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RUSI Newsbrief
Concise briefings on contemporary issues and trends in international security
May 2019, Vol: 39 No: 4
Second Strike Communications
RUSI Newsbrief, 17 May 2019, No: 4Elisabeth Braw
To counter disinformation campaigns, liberal democracies should focus on second-strike capabilities.
Tags: Modern Deterrence, Military Sciences, Domestic Security, National Security, Technology
Apollo Plus Fifty: Lunar Ambitions and the New ‘Space Race’
RUSI Newsbrief, 3 May 2019, No: 4Alexandra Stickings
50 years on from the first lunar landing, the Moon is once again taking centre stage in international space ambitions. Yet, within a more democratised and complex space environment, and with Mars and other celestial bodies seen as additional exploratory targets, talk of a new ‘space race’ may be misplaced.
Tags: Aerospace, Military Sciences
The Impact of North Macedonia's Accession to NATO
RUSI Newsbrief, 25 April 2019, No: 3Dimitar Bechev
The road to NATO accession for the small Western Balkan country of North Macedonia has finally been opened following the settlement of a dispute with Greece concerning the country’s name. But what will North Macedonia be able to offer the Alliance, and why does NATO want to let in the newly renamed country?
Tags: NATO, Global Security Issues
Israel’s World is Shrinking: How the Iran–Russia Axis is Gaining Ground
RUSI Newsbrief, 18 April 2019, No: 3Kyle Orton
Israeli opinion generally regards the country’s efforts to contain Iran, especially in Syria, as having been successful. In fact, the trendline runs the other way: Iran is constraining Israel, entrenching all around the Jewish state.
Tags: Iran, Russia, Syria, Israel, Global Security Issues
History Resurgent: Old and New Challenges in the Western Balkans
RUSI Newsbrief, 12 April 2019, No: 3Alex Maciag
With competition for influence increasing, old tensions are being revived in the fragile Western Balkans. The West must avoid complacency and show leadership in resolving critical issues before they become dangerous.
Tags: NATO, European Union, Global Security Issues, Europe
The Rise, Fall and Future of Jihad in the North Caucasus
RUSI Newsbrief, 4 April 2019, No: 3Aleksandre Kvakhadze
Since the beginning of armed conflict in Syria and Iraq, thousands of militants from the Caucasus region have participated in the war. However, dislodging Daesh and a collapse of the insurgency in the North Caucasus have substantially diminished the capacities of North Caucasian jihadi groups. Nevertheless, militancy in the region has potential.
Tags: Tackling Extremism, Russia, Counterinsurgency, Terrorism, Global Security Issues, Terrorism
‘Short of War’: No Peace in the South China Sea
RUSI Newsbrief, 1 April 2019, No: 2Huong Le Thu
China’s ongoing construction efforts have created a situation where (in the words of the Commander of the US Indo-Pacific Command, Admiral Philip Davidson) Beijing is ‘capable of controlling the South China Sea in all scenarios short of war with the United States’. The absence of outright war reflects not only China’s ability to move the threshold for instigating open conflict, but also the fact...
Tags: China, Global Security Issues, Pacific
How East Africa’s Terrorists Build Their Brand Strength
RUSI Newsbrief, 15 March 2019, No: 2Matthew Freear
To further its ambitious agenda, the Somali terrorist organisation Al-Shabaab has dedicated substantial time and effort into polishing its unique brand.
Tags: Horn of Africa, Tackling Extremism, African Union, Counterinsurgency, STRIVE - Horn of Africa, Terrorism
The Hanoi Summit: It is Not About the Economy, Stupid
RUSI Newsbrief, 13 March 2019, No: 2Tom Plant
The Hanoi summit between North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and US President Donald Trump came to no clear agreement on measures to limit North Korea’s nuclear programme. The two countries’ opposing positions and motives will make next steps challenging.
Tags: United States, North Korea, Proliferation and Nuclear Policy, Proliferation and Nuclear Policy
The Bajwa Fence: The Pakistani Military Seals the Afghan Border
RUSI Newsbrief, 8 March 2019, No: 2Kamal Alam
Will the construction of a 1200km fence along the Afghanistan–Pakistan border spark new confidence in Pakistan’s commitment to combatting cross-border terrorism?
Tags: Pakistan, Afghanistan, Counterinsurgency, Global Security Issues
Feet of Clay: Can Megaprojects Distract the Russian People from Sanctions?
RUSI Newsbrief, 1 March 2019, No: 2Emily Ferris
Five years on from their initial introduction, international sanctions on Russia have done little to alter the country’s behaviour on the international scene or domestically. As the sanctions continue to restrict foreign investment in Russia’s infrastructure, authorities are keen to promote the idea of megaprojects – large but often symbolic constructions – as a distraction from Russia’s economic...
Tags: International Security Studies, Russia, Sanctions
Why the UK Should Work to Prevent Nuclear Conflict Between India and Pakistan
RUSI Newsbrief, 21 February 2019, No: 1Tim Willasey-Wilsey
The risk of nuclear war between India and Pakistan presents dangerous global implications and should be considered as a serious threat, particularly since Pakistan’s acquisition of the short-range Nasr missile. Quite apart from the enormous human cost, there would also be significant environmental and migratory consequences.
Tags: Pakistan, India, International Security Studies, UK, Indo-Pakistan Conflict, Proliferation and Nuclear Policy, Terrorism
Shooting the Messenger: Do Not Blame the Internet for Terrorism
RUSI Newsbrief, 15 February 2019, No: 1Andrew Glazzard
The internet clearly matters to terrorists, but online content by itself rarely causes people to carry out terrorist attacks. Responses should therefore not be limited to the mass removal of terrorist content from online platforms.
Tags: The Global Research Network on Terrorism and Technology, UK Counter-terrorism, Tackling Extremism, National Security Studies, Information, Technology, Terrorism
Mackinder, Spykman and the Geopolitical Significance of Ballistic Missile Defence
RUSI Newsbrief, 8 February 2019, No: 1Peter Roberts and Sidharth Kaushal
As missile defence becomes a central feature of many states’ security postures, it is attendant to frame the enterprise in a wider strategic context to understand its importance. The classic geopolitical dichotomy between Heartland and Rimland states outlined by Halford Mackinder and Nicholas Spykman might help us understand the geopolitical significance of global allied missile defences.
Tags: Global Strategy and Commitments, Military Sciences, Maritime Forces
Once a Terrorist, Always a Terrorist? How to Respond to the Women of Daesh
RUSI Newsbrief, 25 January 2019, No: 1Katherine E Brown
The mass repatriation of women who had joined Daesh in Iraq and Syria poses difficult logistical, as well as moral, considerations for the UK. Rather than relying on gendered assumptions about their motives and participation, the response must be in line with the UK’s human rights commitments and focus on sustainable outcomes.
Tags: UK Counter-terrorism, Tackling Extremism, Terrorism, UK, Domestic Security, Radicalisation and Countering Violent Extremism, National SecurityPages
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Contacts
The End of the Two-State Solution to the Israel–Palestine Conflict? Turkey and the Kushner Plan
Reflections from the Non-Proliferation Treaty Preparatory Committee Meeting
A Threat to Jus in Bello: Legal Implications of Iran’s Designation of the US Central Command as a Terrorist Organisation