Commentary

UKTA BadgeRe-Balancing Security and Justice - The Reform of UK Counter-Terrorism Legislation UKTA Number 3. This paper argues that the key political question for the Coalition Government to address is how far intelligence agencies should keep secrets to themselves and at what point greater transparency should indeed be demanded.
21 May 2012
Nuclear explosionA Bumpy Road Ahead for the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty To an outside observer, the recent high-level Preparatory Committee meeting of the Non-Proliferation Treaty appeared to be a restrained affair despite tensions over Iran, North Korea, and lack of disarmament progress. But there is plenty of evidence to suggest that the road ahead for the Treaty is far from smooth.
18 May 2012
Persian Gulf foreign ministers July 2009The Gulf Union that Never Was Some kind of a union between Saudi Arabia and Bahrain was believed to herald the beginning of a wider Gulf Union plan. But this idea failed before it even began. While there is a united front against Iran, smaller Gulf states do not want to lose their sovereignty and identity to a dominant Saudi Arabia.
18 May 2012
Cameron Aung Sung Suu KyiBurma Comes in From the Cold Burma's tentative steps towards democracy and human rights reforms are being rewarded with re-engagement by the West, exemplified most recently by the visit of David Cameron. It vindicates the East's structured engagement, providing a massive boost to the ASEAN group of countries.
17 May 2012
Syria ProtestTerrorism and the evolution of Syria's uprising Though the perpetrators have not yet been identified, the latest terrorist attack in Syria suggests that the non-violent and insurgent strands of the uprising could both be overtaken by a campaign of indiscriminate violence.
11 May 2012
CVFImpact of the F-35B Decision: Time Now to Have Two Ships, Not One The UK Government's decision to opt for the F-35 B, vertical landing Joint Strike Fighter means that aircraft carriers will not be fitted with 'cats-and-traps' and will lose the strategic flexibility originally envisaged. To some degree, that loss can be offset by bringing two aircraft carriers into service.
11 May 2012
Analysis Podcast thumbRecovering Stolen Assets This week, the RUSI Analysis Podcast examines corruption, and how money lost to it can be reclaimed. The issue's the subject of a paper called Plundering the Treasure Chest, published recently by RUSI. It highlights the relevance of corruption to global security, and the success of Western interventions.
8 May 2012
François Hollande thumbDefence and Foreign Policy Under President-elect François Hollande We know little about François Hollande's stance on wider foreign and defence policy issues. Though we are unlikely to see major changes from his predecessor, some clues from his successful campaign suggest that President-elect Hollande will adopt a more European and Gaullist approach.
6 May 2012
Haiti ReliefHaitian Earthquake: Civil-Military Cooperation Two Years On As the transition continues from Humanitarian Relief to Development, is Haiti an example of successful Civil-Military cooperation for the United Nations Stabilisation Mission (MINUSTAH) in Haiti?
3 May 2012
British forces in IraqThe Need for Defence Diplomacy The success of military operations in Afghanistan and beyond requires better communications with publics at home and on the frontline. To do this, we need to further erode the barriers between the diplomatic, military and civilian worlds.
3 May 2012
NYT Bin Laden HeadlineBin Laden's Death, One Year On: Has the Threat Receded? Osama Bin Laden's death has only marginally diminished the threat from Al-Qa'ida: underscoring the symbolic relevance, rather than the strategic significance of his demise. The challenge emanates from dispersed, unconnected networks and a pernicious ideology which - though marginalised in the Arab Spring - still has potency in certain dispossessed quarters.
2 May 2012
F-A-18 Super Hornet'Cats and Traps': Launching the Carrier Debate in the Right Direction? Media debate on the UK's carrier programme is focusing on the jets, rather than the ships they land on. Central to this discussion is 'cats and traps', the launch and recovery system, which drives the choice of aircraft. Critics who say that this will cost too much overlook the long-term strategic value it will add.
27 Apr 2012
F-35 and Carrier artist impressionOf Jets and Carriers... Again As the UK government grapples with whether or not to carry out a U-turn over which variant of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF), chiefly because of issues surrounding carrier conversion costs, there are broader issues beyond technical and financial ones, and some echoes from the past.
27 Apr 2012
Analysis Podcast thumbRUSI Analysis Podcast: Cyber-Weapons Elizabeth Pearson speaks to Thomas Rid, a Reader in War Studies at King's College, London, and he and colleague Peter McBurney who recently wrote about cyberweapons for the RUSI Journal, setting out some pioneering new ideas about their use.
23 Apr 2012
Indian Flag 2New Delhi's New Missile: A Watershed for India's Nuclear Arsenal No Indian missile has been assigned as much political significance as the newly tested Agni-V. The ripening of India's second-strike capability will provide reassurance to India about the strategic balance, and indicate the direction of its nuclear forces.
20 Apr 2012
UKTA1UKTA No.2: Global Jihad Sustained Through Africa The latest UK Terrorism Analysis suggests that Africa represents a potential new front for counter-terrorism in Britain and the linkages already evident across the continent suggest the development of some disturbing new trends.
4 Apr 2012
F-15iWhat Would an Air Attack on Iran Look Like? A ground invasion is impossible. But Israel lacks the long-range assets unilaterally to neutralise a dispersed Iranian nuclear capability, whereas a large US co-ordinated air campaign against Iranian nuclear weapon facilities is eminently feasible. Nevertheless the effectiveness and fallout from such a campaign remains in doubt.
30 Mar 2012
Small Israel flagHow Israelis Differ on Dealing with Iran With prospects of igniting a regional war, some leading lights in the Israeli security establishment suggest a more careful approach. Yet, Israel perceives Iran as a rational actor that is likely to change its course only if faced by clear threat of use of force and effective international pressure. Recent US leaks about possible Israeli operational planning only heighten Israeli concerns.
30 Mar 2012
Ahmedinejad NuclearAre We Able to Deter Iran? In pursuing a nuclear weapons capability, Iran is acting rationally and in accordance with its past actions and strategic interests. Nevertheless, this does not mean at a nuclear-armed, or nuclear-capable Iran can be deterred or contained, at least not with traditional deterrence policies. A nuclear Iran means a multi-polar Middle East. And that, in turn, means a multi-polar, or multi-tiered deterrence strategy, of a kind which the world has never experienced before, and one which may well fail to contain the Iranian challenge.
29 Mar 2012
Obama and IsraelThe Audience War: US Rhetoric and the Iranian Nuclear Programme Obama's declaratory policy on Iran involves a fine balancing act that is designed for multiple audiences: a recalcitrant Iranian regime, a domestic population about to go to the polls, and a jittery Middle Eastern region led by Israel. Though this strategy has thus far been successful, it carries notable risks for the Administration in the midst of a continuing standoff with Iran.
29 Mar 2012
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