Security and the War on Terror

The terrorist attacks of 11 September 2001 marked a turning point in international politics, representing a new type of threat that could not easily be anticipated or prevented through state-based structures of security alone. Opening up interdisciplinary conversations between strategic, economic, ethical and legal approaches to global terrorism, this edited book recognises a fundamental issue: while major crises initially tend to reinforce old thinking and behavioural patterns, they also allow societies to challenge and overcome entrenched habits, thereby creating the foundations for a new and perhaps more peaceful future. This volume addresses the issues that are at stake in this dual process of political closure, and therefore rethinks how states can respond to terrorist threats. The contributors range from leading conceptual theorists to policy-oriented analysts, from senior academics to junior researchers. The book explores how terrorism has had a profound impact on how security is being understood and implemented, and uses a range of hitherto neglected sources of insight, such as those between political, economic, legal and ethical factors, to examine the nature and meaning of security in a rapidly changing world.

Theory of World Security

Booth, Ken, Theory of World Security (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2008), pp.xviii+489 RAE2008

Culture and Security: Symbolic Power and the Politics of International Security : The Reconstruction of Security in the Post-Cold War Era

Williams, Mike, Culture and Security: Symbolic Power and the Politics of International Security (Oxon: Routledge, 2007), pp.xii+172 RAE2008

Kennedy, Johnson and NATO: Britain, America and the Dynamics of Alliance, 1962-68

Priest, Andrew, Kennedy, Johnson and NATO: Britain, America and the Dynamics of Alliance, 1962-68 (New York: Routledge, 2006), wpp.xiv+222 RAE2008

Military Service Pensions for Veterans of the Irish Revolution, 1916���1923

In 1924 the Irish Free State government passed legislation to award pensions to veterans of the Irish revolution and Civil War. This article argues that the motivation for the pensions was the need to placate the national army after a failed mutiny in 1924 and that this explains their unusual nature in being based on service alone rather than disability. It will also explore the problems this created for defining service, examine the extension of eligibility to former republican enemies of the state and women revolutionaries in 1934, and describe the application and assessment procedure.

Limits of Dissent, Perils of Activism: Spaces of Resistance and the New Security Logic

On 26 December 2003 an Israeli activist was shot by the Israeli Army while he was participating in a demonstration organized by Anarchists Against the Wall (AAtW) in the West Bank. This was the first time Israeli Soldiers have deliberately shot live bullets at a Jewish-Israeli activist. This paper is an attempt to understand the set of conditions, the enveloping frameworks, and the new discourses that have made this event, and similar shootings that soon followed, possible. Situating the actions of AAtW within a much wider context of securitization���of identities, movements, and bodies���we examine strategies of resistance which are deployed in highly securitized public spaces. We claim that an unexpected matrix of identity in which abnormality is configured as security threat render the bodies of activists especially precarious. The paper thus provides an account of the new rationales of security technologies and tactics which increasingly govern public spaces.

Maritime Security in the Gulf of Guinea: Issues and Solutions for the 21st Century

A producer of 5.4 M bbl/d, totalling almost half of the consumption of the entire European Union, the Gulf of Guinea is a fundamental lifeline and maritime link between Europe, the Americas and Africa. Geographically positioned as a staging post for transit originating in Latin America and coupled with its relatively porous borders, the region is also the perfect stepping stone for contraband heading to European shores. While blessed with an enviable wealth of marine and mineral resources, the region is also plagued by an ever-increasing spectre of maritime piracy; accounting for around 30% of incidents in African waters from 2003 to 2011. It is for these reasons that this research centres around the issues of maritime security in the Gulf of Guinea, with a particular focus on the first two decades of the 21st century. This research looks to examine the overall picture of the present state of play in the area, before going on to provide an analysis of potential regional developments in maritime security. This research begins with the analysis of concepts/phenomena that have played a notable role in the shaping of the field of maritime security, namely Globalisation and security issues in the post-Cold War era. The ensuing chapter then focuses in on the Gulf of Guinea and the issues dominating the field of maritime security in the region. The penultimate chapter presents a SWOT analysis, undertaken as part of this research with the aim of correlating opinions from a variety of sectors/professions regarding maritime security in the Gulf of Guinea. The final chapter builds upon the results obtained from the abovementioned SWOT analysis, presenting a series of potential proposals/strategies that can contribute to the field of maritime security in the region over the coming years. This research draws to a close with the presentation of conclusions taken from this particular investigation, as well as a final overview of the earlier presented proposals applicable to the field of maritime security during the second decade of the 21st century.

Modeling short-range ballistic missile defense and Israel's Iron Dome system

This paper develops a model of short-range ballistic missile defense and uses it to study the performance of Israel���s Iron Dome system. The deterministic base model allows for inaccurate missiles, unsuccessful interceptions, and civil defense. Model enhancements consider the trade-offs in attacking the interception system, the difficulties faced by militants in assembling large salvos, and the effects of imperfect missile classification by the defender. A stochastic model is also developed. Analysis shows that system performance can be highly sensitive to the missile salvo size, and that systems with higher interception rates are more ���fragile��� when overloaded. The model is calibrated using publically available data about Iron Dome���s use during Operation Pillar of Defense in November 2012. If the systems performed as claimed, they saved Israel an estimated 1778 casualties and $80 million in property damage, and thereby made preemptive strikes on Gaza about 8 times less valuable to Israel. Gaza militants could have inflicted far more damage by grouping their rockets into large salvos, but this may have been difficult given Israel���s suppression efforts. Counter-battery fire by the militants is unlikely to be worthwhile unless they can obtain much more accurate missiles.

Diagn��stico de las relaciones bilaterales entre Colombia y Rep��blica Dominicana en torno al tema del narcotr��fico desde 1998 hasta el 2010

El tema del narcotr��fico ha sido ampliamente tratado, as�� como el caso de las drogas en Colombia, pero la afectaci��n de dicho problema no ha sido analizada desde la Rep��blica Dominicana y mucho menos desde la relaci��n bilateral entre esta y Colombia. Aunque el tema es de gran relevancia en la agenda internacional, as�� como en la agenda interna de cada uno de estos Estados, no es el tema principal en la relaci��n bilateral, donde los asuntos comerciales tienen mayor importancia, a��n cuando hay ciertos mecanismos que buscan eliminar el tr��fico ilegal de estupefacientes. En esta investigaci��n, se busca dar un diagn��stico de las relaciones bilaterales y de aquellos instrumentos existentes, espec��ficamente aquellos implementados desde la acogida internacional del t��rmino responsabilidad compartida en el a��o 1998 hasta el a��o 2010, para determinar la efectividad de los mismos y de aquellos factores que no son precisamente resultantes de las relaciones bilaterales pero que s�� afectan de una u otra manera el tr��fico de drogas ilegales entre estos dos pa��ses. As��, se buscar�� encontrar las debilidades, en los instrumentos bilaterales entre Colombia y Rep��blica Dominicana y hacer recomendaciones para hacerlos m��s efectivos.

An��lisis del efecto de engranaje generado por la entrada en vigor del Tratado de Lisboa el 1 de diciembre de 2009 en el marco de la Pol��tica Com��n de Seguridad y Defensa (PCSD) en la Uni��n Europea

El proceso de integraci��n en Uni��n Europea se caracteriza por la incorporaci��n de los asuntos de seguridad exterior y defensa, tras el Tratado de Lisboa se enmarcaron en la PCSD. Dicha pol��tica por un proceso de integraci��n progresiva, Spillover, ha tenido periodos de reactivaci��n y de letargos.

An��lisis de la pol��tica exterior rusa frente a Abjasia en el per��odo 2000-2008

El objetivo de la presente monograf��a de grado es analizar la relaci��n entre la identidad dentro de Rusia y la pol��tica exterior de dicho Estado hacia la regi��n de Abjasia. Se analiza y explica la manera en que los referentes identitarios dentro de Rusia en el periodo 2000-2008 influyen en las decisiones de pol��tica exterior que Rusia tom�� hacia Abjasia en el campo militar y pol��tico. Se efect��a una revisi��n de textos (transcripciones de intervenciones y textos escritos) del Presidente y Primer Ministro de la Federaci��n Rusa entre 2000 y 2008 para encontrar los referentes identitarios que determinan el comportamiento de Rusia hacia otros Estados y la forma en que influenciaron sus acciones con respecto a Abjasia.

El reposicionamiento de Rusia en Europa Central. Las relaciones con Rep��blica Checa en materia de seguridad (2000-2008)

Esta monograf��a se realiza con el ��nimo de analizar las relaciones militares entre Rusia y Rep��blica Checa con el fin de valorar su incidencia en el reposicionamiento de Rusia como gran potencia y su repercusi��n en Europa Central. Se estudia c��mo en los ��ltimos a��os la relaci��n de ambos pa��ses se ha definido por la inestabilidad pol��tica y la inseguridad que ha desembocado en un v��nculo d��bil, lo cual trae consecuencias al proyecto ruso y le impide ejercer un liderazgo efectivo en la regi��n. Dicho proyecto est�� sustentado en los elementos del poder nacional del Realismo Cl��sico que permiten hacer un recorrido por todos los aspectos relevantes de la construcci��n del proyecto ruso y dar cuenta de su efectividad frente a una Rep��blica Checa inmersa en las din��micas europeas.

El papel de las empresas de seguridad privada en la implementaci��n de estrategias defensivas de seguridad militar en Irak (2004-2009)

La guerra de Irak del 2003 permiti�� la presencia y expansi��n de las Empresas de Seguridad Privada, tras demostrar su efectividad en el campo de batalla. Con el uso de estrategias y t��cticas de guerra por parte de las ESP, que les otorgaron notables ventajas comparativas a los Estados frente a amenazas no convencionales que emergen de una guerra asim��trica, estas aumentaron su poder e influencia. Estos aportes en t��rminos de la ejecuci��n de la guerra contribuyeron a la construcci��n de la seguridad -militar-. Estados Unidos y Reino Unido actualmente son los principales consumidores y proveedores de este tipo de servicios, permiti��ndole a las ESP un crecimiento m��s fuerte en sus capacidades y funciones.

Seguridad nacional: el realismo y sus contradictores

Este art��culo ofrece una gu��a te��rica para la investigaci��n actual sobre el concepto de seguridad nacional enfoc��ndose en el realismo y sus cr��ticos ���liberalismo y teor��a cr��tica. Debido a que la seguridad nacional usualmente ha sido entendida en t��rminos militares en relaci��n con las circunstancias pol��ticas internacionales, es necesario seguir una discusi��n axiol��gica que permita analizar el amplio rango de las diferentes manifestaciones de este asunto. Si ello no es considerado, tanto la actividad acad��mica como la pol��tica caer��n en una profunda oscuridad, especialmente en los pa��ses en los que el esp��ritu de la doctrina militar ha sido hegem��nico. En este orden de ideas, en la primera parte, este trabajo explora las premisas de la escuela realista y su visi��n sobre el modelo de seguridad nacional. La segunda parte examina la aproximaci��n liberal y, especialmente, su propuesta de cambiar el nivel de an��lisis nacional del realismo. La tercera parte explora los estudios cr��ticos de seguridad y su relaci��n con la teor��a cr��tica con el prop��sito de esbozar su cr��tica epistemol��gica al realismo como una teor��a racionalista.-----This article offers theoretical guidelines for the current national security concept research focused on realism and its critics ���liberalism and critical theory. Due to the usual understanding of the national security on a military basis with respect to the international political situation, an axiological discussion is required to analyze the wide range of the different aspects of this matter. If not considered, both academic and political activities will be deeply darkened, particularly in those countries where the military doctrine spirit has been hegemonic. In this regard, the first part of this paper explores the premises of the realistic school and their view on the national security model. The second part examines the liberal approach and, in particular, its proposed change of level of the national realism analysis. The third part explores the Critical Security Studies and the relation they keep with the critical theory with the purpose to outline its epistemic criticism to the realism as a rationalistic theory.

An��lisis de la transformaci��n de las relaciones militares entre Turqu��a e Israel a partir de la ruptura de la alianza bilateral generada por el ataque a la Flotilla de Gaza. Per��odo 2008 a 2011

Amenazas como Siria, Ir��n y el PKK fueron relevantes al momento de forjar una alianza entre Turqu��a e Israel a mediados de los noventa. Con la firma de varios acuerdos en el ��mbito militar se fortaleci�� la relaci��n bilateral en materia de seguridad. Sin embargo, la llegada de un nuevo gobierno a Turqu��a en 2002 gener�� un cambio en materia de pol��tica exterior, especialmente con Israel. La monograf��a sustentada bajo los postulados de la Teor��a del Balance de las Amenazas concluye que la ruptura de la alianza se dio por el cambio en la pol��tica exterior de seguridad turca, el bloqueo a Gaza por parte de Israel en 2008 y el ataque a la Flotilla de Gaza en 2010, conduciendo a una transformaci��n en los acuerdos militares pactados para la seguridad y estabilidad de ambos pa��ses en la regi��n de Medio Oriente.