Regions

Human Rights In The Middle East: Questions Of Compatibility And Conflict

Rebecca Devitt • Mar 30 2011 • Essays

The fact that the debate over whether Islam and human rights discourse are compatible is an example of how states in the Middle East continue to go through a transitional phase in regard to reforming laws and policies which infringe upon peoples rights. Post election violence in Iran and Iraq suggests that there is still a long way to go in terms of securing peace in security in the region.

Does the European Union have a strategic culture?

Angeliki Mitropoulou • Mar 29 2011 • Essays

The European Union does not currently have a strategic culture, but it is in a process of creating one and putting it into practice. But the real question is whether the European Union has the capacity to transition from a civilian to a strategic actor, by developing a concrete strategic culture and a higher level of autonomy for the EU regarding security and defence issues

Can the West build states in countries like Afghanistan?

Harry Booty • Mar 28 2011 • Essays

The War in Afghanistan is now in its tenth year. The conflict has diversified as it has developed, evolving from a purely military confrontation against the Taliban to a multi-faceted state building and humanitarian operation in an attempt to defeat the resurgent insurgency and stabilise the Afghan state on a sufficiently pro-Western model.

To what extent was the US military’s attitude towards the media during the 1991 Gulf War a product of its experience in Vietnam?

Maciej Osowski • Mar 27 2011 • Essays

The minds and hearts of US citizens were lost because the media coverage of the Vietnam War, watched in millions of American homes, was uncensored, straightforward and highlighted all the cruelties of the conflict. The media coverage of the 1991 Gulf War was entirely different.

The food crisis: its causes and consequences

Andrey Alexakha • Mar 24 2011 • Essays

The English revolution in the middle of the 17th Century, the French revolution at the end of the 18th Century, and the Russian revolution at the beginning of the 20th Century— all were revolutions of the same nature.Similarly, there is no doubt that the 2011 Arab Spring has been provoked by a food crisis. But the food crisis does not only influence the Middle East. In India and Bangladesh revolution is inevitable.

Is cosmopolitain democracy desirable and feasible?

James Sloan • Mar 21 2011 • Essays

Politically, the EU is far off from being a cosmopolitan polity. This comes down to the fact that political participation does not cross borders. State sovereignty still plays a crucial part in the make up of the EU. Yet, there is a fundamental issue here. Increased democratic functions would need to occur before ever the mildest of David Held’s proposals could become reality.

US Missile Defence and Space Security: a Security Dilemma for China?

Charles R. Lister • Mar 18 2011 • Essays

The Chinese reaction to U.S. BMD and space security policy has emphasized the crucial importance of dialogue and economic engagement. Conscious of history’s rising powers being profoundly threatening and violent, China has been keen to stress its ‘peaceful rise’ as a ‘responsible great power.’

How far has the Palestinian ‘right of return’ been the main obstacle to the peace process since 1993?

anon • Mar 14 2011 • Essays

Drenched in controversy, very few topics inspire such heated historical debate as to why the Palestinian people find themselves displaced and in a state of constant limbo. A failure to address the right of return has provided some groups with a motive to derail the peace plan at all costs.

What role does religion play in Hamas’ political behaviour?

Maciej Osowski • Mar 14 2011 • Essays

This essay argues that religion plays a crucial role in Hamas’ political behaviour. Hamas established its identity around Islam when the organisation was being created and today it places Islam in the centre of its political actions. Yet Hamas remains a political organisation at a relatively high level of development, and it uses selected religious elements depending on what it deems profitable in any given political situation.

Cultural awareness and counterinsurgency in Afghanistan

Charles R. Lister • Mar 11 2011 • Essays

The current campaign in Afghanistan has lasted for over nine years and the Taliban has grown into a formidable insurgency. This paper explains why a lack of cultural awareness condemns counterinsurgency operations to almost certain defeat, and explores the implications for the campaign in Afghanistan.

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