RUSI in the News 18 April - 24 April
Op-Eds
Obama must tread softly on Brexit dispute
Politicians who want Britain to get out of the EU are already crying foul. A letter signed by 100 MPs led by Mr Liam Fox, a former defence minister, reminds Mr Obama that "it has long been the established practice not to interfere in the domestic political affairs of our allies".
Jonathan Eyal for The Straits Times, 22 April
Russia will continue to taunt as long as US military is in Europe
President Vladimir Putin, who has never made any secret of his determination to reclaim his country's status as a global power, ordered his air force to resume Cold War-era patrols worldwide in August 2007, when long-range Russian bombers capable of carrying nuclear weapons suddenly appeared above the US Pacific territory of Guam.
Jonathan Eyal for The Straits Times,20 April
Britain's cliffhanger EU referendum
Cabinet ministers in London hope that, ultimately, voters will opt for the status quo, largely because the alternatives are too risky for Britain's economy.
But all acknowledge that the positive case for the EU has proven far harder to make, and that the British Prime Minister's political career will end abruptly should he fail to secure a "yes" vote in June.
Jonathan Eyal for The Straits Times, 18 April
How North Korea Gets Around UN Sanctions
Awareness of the deceptive and evasive practices used by North Korea and its associates must be raised substantially. In addition, information on these tactics must be regularly updated and repeatedly disseminated when North Korea inevitably begins to adapt to the new or modified restrictions adopted by the UN and its individual Member States
Andrea Berger for 38 North and The Diplomat, 21 April
Drones are not toys – they’re dangerous and they must be regulated
The explosion of drones has been fun. But now it’s time to get serious – better an exploding drone than an exploding plane.
Liz Quintana for The Telegraph 18 April
Broadcast
President Obama’s Visit to the UK
Karin von Hippel on Forces Radio, 21 April from 21 minutes.
Quoted in the Media
Cyber Security
World Energy Council: Cyber threat to world energy
If the situation deteriorated between the UK and Russia it’s feasible that the Russian state could encourage some of its non-state actors to act on its behalf. This is happening more broadly in terms of Ukraine.”
Ewan Lawson in City A.M 17 April, also in WiredGov, International Business Times, ITPropPortal
South Korea no 1 origin point for DDoS attacks
“It feels like it is in part a reflection of the networked nature of [South Korea] but there are other countries with similar degrees of penetration or greater.”
Ewan Lawson for SC Magazine, 21 April
NATO
"Creative Accounting" Used To Meet NATO Target, MPs Claim
Professor Chalmers suggested that these four areas accounted for an extra £2.2 billion in defence spending for 2015/16 - enough to lift the budget from its original projection of 1.97% GDP to 2.08% GDP.
Malcolm Chalmers in Forces.TV 21 April
Nato and Russia are finally back in business with each other - and the diplomatic victory is Russia's
In February, Russia’s ambassador to Nato, Grushko, addressed a London military think-tank, the Royal United Services Institute, in unusually conciliatory terms.
The Independent, 19 April
The Migrant Crisis
Border Force 'needs more ships' to tackle migrant boats
He also cited a report by the Royal United Services Institute and the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory, which said France had "20 times the number of resources per kilometre of coast".
BBC News, 21 April
The fight against Daesh
Leaked ISIS recruitment files reveal a 70-year-old, a beekeeper and a drug dealer are among its volunteers - but only one in 10 are willing to be suicide bombers
He said: 'It is a law enforcement gold mine. It means it might make it easier to prosecute those who have returned.
Shashank Joshi for The Daily Mail, 18 April
Jihadi suicide bombers V caliphate fanatics: ISIS is ripping itself APART from the inside
Dr Afzal added: “A split along leadership lines is less likely. But it is possible if a leader feels he is not getting enough airtime.
Afzal Ashraf for The Express, 23 April
Counter-terrorism
Border Security: How the US and Britain compare
Raffaello Pantucci, of the British think-tank the Royal United Services Institute, said US intelligence agencies take a more “vigorous, pro-active approach”, including extensive surveillance, to track down potential terrorist threats.
Raffaello Pantucci in The Telegraph, 19 April
The Arab Spring
Post-Arab Spring, Survey Shows Arab Youth Still Want Change
“They would rather work to reform the systems within which they live,” Michael Stephens, research fellow for Middle East studies at the Royal United Services Institute in London, told VOA via Twitter, “than completely collapse what exists and rebuild it with empty slogans.”
Michael Stephens in Voice of America, 21 April
Turkey and the Middle East
Ankara walking a tightrope amid ongoing crises.
Michael Stephens, a research fellow for Middle East Studies and head of the Qatar branch of the Royal United Services Institute think tank told the Post, "It appears the Turks have concluded that the best position for them is to balance between the Gulf States and Tehran, not fully committing to either side, yet seeking economic benefit from both."
Michael Stephens for The Jerusalem Post, 20 April 2016
Syria Crisis
Ceasefire reached between Kurds and Assad regime following heavy clashes in Qamislo
“PYD [Kurdish part] told me they believe the regime had begun to push its weight around, and were not respecting the informal arrangements which exist in the city,” Michael Stephens, head of the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) in Qatar told ARA News.
Michael Stephens for ARA News, 23 April
Events at RUSI
Reject isolationism Obama tells British young people
Addressing senior British officers and military experts at the Royal United Services Institute, General Robert “Abe” Abrams said: “I can look all of you who are not in uniform in the eye and tell you there is a special relationship between these two armies, the US and UK, and we are all committed, from my generation to the youngest generation, to sustaining that special relationship. We have fought together, time after time, and will do it again.”
The Express, 24 April
Week Ahead Political Diary: Emergency cover hit
The Royal United Services Institute (Rusi) holds: “The UK’s In-Out Referendum: Implications for EU Foreign and Defence Policy” at 1pm on Monday, a lecture by Lord Owen, former UK secretary of state for foreign and commonwealth affairs.
The Financial Times, 24 April
United Nations Secretary General frontrunner Vuk Jeremic says UN needs to modernise
He told the think tank on Thursday (21 April): "It is obvious that the current capacity of the United Nations to provide humanitarian relief, support and assistance in the face of recent crises has proven to be inadequate. I think it is evident that we haven't found yet sustainable solutions to the crises of this magnitude. As I was recently visiting refugee camps in the Middle East, I witnessed immense hopelessness and pain... I think we are not there yet," he said.
International Business Times, 21 April