Defense and Security Studies Commons^™

Unmas's Rapid-Response Exercise, Liban Holm, Cisr Journal

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

In a post-conflict country littered with mines and explosive remnants of war, the capability to deploy highly qualified mine-action staff rapidly is key to saving lives. The United Nations Mine Action Service recently spearheaded a new 10-day emergency training program based on lessons learned from previous rapid-response efforts in Kosovo, Lebanon and the Occupied Palestinian Territories. This exercise emphasized the importance of interagency coordination and was designed to simulate a scenario in which these relationships would be called upon heavily in order to achieve success.

Ieds And Their Impact On Mine Action, Adrian King

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

This article addresses the increasingly prevalent threat of improvised explosive devices around the world. The author carefully defines this often unpredictable and unconventional “weapon of choice” and outlines the steps to eliminate the hazard it presents to global security. The article also discusses the role IEDs play within the scope of mine action, arguing their danger exceeds that of traditional mines and other unexploded ordnance.

Blast Testing Of Visors Used For Humanitarian Demining, Charlene Fawcett

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

This article discusses experimental results from blast testing of Security Devices Ltd. polycarbonate visors used by humanitarian deminers. Visors used in the blast testing fell into one of three categories: new visors, manually scratched visors, and scratched and heat-gun-repaired visors. Results show that the visors in all three categories failed to meet the draft international standard for blast testing relevant at the time, that further research is required to establish pressure profiles for the standard charge size being tested, and that the proposed heat- treatment method does appear to degrade the blast resistance of the visor used in the test.

Change Is The Only Constant, Zlatko Gegic

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Because of the nature of mine-action organizations and programs, they are often placed in post-conflict areas where humanitarian work faces several obstacles. It is important to consider possible setbacks before embarking on demining in a post-conflict country.

A Broader Canvas: Jordan’S Erw Training Course, Mohammad Briekat, Olaf Juergensen

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Jordan is embracing the role of international humanitarian ambassador, particularly in the field of mine action. Jordan’s National Committee for Demining and Rehabilitation has hosted several events for mine-affected countries and has recently completed its first explosive-remnants-of-war training course.The Kingdom of Jordan has a long record of participating in international humanitarian crisis-prevention and peacekeeping efforts. On a per-capita basis, Jordan is one of the largest contributors to U.N. peacekeeping missions—with an emphasis on providing field hospitals and support for mine action. Jordan regularly dispatches relief supplies and heavy equipment when natural disasters strike around the world.

The Halo Trust, Cisr Journal

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

The HALO Trust has actively been working to reduce existing landmines across the globe. Guy Willoughby, the founder of HALO, has focused on creating fast responses to landmine problems. With help from increased donations, HALO will be able to make more countries mine-impact free within the coming years using a variety of techniques.

In Remembrance: Femisberto Novele, Cisr Journal

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Femisberto Novele, a member of Mine Action Centre in Cyprus, was killed by an anti-tank explosion on 28 October 2009. Novele, 48, was working in Yeri, only 10 kilometers (6.2 miles) southeast of Nicosia, the capital of Cyprus. A native of Mozambique, Novele is the first death MACC has suffered during its five years of working on the island, although nine people, including civilians and deminers, were injured in 2008.

The Rapid Response To Operation Cast Lead, Elena Rice

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

When the United Nations Mine Action Service was asked to assess the need for a mine-action presence in the Gaza Strip following Operation Cast Lead, a 23-day conflict involving the Israeli Defence Forces and Palestinian militias in 2008, it was thrust into one of the world’s most complicated humanitarian operating environments. This article provides a background for the mine-action program in Gaza, summarizing the key challenges and lessons learned during the first four months of operations in this complex environment.

Insight Into Gis Usage In Dangerous Area Survey, Penelope Caswell

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Western Sahara’s 16-year conflict with Morocco caused widespread contamination from landmines and other explosive remnants of war. Landmine Action is a U.K.-based nonprofit organization that has conducted survey, marking and clearance activities in Polisario-controlled areas of Western Sahara since 2006. Its main goals are to make these areas safer for the people of Western Sahara, to reduce risks and land denial caused by contamination, and to successfully carry out humanitarian demining.

Masg Update, Cisr Journal

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

The following article highlights the recent activities of the Mine Action Support Group, including updates on the United Nations Mine Action Service, the United Nations Development Programme and UNICEF. It is excerpted from the United Nations’ newsletter covering the period from March to May 2009.

Sri Lanka: Mine Action In A Deteriorating Environment, Chris Rush

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

A major mine-action program has been underway in Sri Lanka since 2002, when a cease-fire agreement between the government of Sri Lanka and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam was signed. However, after a seemingly inexorable escalation in violence between the LTTE and the government forces, open warfare resumed, and in May 2009, the government announced that it had achieved military victory over the LTTE. This article traces the various ways that the increase in conflict affected mine-action activities in Sri Lanka.

Ddasaccident596, Hd-Aid

Global CWD Repository

The clearance operation on mentioned task was started by [Demining group] DT-12 on 1st of November 09. On 10th of November 09 at 07:40, while the second break period started, the team leader of the team asked a deminer for his scraper and then walked down to a clearance lane without informing any other team members of his intention. On 07:42 Team leader initiated a POMZ mine causing him to receive the injuries that led to his death. He ignored his job description and the [Demining group] SOPs. He may have been thinking that this POMZ is of no danger, …

Ddasaccident620, Hd-Aid

Global CWD Repository

On 5th Nov 2009 at 08:45 am deminer [Victim No.1] was working in his clearance lane: he was removing excavated soil from the target spot that suddenly his excavation tool touched a mine and caused it to go off. As a result of the accident, the deminer got severe injuries to his face, eyes and left hand (lost his one eye).

Military Doctrine: A Reference Handbook, Bert Chapman

Libraries Research Publications

This is a 2009 Purdue Libraries brownbag presentation on my book Military Doctrine: A Reference Handbook. It describes how the U.S. and other countries formulate and implement strategies for conducting military operations and publishing literature describing how they conduct military operations. Additional contents include highlighting military strategy objectives of various countries and key military doctrine documents produced by these countries.

A Guide To The International Mine Action Standards 2010, Gichd

Global CWD Repository

IMAS are standards issued by the United Nations to guide the planning, implementation and management of mine action programmes. They are a framework for the development of national mine action standards. This handbook contains all IMAS in brief, explains the purpose of the IMAS and the requirements of the different standards in a clear way, serving as a quick reference for mine action practitioners to understand core IMAS issues.

Extinguishing The Torch Of Terror: The Threat Of Terrorism And The 2010 Olympics, Serge E. Vidalis

Journal of Strategic Security

With the change in seasons comes the expected change of insurgency operations in Afghanistan as Taliban and al-Qaida fighters mount their spring and summer offensives against both NATO forces and Afghanis sympathetic to foreign troops. As insurgents curtail their seasonal operations with the arrival of fall and winter, is it likely that a threat may arise from Afghanistan to affect the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver, British Columbia? As will be illustrated herein, the threat to the games will not be borne directly from the insurgency in Afghanistan but rather by the universal jihadist ideology of al-Qaida rather than the nationalist …

Revisiting Downs' Issue-Attention Cycle: International Terrorism And U.S. Public Opinion, Karen K. Petersen

Journal of Strategic Security

Lamenting the lack of public awareness of international events and U.S. foreign policy is not a particularly novel exercise; yet, explaining the process by which issues enter and exit the public realm remains a challenging endeavor. Despite contributions from researchers working in international relations and mass communication, explaining public inattentiveness continues to vex scholars. However, in his article, "Up and Down with Ecology: The 'Issue-Attention Cycle,'" Anthony Downs provides a parsimonious and tractable model of public opinion that can be applied to foreign policy issues.1 While Downs concerns himself exclusively with domestic issues, particularly environmental issues, his model has thepotential …

Reviving The United States' Commitment To Pakistan And Afghanistan, Steve A. Young, Imdad Hussain Sahito

Journal of Strategic Security

As President Obama is in the midst of deciding whether additional U.S.combat forces are needed in Afghanistan in addition to the 21,000 troops recently committed, he must realize that additional armed forces are only a stopgap measure in Afghanistan's downward spiral into an 'undergoverned' failed state. Similarly, as Pakistan's fragile and fractured civilian government continues to appease the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), an umbrella organization of Pakistani Pashtun tribesmen with Taliban cultural values led by Baitullah Mehsud and others, it comes closer to the concept of a "misgoverned" failed state, possessing a small arsenal of nuclear arms. The problem for the …

The Tangled Web Of Taliban And Associated Movements, Greg Smith

Journal of Strategic Security

Following the devastating terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001,worldwide attention became focused on the Taliban and al-Qaida forcesin Afghanistan. Prior to the attacks, many people had never heard of the Taliban or their shar'ia-law style of government. Since 2001, manysplinter groups have formed in response to the continual United Statespresence in the region. Today, the term Taliban has been used to envelop several groups such as the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), the Haqqani Network (HQN) and the Tehrik-eNifaz-e-Shariat-e-Mohammadi(TNSM). These groups make up the majority of fighters along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border. Many of these groups have been historicrivals for control of the …

Islamist Distortions: Hizb Ut- Tahrir A Breeding Ground For Al- Qaida Recruitment, Krishna Mungur

Journal of Strategic Security

In 1953, a radical splinter organization from the Muslim Brotherhood,Hizb ut-Tahrir (HuT), was founded by the Al-Azhar University (Cairo,Egypt) educated jurist Sheikh Taqiuddin an-Nabhani who criticized theMuslim Brotherhood for collaborating with Egyptian secularists, such as Gamal Abdel Nasser. A sizable portion of the more radical members of the Muslim Brotherhood broke away, to join Nabhani's budding movement. Today, HuT is known to operate in more than forty countries, calling for the restoration of the Islamic Caliphate, with a history of violence and links to violent terrorist organizations. Given increasing tensions in the region over the presence of coalition troops, Predator …

Book Reviews, Christine E. Williamson, Ed Urie, Michael Savasta, Robin L. Thompson, D.M., Edward M. Roche

Journal of Strategic Security

Critical Thinking and Intelligence Analysis. By David T.Moore.

At The Center Of The Storm: The CIA During America's Time of Crisis. By George Tenet with Bill Harlow.

Female Suicide Bombers. By Rosemarie Skaine.

Information Operations: Doctrine and Practice. By Christopher Paul.

The Secret Sentry: The Untold History of the National Security Agency. By Matthew M. Aid.

The Blood of Lambs: A Former Terrorist's Memoir of Death and Redemption. By Kamal Saleem with Lynn Vincent.

Attaché Extraordinaire: Vernon A. Walters in Brazil. By Frank Márcio De Oliveira.

Cover & Front Matter

Journal of Strategic Security

No abstract provided.

Linking Mine Action And Development | States Affected By Mines/Erw, Gichd

Global CWD Repository

Mine action programmes often are not linked early and strongly enough with key development actors. Despite the availability of extensive research documenting the need for greater coordination between mine action and development organisations, concrete guidance for practitioners and policy-makers on how to link mine action with development has been lacking. In response, the Geneva International Centre for Humanitarian Development has published guidelines on how to ensure mine action promotes development in mine-affected countries. More specifically, the guidelines seek to:

• Increase awareness that landmines and other remnants of conflict block development in many affected countries

• Strengthen coordination between mine action and …

Ddasaccident601, Hd-Aid

Global CWD Repository

On 1st Nov 2009, at 02:45 pm during the rest time, [the Victim] a deminer of mentioned team found an unknown item and tried to touch it. According to the investigation report, the item was a rifle Grenade of 40mm which was exploded as a result of irresponsible action of the victim deminer. As it was the break time of the team and the deminer was without visor and PPE, therefore, he lost his right hand, left eye and sustained jaw and leg fracture.

Guerilla Warfare & Law Enforcement: Combating The 21st Century Terrorist Cell Within The U.S., Richard J. Hughbank

Journal of Strategic Security

Both domestic and international terrorist organizations employ guerrilla warfare tactics, techniques, and procedures. Thus, the ability to identify and defeat the members of these organizations, cripple their infrastructures, and disrupt their financial resources lies in the understanding of modern guerrilla warfare as it develops in the twenty-first century within the United States.3 The forms of asymmetric warfare4 adopted by domestic and international terrorist groups alike is no longer intended to gain simple media exposure or governmental manipulation; they want to make an overpowering impact by causing massive loss of life and severe damage to infrastructure and are often motivated by …

Ddasaccident708, Hd-Aid

Global CWD Repository

The 39-year-old [the Victim], a MACC member from Mozambique, died after an anti-tank mine exploded at approximately 8am yesterday in a minefield near Yeri, some 10 kilometres south-east of Nicosia.

Telemedicine And Advanced Technology Research Center: Quarterly Report, July 18, 2009 To October 17, 2009, Bea Babbitt

Telemedicine & Advanced Technology Research Center

Development of a P.O.I. and a Blended Learning Ecology for use in Combat Lifesaver Skills Training for the Army.

Ddasaccident646, Hd-Aid

Global CWD Repository

On 11 Oct 2009 at 12:15 am while [the Victim] deminer was excavating a detected signal in his clearance lane, his bayonet hit top of an anti-personnel mine and caused it to go off. According to the investigation report, it seems that the deminer started the excavation drill directly from the centre of the detected signal by his bayonet and caused the mine to be exploded. The deminer had the PPE and visor but as the visor was not properly used so he got some superficial injuries on his face, eyes.

Ddasaccident641, Hd-Aid

Global CWD Repository

On 10 Oct 2009 at 11:20 hrs when [the Victim] deminer was working in his clearance lane with a pickaxe that suddenly an explosion happened. As per investigation report the deminer was using pickaxe instead of bayonet because the ground surface was hard. He started to prepare a trench by pickaxe from second reading marker for further investigation of the signal, but there was a stone in close vicinity of pinpointed spot and the deminer wanted to remove it, so his pickaxe might touched the PMN mine or the stone put extra pressure on the mine and the explosion happened. …