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ISN
ETH Zurich
International Relations and Security Network www.isn.ethz.ch
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This Week at ISN Our Weekly Editorial Roundup
23 27 June 2014 JUMP TO Security Watch | Blog | Video
/// Security Watch
This week, our hard power-centered Security Watch (SW) series focuses on whether the United States should revise its
defense strategy; what lessons policymakers should learn from counter-piracy missions in the Gulf of Aden; whether peace
studies should be included in warfighting curricula; whether insurgency should be the strategy of choice for weaker parties
in conflicts; and if the ISIS advance in Iraq can be halted by manned or unmanned aircraft. Then, in our second, more
wide-ranging SW series, well look at how security-minded nations need to work more closely with NGOs and the private
sector; how liberally-minded states can restore democracys tarnished reputation; what happens when an unrecognized
state such as Abkhazia experiences a revolution; what challenges Sikh separatism currently poses to Indias security; and
why US natural gas exports to Europe will not be happening any time soon. More
Shaping a 21st-Century Defense Strategy: Reconciling Military Roles
23 June 2014
How should the US Department of Defense reconcile its budget priorities with its military strategy? William Braun III and
Charles Allen think that it should start by improving the four military services ability to share more with each other. The
supposedly joint force, in other words, needs to be more joint. More
Converging Threats Yield New Opportunities
23 June 2014
If the global security environment is so interconnected now, what do states need to do in response? According to Brian
Finlay, its high time for government agencies to link up with NGOs and the private sector. The latter have innovative
approaches that are just waiting to be used. More
Lessons Learned From the Gulf of Aden Operations
24 June 2014
How should maritime piracy in the Gulf of Aden be dealt with once NATO and the EU end their missions there? According
to a recent Security and Defence Agenda debate, policymakers need to apply a comprehensive root causes approach to
the problem. More
Reforming Democracy and the Future of History
24 June 2014
Democracy is in a state of crisis and is losing traction in many parts of the world, warns Nayef Al-Rodhan. If it is to regain
its status as the worlds ideal mode of political self-organization, then advanced democracies need to look inward and
address their own inadequacies. More
Is There Room for Peace Studies in a Future-Centered Warfighting Curriculum?
25 June 2014
Thomas Matyk and Cathryne Schmitz have no doubts the study of peace and conflict should be lashed together at all
levels. Its the only way to ensure warfighters have all of the tools they need to operate successfully on the battlefields of
the future. More
What Happens When an Unrecognized Country Experiences a Revolution?
25 June 2014
The recent overthrow of President Alexander Ankvab in Abkhazia has further tarnished the credibility of this unrecognized
state. Worse still, warns Donnacha Beachin, local political elites now risk adding a lack of domestic legitimacy to their
international pariah status. More
Malcolm Gladwell, Insurgent Strategy, and the Primacy of Strategic Flexibility
26 June 2014
In "David and Goliath," Malcolm Gladwell argues that the weaker party in a conflict should always adopt an asymmetric
strategy. Samuel Greene doesnt agree, particularly in the case of insurgencies. The ability to wage the latter is always
case-specific. More
Indias Sikh Separatist Problem
26 June 2014
Its been 30 years since the Indian Army conducted its raid on the Sikh Golden Temple at Amritsar. In todays question
and answer session, the CSS Prem Mahadevan outlines how the Sikh separatist movement has fared since then and
traces the political support it has received from Pakistan. More
Halting the ISIS Advance: The Case for Manned versus Unmanned Aircraft
27 June 2014
It remains to be seen whether the United States will opt for manned or unmanned airstrikes against ISIS fighters in Iraq.
Today, J acquelyn Schneider and J ulia Macdonald weigh up the pros and cons of both options and remind us that any type
of military response will confront significant problems. More
U.S. LNG Exports to Europe: Why It Wont Happen Anytime Soon?
27 June 2014
Bureaucratic impediments, the lack of a free-trade agreement and Washingtons pivot to Asia are among the reasons why
American LNG exports to the EU will not be occurring any time soon. But thats not to say that considerable obstructions
to US exports dont exist on the EU side too, writes Agnieszka Stolarczyk. More
/// Blog
Reflecting on the Baltics
23 June 2014
The Baltic States know that Russia will remain the dominant player in their neighborhood for years to come. But does that
mean they should keep Moscow in check by further strengthening their ties with the West? Our partners at Stratfor have
mixed feelings about this option. More
The State of the State
24 June 2014
Are a number of nation-states either disintegrating or starting to disintegrate before our eyes? The answer, according to
Adam Elkus, depends upon how you define a state and the extent to which new states can expand their writ over time.
More
LHD and STOVL An Engineers View
25 June 2014
Can STOVL fighter aircraft such as the F-35B be militarily decisive if they operate from Landing Helicopter Dock ships and
other small platforms? Steve George thinks so. After all, the United States and United Kingdom have delivered significant

effect from similar platforms in the past. More
Europe and China: A New Tack?
26 June 2014
Trade between Europe and China has long been justified by a liberal article of faith i.e., economic engagement would
eventually prompt Beijing to free up its politics. According to J ohn Hemmings, that's not what has happened China has
actually made Europeans more accepting of authoritarianism. More
The Tale of a Realism in International Relations
27 June 2014
In the case of international relations (IR), why were the giants of realist thought so badly oversimplified in the 20th
century? Hartmut Behr and Xander Kirke attribute the problem to the scientification of IR theory and the ideological
interests that once shaped the discipline. More
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Advancing Military-to-Military Cooperation
In this video, the defense ministers of J apan, the United Kingdom and Malaysia describe how their militaries are
advancing practical defense cooperation in the Asia-Pacific region. More
Conversations with History: Gideon Rose: "How Wars End"
In this Conversations with History video, Gideon Rose discusses his book, How Wars End. Among other topics,
he focuses on the role and impact of public discourse on international affairs; the politics surrounding war
termination; and the lessons one can learn from the cessation of previous American wars, ranging from World War
I to the second Iraq War. More
Nuclear Strategy in The Modern Era: India, Pakistan, China, And The Future Of Deterrence Stability
In this video, MIT's Vipin Narang discusses his book, Nuclear Strategy in the Modern Era: Regional Powers and
International Conflict. It focuses on 1) the evolving nuclear strategies of India, Pakistan, and China, and 2) the long-term
impact the strategies might have on deterrence stability in Asia. More
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