Counterinsurgencies in Afghanistan, A look back and a look forward
Counterinsurgencies in Afghanistan Counterinsurgencies in Afghanistan, A look back and a look forward. MSG Steve Grewell, USA Norwich University Afghanistan is a land of rebellion. Ever since it was first settled, it has been an impossible dream to try and govern it as a whole. The terrain does not favor central control of a federal central government, since travel is so incredibly difficult. The people are fiercely independent, the direct result of the history of the region. One cannot look at current events in Afghanistan without having some idea of the great history that has crashed upon the mountains throughout the centuries. The empires that have dared tread upon Afghan soil have left their mark as well. As tribal battles have evolved into rebellions, as rebellions have evolved into insurgencies, the inspired student must look at the various tactics, techniques, and procedures that have been utilized by those very same empires. This paper will study the similarities and differences in the British, Soviet, and American interventions in Afghanistan, specifically looking at their different approaches to counter insurgency. Before one can start to define different counter insurgency strategies, a standard must be set as to the definition of an insurgency itself: “Definition of insurgency- The organized use of subversion and violence by a group or
Is China a Threat to International Security
To what extent is China a threat to international security in the Post-Cold War era? The implosion of the Soviet Union and subsequent collapse of the cold war that had held the attention of the world for four decades freed governments around the world to refocus their crystal balls on the next plausible threat to international security. Most signs point towards China as the most eligible candidate. With an annual GDP growth rate that averaged 9.7 percent between 1989 and 20001 and a military arsenal that boasts of membership in the nuclear club2 and the possession of the largest standing army in the world, China has attracted concern from governments around the world and especially in the Asia-Pacific region. As Joseph S. Nye pointed out, the rise of a new power is usually accompanied by anxieties and uncertainties in the international political system3. Many analysts in the United States have put forth the view that China's increased economic power would encourage her to expand her territory, both geographically and politically. Many are concerned how this revisionist attitude of China, if true, would affect both regional and global security. China's lack of transparency, especially in her declaration of defense spending4, forces governments around the world to resort to second-guessing China's military make up and intentions for her military assets. China herself, by
Heath Terms and EEC
Britain's Road To Europe, 1945-75. PL705 Prof. John Young David Clarke. Essay II CRITICALLY ASSESS THE TERMS OBTAINED BY THE HEATH GOVERNMENT FOR EEC MEMBERSHIP. In the early years of the 1970s British foreign policy underwent its greatest face-lift in the twentieth century. After much wrangling and heated parliamentary debate, Britain finally joined the European Economic Community (EEC) in January 1973. There was never any doubt that Edward Heath would pursue entry into the EEC with greater vigour and enthusiasm than his Labour predecessor, Harold Wilson. By the time he obtained office Heath was already well established as a pro-European. His views had been shaped early in his life. Heath had visited Europe as a student, and had served in the military in both France and Germany after the Second World War. In 1950 his maiden speech had supported involvement in the proposals of a European Coal-Steel Community, as envisaged by the Schumann Plan. This was the precursor to the EEC, as created in 1957. By 1961 Harold Macmillan had given Heath the responsibility of negotiating the first British application. However, Heath's European credentials, John Young states, should not be over-estimated. Heath did not visit France until his teens, he had never acquired a foreign language, and after his speech on the Schumann Plan little was heard from him on the issue.1
Malta after integrated into European Union
w. VYTAUTO DIDŽIOJO UNIVERSITETAS EKONOMIKOS IR VADYBOS FAKULTETAS EKONOMIKOS KATEDRA REFERATAS "Maltos ekonomika po istojimo i Europos Sajunga" Darba atliko: Darba tikrino: KAUNAS 2008 TURINYS IVADAS 3 . Maltos ekonomikos apžvalga prieš istojima i ES 4 2. Derybos del istojimo i ES 6 2.1. Sunkus kelias Europos link 7 2.2. Galutines derybos 8 2.3. Svarbiausios derybu metu svarstytos problemos 9 3. Malta Europos Sajungoje 9 3.1. ES strukturiniai fondai ir ju panaudojimas Maltoje 11 3.2. Maltos istojimas i Euro zona 14 3.3. Malta XXIa. krizes akivaizdoje 14 IŠVADOS 15 Nuorodos ir kiti literaturos
The Falkland War: Why did the Argentine military junta invade and seize British territory? An examination of the issue of sovereignty, nationalism as well as the economic and political hardships of the period and how they influenced the onset of the Falkl
Conflict In World Politics POL3030F COVER SHEET Student Name: Brian Lockyer Student Number: LCKBRI001 Tutor: Mandisi Nkomo Tut Group No: 4 Assignment No: Research Essay Date: 28th April 2011. Word Count: 4,415 words Plagiarism Declaration . I know that plagiarism is wrong. Plagiarism is to use another's work and pretend that it is one's own. 2. I have used the Harvard convention for citation and referencing. Each contribution to, and quotation in, this essay from the work(s) of other people has been attributed, and has been cited and referenced. 3. This essay is my own work. 4. I have not allowed, and will not allow, anyone to copy my work with the intention of passing it off as his or her own work. Signature ______________________________ * Causes of Conflict: Select one interstate conflict of the post-1945 era: explain the major causes of this conflict. The Falkland War: Why did the Argentine military junta invade and seize British territory? An examination of the issue of sovereignty, nationalism as well as the economic and political hardships of the period and how they influenced the onset of the Falkland War. TABLE OF CONTENTS * Introduction * History of the Falkland Islands: The question of Sovereignty * The conditions within Argentina: Political, economic and social woes * Analysis of the nationalist influence * British nationalism *
Critically evaluate the case for and against global governance
Critically evaluate the case for and against global governance This essay will discuss arguments for and against the phenomenon of global governance with particular reference to existing international governmental structures. Firstly, global governance and globalization will be defined and then their political, economic and environmental aspects will be assessed. Varying ideologies will be evaluated along with their applicability to the present global institutions. Connections between apparently independent entities with independent interests will be scrutinized and will help to explain the present multilateralist trend in world politics. The scope of this essay is enormous, and it is not possible to cover all aspects in requisite detail in a short essay, however, the main points in this debate will be addressed. In 1995, the Commission on Global Governance defined global governance as, "the sum of the many ways individuals and institutions, public and private, manage their common affairs. It is a continuing process through which conflicting or diverse interests may be accommodated and co-operative action may be taken. It includes formal... as well as informal arrangements that people and institutions have agreed to or perceive to be in their interest" (cited in Karns & Mingst 2004: 4). Globalization itself is defined by Scholte (1996) as the, "emergence and spread
Is the Jemmah Islamiyah still a security threat to ASEAN?
Qn 3. Is the Jemmah Islamiyah still a security threat to ASEAN? "Given the internal resources and capabilities of these [terrorist] groups, the threat of terrorism can continue for a long time to come. This is what makes the current complex terrorist threat we are facing such a resilient, borderless and porous phenomenon." Singapore Minister for Home Affairs Wong Kan Seng In Parliament, May 17 2002.1 "The reality is that the terrorist production line continues to operate even as we speak. The discovery of a JI cell in Pakistan in September last year showed clearly that the JI terrorist leadership is bent on regenerating." Wong Kan Seng In a speech delivered at Shangri-La Hotel, 9 March 2004.2 The Jemmah Islamiyah (JI) is a militant Islamic group responsible for the deadly Bali bombings in October 2002. Despite numerous arrests of JI members over the years, the JI still constitutes a potent security threat to the ASEAN region.3 The current political, socio-economic, and socio-cultural conditions that is present in countries in the region, as well as the ability of the JI organisation to survive through its recruitment program and through its extensive links of support, all account for the potential security threat that JI poses. This body of work holds the view that JI is still a major security threat to the Southeast Asian region. This view will be augmented in the
Does Globalisation contribute to the growth of terrorism?
Does Globalisation contribute to the growth of terrorism? Globalisation has contributed to the growth of internationalised linkages through the ideals of free market liberalisation. It has facilitated the growth of multi-national companies whose business networks are connected through the internet and global communications networks. This interconnectedness has a dark side according to Louise Shelly, "Terrorists have also globalised, taking advantage of the ability to recruit internationally, to be close to diaspora communities that can support them financially and logically."1 Jessica Stern feels that the current crop of global Jihadists are," both an expression and a symptom of globalisation, spread through the internet and other global media such as satellite television"2. The concept of globalisation leads to a backlash against it3 and against the US lead Westernisation of the world. In a globalised world the causes of terrorism are," derived from a series of political, economic and technological problems that are interconnected"4 and in turn the tools of globalisation; the internet, the media and the increased flow of materiel and people, are exploited.5 As Cronin states, "Terrorism has a long and varied history"6. It has been utilised by different groups for a myriad of reasons and in itself is almost impossible to define. At its most basic level terrorism can be
What is meant by Globalisation
What is meant by Globalisation Introduction Since its invention and inception into the global forum, globalisation has been a subject of a more and much spirited debate; neither its advocates nor its critics seem to have a grasp on its handles let alone on its advantages and meaning. The meaning of the word globalisation has been explored by many scholars, leading to a strong controversy whose agreement is always difficulty to come by, an intellectual scandal almost. Despite the existence of divergent views and typologies on the term globalisation by authors, there is a broad agreement that although globalisation may be a contested concept, there is no dissent from the view that we live in a period of globalisation. Definition of Globalisation In his definition of Globalisation, Prof. Anthony Giddens (1999) says that "Globalisation link distant localities in such a way that local happening's are shaped by distant events" and vice versa. Prof. Giddens goes on to state that we would have to create new institutions or modify the existing ones for the new global age. "We live in a world of transformations, affecting almost everything we do. For better or worse, we are being propelled into a global order that no one fully understands. The ungainly word globalisation was rarely used up until the late eighties, and now it has come from nowhere to be almost everywhere" (Giddens,
A Tuesday Morning in September.
A Tuesday Morning in September February 17, 2004 On a Tuesday morning in September America was reduced to a cloud of ash muffled screams. After taking control of four commercial airliners using only handheld box-cutters, three teams of five men and one team of four took out both towers of the World Trade Center in Manhattan and the eastern wall of the Pentagon. Reactions were various. Star spangled banners emerged from every orifice as Americans, in shock, picked themselves and each other up off the floor. Across the Atlantic, for a brief moment, American flags there too were flown as Chirac declared "We're all New Yorkers now." But others, mainly in the Arab world, rejoiced and were seen dancing in the streets of retribution. To Americans everywhere it was a wake-up call, an irreversible exploitation, an unveiling of American vulnerability, something that was both inconceivable and inevitable. Liberty in its purest sense had been compromised. And so began the twenty first century. Today the air quality in and around the area of what came to be known the world over as ground zero is still far below its pre-"nine-eleven" standards. It was then, long before the smoke had cleared, in the wide wake of what otherwise would have been a pleasant early autumn Tuesday morning that President George W. Bush declared a "war on terrorism of global reach." The Global War on