National Security

The Vietnamization of the Long War on Terror: An Ongoing Lesson in International Humanitarian Law Noncompliance

by Lesley Wexler

Boston University International Law Journal, Forthcoming

This essay rejects the conventional wisdom that post Vietnam military reforms adequately addressed the problem of U.S.... more This essay rejects the conventional wisdom that post Vietnam military reforms adequately addressed the problem of U.S. noncompliance with international humanitarian law. Just as My Lai and Son Thang defines the nadir of America’s counterinsurgency in Vietnam, and the trio of Haditha, Abu Ghraib, and Operation Iron Triangle evoke our worst behavior in Iraq, the recent events of the 5th Stryker “kill team” brigade may come to symbolize our greatest failings in Afghanistan. The premeditated and deliberate killing of Afghani civilians reveals an indifference to human life that is utterly inconsistent with the premises of International Humanitarian Law and the deeply held values of the American military. In this short piece, I examine the Stryker kill team’s behavior to help build the knowledge and insight necessary to develop further reforms for military practices during the long war on terror.

The essay situates the 5th Stryker brigade’s troubling behavior within the military’s recent shift to counterinsurgency and highlights the suboptimal compliance conditions likely to bedevil the U.S. military during the long war on terror. Though the U.S. military successfully restructured its goals and reformed its behavior after Vietnam, at least three notable similarities remain. In particular, the military still: (a) abandons effective sorting strategies to exclude high risk soldiers when the demand for troops rises; (b) lacks adequate safeguards against leadership failures that allow a culture of disrespect for human life to fester; and lastly (c) faces only weak checks on its behavior as the result of domestic pressure. In identifying these factors, this essay seeks to help the military and other actors better target efforts to improve international humanitarian law compliance.

Litigating the Long War on Terror: The Role of Al-Aulaqi v. Obama

by Lesley Wexler

Loyola University Chicago International Law Review, Vol. 159, 2011

The U.S. government’s decision to list an American citizen on a kill list raises an important series of questions. At... more The U.S. government’s decision to list an American citizen on a kill list raises an important series of questions. At the time the government allegedly placed Anwar al-Aulaqi on a kill list, remarkably little was known about the procedures for listing and reviewing placements of individuals. How and under what authority did the government target Anwar al-Aulaqi? What legal standards guide the decision to list? Who makes the initial decisions about listing? What evidentiary standards do they use to determine if the legal standards are satisfied? Who reviews the determinations and how frequently? What opportunity, if any, exists for the listing individual to challenge his placement? Writ large, the pressing issue is whether the executive branch possesses unreviewable authority to order the targeted killing of an American that the President deems to be a threat to the nation.

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and the Center for Constitutional Rights (CCR) filed suit to find out the answers to the questions raised above. Although the actual case has drawn to a close, these questions remain important ones. Rather than attempt to resolve the numerous legal issues raised by the al-Aulaqi litigation, this short piece seeks to explain why the ACLU and CCR brought this lawsuit and then ultimately abandoned it. In short, al-Aulaqi’s case demonstrates both the potential for and the limitations of litigation as a strategy to curb executive authority during the so-called long war on terror. Even though Judge Bates rightly noted that al-Aulaqi’s case is a “unique and extraordinary” one, many issues raised by the litigation speak to more run of the mill terrorism cases. This article begins by identifying the ACLU and CCR’s successful challenge of a specific procedural burden, effectively ensuring greater access to lawyers for many of those designated as terrorists. In contrast, Part II of this article notes the ACLU and CCR’s general failures in accomplishing their immediate litigation goals. Their efforts to expand the standing doctrine and narrow the application of sovereign immunity, state secrets, and political question doctrines were largely futile. Yet, Part III suggests the ACLU and CCR’s real goals may have been the lawsuit’s extra-legal consequences and contributions. While they were unable to obtain a judicial review of the executive branch’s behavior, this part documents how they leveraged the litigation to provoke and influence a public debate over certain aspects of the war on terror. The lawsuit allowed the ACLU and CCR to raise and initiate the framework for legal and policy questions about the targeting of American citizens and the government has responded through leaks and speeches. In the wake of al-Aulaqi’s death, this framework is bearing some limited fruit as the push for greater transparency over legal standards for and reviewability of targeting decisions increases in strength and the demand for a rethinking of the policy wisdom of pursuing a targeting policy grows more fervent.

Analyze how the national security strategy of the United States ties in with civil-military relations and a free and open press. Tie this in to a current security issue, eg; terrorism, rogue states. Assess how the United States has met this challenge by utilizing each IOP in the DIME. Wrap up your paper by providing your personal conclusion of the success or failure of current and ongoing strategies.

by Bradley Martin

Final Exam for Grand Strategy and National Security Course

Essay that answers: Analyze how the national security strategy of the United States ties in with civil-military... more Essay that answers: Analyze how the national security strategy of the United States ties in with civil-military relations and a free and open press. Tie this in to a current security issue, eg; terrorism, rogue states. Assess how the United States has met this challenge by utilizing each IOP in the DIME. Wrap up your paper by providing your personal conclusion of the success or failure of current and ongoing strategies.

How Would Von Clausewitz and Sun Tzu approach challenged the War in Iraq? What advice would they give to the US military?

by Bradley Martin

Final Exam for my Introduction to Security Studies Course

How Would Von Clausewitz and Sun Tzu approach challenged the War in Iraq?  What advice would they give to the US... more How Would Von Clausewitz and Sun Tzu approach challenged the War in Iraq?  What advice would they give to the US military?  This paper will discuss how Clausewitz and Sun Tzu would view the War in Iraq and what advice they would have provided if they were alive today.  The paper is organized into the following sections:  1) History of Sun Tzu and The Art of War 2) History of Carl von Clausewitz and On War 3) A discussion of the planning phase for the War in Iraq 4) Conduct and Operations during the War in Iraq 5) Discussion of the rise of the Iraqi insurgency and a conclusion.  Ultimately the conclusion of this paper is that if Clausewitz and Sun Tzu were alive today they could find some strengths but primarily weaknesses in the United States military’s approach to planning, conducting, and organizing operations during the War in Iraq.   

Think Tanks and Research Centers in Turkey

by sule toktas

co-authored with Bulent Aras; published at Bilig

National Security Culture in Turkey:
A Qualitative Study on Think Tanks
Şule Toktaş
Bülent Aras... more National Security Culture in Turkey:
A Qualitative Study on Think Tanks
Şule Toktaş
Bülent Aras
Abstract
This article examines the role that think tanks have played in the formulation of national security and a culture of security through field research conducted on fourteen think tanks located in Istanbul and Ankara. In addition to participant observation at the think tanks, twenty-five in-depth interviews were conducted with administrators and specialists. The findings revealed that, in terms of their strategic attitudes about national security in Turkey, there are three groups of think tanks: critical think tanks; b) middle-position think tanks; and c) congruent think tanks. Based on the results of the data collected, we argue that the culture of national security in Turkey has begun to be impacted by a plurality of actors, both civilian and official, and that there is an emerging competition for influence over the definitions and conceptualizations of security as well as the identification of security issues within a securitization process which has led to their securitization. Although the think-tank sector in Turkey is still in its formative years, its roles and influence in the debates on national security have been on the rise.
Keywords
Think-tank, securitization, Turkey, national security, research center, security studies.

Strategic Value of African Tribal Art: Auction Sales Trends as Cultural Intelligence

by Erik Nemeth

view abstract at: view abstract at: http://culturalsecurity.net/cs/research.htm#strategicvalueofafricantribalart

Uluslararası İlişkilerde Güvenlik Kavramı

by Uluslararası İlişkiler

John Baylis, "Uluslararası İlişkilerde Güvenlik Kavramı", Uluslararası İlişkiler, Cilt 5, Sayı 18 (Yaz), 2008

Bu makale, güvenlik anlayışının geleneksel kökenlerinden Soğuk Savaş sonrası dönemde ortaya çıkan yeni yaklaşımlara... more Bu makale, güvenlik anlayışının geleneksel kökenlerinden Soğuk Savaş sonrası dönemde ortaya çıkan yeni yaklaşımlara gelişimini incelemektedir. Uluslararası ilişkiler literatüründeki güvenlik yaklaşımları, realist görüşlerin hem egemen hem de karşı konulmaz olduğu günlerden büyük ölçüde farklılaşmıştır.Buna bağlı olarak, bugün uluslararası güvenlik konusunda Soğuk Savaş döneminde olduğundan daha sağlıklı ve hareketli bir tartışma yaşanmaktadır. Bununla birlikte, realizm, son yıllarda haklı bir biçimde sorgulanmış olmasına ve Soğuk Savaş sonrası dönemde ortaya çıkan alternatif yaklaşımların, özellikle inşacılığın, uluslararası güvenlik konusundaki çağdaş yaklaşımların önemli bir parçasını oluşturmasına rağmen, realizm hem uluslararası ilişkiler çalışmalarında hem de pratiğinde güçlü bir yaklaşım olmaya devam etmektedir.

Кого интересует наша безопасность?

by Hanna Shelest

Зовнішні справи, 17.03.2012

The author analyzes problems in implementation and elaboration of the new security and military doctrines of Ukraine The author analyzes problems in implementation and elaboration of the new security and military doctrines of Ukraine

Terrorism, Security, and Liberty

by Eilidh Douglas

Dissertation written for the course of Advanced Higher Modern Studies whilst the author was a student at Carrick Academy, 2009.

Concentrating specifically on terrorism in the United Kingdom, this dissertation seeks not to answer the question of... more Concentrating specifically on terrorism in the United Kingdom, this dissertation seeks not to answer the question of security versus liberty, but to negate it. Using the judicial tests of necessity and proportionality, it assesses the case for the introduction of the recent counter-terrorism legislation, with comparison to existing criminal laws. It then turns to the treatment of terrorist suspects, to examine whether certain rights really are inalienable and universal, or whether exceptional circumstances determine differing prerogative. Finally, there is an examination of the everyday freedoms that terrorism legislation restricts, and an assessment of what extent the counter-terrorism measures themselves could pose a threat to democracy.

Mil-OSS WG3: Open Technologies for National Defense

by Michael Russell

Think open source technology (and the overriding security and information assurance needs of military customers) are mutually exclusive? Think again.

“Mil-OSS connects and empowers an active community of civilian and military open source software and hardware... more “Mil-OSS connects and empowers an active community of civilian and military open source software and hardware developers across the United States. This grassroots movement is a collection of diverse patriots that work for and with the Department of Defense and believe in adopting open technology innovation philosophies to effectively defend our nation.”

What security risks did Geoffrey Prime pose to GCHQ and what made his case so devastating to British security?

by Ericka Durgahee

A short paper on the affects Geoffrey Prime [a Russian spy] had on the modern intelligence society in Britain. A short paper on the affects Geoffrey Prime [a Russian spy] had on the modern intelligence society in Britain.

Threats Without Threateners? Exploring Intersections of Threats to the Global Commons and National Security

by Erik Nemeth

Co-authored with Gregory F. Treverton and Sinduja Srinivasan

View abstract at:  View abstract at:  http://www.rand.org/pubs/occasional_papers/OP360

Jose Padilla: Enemy combatant or common criminal

by Samantha Pitts-Kiefer

Enemy Combatant or Common Criminal?, 48 VILL

by Samantha Pitts-Kiefer

Biological Toxins: A Bioweapon Threat in the 21st Century

by Richard Sullivan

National security policy: BW

The last ten years have seen a resurgence in the socio-political focus on bio-logical weapons (BWs) as a result of a... more The last ten years have seen a resurgence in the socio-political focus on bio-logical weapons (BWs) as a result of a perceived increase in the threat from nation-state and terrorist quarters. The formation of the Ad Hoc Commit-tee, under the chairmanship of Ambassador Tibor Toth, to develop the 1975 Biological Weapons and Toxins Convention into a more effective and pragmatic international tool for combating the future threat of BWs has highlighted many issues, not least the difficulty of making informed threat assessments/risk stratifications in this field. There is also a vast corpus re-inforcing the potential of various microorganisms to be weaponized. The open literature has, by and large, focused on the hostile use of replicating biological agents: bacteria, viruses and rickettsiae. However, biological tox-ins have also been weaponized for assassination and mass destruction. The huge repertoire of biological toxins, coupled with their unique proper-ties, evolving developments in toxin biomedical research and the com-plexity of the associated science necessitate a balanced understanding of their peaceful uses and potential misapplication on the part of those in-volved in policy decisions within this area. This article concludes that threat assessments of toxins as potential BWs will require a network of interdisciplinary expertise that crosses traditional boundaries and areas of responsibilities, with access to classified and unrestricted information, in order to tackle the evolving asymmetry of capabilities and motivation.

National Security Policy (Politique de sécurité nationale)

by Jonas Hagmann

Published in: DCAF Backgrounder, 2005 (w/ James Stocker, David Law)
For Albanian, Arabic, Azerbaijani, Bosnian, Bulgarian, Croatian, French, Georgian, Macedonian, Portuguese, Romanian, Russian, Serbian, Spanish, Turkish and Ukrainian versions use weblink.

What is National Security Policy? Why do states need an NSP? What is the legal basis for an NSP? How is an NSP... more What is National Security Policy? Why do states need an NSP? What is the legal basis for an NSP? How is an NSP structured? How is an NSP formulated? What are the key challenges for an NSP? What are the key questions for formulating effective national security policy? How to implement an NSP? What are principles for an effective and democratic NSP?

Investering i kampfly bør afgøres af sikkerhedspolitisk strategi

by Jacob Barfoed

Published on the web magazine www.Indblik.nu (2008-12-16)

Debatten raser om hvorvidt Danmark skal købe nye kampfly til afløsning for de nuværende F16. Bertel Heurlin har på... more Debatten raser om hvorvidt Danmark skal købe nye kampfly til afløsning for de nuværende F16. Bertel Heurlin har på Indblik Nu argumenteret for, at forsvaret bør satse på en levetids-forlængelse af de nuværende kampfly, halvere antallet af operative kampfly og samtidig ud-skyde købet af nye. Major i Flyvevåbnet Jacob Barfoed savner den analyse af forsvarets frem-tidige mål og opgaver, som kan begrunde forslaget.

National and International Security at the Dawn of the XXIst Century: The Romanian Case

by Andrei Miroiu

The case for an Australian National Security Strategy

by Carl Ungerer

Mere Membership of a Banned Organisation Cannot Carry Criminal Liability

by Atli Stannard

Published in the Journal of Commonwealth Criminal Law (2011)

This case note examines the cases of Arup Bhuyan v. State of Assam [2011] INSC 100 (February 3, 2011) and Sri Indra... more This case note examines the cases of Arup Bhuyan v. State of Assam [2011] INSC 100 (February 3, 2011) and Sri Indra Das v. State of Assam [2011] INSC 125 (February 10, 2011), in the Supreme Court of India. It compares these with prior Indian cases, State of Kerala v. Raneef [2011] 1 S.C.A.L.E. 8 (Supreme Court of India, January 3, 2011), and contrasts them with the approach taken in Kartar Singh v. State of Punjab [1994] (3) S.C.C. 569 (Supreme Court of India). It briefly compares the Indian case law to the English and Welsh approach developed in R. v. Ahmed (Rangzieb) [2011] EWCA Crim. 184 (February 25, 2011).