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This Week at the ISN

Our Weekly Content Roundup

3 7 November 2014

JUMP TO Editorial Plan | Security Watch | Blog | Video

// Security Watch

This week, our hard power-centered Security Watch (SW) series asks if the Heavy Airlift Wing is a successful example of
multinational 'pooling and sharing'; whether the US military needs to teach more critical thinking; why Russian naval
vessels have allegedly made incursions into Swedish territorial waters; whether US intelligence agencies should be
immediately lambasted for their intelligence failures; and whether the US' decision to invest in the W80-1 nuclear warhead
makes economic sense. Then, in our second and more wide-ranging SW series, we look at just how influential Qatar and
the UAE are across the greater Middle East; what's the focus of al Qaeda's new English Language publication; what the
history of European geopolitics can tell us about the continent's current troubles; whether 'backdoor' government access to
public platforms represents a significant cybersecurity threat; and whether US airstrikes against the so-called Islamic State
are legal or not.

Pooling and Sharing That Works: The Heavy Airlift Wing at Five
3 November 2014

The Heavy Airlift Wing of the Strategic Airlift Capability (SAC) Program has just turned 5 years old. Today, Jan Joel
Anderson explains why he thinks this initiative is a textbook case of effective 'pooling and sharing' by eleven European
nations and the United States. More

Qatar and the UAE in a Changing Middle East

3 November 2014

Are Qatar and the UAE becoming major players in the Middle East? Lisa Watanabe isn't so sure. Qatar's influence has
waned after its controversial backing of the transnational Muslim Brotherhood. The UAE, in turn, owes much of its success
to an emerging geo-strategic alliance with Saudi Arabia and Egypt. More

Two Faces of Critical Thinking for the Reflective Military Practitioner

4 November 2014

Al Qaeda's "Resurgence" Focuses on Indian Subcontinent

4 November 2014

Thomas Joscelyn isn't surprised that al Qaeda's recently-launched English-language magazine focuses on the Indian
subcontinent. If anything, the first edition of "Resurgence" is just the latest attempt to heat up Jihadist sentiments and
activities across South Asia. More

Russian War Games in the Baltic Sea Region: the Swedish Case
5 November 2014

What explains the recent spate of 'foreign underwater activities' in Sweden's territorial waters? Justyna Gotkowska thinks
that Russia is deliberately exposing the gaps in Stockholm's military capabilities in order to intimidate both policymakers
and publics in the Baltic Sea region. More

The Geopolitics of Europe: 1815-2015

5 November 2014

What lens should we use to interpret Europe's history over the last two centuries? According to Nayef Al-Rodhan and
others, using a geopolitical one isn't enough. Instead, we need to use a 'meta-geopolitical' lens that accounts for strengths
and capabilities that go far beyond a state's military prowess. More

Anatomy of an "Intelligence Failure"

6 November 2014

Cybersecurity: A New Regime on Government-Compromised Encryption

6 November 2014

Do today's encryption standards represent a threat to cybersecurity, especially if they limit the intelligence gathering and
law enforcement activities of government agencies? It's a question that Chris Bronk believes highlights the newfound
power of the global IT industry, especially in the wake of Edward Snowden's revelations. More

W80-1 Warhead Selected For New Nuclear Cruise Missile

7 November 2014

Was the United States Air Force right to select the W80-1 warhead for its new nuclear-capable cruise missile? Not
according to Hans Kristensen. He thinks that the enormous cost of this weapon will deprive America's military of more
essential conventional capabilities. More

The Intervention against the Islamic State under International Law

7 November 2014

Is the US-led air campaign against the so-called Islamic State permissible under international law? When it comes to
assisting Iraqi forces, Natalino Ronzitti believes that Washington and its allies are on solid ground. However, it's a different
story for airstrikes in Syria. More

// Blog
Why Russia's 'Strong State' Political System Still Remains a Better Option for the Country than
Western-Style Democracy
3 November 2014

Andrei Tsygankov not only thinks that the West is overlooking the benefits of Russia's 'strong state' model of governance,
he also believes that abandoning the model for Western-style democracy is incompatible with existing 'facts on the
ground'. More

The Sovereign Nation-State as a Contributor to Terrorism

4 November 2014

When it comes to terrorism, do Western states forget an inconvenient truth? Strobe Driver believes so. This type of
violence has been caused by them, either directly or indirectly, since at least the end of World War I. More

The Effect of Firearm Laws on Firearm Manufacturing Location

5 November 2014

Jurgen Braeur and others think we need to educate ourselves better about the inner workings of the firearms industry.
Being more knowledgeable may not prevent gun-related violence, but it should enable policymakers to develop more
effective ways to stop weapons from falling into the wrong hands. More

Mediation Perspectives: Time to Build Bridges between Tribes in South Sudan

6 November 2014

How can South Sudan manage the 'ethnic fallout' from its civil war? Josef Bucher argues that the country's divided
communities need to accomplish three tasks formally recognize each other, establish their independence from militarypolitical elites, and rebuild systems of internal accountability. More

Taiwan's Ten Thousand Double-Edged Swords

7 November 2014

Was Taiwan's recent procurement of the Ten Thousand Swords missile system a smart move? Che-Yu Ou doesn't think
so. As he sees it, this particular purchase will only aggravate the 'security dilemma' that exists between Taipei and Beijing.
More

// Video

Warfare beneath the Waves: The Undersea Domain in Asia

In this video, four analysts discuss 1) the growing competition for undersea military capabilities in Asia, 2) what it might
mean for the current territorial disputes in the East and South China Seas, and 3) how it might affect the military posture of
the US and its allies in the Asia-Pacific region. More

Terrorist Financing Networks in the Middle East and South Asia

In this video, Amit Kumar, who is a Fellow for Homeland Security and Counterterrorism at Georgetown University's Center
for National Policy, 1) compares the in's and out's of terrorist financing networks in South Asia and the Middle East, and 2)
explains what governments can do to craft effective counter-financing strategies. More

Why China Will Become a Global Military Power

In this video, Oriana Mastro focuses on China's geopolitical strategy and how its burgeoning military capabilities might
impact global security. She concludes that Beijing isn't interested in being a global military power at this time but 'emerging
trends' may soon dictate otherwise.More

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

Publications More
// Azerbaijan: A Growing Problem for the West
More
// Strengthening US-Indonesia Defense Ties
More
// New Ways of War: Is Remote Control Warfare Effective?
More

Videos More
// Rebuilding the Gaza Strip: Obstacles and Opportunities
More
//Why it is So Difficult to Resolve Intractable Conflicts More
on the End of the Cold War More
/Reflecting
/

Audio / Podcasts More

// Voices of the Next Generation with Kalev Leetaru on Big Data
More
// The Future of Guantanamo Bay
More
// If Mayors Ruled the World: Dysfunctional Nations, Rising Cities
More

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