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RUSI Newsbrief
Concise briefings on contemporary issues and trends in international security
November 2020, Vol: 40 No: 10
Delegate, Disrupt and Protract: Biden’s Path Dependency in the Middle East
RUSI Newsbrief, 27 November 2020, No: 10Andreas Krieg
Joe Biden is likely to follow a trajectory of path dependency in the Middle East, by leading from behind, delegating rather than implementing, being disruptive rather than constructive, and thus protracting conflict resolutions.
Tags: United States, Middle East and North Africa
Pakistan: What a New Kashmir Policy Might Look Like
RUSI Newsbrief, 20 November 2020, No: 10Tim Willasey-Wilsey
Pakistan pays a heavy price for its claim to Kashmir: higher military spending, domestic instability, and exclusion from Indian markets and the transit trade with Central Asia. A more coherent Kashmir policy could be constructed at much reduced cost based on achievable objectives, a sober view of the national interest and the long-term needs of the Kashmiri people.
Tags: Pakistan, India
Investigating the Information Commissioner’s Office: Is It Fit for Purpose?
RUSI Newsbrief, 13 November 2020, No: 10Anjuli Shere and Miranda Melcher
The power and independence of the Information Commissioner’s Office appear to have been overstated. Downing Street has built-in oversight of funds and coronavirus data is not being protected.
Tags: Coronavirus, UK, Information
Assessing the Options for Modernising the UK’s Heavy Armour
RUSI Newsbrief, 6 November 2020, No: 10Jack Watling and Nick Reynolds
The UK has two options for modernising its armour: developing a Challenger 3 or procuring Leopard 2. The latter is an assured capability that will likely prove cheaper over the life of the programme. The former is risky but offers the UK an opportunity to develop valuable intellectual property.
Tags: Military Sciences, Equipment and Acquisitions, UK
From the Deep State to the Main Stage: The IRGC and Iran’s 2021 Presidential Elections
RUSI Newsbrief, 30 October 2020, No: 9Kasra Aarabi
Hossein Dehghan, an Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps heavyweight with strong ties to Hizbullah, has announced his candidacy for Iran’s 2021 elections. What would his presidency mean for Iran’s policies at home and abroad?
Tags: Iran
The UK and Illicit Finance: Still Part of the Problem, Not Part of the Solution
RUSI Newsbrief, 23 October 2020, No: 9Tom Keatinge
The UK has lost its global leadership of the fight against illicit finance. The Johnson government must get the UK back on track.
Tags: Centre for Financial Crime and Security Studies, UK
Space as an Operational Domain: What Next for NATO?
RUSI Newsbrief, 15 October 2020, No: 9Alexandra Stickings
NATO has declared space to be an operational domain. Questions must be addressed to understand what this means for future strategy and capabilities.
Tags: Military Sciences, NATO
Are the Baltics Really Undefendable?
RUSI Newsbrief, 9 October 2020, No: 9Sandor Fabian
This article proposes that ‘professional irregular’ forces would provide the Baltics with the best defence against Russian aggression.
Tags: NATO, Russia, Defence Policy, Europe
United Russia’s Image Problem: Revamping the ‘Nasty Party’ Before 2021
RUSI Newsbrief, 2 October 2020, No: 9Emily Ferris
Russia’s September regional elections were a litmus test of United Russia’s support. While most seats were secure, it seems likely the party is headed for a ‘rebrand’, ahead of the State Duma elections in 2021.
Tags: International Security Studies, Russia
What Will an Indo-Pacific Supply Chain Resilience Initiative Mean for China?
RUSI Newsbrief, 25 September 2020, No: 8Jagannath Panda
The emergence of alternative global supply chains could hurt China’s economic influence. Beijing must dial down its ‘charm offensive’ economic policies to remain an attractive trade partner.
Tags: China, Japan, India, Global Security Issues, Pacific
More Than Just Business: The Political Context of the UK–China Commercial Relationship
RUSI Newsbrief, 11 September 2020, No: 8Andrew Cainey and Veerle Nouwens
As the UK formulates its post-Brexit relationship with China, one key policy question is how to develop the bilateral commercial relationship most effectively. This requires not just an understanding of the business opportunities, but also of the political and foreign policy backdrop to UK–China relations.
Tags: China, International Security Studies, UK
Thawing Out Asset Freezes: Reforming Exemptions to UN Terrorism Sanctions
RUSI Newsbrief, 4 September 2020, No: 8Stephen Reimer
Media claims got it wrong when they reported that the 1267 sanctions committee of the UN Security Council had authorised the unfreezing of bank accounts belonging to several high-profile Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorists. But the story reveals how humanitarian exemptions to UN asset freezes lack transparency and effectiveness in countering terrorism financing.
Tags: Centre for Financial Crime and Security Studies, Pakistan, United Nations, AML/CTF
Legislating to Counter Foreign Influence in the UK: Lessons From Across the Pond
RUSI Newsbrief, 28 August 2020, No: 7Ben Freeman and Tarun Krishnakumar
As it seeks to develop a transparency-based registration framework to counter foreign influence activities, the UK can learn from the rich experience of the US and the Foreign Agents Registration Act.
Tags: United States, UK, Domestic Security, Law and Ethics
A Gathering Storm? The Chinese ‘Attrition’ Strategy for the Senkaku/Diaoyu Islands
RUSI Newsbrief, 21 August 2020, No: 7Alessio Patalano
Chinese activities in the waters around the Senkaku/Diaoyu islands have undergone a significant change over the past few months. This is a potentially dangerous development for Sino–Japanese relations.
Tags: China, Japan, Maritime Forces
How the UK Can Lead in 5G and 6G Security and Standards
RUSI Newsbrief, 14 August 2020, No: 7Russell Huang and Grant W Turner
The UK has created one of the best tools for mitigating Huawei’s risks. Whether or not the UK Huawei ban stands, its Huawei Cyber Security Evaluation Centre should receive increased funding and support to protect and enhance its interests at home and abroad.
Tags: Cyber, UK, Information, National Security, TechnologyPages
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Contacts
Episode Five: New Technologies, Old Methods in Terrorism Financing
Episode Six: FATF’s Strategic Review
Saudi Arabia and International Summitry: Hard Try, and Harder Times Ahead