RUSI Newsbrief

Monthly briefings on current issues in international defence and security and the military sciences.

Issue: Nov 2008, Vol. 28, No. 11

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Index

The Obama Revolution Barack Obama’s campaign shook up American politics; this article questions whether his presidency will have a similar effect on international affairs. It lays out the likely immediate changes which will be seen in US foreign policy and outlines the possible stance his administration will take on other pressing concerns.
Lisa Aronsson

Treading Water? Bosnia, the Western Balkans and the EU Progress in Bosnia and Herzegovina continues to be stymied by deeply factional politics. Yet, this article argues that things may not be as bad as they seem, and that strengthened and renewed EU engagement is necessary to move the country towards the goal of a functioning non-ethnic democracy.
Adrian Johnson

Somalia's Pirates Recent pirate attacks off the Somali coast have attracted much media attention, yet beneath the glitzy story and grainy footage lie some very serious issues: Somalia-based piracy is a major threat to humanitarian aid in the Horn; it threatens stabilisation efforts in the Horn; it is a blight on maritime commerce and insurance. This article outlines these and other issues.
Knox Chitiyo

The EU takes on the Pirates of Puntland The EU is to launch a naval operation to counter piracy off the coast of Somalia. Challenges for Operation Atalanta abound, from the very basic – it is often difficult to distinguish pirates from fishermen, to the very complex – the EU is not a recognised entity under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea and thus the operation will need to comply with the domestic anti-piracy laws of all participating states.
Bjoern Seibert

New Faces in Defence and Security: But Still the Same Problems This article concentrates on the recent Government reshuffle, which saw some interesting and possibly significant changes in the ministerial personnel in defence.
Humphry Crum Ewing

Support for UK Veterans The recent ruling on Gurkha veterans brought the issue of support for UK veterans to the fore. This article highlights that veterans in Britain are not afforded the same support as those in the US and Australia. This article explores the reasons for this difference.
Richard Winstanley