its true value would be to foster a deeper sense of community among North Americans. More

America's Cyber Future

23 May 2013

Regardless of whether regional integration promotes America's interests or not, it does increase the vulnerability of the country's critical infrastructure to cyber-threats. This roundtable discussion, which is hosted by our partners at CNAS, clarifies just what these threats and vulnerabilities are. More

Border Theories and the Realities of Daily Public Exchanges in North America
24 May 2013

Cross-border relations in North America illustrate an undeniable truth they have long since broken free from official bounds. Such facts on the ground, Manuel Chavez writes, then call into question the very idea of borders, both in theory and in substance. More

// Security Watch
Europe's Defense Double Dutch
20 May 2013

Julian Lindley-French doesn't believe that shrinking European defense budgets will spur ever-closer defense cooperation. In fact, this erroneous notion not only jeopardizes NATO's vision of Smart Defense, it also means that Europe's leading armed forces will have a little bit of everything but not much of anything. More

Give Colombia's Long-Overdue Peace a Chance

21 May 2013

Continued dissatisfaction with the Colombian peace process may impact the final outcome of next year's presidential elections. The stumbling talks may also come to represent yet another missed opportunity to end decades of conflict between the state and FARC rebels, or so warns Robert Valencia. More

Map Room: Borders on Top of The World

22 May 2013

Yes, the melting polar ice caps are opening up new transportation routes and revealing untapped mineral wealth that will benefit us all. Uh, hold on, say Mark Terry and Adam Scholl. They remind us that increased accessibility could well lead to overlapping and dangerous territorial claims. More

The Warplane You Have

23 May 2013

It may be high-tech but it's also flawed for better or worse, the US' F-35 Joint Strike Fighter is here to stay. David Axe walks us through the developmental problems that have plagued this troubled aircraft from the start. More

Is the French Military the Best Counterterrorism Response in Mali?

24 May 2013

According to Fiona Blyth, France's intervention in Mali shows that the West's 'war model' for dealing with international terrorism is alive and well. We may still prefer the model, she observes, but that shouldn't stop us from considering the merits of other counterterrorism strategies. More

// Blog
Coercive Sanctions and Military Threats Push Iran Closer to the Nuclear Threshold
20 May 2013

David Cortright doesn't believe that sanctions, military threats or alarmist propaganda will blunt Iran's nuclear ambitions. If anything, they incentivize it to press on, which is why the international community needs to look beyond these measures if it wants to broker a negotiated settlement. More

South Africa and the UN Intervention Brigade in the DRC

21 May 2013

Will committing South African forces help restore the credibility to the UN Stabilization Mission in the DRC (MONUSCO), or will Pretoria's increased involvement merely paper over the mission's more obvious cracks? The ISS' Andre Roux considers both sides of the debate. More

Should Western Nations Arm Syrian Rebels?

22 May 2013

It's a question that many policymakers and observers of the Syrian crisis continue to raise. Samer Abboud warns, however, that it's not a question that should take precedence over seeking a peaceful and negotiated settlement to a bloody civil war. More

Local Aid Works Better in Somalia

23 May 2013

Aisha Ahmad believes that while a massive influx of aid into Somalia would bring short-term economic benefits, it would not lead to sustainable growth. That is why donors should allow local partners to lead much-needed aid and development projects over the longer term. More

The Well of The Past: The Power of Religion in Bangladesh

24 May 2013

Bangladesh's political leaders remain keen to demonstrate their secular credentials. That may seem praiseworthy, Lailufar Yasmin observes, but the desire may place them increasingly at odds with a religiously-minded population. It's a potential collision that may destabilize an already fragile state. More

// Video
Inside the Issues - the Idea of North America
In this video, Robert Pastor considers the prospects for greater North American integration. Unsurprisingly, he also argues that greater integration would translate into increased global economic clout. More

Turkey's Ambitious Infrastructure Projects

In this video, STRATFOR's Reva Bhalla examines the connections between Turkey's large-scale infrastructure projects and the 100th anniversary of the republic's founding in 2023. More

Terror and North America: The Causes and Directions of Cross-Border Extremist Activity
In this video, Timothy Curry, Stephen Flynn and Christian Leuprecht discuss the problem of cross-border extremism in North America. In their view, the US' national security policy may have its virtues, but in this area it needs some buttressing up. More

Coming Up
Next week, we profile several issues that are set to shape the political and security dynamics of North America over the coming years.

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