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442. NATO Decisionmaking: Au Revoir to the Consensus Rule?
- Author:
- Leo L Michel
- Publication Date:
- 08-2003
- Content Type:
- Working Paper
- Abstract:
- It should come as no surprise that North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) officials are fond of citing Mark Twain's retort to doomsayers that reports of his death were greatly exaggerated. Having survived many rough tests since its birth, the 54-year-old alliance is still working to recover from a bruising disagreement among its members over the decision by some to oust Saddam Hussein's regime. Its services, however, are still very much in demand: About 37,000 NATO-led military personnel remain on crisis management duty in the Balkans. NATO recently launched its first out-of- Europe operation, taking command of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Afghanistan. In July 2003, the Senate voted unanimously to encourage the Bush administration to seek help from NATO in Iraq. Several prominent Members of Congress and nongovernmental experts have called for a NATO peacekeeping mission between Israelis and Palestinians.
- Topic:
- Security, NATO, and International Organization
- Political Geography:
- Iraq, Europe, North Atlantic, Israel, and Balkans
443. Federalization of Foreign Relations: Discussing Alternatives for the Georgian-Abkhaz Conflict
- Author:
- Bruno Coppieters, Tamara Kovziridze, and Uwe Leonardy
- Publication Date:
- 10-2003
- Content Type:
- Working Paper
- Institution:
- Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs, Harvard University
- Abstract:
- Since its declaration of independence on April 1991, Georgia's sovereignty has been challenged by civil war and by secession attempts on the part of Abkhazia and South Ossetia. Negotiations on the reintegration of these two entities through federalization have failed. The Russian Federation, the United Nations (UN), and the Organisation for Security and Cooperation (OSCE) in Europe were involved in a series of negotiations on a federal division of powers between Georgia, Abkhazia, and South Ossetia, but these negotiations did not achieve practical results. The positions between the Georgian government and the Abkhaz authorities concerning the status of Abkhazia have been moving even further apart.
- Topic:
- Security and Politics
- Political Geography:
- Russia, Europe, Central Asia, Georgia, South Ossetia, and Abkhazia
444. Russia: Grasping Reality of Nuclear Terror
- Author:
- Simon Saradzhyan
- Publication Date:
- 03-2003
- Content Type:
- Working Paper
- Institution:
- Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs, Harvard University
- Abstract:
- The likelihood of a catastrophic terrorist attack against Russia is growing, as radical separatists in troubled Chechnya increasingly become more desperate, and security at many of Russia's civil nuclear facilities remains insufficient. They have already demonstrated their capability and willingness to inflict massive indiscriminate casualties by organizing an apartment bombing in the southern Russian city of Buinaksk. They have acquired radioactive materials, threatened to attack Russia's nuclear facilities, plotted to hijack a nuclear submarine, and have attempted to put pressure on the Russian leadership by planting a container with radioactive materials in Moscow and threatening to detonate it. These incidents occurred between 1994 and 1996, during Russia's first military campaign in Chechnya at a time when separatists were so overwhelmed and outmanned they believed that acts of terrorism employing nuclear, biological, and chemical (NBC) materials—if not weapons of mass destruction (WMD)—could be the only way to force Russian troops to retreat from Chechnya.
- Topic:
- Security, Nuclear Weapons, and Terrorism
- Political Geography:
- Russia, Europe, and Asia
445. Potential and Limits of the Pact of Stability for South East Europe: Prioritising Objectives
- Author:
- Plamen Pantev
- Publication Date:
- 02-2003
- Content Type:
- Working Paper
- Institution:
- Austrian National Defence Academy
- Abstract:
- The Pact of Stability for South East Europe was “born” after the end of the Kosovo crisis in 1999 as a concept of dealing radically with the Balkan instabilities, but also as a geopolitical compromise of the great power centres, involved in the treatment of the post-Yugoslav conflicts. The ripeness of launching this concept and policy had several dimensions: Most of the countries from South East Europe, especially those in transition to democracy and market economy, had a definite strategy of integrating in both the European Union and in NATO; A certain level of regional cooperation had already been reached in the years that preceded the Kosovo crisis in 1999; Influential external powers had already realised that the Balkans need to be treated in the long-term only in a benign way to overcome historical deficiencies and belated modernisation of the economy, society, politics, technology and infrastructure; The disgusting consequences of four post-Yugoslav wars – a development that did not happen to two other former federal structures in Central and Eastern Europe (the Czechoslovak and the Soviet) necessitated a comprehensive and encompassing approach to deal with the plethora of issues in the Balkans, and the EU gradually evolved to the understanding that an additional strategic instrument needs to be launched to cope with the risks and instabilities in the region of South East Europe on the way of its own expansion and of turning the Balkan Peninsula into an integral part of the Union.
- Topic:
- Security, NATO, Development, and International Cooperation
- Political Geography:
- Europe, Eastern Europe, Kosovo, and Balkans
446. What is the Outcome of the Stability Pact So Far?
- Author:
- Sabri Ergen
- Publication Date:
- 02-2003
- Content Type:
- Working Paper
- Institution:
- Austrian National Defence Academy
- Abstract:
- Let me start my words by quoting from a Security Sector Reform inventory (a gaps analysis paper) that just became available. It encompasses the target states of the Stability Pact. We commissioned this analysis from York University in Canada at the end of last year. We hope to release the project before the end of this year. The inventory is a living document to be updated as required and it contains over 400 entries. It is the largest database that exists in terms of security sector reform-related activities in the region.
- Topic:
- Security and International Cooperation
- Political Geography:
- Europe, Canada, and Eastern Europe
447. Free Movement of People, Goods, Services and Capital in View of the Context of Stability Pact
- Author:
- Mladen Stanicic
- Publication Date:
- 02-2003
- Content Type:
- Working Paper
- Institution:
- Austrian National Defence Academy
- Abstract:
- The Stability Pact is a strategic concept whose aim is to warrant long- term peace and stability in South-Eastern Europe. It is becoming an indispensable element of the global security structure which is currently being constructed in relations between the big powers, the USA, Russia and China, with the active participation of the United Nations, the European Union, international financial institutions and individual countries. As one of the sponsors of the pact, the European Union is keenly interested in stability and peace among its next-door neighbours, some of whom are covered by the pending eastern enlargement. This enlargement is intended to transcend centuries of civilisational and religious divisions in Europe, the causes of many political and armed conflicts in the past. The vision of Europe in the 21st century, reaching all the way to the borders of the former Soviet Union, is that of a multicultural community encompassing states with diverse civilisational, religious, ethnic and cultural characteristics.
- Topic:
- Security, Globalization, International Cooperation, and International Trade and Finance
- Political Geography:
- Russia, United States, China, Europe, and Eastern Europe
448. Regional Approach - An Obstacle or an Opportunity for an Early Integration of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Into the European Structures
- Author:
- Vladimir Bilandzic
- Publication Date:
- 02-2003
- Content Type:
- Working Paper
- Institution:
- Austrian National Defence Academy
- Abstract:
- I would have to start this presentation with a disclaimer. When I was kindly invited to give a perspective from Serbia on the issue we are discussing at this seminar, I told the organisers that my contribution could not be regarded as a representative one, since I work for an international organisation - the OSCE - in Belgrade. At the same time, I cannot claim that my views represent the views of the organisation I work for. So, what I am going to say are my personal views, based of course on my experience and research on Southeast European politics, especially in the countries of former Yugoslavia. Therefore, while apologising for not being in a position to give a more authoritative presentation, I will try to give a meaningful contribution on the subject, especially from a perspective of someone coming from Belgrade.
- Topic:
- Security, Foreign Policy, and International Cooperation
- Political Geography:
- Europe, Eastern Europe, and Yugoslavia
449. Regional Integration through the Stability Pact
- Author:
- Frederic Labarre
- Publication Date:
- 02-2003
- Content Type:
- Working Paper
- Institution:
- Austrian National Defence Academy
- Abstract:
- This paper attempts to argue that the current structure of relations in South East Europe (SEE) and in the Balkans in particular requires regional, or local, integration before any membership in greater bodies (like the European Union) can be considered.
- Topic:
- Security, International Cooperation, and International Organization
- Political Geography:
- Europe, Eastern Europe, and Balkans
450. The Role of the Media in the Regional Co-Operation
- Author:
- Drago Pilsel
- Publication Date:
- 02-2003
- Content Type:
- Working Paper
- Institution:
- Austrian National Defence Academy
- Abstract:
- The Role of the media in the Regional Co-operation in SEE is one of the crucial aspects of the Stability Pact for South East Europe, especially in the Democratisation and Human Rights Task Force. Without democratic institutions that work effectively and the democratic development of a state under the rule of law there can be no long-term economic development and prosperity. Equally, democratisation and non-discrimination are also fundamental preconditions for guaranteeing internal and external security. Democracy and Human Rights: Deep-rooted democratic habits and a vibrant civil society constitute the foundation upon which the achievement of the objectives of the Pact can be built.
- Topic:
- Security, Civil Society, Human Rights, and International Cooperation
- Political Geography:
- Europe and Eastern Europe
451. Minorities in the Context of Forced Displacement in the South East European Region
- Author:
- Udo Janz
- Publication Date:
- 02-2003
- Content Type:
- Working Paper
- Institution:
- Austrian National Defence Academy
- Abstract:
- The UN Special Rapporteur for the Sub-Commission on the Prevention of Discrimination and Protection of Minorities, F. Capotori, offered a formulation of a definition of minorities in 1979: a minority must be a "non-dominant" group; its members must possess "ethnic, religious or linguistic characteristics differing from those of the rest of the population", and they must also show, if only implicitly, a sense of solidarity, directed towards preserving their culture, traditions, religion or language".
- Topic:
- Security, Ethnic Conflict, International Cooperation, and Population
- Political Geography:
- Europe, Eastern Europe, and United Nations
452. The New Transatlantic Security Network
- Author:
- Chantal de Jonge Oudraat
- Publication Date:
- 07-2002
- Content Type:
- Working Paper
- Institution:
- Center for Transatlantic Relations
- Abstract:
- The United States and its European allies often found themselves at loggerheads in the 1990s. Disputes over arms control, peacekeeping operations in the Balkans, the environment, and the role of the United Nations (UN) were frequent. European governments repeatedly accused the United States of being disengaged and not living up to its responsibilities as a global power. When it did, they feared U.S. power and its disdain for multilateral approaches to international problems.
- Topic:
- Security, Terrorism, and United Nations
- Political Geography:
- United States, Europe, and Balkans
453. Iraq: The Transatlantic Debate
- Author:
- Philip H. Gordon
- Publication Date:
- 12-2002
- Content Type:
- Working Paper
- Institution:
- European Union Institute for Security Studies
- Abstract:
- Most Americans see the regime of Saddam Hussein as a major threat to regional and international security that must be thwarted, even if that means threatening or even using military force. If Saddam were to acquire nuclear weapons, they fear, he would seek to use them to dominate the Middle East, possibly invading his neighbours as he has in the past and perhaps deterring the United States from stopping him. His nuclear, biological or chemical weapons, moreover, might end up in the hands of Islamic terrorists who would show no compunction about using them against the United States, or Saddam himself might do so out of a thirst for vengeance. Whereas failure to act in Iraq would make a mockery of the United Nations Security Council and international law, a decisive action to topple Saddam would liberate the Iraqi people, allow the United States to lift sanctions on Iraq and withdraw its forces from Saudi Arabia, and perhaps make progress toward a freer and more democratic Middle East.
- Topic:
- Security and NATO
- Political Geography:
- United States, Iraq, Europe, Middle East, Saudi Arabia, and United Nations
454. Iraq: A European Point of View
- Author:
- Martin Ortega
- Publication Date:
- 12-2002
- Content Type:
- Working Paper
- Institution:
- European Union Institute for Security Studies
- Abstract:
- UNSC Resolution 1441 has given the Iraqi regime a last opportunity to abandon any WMD programmes. If Iraq does not comply fully with the resolution or if inspections show that Iraq is indeed hiding WMD, the Security Council will have to consider the situation and decide what measures must be taken to maintain international peace and security.
- Topic:
- Security and NATO
- Political Geography:
- Iraq, Europe, and Middle East
455. International Terrorism and Europe
- Author:
- Thérèse Delpech
- Publication Date:
- 12-2002
- Content Type:
- Working Paper
- Institution:
- European Union Institute for Security Studies
- Abstract:
- The events of 11 September moved all Europeans, but were never understood for what they really were: the return of war to the most developed societies. Thus, the emotion quickly gave way to the belief that an isolated event had taken place, or at least one that would not be repeated on the same scale. The entry of the Americans and their Afghan allies into Kabul a month after the first air strikes reinforced this belief. Even if the military operations in Afghanistan were far from over then, the Europeans, more so than the Americans – who at that time still had to cope with a biological attack – began to lose their focus. The first reason for that short-lived emotion is that 11 September, even when perceived as an attack on the entire Western world, had not happened in Europe. There is also a widespread refusal in Europe, after the turbulent history of the previous century, to admit that European territory might again be vulnerable to serious threats. Lastly, European leaders were anxious not to frighten their populations or to strain relations with the Muslim minorities living in Europe.
- Topic:
- Security, Religion, and Terrorism
- Political Geography:
- Afghanistan, America, Europe, and Kabul
456. Getting There: Building Strategic Mobility Into ESDP
- Author:
- Katia Vlachos-Dengler
- Publication Date:
- 11-2002
- Content Type:
- Working Paper
- Institution:
- European Union Institute for Security Studies
- Abstract:
- The commitment to create a credible military capability for Europe lies at the heart of European Security and Defence Policy (ESDP). A credible defence capability does not depend exclusively on sound armed forces but also on swift projection of these forces into theatres of operations. A European Rapid Reaction Force will be expected to be capable of intervening in any area where European interests are affected and to intervene rapidly enough to conduct effective crisis management.
- Topic:
- Security, Defense Policy, and NATO
- Political Geography:
- Europe
457. What model for CFSP?
- Author:
- Hans-Georg Ehrhart
- Publication Date:
- 10-2002
- Content Type:
- Working Paper
- Institution:
- European Union Institute for Security Studies
- Abstract:
- An opinion poll throughout Europe, conducted by Eurobarometer and released in July 2001, indicated increasing scepticism and indifference among Europeans towards the ongoing process of European integration. Following these findings, EU foreign ministers acknowledged 'that an abyss had opened up between European citizens and their institutions'.The citizens of the four largest member countries in particular are increasingly dissatisfied with the way in which the EU is run. Belgian Foreign Minister Louis Michel concluded that 'the link between the Union's objectives and the actions it takes through its policies is no longer clear'.
- Topic:
- Security, Religion, and Terrorism
- Political Geography:
- Europe
458. The United States: The Empire of Force or the Force of Empire?
- Author:
- Pierre Hassner
- Publication Date:
- 09-2002
- Content Type:
- Working Paper
- Institution:
- European Union Institute for Security Studies
- Abstract:
- There is no society or policy that does not have its contradictions, but some have more than others, and that is certainly true of the United States. Raymond Aron evoked a classic paradox in giving his book on the United States the title The Imperial Republic. That paradox has two aspects. Firstly, are the republic's institutions (which are designed to guarantee citizens' rights and a separation of powers) suited to the running of an empire, or are they prejudicial to the decision-making ability and continuity that that implies? Conversely, does not the expenditure on empire, in terms of resources and time, and in particular the methods used to acquire and preserve it, affect the economic, political and moral health of the republican homeland? These dilemmas are made even more acute since, on the one hand, this is not a classic empire, like that of Rome, but rather a bourgeois, individualist one based on the acquisition of wealth rather than the winning of wars and, on the other hand, this is the first truly world-wide empire and has appeared at a moment when the threats facing humankind raise key questions on the interests of the international system and the planet itself, over and above those of the 'hyperpower'.
- Topic:
- Security and Foreign Policy
- Political Geography:
- United States and Europe
459. From Candidate to Member State: Poland and the Future of the EU
- Author:
- Rafal Trzaskowski
- Publication Date:
- 09-2002
- Content Type:
- Working Paper
- Institution:
- European Union Institute for Security Studies
- Abstract:
- The official Polish position on the future of the European Union is characterised above all by:Continuity – there are no major differences between the previous centre-right government and the current social democratic one when it comes to the future of Europe.Evolution – the official Polish position on the future of Europe is evolving. At the outset it was very vague, cautious and sometimes even defensive, but with time it has become more concrete,less cautious and more constructive.
- Topic:
- Security
- Political Geography:
- Europe, Eastern Europe, and Poland
460. Enlargement and European Defence After 11 September
- Author:
- Pal Dunay, Jiri Sedivy, and Jacek Saryusz-Wolski
- Publication Date:
- 06-2002
- Content Type:
- Working Paper
- Institution:
- European Union Institute for Security Studies
- Abstract:
- The jury is still out on the extent to which 11 September has changed the concept – let alone the perception – of security. All the more so for European security at large, whose contours are still quite blurred. As for the European Union proper, 11 September has triggered a prompt response in the field of internal security, while the military reaction has been either channelled through NATO and the UN or managed individually (and bilaterally with the United States) by both member and applicant states. More indirectly, 11 September has increased the pressure towards enlargement by pushing for a faster and broader accession of the current candidates in order to further stabilise the Union's immediate neighbourhood: a quintessential case of security policy by other means, one is tempted to say, in line with a long tradition in the European integration process. Moreover, for similar reasons, the Atlantic Alliance, too, is likely to enlarge more quickly and more extensively than previously envisaged. Key decisions in those directions are to be taken in Prague (NATO) and Copenhagen (EU) later this year. For the Union, anyway, the endgame has already started. With it, the enlargement process will have come almost full circle: 'from Copenhagen to Copenhagen', so to speak, in just under ten years.
- Topic:
- Security and Foreign Policy
- Political Geography:
- United States, Europe, and United Nations