Offense-Defense Theory and the absence of war on the Korean peninsula
This essay argues that the absence of a major war between North (DPRK) and South Korea (ROK) does not disprove the offense-defense theory (ODT) because the theory is capable of explaining the prevalence of peace under conditions when the defense has the advantage.
Al-Qaeda and the success of US intelligence
The year 1989 will remain in a global history as direct beginning of Soviet Union’s collapse which was finalized in the 1991. This year will also stay in world remembrance as a founding date of probably best known terrorist organization – Al-Qaeda. How well has US intelligence performed against this threat?
Hamas in Power
Hamas, ‘Harakat al-Muqawama al-Islamiyya’ (The Islamic Resistance Movement), has evolved over time from its humble beginnings as a faction of the Muslim Brotherhood, to an arguably legitimate political body, controlling much of the occupied Palestinian territories. This paper will reflect on the key factors in its development and features of the movement, and will conclude with a discussion of Hamas’ future as both an agent of armed struggle and a legitimate political body.
‘Don’t Ask Don’t Tell’ and military defiance of civilian control
When president Clinton sought to allow homosexuals to join the US military, the American officer corps was so outraged that it even made the dispute public. The only word that describes such explicit military resistance to civilian preferences is disobedience. This essay seeks to establish how the military found public support and claimed legitimacy for its open defiance of civilian control.
Entitlement to Eat: Explaining the Ukraine Famine of 1932-1933
Scholars do not agree on the causes of the Ukrainian Famine of 1932-1933, popularly known as the Holodomar (“murder by hunger”). Recent research suggests Stalin used “food as a weapon” to subdue Ukrainian national movements. This analysis poses significant challenges to the existing larger body of famine scholarship.
Revisiting the Water Wars Theory: How Reasonable States Really Are
Do states go to war due to resource competition? Or, do states seek settlements that reflect their long-term interests? Cross-tabulating data from the Issues Correlates of War dataset and Peter H. Gleick’s Event Intensity Scale shows that states seek negotiated settlements.
What is the difference between counter-insurgency and counter-terrorism?
The difference between counter-terrorism and counter-insurgency is simple: counter-terrorism focuses more narrowly on combating the tactics and strategy of terrorism and those who employ it, while counter-insurgency is a broader category of responses to political violence carried out by minority groups, both terroristic and otherwise.
The Israeli use of Economic Peace as a Peace Building Tool for the Occupied Palestinian Territories
Israel’s pursuit of economic peace is, in reality, a policy of economic pacification. There is a real danger that Economic Peace can be used to frame peace-building away from political diplomacy. Neglecting the political aspects of peace building and favouring economic pacification will only lead to a resurgence of violence in the future.
Does Terrorism Pose a Real Threat to Security?
Terrorism has become the most prominent security issue of the early 21st century and the response of western states to its dangers has also been highly controversial. Terrorism has existed since 66AD with the sicarii in Palestine whose activities “would qualify them as terrorists”. There are also many types of security with traditional and new security having differing views on where the emphasis of security should lie and what security actually is
Fool’s Gold or Credible Defense?
The creation of nuclear weapons at the end of World War II has created a conundrum for military planners and policy makers around the globe. How do you construct a model for defense against nuclear weapons? Beginning in the early 1960’s until the present day, policy makers around the globe have crafted a number of missile defense systems to attempt to counter nuclear weapons deployments. The results have been mixed.
