Commentary

Tobias FeakinSeptember 2011 - 10 Years of a 'Morphing Threat' Since the 9/11 attacks, the group responsible has lost its main leader, decentralised itself but has kept its message alive. Western governments should continue to pursue the omnipresent threat, but it should deal lightly with the message itself - which is adequately being challenged organically by the Arab Spring.
12 Sep 2011
911 reading listThe 9/11 Reading List Reviews of key books on issues emerging from the attacks of 11 September 2001
10 Sep 2011
wikileaksWikileaks and the Unintended Consequences of Freedom of Information. Wikileaks' recent foray back into the headlines has exposed an organisation that is driven more by a dangerous determination to monopolise the public debate, rather than a genuine interest to inform it.
7 Sep 2011
Michael ClarkeThe 9/11 Decade and the Challenges Ahead Professor Michael Clarke, Director-General, RUSI, outlines the milestones of the last decade since the attacks of 11 September 2001.
4 Sep 2011
EspositoPost 9/11 and the Need for a New Narrative in West-Muslim World Relations American and European policymakers need to construct a new foreign policy framework and narrative if they are to improve the fractured relationship with the Muslim world after 9/11.
6 Sep 2011
Stephen FidlerThe Limits of American Might By Stephen Fidler, Wall Street Journal
Most people outside the US failed to understand how 9/11 was a shock to the American psyche. Now after two wars and a financial crisis the supremacy of US power is being questioned more than ever.
2 Sep 2011
Aaron FriedbergThe Lost Opportunity of Countering China By Professor Aaron L Friedberg
After 9/11 US policy planners turned their attention away from hypothetical conflicts in Asia to the real wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. A decade on, defence planners find themselves fiscally constrained in the West as China continues its military growth.
2 Sep 2011
Jack SpenceA Decade of Change? By Professor Jack Spence
There is something new and distinctive in the the way the West has responded to the 'new' threats of international terrorism but it is not a fundamental shift.
2 Sep 2011
John NaglHow the US learned counterinsurgency By Lt Col John Nagl
After learning painful lessons in Iraq and Afghanistan, the US has become the most capable counterinsurgency force in history.
2 Sep 2011
marcus tannerThe Forgotten Balkans By Marcus Tanner
The last decade has seen the security concerns of the Balkans dwarfed in comparison to Afghanistan and Iraq, although progress has been made in the region there are still deep divisions.
2 Sep 2011
RIchard DowdenThe West and East Approach to Africa after 9/11 By Richard Dowden, Director of the Royal African Society
Parts of Africa have become zones of interest for the US, but its focus on military operations might be counter-productive. Instead the decision by China to focus on resources and commerce could prove far greater in significance.
2 Sep 2011
Tim ButcherPost-9/11 Intervention in Africa The last decade has seen more Western military involvement in Africa than in the 1990s but policy-makers remain reluctant to become involved in Africa's internal problems.
2 Sep 2011
Sir David OmandHow the UK managed counter-terrorism after 9/11 By Sir David Omand, UK Security and Intelligence Co-ordinator
The development of an effective UK counter-terrorism strategy after 9/11 has shown a distinctive British approach to security which has succeeded in managing threats to the UK and interests abroad.
2 Sep 2011
Anne-Marie SlaughterThe End of Twentieth-Century Warfare By Professor Anne-Marie Slaugther
The way the US is choosing to fight its wars is changing; no longer can states 'win wars' using traditional methods of warfare.
2 Sep 2011
Palestine at the UNImplications of the veto: Why rejecting Palestinian statehood is bad for the US and Israel The expected veto of Palestine's request for statehood in September could spur impetus amongst Palestinians towards a third intifada, if not catalyse it. This potentially has serious implications for the United States and Israel who, in light of the Middle East's current volatile climate, may be better off accepting the imminent bid.
1 Sep 2011
Computer keyboardThe Green Counter-revolution: Iran steps up its digital offensive A new eavesdropping attack on Iranian GMail users suggests that the Islamic Republic is stepping up its digital offensive against dissidents. But Iran is not unique - it is just ahead of the curve. There is no simple response for Western governments.
1 Sep 2011
Libya Rebels BlastReasons to be cautiously optimistic about post-Qadhafi Libya Dire warnings of marauding rebels soaking Tripoli's streets with blood have simply not materialised, and are unlikely to do so. We should beware of unduly inflating the ghosts of Islamism, tribal factionalism and the chaos of Baghdad haunting the new Libya.
24 Aug 2011
Libya Arming RebelsCurious victory for NATO in Libya Few dispute the assertion that NATO jets enabled Libyan rebels to come knocking on Qadhafi's door in Tripoli. But as he falls, it will be difficult to avoid the conclusion that NATO emerges from this successful operation weaker than it went into it.
23 Aug 2011
United NationsTime for a Permanent United Nations Prevention Force? The desperate situation in East Africa once again highlights the potential utility of a permanent United Nations intervention force. The idea has resonance at a time of austerity, when nations are actively considering a pooling of defence resources.
25 Aug 2011
Law of the SeaThe Case for America joining the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea The United States is still not party to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, fifteen years after the treaty became operational. Though this has been driven by internal concerns about losing sovereignty, an opportunity now presents itself for the US to enhance its maritime interests by joining the Convention.
19 Aug 2011
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