Defense and Security Studies Commons^™

Nuclear Arms Control: Challenges And Opportunities In 2013, Steven Pifer

Brookings Scholar Lecture Series

U.S. nuclear arms control policy must address numerous factors, including our strategic relationships with Russia and China, the potential for future nuclear weapons reductions--including non-strategic nuclear weapons, and the offense-defense relationship, given concerns that missile defense developments could in the future affect the nuclear balance. Washington DC must also consider its obligations under the Non-Proliferation Treaty, how to dissuade new countries from joining the nuclear weapons ranks, and what to do about the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty, which the United States has signed but not ratified. This presentation will explore challenges and opportunities facing Washington DC in the aftermath of …

The Strategic Implications Of China's Rare Earths Policy, Shane Bilsborough

Journal of Strategic Security

Drawing on literature in China studies, strategic theory, and expert interviews, this article analyzes the possibility of "rare earths" being leveraged by the People's Republic of China (PRC) in a crisis. The evidence suggests China's position in the rare earths market could constitute a significant security liability for the United States. It also seems that even if coercion fails to materialize, China's rare earths policies have the potential to intensify security dilemmas in Sino-American relations.

Cover & Front Matter

Journal of Strategic Security

No abstract provided.

Arctic Energy Resources: Security And Environmental Implications, Peter Johnston

Journal of Strategic Security

In recent years, there has been considerable interest in the Arctic as a source for resources, as a potential zone for commercial shipping, and as a region that might experience conflict due to its strategic importance. With regards to energy resources, some studies suggest that the region contains upwards of 13 percent of global undiscovered oil, 30 percent of undiscovered gas, and multiples more of gas hydrates. The decreasing amount and duration of Arctic ice cover suggests that extraction of these resources will be increasingly commercially viable. Arctic and non-arctic states wish to benefit from the region's resources and the …

The 2011 Mena Revolutions: A Study In U.S. Energy (In)Security, Jessie Rumsey

Journal of Strategic Security

The recent upheavals in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) have brought into stark relief the conflict between democratic values and strategic interests in U.S. foreign policy. Americans are known for commitment to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, yet the U.S. Government is frequently unwilling to step forward and openly express even rhetorical support for reform movements in foreign countries. In fact, initial American reluctance to support the recent "Arab Spring" uprisings serves as another example of what scholars argue is a general exception in the MENA to broader post-Cold War rising costs of maintaining autocracy. This …

Armor All: The Self-Conception Of Private Security Contractors, Volker C. Franke

Faculty Articles

Whereas the values, attitudes and motivations of soldiers serving in their countries’ armed forces have been widely studied, to date we know very little about the motivations and self-conception of individuals working for the private security industry. Using data obtained through an online survey, this article explores the values, attitudes and identity of more than 200 private security contractors with law enforcement backgrounds and operational experience with a security firm in Iraq. Contrary to media dominating images of ruthless, money-grabbing mercenaries, respondents in this sample adhered to attitudes and values very similar to those of professional soldiers serving in Western …

Mine Action And Development: Challenges Of Inter-Organizational Relationships, Brian Da Cal

Global CWD Repository

This project examines the history of mine action as well as the debated link between landmines and development. It also explains why strong, inter-organisational relationships between the mine action and development sectors are so critical for both humanitarian and socio-economic, development reasons. It examines major influences and challenges to establishing and sustaining such relationships, characterised by a lack of coordination on policy, planning and practice, at the international, national and field level. The likely causes for these challenges are examined, ranging from historical differences in the culture, vision and values of people and organisations within those sectors, segregated donor funding …

European Strategies For Energy Security In The Natural Gas Market, Boyka M. Stefanova

Journal of Strategic Security

This article examines the European Union's (EU) approach to energy security on the example of its natural gas imports from Russia, the largest supplier of gas to European markets. Two major projects, Nord Stream in the Northern and Western part of the EU, and Nabucco in South-Central Europe, demonstrate opposing energy security strategies, seemingly at odds with the EU objective of achieving energy independence from Russia. The question arises: Are these strategies sustainable? How can they be reconciled and pursued under a common policy? The main argument is that such conflicting sub-regional policy initiatives are amenable to progressive realignment and …

Assessing Whether Oil Dependency In Venezuela Contributes To National Instability, Adam Kott

Journal of Strategic Security

The focus of this article is on what role, if any, oil has on Venezuela's instability. When trying to explain why a resource-rich country experiences slow or negative growth, experts often point to the resource curse. The following pages explore the traditional theory behind the resource curse as well as alternative perspectives to this theory such as ownership structure and the correlation between oil prices and democracy. This article also explores the various forms of instability within Venezuela and their causes. Finally, the article looks at President Hugo Chavez's political and economic policies as well as the stagnation of the …

Land Rights And Mine Action In Afghanistan: Frequently Asked Questions, Gichd

Global CWD Repository

This document provides simple, practical guidance on land issues for mine action organisations in Afghanistan. It covers the following topics: why land matters for mine action; land rights and land release; what mine action organisations can do; and where to get additional information and support.

Armed Violence And Disability: The Untold Story, Hi

Global CWD Repository

Armed violence has powerful, lasting impacts, inflicting severe injuries and impairments and leaving behind broken families, fearful communities and societies in which violence is the norm. It is a daily fear and fact of life for millions of people, particularly those in low income countries and in the marginalised urban zones of more developed countries.

Persons with disabilities experience heightened exposure to armed violence as a result of various factors, such as exclusion from education and employment, the need for personal assistance in daily life, social stigma, discrimination and communications barriers for reporting violence8 . Armed violence injuries and disabilities …

Off The Press, Usawc Press

The US Army War College Quarterly: Parameters

No abstract provided.

The National Strategy For Mine Action In Sri Lanka 2010, The Ministry Of Economic Development- Sri Lanka

Global CWD Repository

The National Strategy for Mine Action in Sri Lanka 2010

The Afghanistan Experience: Democratization By Force, Cora Sol Goldstein

The US Army War College Quarterly: Parameters

No abstract provided.

The Third Meeting Of States Parties To The Convention On Cluster Munitions (2012), Ccm

Global CWD Repository

The Third Meeting of States Parties (3MSP) took place in Oslo, Norway, from 11 to 14 September 2012 and gathered some 800 delegates from 60 States Parties, 30 signatory States, 31 observer States and 15 international organizations (see list below).The 3MSP was opened by Dr. Adnan Mansour, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Emigrants of the Republic of Lebanon. During the first plenary meeting, Ambassador Steffen Kongstad, Permanent Representative of Norway to the United Nations and other international organizations in Geneva, was elected by the Meeting as President of the 3MSP.

From The Editor, Robert H. Taylor

The US Army War College Quarterly: Parameters

No abstract provided.

From The Archives, Usawc Press

The US Army War College Quarterly: Parameters

No abstract provided.

Coin Is Dead—Long Live Transformation, Cora Ford, Patrick Rose, Howard Body

The US Army War College Quarterly: Parameters

No abstract provided.

Afghanistan: Strategy And War Termination, Christopher Tuck

The US Army War College Quarterly: Parameters

No abstract provided.

The Internet, New Media, And The Evolution Of Insurgency, Steven Metz

The US Army War College Quarterly: Parameters

No abstract provided.