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ISN
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International Relations and Security Network www.isn.ethz.ch
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This Week at ISN Our Weekly Editorial Roundup
9 13 June 2014 JUMP TO Security Watch | Blog | Video
/// Security Watch
This week, our hard power-centered Security Watch (SW) series focuses on the evolution of the US Army as a
professional all volunteer force; the prospects of North Korea returning to the currently moribund Six Party Talks; the
continuing problems faced by the Somali National Army (SNA); the impact robust mandates are having on UN
peacekeeping missions; and the way Iran and the United States might develop a shared understanding of the NPT. Then,
in our second and more wide-ranging SW series, well look at international relations theory from a Global South
perspective; Mexicos securitization of its transmigration problems; the economically-driven politics of Bitcoin; the
geopolitics of carbon emissions; and the OSCEs inability to carve out a unique role in European security. More
From Black Boots to Desert Boots: The All-Volunteer Army Experiment Continue
9 June 2014
The United States Army became a professional all volunteer force in 1973. How has it fared since then? According to
Leonard Wong, its trail-blazing and instructive evolution can be broken down into five distinct phases. More
Siddharth Mallavarapu on International Asymmetries, Ethnocentrism, and a View on IR from India
9 June 2014
Like other scholars from the Global South, Siddharth Mallavarapu believes that international relations theory has been too
major power-centric for too long. In this wide-ranging Theory Talk, he explains why inserting other voices into the
discipline would enhance our understanding of the contemporary world. More
Going Back to the Six-Party Talks, Is There Any Hope?
10 June 2014
By rejoining the Six Party Talks, writes Maria Rivas, North Korea could take a step towards rebuilding its decrepit
economy and international standing. The only problem is that Pyongyang remains unwilling to step away from its much-
cherished nuclear program. More
Mexico's Conflicting Migration Policy Goals: National Security and Human Rights
10 June 2014
Sonja Wolf believes that Mexico is wrong to view the mass migration from Central America to the United States as a
national security problem. Instead, the Mexican authorities should view the phenomenon through developmental and
human rights lenses, especially if they hope to deal with it properly. More
Shortages, Clan Rivalries Weaken Somalia's New Army
11 June 2014
Even if it remains poorly-resourced, writes the IRIN, the Somali National Army (SNA) is expected to become the mainstay
of the countrys national security. Standing in its way, however, are the clan loyalties that subvert the sense of nationhood
the SNA must ultimately have. More
Visions of a Techno-Leviathan: The Politics of the Bitcoin Blockchain
11 June 2014
Will Bitcoin lead to a digital cryptocurrency economy that is free from the influence of banks and, most importantly,
aggressive governments? Brett Scott doesnt think so. Yes, it may offer some protection from state power, but it hardly
guarantees added empowerment or even escape. More
Are New Robust Mandates Putting UN Peacekeepers More at Risk?
12 June 2014
Are more robust mandates responsible for the increase in UN peacekeeper deaths, particularly when they stress
protecting civilians? Alex Bellamy isnt so sure. As he sees it, the UNs data on such fatalities just isnt accurate enough,
and therefore doesnt represent a new normal in peacekeeping operations. More
Towards a Geopolitics of Unburnable Carbon
12 June 2014
What would be the geopolitical consequences of a worldwide tax that drove carbon-based sources out of the global
energy mix? For Michael Bradshaw, it would mean that high-cost, unconventional and remotely located reserves would no
longer be profitable to develop. Think of the Arctic, for example. More
Iran Nuclear Negotiations: Towards a Shared Understanding of the End State
13 June 2014
Tehran and Washington are tantalizingly close to reaching an agreement on the final status of Irans nuclear program,
writes Samir Tata. The remaining step is for both sides to develop a shared understanding of the Nuclear Nonproliferation
Treaty and its provisions. Thats where revisiting the Cold War might help. More
Europe's Forgotten Security Organization
13 June 2014
Why has the OSCEs response to the Ukrainian crisis been so roundly criticized? According to Christopher Morrow and
Matthew Mitchell, its because the organization has failed to carve out a unique European security role for itself since the
end of the Cold War. More
/// Blog
Geopolitics of Dignity
9 June 2014
Nayef Al-Rodhan believes the concept of human dignity must be at the very center of foreign and security policies. Today,
he outlines the five principles that are essential to ensuring its centrality, and how achieving it will then lead to a more
secure and sustainable international order. More
End of ISAF, End of NATO?
10 June 2014
What problems will NATO face in a post-ISAF era? Today, J ohn Deni hones in on a long-standing one limited
interoperability. He then lays out the immediate and long-term steps the Alliance will need to take if it hopes to prevent this
operational and technical problem from growing worse. More
Reform First
11 June 2014
With Egypt teetering on the edge of financial insolvency, should the United States send good money after bad? Not
according to Daniel Serwer. Cairo should not receive additional cash until it enacts needed political and economic reforms.

More
The Obama Doctrine
12 June 2014
Under Barack Obama, the United States has developed a foreign policy based on multilateral engagements and
partnerships. Its not a doctrine thats beloved by everyone in Washington, writes J anine Davidson, but its entirely
appropriate for the complex, multipolar international order that exists today. More
Will the Dragon Follow the Bear?
13 June 2014
Will China follow Vladimir Putins example and try to fulfill its territorial ambitions in plausibly deniable ways? Neil
Thompsons answer is not yet. Thats because Beijing is in a far more strategically confident position that Moscow.
More
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Saudi Surge? A New Defense Doctrine for the Kingdom
In this video, Nawaf Obaid, who is a visiting fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School's Belfer Center, discusses Saudi
Arabia's current geopolitical status, its evolving defense policy, and the added capabilities it needs to defend itself. More
Machiavelli with Philip C Bobbitt
In this video, Columbia University's Philip Bobbitt discusses his book, "The Garments of Court and Palace," which
provides an in-depth analysis of Machiavelli's "The Prince" and the "Discourses on Livy." In Bobbitt's view, the texts both
anticipate and reflect the transition of feudal city states into embryonic nation states. More
The Current State of US-Taiwan Security Relations
In this video, three analysts explore the overall state of US-Taiwan security relations, with a particular emphasis
on Washington's ability to live up to its bilateral and regional commitments. More
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