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ISN
ETH Zurich
International Relations and Security Network www.isn.ethz.ch
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This Week at ISN Our Weekly Editorial Roundup
14 18 July 2014 JUMP TO Security Watch | Blog | Video
/// Security Watch
This week, our hard power-centered Security Watch (SW) series focuses on whether developing a global network of
navies is feasible; how military forces can develop more effective PSYOP campaigns; how ISIS is faring in Iraq; how dual-
use technologies are shaping Europes defense capabilities; and what is the relationship between the Nigerian Navy, the
countrys police forces and private maritime security operations. Then, in our second, more wide-ranging SW series, we
ask why civil rights in Kyrgyzstan are being rolled back; why cyberspace remains a critical component of worldwide
protests; why the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood failed during its tenure in government; whether our ability to understand
the relationship between young people and violence has become more sophisticated; and what are the strategic
implications of Iran and Turkeys growing energy cooperation. More
Kyrgyzstan: Civil Rights in Reverse Gear
14 July 2014
What explains the gradual rollback of civil rights and NGO activity in Kyrgyzstan? According to Timur Toktonaliev, Bishkek
has introduced Russian-inspired legislation that equates calls for basic rights with holding suspicious pro-Western views.
More
A Rose by Any Other Name Still Has Thorns: A Global Network of Navies
14 July 2014
Senior US military officials have recently called for the creation of a global network of navies that is capable of dealing
with a variety of threats. Fair enough, says Claude Berube, but that doesnt stop the idea from being overly optimistic and
impractical. More
Twenty-first Century Protest: Social Media and Surveillance
15 July 2014
While Edward Snowdens revelations remind us that social media can be a surveillance pit, we also know it provides
opportunities for mass mobilization and protests. Today, Ciana-Marie Pegus explores cyberspaces contradictory ability to
both stifle and promote dissent. More
Three Practical Lessons from the Science of Influence Operations Message Design
15 July 2014
Can soldiers craft effective PSYOP campaigns out in the field? Yes, says M Afzal Upal, provided they keep three
principles in mind 1) rise above your own cultural schemas; 2) place surprise elements into your messages; and 3) get
your audience to self-discover a valuable insight in each message. More
The Egyptian Muslim Brotherhoods Failures
16 July 2014
Why did the Muslim Brotherhood lose the reins of power in Egypt? Was the countrys brass-knuckles politics to blame or
did the Brotherhood self-destruct -- politically, ideologically and organizationally? Today, Ashraf El-Sherif explains why the
organizations myriad shortcomings were indeed the problem. More
The Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant: More than Just a June Surprise
16 July 2014
Bryan Price and others believe that the latest offensive by the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant isnt unique i.e., it's
consistent with the operations it undertook between 2012 and 2013. They also warn that limited military interventions will
not roll back the group to its previous and more modest status. More
Youth and Global Violence: Saving Historys Largest Generation of Young People
17 July 2014
Efforts to understand and address todays epidemic of youth violence have become less mechanical and more
sophisticated, argues Moses J ackson. One reason why is the growing involvement of young people in the discussion
after all, who knows better than them why they participate in armed conflict. More
The Three Effects of Dual-Use: Firms, Capabilities, Governance
17 July 2014
Dual-use technologies have become an increasingly important way to compensate for Europes decline in defense
spending. In fact, Daniel Fiott believes that their impact is already greater than people suspect they now dictate the
capabilities and governance of the continents defense forces. More
The Emerging Iranian-Turkish Energy Partnership: Strategic Implications
18 July 2014
According to Gawdat Bahgat, growing energy cooperation between Iran and Turkey will 1) allow Tehran to leverage its
energy resources, 2) permit Ankara to maintain its economic growth, and 3) enhance European energy security. Frankly,
its one of the few positive developments to come out of the Middle East in recent years. More
Troubled Waters? The Use of Nigerian Navy and Police in Private Maritime Security Roles
18 July 2014
What explains the growing involvement of Nigerias navy and police forces in private maritime security activities off the
West African coast? Dirk Steffen believes it comes down to the patchy way the countrys laws are being maintained in its
territorial waters. More
/// Blog
Europes Future as a Global Power
14 July 2014
Neil Thompson is in no doubt the European project must change or risk falling further into geopolitical obsolescence. In
his view, the continent should start looking at how postcolonial societies in Asia and the Americas have gone about
stabilizing as coherent political units. More
The Agony of UNMISS
15 July 2014
The United Nations mission to South Sudan (UNMISS) has been tasked with consolidating peace and security in a
country devastated by decades of war. Trouble is, writes Lauren Hutton, it now finds itself outgunned by the countrys
warring factions and unable to influence the government that it helped to build. More
The Geopolitics of Ramadan
16 July 2014
While Ramadan is for most people an important Muslim occasion, it also has a much less talked about geopolitical
dimension. Today, Stratfor revisits some of the key geopolitical developments that have occurred during Islams holy
month, and looks at how it impacts security and stability in the here and now. More
Book Review: Referendums and Ethnic Conflict by Matt Qvortrup
10 July 2014
Does Matt Qvortrups new book effectively outline the potential value of referendums in resolving ethnic conflict? Gary
Wilson thinks so, although more effort could have been made to develop comparisons between examples of referendums
and those factors that determine their effects. More
Why Is Statehood So Popular?
11 July 2014
Indeed, why are so many secessionist movements so determined to seek statehood today? Tanisha Fazal and Ryan
Griffiths believe its because the economic benefits and other perks of being a sovereign state have never been so
abundant and the secessionists know it. More
/// Video
The First International Cyber War
In this video, Peter Feaver and Kenneth Geers discuss the role that cyber skirmishes have played in earlier conflicts
between Israel and the Palestinians. They also focus on how political actors attempt to impact the global stage through
coordinated actions in cyberspace. More
What Will the Map of the Middle East Look Like?
In this video, several experts speculate on the future direction of the Middle East. Among other topics, they look at 1) the
ongoing role of Islamism and Islamist groups in the politics of the region; 2) the trajectories and potential consequences of
the conflicts in Syria and Iraq; and 3) the part external powers should play in the Middle East's struggles. More
Uighur Separatism and Chinese Foreign Policy
In this video, Stratfor analysts J ohn Minnich and Rodger Baker discuss the status of Islamist militancy in Xinjiang and its
growing effects on Chinese domestic and foreign policy. More
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