Defense and Security Studies Commons^™

Winning The Story War: Strategic Communication And The Conflict In Afghanistan, George Dimitriu

George Dimitriu

In conflicts of the information age success in the application of force depends less on the outcome of tactical operations on the battlefields but more on how the war's purpose, course and conduct is viewed by public opinion at home as well as within the theatre of operations. Therefore western allies in Iraq and Afghanistan are not only involved in a physical struggle but also in a struggle over perceptions, for no long-term engagement of troops is possible without support from home, nor can a counterinsurgency succeed without the support of the local population. While the ability to exert influence …

An Assessment Of The Influence Of Advertisement On Patronage Of Beauty Care Products In Lokoja Metropolis, Kogi State, Nigeria, Ali Simon Yusufu Bagaji

Ali Simon Yusufu Bagaji

In order to survive and successfully operate in a competitive environment, makers of beauty care products attach great importance to advertising products. The essence of advertising product is to provide consumers with product information as well as persuading them to buy. The consumers of beauty care products on the other hand dissect relevant information passed on in an advertisement in order to meet their beauty needs. The article intends to find out consumers expectations from beauty care products, and what aspect of advertisement influences patronage of beauty care products of their choice. It is also aimed at determining the extent …

An Investigation Of Causal Relationship Between Fiscal Deficits, Economic Growth And Money Supply In Nigeria (1970-2009), Ali Simon Yusufu Bagaji

Ali Simon Yusufu Bagaji

This study posits to investigate the relationship between fiscal deficits, economic growth and money supply in Nigeria. In Nigeria, huge fiscal deficits had been recorded over some years. What has been the nature of the relationship between fiscal deficits, economic growth and money supply in Nigeria? To answer this question, Granger causality test was conducted to see whether fiscal deficits granger cause economic growth and money supply or economic growth and money supply granger cause fiscal deficits. The results show that fiscal deficits granger causes economic growth and broad money supply in Nigeria. This implies that fiscal deficits positively affect …

The Scramble For Lugard House: Ethnic Identity Politics And Recurring Tensions In Kogi State, Ali Simon Yusufu Bagaji

Ali Simon Yusufu Bagaji

Successive Nigerian constitutions have always sought to legally prevent identities such as ethnic, religion, and regionalism from being the basis of political organisation and contest for state power. In Kogi state, Nigeria, the reality of the situation has been, however, far from its outward appearance. This is because, ethnic identity politics have not only proved to be resilient, but a in a wave of resurgence, have fast become a common feature in its body politics leading to incessant ethno-factionalism and tension in the state. This article explores the linkage between the nature of Nigerian democracy, ethnic identity politics, and escalating …

Boko Haram And The Recurring Bomb Attacks In Nigeria: Attempt To Impose, Ali Simon Yusufu Bagaji

Ali Simon Yusufu Bagaji

Attempt to forcefully impose religious ideology and or belief on Nigeria’s secular society is not new. The leader of the Maitatsine sectarian group attempted it in 1981 and eventually led to large scale uprisings. Since the early 1980s and 2012, Nigeria has witnessed other uncountable religious related crises. Beginning from 2009, the country once again, has been stormed by large scale and unimaginable bomb attacks by the Boko Haram movement. Although Boko Haram can be compared in terms of philosophy and objectives to the Maitatsine sectarian group, its organisational planning, armed resistance, and modus operandi is Taliban and attacks executed …

Normative Approaches To Ethnic Recognition And Accommodation:Their Applicability To The Nigerian Experience, Ali Simon Yusufu Bagaji

Ali Simon Yusufu Bagaji

This article explores the central theme in the normative philosophy arguments of Michael Walzer; Charles Taylor; and Will Kymlicka and their applicability to the state building processes and constitutional politics in Nigeria. The main argument of these scholars is that, in a multicultural society, equality and justice; unity and stability are likely to prevail if state building and constitutional processes of a country recognises and accommodates ethnic diversity. Critically applied, the article observes that since liberal democratic values are not well rooted in the Nigerian body politics, the specifi city of the Nigerian state would have to be recognised for …

Growing Apart? Ethno-Regional Identity Politics, Tensions And Threats To The Nigerian State, 1960-2010, Ali Simon Yusufu Bagaji

Ali Simon Yusufu Bagaji

The notion of democracy, the motive behind party formation, ethno-regional spread of parties, voting behaviour and pattern of electoral results, and pre and post election crises among other fissiparous tendencies are all indications that Nigeria is a highly divided society. This article examines manifestation of ethno-regional identity politics, and how identity has re-focused political participation, struggles and conflicts in the Nigerian federation. It concludes that despite institutionalisation of measures aimed at preventing the use of any form of divisive identity in the Nigerian body politic. Nigeria, after over fifty years of state-building and political engineering, appears to be growing apart.

Ondervraging Van Irakese En Afghaanse Insurgents: De Nederlandse Ervaringen, George Dimitriu

George Dimitriu

Gedurende de afgelopen jaren is de Nederlandse Krijgsmacht een aantal jaren actief geweest in Irak en Afghanistan waarbij honderden mensen gevangen zijn genomen en zijn ondervraagd. In tegenstelling tot veel andere landen die ook in Irak en Afghanistan actief zijn of waren, zoals de Verenigde Staten, Groot-Brittannië, Spanje en Canada, is Nederland tot op heden gevrijwaard gebleven van een groot martelschandaal of een binnenlandse discussie. Afgezien van een incident in 2006 toen krantenkoppen Nederlanders betichtten van marteling tijdens de missie in Irak, is er maar weinig voorgevallen. Bovendien luwde de ophef over het vermeende martelincident in Irak al snel. Hoe …

De Missie In Uruzgan Als Strategisch Narratief, George Dimitriu, Beatrice De Graaf

George Dimitriu

In dit artikel willen we stilstaan bij het belang van maatschappelijk draagvlak in westerse democratieën voor langdurige missies, waarbij de primaire landsbelangen niet direct op het spel staan en waarbij de noodzaak tot oorlogsvoering niet buiten kijf staat. We nemen de ISAF-evaluatie als uitgangspunt, maar willen het punt uitwerken dat in deze evaluatie buiten beschouwing is gelaten: de relatie tussen troepeninzet voor missies en het maatschappelijke draagvlak. Die relatie krijgt vorm in publieke en politieke debatten, in lobby's en stemmingen in de Kamer. Er is inmiddels een rijk onderzoeksveld ontstaan rond vraagstukken van maatschappelijk draagvlak, publieke opinie en oorlogsvoering. Uit …

Strategische Communicatie In Afghanistan: Alles Draait Om Perceptie, George Dimitriu

George Dimitriu

Tijdens conflicten is beïnvloeding van de verschillende relevante doelgroepen – tegenstanders, de lokale bevolking en het eigen thuisfront – altijd al van doorslaggevend belang geweest. Maar door de geglobaliseerde nieuwe vormen van media dat heeft geleid tot ongekende beïnvloedings-mogelijkheden, de verwevenheid van target audiences en de communicatiesuccessen van terroristen is het belang van de ideologische strijd vandaag de dag enorm toegenomen. De westerse bondgenoten zijn in Afghanistan niet alleen in een fysieke strijd verwikkeld maar ook in een strijd om percepties. Zonder draagvlak van het thuisfront is langdurige inzet van troepen immers niet mogelijk en zonder steun van de lokale …

Unanswered Questions Of A Minority People In International Law: A Comparative Study Between Southern Cameroons & South Sudan, Bernard Sama Mr

Bernard Sama

The month July of 2011 marked the birth of another nation in the World. The distressful journey of a minority people under the watchful eyes of the international community finally paid off with a new nation called the South Sudan . As I watched the South Sudanese celebrate independence on 9 July 2011, I was filled with joy as though they have finally landed. On a promising note, I read the UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon saying “[t]ogether, we welcome the Republic of South Sudan to the community of nations. Together, we affirm our commitment to helping it meet its …

The Dutch Counterinsurgency Approach: Political And Military Lessons, George Dimitriu, Beatrice De Graaf

George Dimitriu

In the past, military defeat has led to resignations of Ministers of Defence. But in February 2010, it was the first time that a ruling party in the Netherlands, the social democrat party (Partij van de Arbeid, PvdA), brought down the coalition government, as a protest against extending a military mission. This historical moment even inspired the Taliban to congratulate the social democrats: ‘We congratulate the Dutch for this courageous and independent decision,’ said Taliban spokesman Qari Yusuf Ahmadi. The Taliban expressed the hope that other countries would follow the Dutch example. After four years of intensive commitment to the …

‘Holding’ For Companies And Platoons In Counterinsurgency, George Dimitriu

George Dimitriu

In August 2010, the Dutch redeployed their forces after being active in Afghanistan for four years, aiding and abetting ISAF with around 2000 troops each rotation. Initially, the contribution after August had been discussed fiercely, but the collapse of the Netherlands’ coalition government in February 2010 meant also the end of the discussion about prolongation of the mission of Task Force Uruzgan; the withdrawal of troops is definite and more or less completed by the time of writing. In a recently published article about the performance of the Dutch forces in Uruzgan, which I wrote together with Dr. B.A. de …

Lokoja Urban Water Supply As A Basic Service Programme: A Critical Appraisal Of Achievements And Failures, 1991-2011, Ali Simon Yusufu Bagaji

Ali Simon Yusufu Bagaji

On the 27th August, 1991, through a Presidential announcement, Lokoja became the capital of Kogi state, Nigeria. Prior to this time, it was a Local Government Headquarters. Due to the sudden transformation to a state capital, and coupled with serious neglect of water supply infrastructures, Lokoja immediately started to experience unprecedented water supply problems. This article examines the conditions of water supply infrastructures, population growth vis-à-vis water supply and demand in Lokoja before 1991, and up to 2011. In addition, the article appraised what successive governments in Kogi state had done to ameliorate the water crises and noted with concern …

Côte D’Ivoire’S Instability: Power Struggles Within The Political Elite? Ethnic And Religious Conflict? Impact Of Economic Crisis? What Is Really To Blame?, Ali Simon Yusufu Bagaji

Ali Simon Yusufu Bagaji

Since the November-December, 2010 electoral stalemate between Laurent Gbagbo and Alassane Ouattara in Côte d’Ivoire, most individuals and bodies that have taken time to engage in the Ivorian conflict have often succumbed to the same superficial explanations of Africa's wars - that they stem from immutable tribal and sectarian differences. Instead of a simplistic assumption and hence conclusion as above, this article explores the background to, and transformation of the current conflict in Côte d’Ivoire through a committed engagement with its history, economic structure, state-society relations and the nature of political power. Despite the prevalence of ethnic and religious faultlines, …

Explaining The Violent Conflict In Nigeria's Niger Delta: Is The Rentier State Theory And Resource-Curse Thesis Relevant?, Ali Simon Yusufu Bagaji

Ali Simon Yusufu Bagaji

Since the early 1970s when crude oil became Nigeria’s main source of foreign exchange, it soon joined the league table of rentier states. However, beginning from the second half of the 1990s to date, the Niger Delta, the heartbeat and the engine that drives Nigeria’s economy has being stormed by large scale tsunamis of unimaginable proportion due to militant activities. Consequently, Nigeria’s quest for unity, stability, national security and accelerated economic development are being undermined. This article explores the relevance of the rentier state theory and the resource-Curse thesis to explaining essence of the renewed violence in the Niger Delta. …

Innovation Cooperation: Energy Biosciences And Law, Prof. Elizabeth Burleson

Prof. Elizabeth Burleson

This Article analyzes the development and dissemination of environmentally sound technologies that can address climate change. Climate change poses catastrophic health and security risks on a global scale. Universities, individual innovators, private firms, civil society, governments, and the United Nations can unite in the common goal to address climate change. This Article recommends means by which legal, scientific, engineering, and a host of other public and private actors can bring environmentally sound innovation into widespread use to achieve sustainable development. In particular, universities can facilitate this collaboration by fostering global innovation and diffusion networks.

Inlichtingenondersteuning In Het Kader Van Bevordering En Handhaving Van De Internationale Rechtsorde, George Dimitriu

George Dimitriu

De auteurs beschrijven de ontwikkeling van de rol van inlichtingen bij militaire operaties in de periode 1992 - 2010.

Growing Ethnopolitical Conflict And The Challenge Of "One" Nigeria: Politics Of State Building In A Multiethnic Society, 1960-2010, Ali Simon Yusufu Bagaji

Ali Simon Yusufu Bagaji

Since October 1, 1960 when Nigeria attained political independence, it has being witnessing a steady growth of ethnopolitical and religious crises in its body politics. The central concern of this paper is that, ethnopolitical conflicts are posing great challenge to Nigeria’s unity, sovereignty and legitimacy that may lead to its consequential collapse. The worry of this paper is that, rather than diminishing after over five decades of political independence, ethnopolitical conflict has since the 1990s not only become more ferocious and alarming, but are also shifting from ethnic accommodation to ethnic self-determination. This paper is part of an ongoing PhD …

De Nederlandse Coin Aanpak: Drie Jaar Uruzgan 2006-2009, George Dimitriu, Beatrice De Graaf

George Dimitriu

Zelden leidde militaire inzet tot zo veel discussie als de missie Task Force Uruzgan (TFU) in Afghanistan. Wat doen de Nederlandse troepen precies in Uruzgan? En hoe hebben ze de strategie de afgelopen twee jaar op het tactische en operationele niveau uitgewerkt en toegepast? Dit artikel behandelt de moeizame discussie over de missie van TFU. Vervolgens nemen de auteurs drie ISAF-operaties onder de loep. De meest complexe en cruciale fase van dergelijke operaties “de fase van consolidatie (hold)“ komt uitvoerig aan de orde. De auteurs bieden een kader om deze schakel in de uitvoering beter te begrijpen. Ze geven zo …

Ongeoorloofde Pressiemiddelen Tijdens Ondervraging In Extreme Situaties: Moraliteit, Effectiviteit En Efficiëntie, George Dimitriu

George Dimitriu

The paper is about the question whether alleged terrorists or insurgents in certain circumstances should be tortured. Does it yield any results? Is it effective? Paper in Dutch.

In veel landen, waaronder ook westerse, worden pressiemiddelen gebruikt bij ondervragingen vangevangenen. Sinds de aanslagen op 11 september 2001 in de Verenigde Staten en de ‘War on Terror’is de discussie over het toepassen van pressiemiddelen weer actueel. Ernstige schendingen van mensen-rechten door Amerikaanse militairen op Guantanamo Bay kwamen aan het licht. Wat zijn de morele argumenten om ongeoorloofde pressiemiddelen toe te staan dan wel te verbieden? Welke juridische kaders zijn er? En …

The Growing Inter-Ethnic Conflicts In Contemporary Nigeria: Is Ethnic Security Dilemma A Root Cause?, Ali Simon Yusufu Bagaji

Ali Simon Yusufu Bagaji

Nigeria is ethnically a diverse nation-state. Its ethnic diversity, like that of the United State of America ideally is a source of strength. However on the contrary, analysis of post independence inter-ethnic relations in Nigeria indicates surge from ‘ethnic accommodation to ethnic agitation’. Consequently, due to frequent inter-ethnic conflict, the task ‘to keep Nigeria one’ is therefore more than ever becoming an uphill task. This article explores the root causes of the growing inter-ethnic conflicts in contemporary Nigeria from the perspective of the ethnic security dilemma prism and concludes that it is a relevant explanatory tool for understanding it.

Rising Temperatures: Rising Tides, Prof. Elizabeth Burleson

Prof. Elizabeth Burleson

Transboundary environmental problems do not distinguish between political boundaries. Global warming is expected to cause thermal expansion of water and melt glaciers. Both are predicted to lead to a rise in sea level. We must enlarge our paradigms to encompass a global reality and reliance upon global participation.