Commentary

The Russian Army and Irregular Warfare The Russian Army’s long-standing experience of counter-insurgency operations is too often overlooked in existing analyses. Following well documented difficulties during the Afghanistan and the First Chechen conflicts, however, the Russian Army has now re-discovered earlier, but nonetheless highly effective, doctrinal approaches to counter-insurgency fighting.
18 Sep 2009

Afghan elections: responding to the test The recent elections in Afghanistan have been subject to widespread criticism. In the midst of the debate over how to react, the author assesses the implications for Afghanistan and the options for moving forward, based on his experience as an analyst and observer before and during the polls.
10 Sep 2009

What are we demanding from the Afghan elections? In the midst of abundant criticism of the Afghan democratic system and the perceived illegitimacy of the recent election, Ershad Ahmadi considers the symbolic and logistical successes made by the country. Amidst ‘myriad challenges’ facing Afghanistan, the international community must come to terms with its system and start looking forward.
8 Sep 2009

Democratic Party of Japan: responsibilities of government and real world security The Democratic Party of Japan’s victory in the Japanese elections on 30 August poses questions about the country’s future involvement in international security. As the Liberal Democratic Party has previously pushed the country towards remilitarisation and assertiveness, the election of the opponent may have huge implications on current security strategy.
2 Sep 2009

The Gulf States and a fourth Gulf War Internal upheaval has delayed Iran’s response, due this month (September), to the US offer of nuclear talks. The response of the international community to Iran's ongoing nuclear programme will be observed with keen interest by Gulf Arab neighbours whose attitude is governed by the overriding desire to constrain Iran’s regional role. This raises questions as to what options are open to them, including what part they would play in increased US economic or military pressure on Iran.
2 Sep 2009

MoD Acquisition and the Gray Report The Ministry of Defence’s (MoD) equipment acquisition system has come under increasing fire over the last decade. And not without reason: huge effort, continuous change and much MoD hype has not brought improvement in delivery terms that we need.
27 Aug 2009

CGS General Sir David Richards in his own words As General Sir David Richard’s accedes to the post of British Army Chief of the General Staff, RUSI takes this opportunity to highlight his views on the future of warfighting and British Army organisation as revealed in his speech to the June 2009 RUSI Land Warfare Conference.
26 Aug 2009

Election legitimacy: a prognosis of Afghan government Against the background of a failing counter-insurgency campaign based catastrophically around lethal force, the question of legitimacy following the elections is the key to avoiding failure.
19 Aug 2009

Leaders of Pakistan, India and Afghanistan (PTI)

Getting Afghanistan Right: South Asia’s Predicament It is unlikely that the forthcoming presidential election in Afghanistan will have an immediate impact on the ground. However the political direction of Afghanistan and the determination of NATO to maintain stability will be of crucial significance for the long-term security of South Asia and the rivalry between India and Pakistan.
18 Aug 2009

Double or Quits in Afghanistan? A new policy of ‘Double or Quits’ has recently emerged for Afghanistan. Following a surge in troop levels both the US and UK political leadership hope for a rapid improvement in the security situation, but without this calls for a reassessment of priorities will grow louder. There is, however, the opportunity for a ‘third way’, modelled on the British experience in Basra after 2006, where a reduced footprint provided the opportunity for the success of local Iraqi forces.
27 Jul 2009

A sign of things to come? Ethnic tensions spark new challenges for Chinese government The recent riots in the capital of Xinjiang province in China involving the Muslim Uighurs have focused attentions once more on ethnic divisions inside China. In the sixtieth year of the People’s Republic, is this is a worrying sign of things to come or a wake up call for the government? By assessing the actions taken by the CCP leadership, one can get a better picture of China’s ethnic policies and how prepared they are for what the future might hold.
27 Jul 2009

Cautious confidence: terror threat levels lowered The threat level to the UK from international terrorism has been reduced from ‘severe’ to ‘substantial’: the lowest it has been for more than four years. The move suggests there is cautious confidence within the security agencies.
22 Jul 2009

Time to reflect: what we are learning from pandemic flu With numbers of cases of swine flu expected to reach into the thousands in the coming months, the UK Government will be tested on their preparedness and implementation of planning for this eventuality.
20 Jul 2009

West stares into Afghan Abyss With the deaths of fifteen UK troops in Afghanistan over the past few weeks, Britain is forced to re-think its strategy for strengthening the country.
17 Jul 2009

The Charles Taylor Trial The trial of Charles Taylor is a milestone for justice in Africa; but it also has a global significance. Beyond the penny dreadful, stereotypical media headlines of dictators running for cover, this trial could also have a serious impact on domestic politics and foreign policy in London and Washington.
17 Jul 2009

Better equipment can help, but we need more troops in Afghanistan While greater numbers of helicopters and armoured vehicles are needed in Afghanistan, what British soldiers at the front want most are reinforcements to make operational success more certain and the political benefits more long-lasting.
13 Jul 2009

Turkey and Iran: Opposite regimes, similar problems With the dispute of Iran’s election and new allegations of a plan by military officers in Turkey to discredit its own Islamic-rooted leadership, these seemingly-opposite governments both demonstrate a trend of uneasy relationships with their more progressive populations.
10 Jul 2009

US-Russia summit: a meeting of minds, but not of souls A breakthrough on arms control was achieved at the first summit between US president Barack Obama and the Russian leadership. However, the ‘reset button’ has yet to be pressed on the relations between the two countries. What the Russians really want the US is not prepared to grant, and what the US expects, Moscow is not willing to provide either.
9 Jul 2009

Violence returns to China’s New Frontier The recent violence in China’s Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region, sparked by a race riot in distant Guangdong province’s industrial heartland ignited deep ethnic tensions between Uighurs and Han Chinese. The Uighur East Turkestan Islamic Movement now threatens to supplant the Tibetan independence movement as China’s greatest threat to internal stability.
8 Jul 2009

The best laid plans: assessing the impact of pandemic flu The Department of Health has now moved into the treatment stage of its pandemic flu response. What does this mean for the UK and what lessons have been identified during the containment phase?
7 Jul 2009

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