///

ISN
ETH Zurich
International Relations and Security Network www.isn.ethz.ch
///
This Week at ISN Our Weekly Editorial Roundup
25 28 August 2014 JUMP TO Security Watch | Blog | Video
/// Security Watch
This week, our hard power-centered Security Watch (SW) series asks if ISIS is more than just a terror-wielding jihadist
group; how NATO might use its limited financial resources more effectively; why Russia opened up its Aviadarts military
exercises to foreign fighter pilots; whether Swiss-based jihadists are active in Syria; and if the turmoil besetting the world
today is unprecedented, if not unique. Then, in our second, more wide-ranging SW series, we look at the resurgence of
Circassian nationalism and what it might mean for Russia; how the United States might safeguard its strategic interests in
the Middle East; why Anonymous is back in the public spotlight; why Northeast Asia is locked into a seeming spiral of
antagonism and insecurity; and how Hezbollahs involvement in the Syrian conflict could make it increasingly vulnerable in
Lebanon. More
What Is ISIS?
25 August 2014
If the West is going to deal with ISIS properly, argues J ack Goldstone, then it mustnt see it as just a terror-wielding jihadist
group. Its also a revolutionary movement that is determined to create a just regional order, which partially means
empowering its followers and making them more secure. More
The Circassian Question
25 August 2014
The Sochi Winter Olympics is just one of the reasons behind renewed Circassian activism in Russia and beyond. As Uwe
Hallbach sees it, the resurgence is also the latest manifestation of a long-distance nationalism that may, in time,
challenge the Putin administrations grip on power. More
NATO's Two-Percent Illusion
26 August 2014
The vast majority of NATOs members are either unable or unwilling to spend 2% of their GDP on defense, and thereby
help plug the Alliances numerous capability gaps. Thats why Christian Mlling thinks its time for Germany to develop its
own vision of how NATO should use its financial resources more efficiently. More
The United States and the Chaotic Middle East
26 August 2014
How can the United States safeguard its strategic interests in the Middle East? Gawdat Bahgat believes it needs to 1) give
Arab countries the space they need to resolve their internal problems, and 2) pursue closer ties with the regions three
non-Arab peripheries Israel, Turkey and Iran. More
Russia Brings Together Some of the Worlds Best Fighter Pilots
27 August 2014
Why did Russia open up its Aviadarts air exercises to military pilots from France, Belarus, Kazakhstan and China?
Besides exhibiting the prowess of its aviators, Thomas Newdick thinks that Moscow wanted to give its foreign relations a
much needed public relations boost. More
Ideas Are Bulletproof; Why We Should Still Be Expecting Anonymous
27 August 2014
For Ben Collins, recent events in the Middle East demonstrate that the Anonymous movement never went away. Thats
partially because of the Internet it enables disparate protest and resistance movements to regroup, reorganize and
communicate with each other in real time, and on a global scale. More
Swiss Foreign Fighters Active in Syria
28 August 2014
To what extent are Swiss-based jihadists active in Syria? Proportionately speaking, Daniel Glaus and Lorenzo Vidinos
analysis finds that a large number of citizens or residents have joined the fight. Its also a problem that the authorities
might be powerless to stop. More
The Cycle of Nationalism in North East Asia
28 August 2014
Tom French believes that China, Japan and South Korea are locked into a spiral of mutual suspicion, insecurity and even
hate. So what should they do about it? He believes its time to jettison the hyper-nationalism and pursue mechanisms that
lift the three countries beyond their troubled pasts. More
Is the World Falling Apart?
29 August 2014
Is the level of turmoil engulfing the world today both unprecedented and unique? In todays question and answer session,
Thomas Carothers and others look at the globes geopolitical hotspots in order to determine if it is indeed falling apart.
More
What can Iraqs Fight over the Mosul Dam Tell Us about Water Security?
29 August 2014
Does the ongoing struggle between ISIS, the Iraqi government and Kurdish fighters qualify as a water war? Not exactly,
argue Cameron Harrington and Schuyler Null. Water remains a key security variable in the region, but calling clashes over
resources such as the Mosul Dam a water war is misleading. More
/// Blog
From Cops to Counterinsurgents the Militarization of Americas Police
25 August 2014
If police forces are indeed the barometers of the society in which they operate, then post-9/11 America is in a bad way,
argues Matthew Harwood. It continues to respond to its security anxieties in overtly militaristic ways. More
Cameroon and the Growing Threat of Boko Haram Contagion
26 August 2014
When it comes to operating in Cameroon, is Boko Haram just interested in kidnapping foreign nationals along the
countrys border with Nigeria? Not anymore, says Ryan Cummings. The Islamist groups recent attack on individuals
directly linked to the government in Yaound points to a new operational vision. More
Mediation Perspectives: Innovative Approaches in the Colombian Peace Process
27 August 2014
Has the Colombian peace process finally come around to addressing the root causes behind 60 years of strife? Virginia
Bouvier thinks so. Shes also impressed by the expansive role civil society has played in the negotiations. Yes, the victims
of the conflict have finally been given a voice. More
The Missing Link in Understanding Global Trends? Demography
28 August 2014
Monica Duffy Toft is convinced that political demography remains a neglected area of scholarly research. Shes also
certain that its time to fill the gap that is, of course, unless we want to continue living with the misconceptions, poorly
understood concepts and flawed policymaking that already distort our politics. More
Review Women and Militant Wars: The Politics of Injury
29 August 2014
Are female militants nothing more than gullible suicide bombers? Not in the cases of Kashmir and Sri Lanka, argues Swati
Parashar. Her new book confirms that female fighters are driven by the same idealism, emotional commitment and rational
calculations as their male counterparts. More
/// Video
Taiwans Maritime Security
In this video, three experts explore 1) the links between Taiwan's maritime security and existing territorial disputes in the
East and South China Seas; 2) recent Chinese naval developments; and 3) the US Navy's current strategy in the Asia-
Pacific region. More
The Politics of Outer Space
In this video, Dr J ill Stuart, who is Editor in Chief of Space Policy J ournal, discusses some of the major political issues
linked to government and commercially-based space programs. More
Crisis with Russia
In this video, former US Secretary of Defense Robert Gates and former US Secretaries of State Condoleezza Rice and
Madeleine Albright discuss what policies America should pursue towards Russia, particularly in light of Moscow's
annexation of Crimea and its ongoing involvement in Eastern Ukraine. More
Interact with us: Contact us:
International Relations and Security Network
ETH Zurich
Leonhardshalde 21, LEH
8092 Zurich
Switzerland
Tel: +41 44 632 07 57 / 40 25
Disclaimer:
The ISN is a service of the Center for Security
Studies (CSS) at the ETH Zurich (Swiss Federal
Institute of Technology Zurich). Read the ISN
Disclaimer here.
Unsubscribe:
If you would like to change or cancel your
newsletter subscription profile with us, please do
so here.