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This Week at the ISN

Our Weekly Content Roundup

28 September 2 October 2015

JUMP TO Editorial Plan | Security Watch | Blog | Video

// Security Watch

This week, our hard power-centered Security Watch (SW) series examines CNAS' proposed strategy to safeguard the
JCPOA agreement between Iran and the P5+1 nations; the UK's role in NATO; whether India should buy more attack
helicopters; Boko Haram's violent expansion into Cameroon; and Taiwan's recent Han Kuang military exercises. Then, in
our second, more wide-ranging SW series, we look at the difficulties surrounding Georgia's pro-European foreign policy;
the future of Afghanistan-Pakistan trade relations; how the Middle East's secular revolutions stimulated a religious
backlash; how the United States should respond to China's successes in strategic 'gray zones'; and the development
challenges now facing single-industry towns in Russia's High North.

The Iran Agreement and What Comes Next

28 September 2015

How can the United States reap the rewards of closer ties with Iran while also minimizing the potential negatives of the
Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA)? Ilan Goldenberg and his colleagues recommend adopting a strategy that's
based on 6 central pillars and over 40 policy recommendations. More

Georgia: Foreign Policy Identity in the Domestic Arena as a Subject of Contestation

28 September 2015

Not everyone in Georgia approves of Tbilisi's pro-European foreign policies, write Salome Minesashvili and Levan
Kakhishvili. The Georgian Orthodox Church, for example, fears that closer ties with Brussels will undermine both its
privileged religious status and the country's traditional values. More

We Need to Talk About NATO

29 September 2015

Picking Jeremy Corbyn to lead the UK's Labour Party has, among other things, reignited a domestic debate about the
utility of NATO. In this article, Richard Reeve adds to the debate by 1) questioning Great Britain's existing security
alignments, including its membership in the Alliance, and 2) wondering whether NATO is fit-for-purpose. More

The Future of Afghanistan-Pakistan Trade Relations

29 October 2015

What steps should the above countries take to improve their trade relations? Ishrat Husain and Muhammad Ather Elahi's
recommendations include 1) relaxing business visa policies; 2) crafting a preferential trade agreement; and 3)
implementing infrastructure projects that reduce the cost of transporting goods. More

Attack Helicopters: Should India Have Them?

30 September 2015

Indeed, should India invest its time and treasure in order to acquire additional attack helicopters? Not according to A G
Bewoor. The investment will inevitably lead the country into a weapons procurement minefield and endanger its security.
More

The Caliph's Revenge

30 September 2015

While the secular revolutions of the 20th century built up the Middle East's institutions and economies, they also gravely
wounded moderate religious sensibilities. It's no surprise then, argues Paul Salem, that the region is now in the grip of a
ferocious and unhinged religious backlash. More

Cameroon and Boko Haram

1 October 2015

China Wins the Gray Zone by Default

1 October 2015

How should the US respond to China's ability to undermine its interests while also avoiding military confrontations? Denny
Roy believes that Washington should employ more of its intellectual and material assets in strategic 'gray zones'. They
include arming other claimants to South China Sea territories and increasing political pressures on Beijing. More

Taiwan's Han Kuang Exercises: Training for a Chinese Invasion One Drill at a Time
2 October 2015

What drills and simulations did Taiwan's latest Han Kuang military exercises feature? Besides describing the usual
displays of military firepower, Lauren Dickey also highlights a joint army-air force attempt to repair a runway that was badly
damaged by "enemy forces." Hmm, and who might they be? More

Development Challenges for a Single-Industry Mining Town in the Russian Arctic: The Case of
Kirovsk, Murmansk Region
2 October 2015

The single-industry towns of Russia's Arctic region can't seem to escape the boom-bust cycles that define their
economies, which then lead to bundles of well-known social problems. In this article, Vladimir Didyk looks at how the town
of Kirovsk is trying to free itself from this predicament. More

// Blog

Militant Attack and Support Zones in Afghanistan: April-September 2015

28 September 2015

How much progress has the Taliban, the so-called Islamic State and other militant groups made in Afghanistan over the
past 5 months? Indeed, which district centers are currently most vulnerable to militant attacks? Find out in this map-based
presentation from our partners at the Institute for the Study of War (ISW). More

The Latino Politics of the Cuba Deal

29 September 2015

As David Ayn sees it, Barack Obama's attempts to normalize relations with Cuba are primarily being driven by the Latino
electorate's growing influence in US politics. It's a development that could also lead to fundamental changes in
Washington's ties with the rest of Latin America. More

Five New Rules for Defense Innovation

30 September 2015

How can the US Department of Defense (DoD) work with Silicon Valley to maintain America's military edge? Stephen
Rodriguez and Sam Zega's recommendations include changing the DoD's acquisition culture, leveraging industrial
partnerships between established and non-traditional contractors, etc. More

Reassessing the Prospects for Overcoming the Cyprus Divide

1 October 2015

Hopes are high that Mustafa Aknc, who became President of Northern Cyprus last April, will eventually help resolve the
'Cyprus divide'. Andreas Theophanous, however, has his doubts. The divisions between both Cypriot communities remain
deep, especially over the return of lost territory. More

France is Forging New Relations with its Former Colonies, But Old Habits Die Hard
2 October 2015

Is France slowly but surely normalizing its diplomatic relations with its former African colonies? Marie Gibert believes so.
However, two recent but underreported events suggest that the concept of Franafrique is alive and well, at least for now.

More

// Video

50 Years after the 1965 War: What has Changed in India-Pakistan Relations?

In this video, three analysts discuss 1) the sources and legacy of the 1965 India-Pakistan War, and 2) what has and has
not changed in India-Pakistan relations since then. The analysts also address how US involvement in the conflict
subsequently influenced both countries' views of American foreign policy. More

Relentless Strike: The Secret History of Joint Special Operations Command

In this video, Sean Naylor discusses his new book, "Relentless Strike," which traces the story of US Joint Special
Operations Command from its early roots in the 1980s to its current status as the US military's premier weapon against
global terrorism. More

The Twenty-Fifth Anniversary of the Gulf War

In this video, four prominent participants in the First Gulf War reflect on Saddam Hussein's 1991 invasion of Kuwait, the
factors that drove US decision-making prior to the war's start, and the conflict's subsequent legacy. More

// Multimedia Content
Here is a selection of this week's additions to the ISN Digital
Library:

Publications More
// Establishing Safety and Security at Protection of Civilians Sites More
// Atlantic Rising: Changing Commercial Dynamics in the Atlantic Basin More
// Russian Deployment to Syria: Putin's Middle East Game Changer More

Videos More
// Middle East Strategy Task Force: Beyond Refugees More
/Security
/
and Military Engagement in Uncertain TimesMore
/US
/
Strategic Nuclear Policy Toward China: Conventional Strategy and Nuclear Escalation More

Audio / Podcasts More

// Xi Jinping's State Visit to the United States
More
// Interpreter's "An Invasion by Any Other Name: The Kremlin's Dirty War in Ukraine" More
// ECFR's World in 30 Minutes: East - West Divide on Refugee CrisisMore

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