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1541. Diamonds and War: State, Capital, and Labor in British Ruled Palestine

Author:
David De Vries
Publication Date:
04-2010
Content Type:
Book
Institution:
Berghahn Books
Abstract:
The mining of diamonds, their trading mechanisms, their financial institutions, and, not least, their cultural expressions as luxury items have engaged the work of historians, economists, social scientists, and international relations experts. Based on previously unexamined historical documents found in archives in Belgium, England, Israel, the Netherlands, and the United States, this book is the first in English to tell the story of the formation of one of the world’s main strongholds of diamond production and trade in Palestine during the 1930s and 1940s. The history of the diamond-cutting industry, characterized by a long-standing Jewish presence, is discussed as a social history embedded in the international political economy of its times; the genesis of the industry in Palestine is placed on a broad continuum within the geographic and economic dislocations of Dutch, Belgian, and German diamond-cutting centers. In providing a micro-historical and interdisciplinary perspective, the story of the diamond industry in Mandate Palestine proposes a more nuanced picture of the uncritical approach to the strict boundaries of ethnic-based occupational communities. This book unravels the Middle-eastern pattern of state intervention in the empowerment of private capital and recasts this craft culture’s inseparability from international politics during a period of war and transformation of empire.
Topic:
War, Military Strategy, Natural Resources, Labor Issues, State Violence, and Mining
Political Geography:
Britain, United Kingdom, Europe, Middle East, and Palestine

1542. Lessons Learned from Peace Operations in Africa

Author:
Paul D. Williams
Publication Date:
03-2010
Content Type:
Policy Brief
Institution:
Africa Center for Strategic Studies
Abstract:
There have been 40 peace operations deployed to 14 African states since 2000. To be successful, peace operations must be part of an effective political strategy and peace process, not a substitute for them. Policymakers need to move beyond a preoccupation with the number of personnel deployed for each mission and focus on what capabilities are needed to generate the desired political effects. Maintaining legitimacy is a crucial part of achieving success.
Topic:
Conflict Prevention, International Affairs, Military Strategy, Peacekeeping, and Military Affairs
Political Geography:
Africa

1543. The Politics of the Comprehensive Approach: The Military, Humanitarian and State-building Discourses in Afghanistan

Author:
Karsten Friis
Publication Date:
03-2010
Content Type:
Working Paper
Institution:
Norwegian Institute of International Affairs
Abstract:
Over the last years there has been an increasingly vocal call for improved coherence and coordination among the international community engaged in Afghanistan. Facing a surge in violence, limited developmental and economical progress and a corrupt and inept domestic political leadership, it is assumed that better coordination among the international actors will address many, if not all, these challenges.
Topic:
Humanitarian Aid, International Cooperation, International Affairs, Military Strategy, Foreign Aid, Counterinsurgency, Governance, and Peacekeeping
Political Geography:
Afghanistan

1544. Surprise is Inevitable; Vulnerability is Not: Improving the Defense Department's Readiness to Address Key Areas of Potential Surprise

Author:
Maren Leed, Hilary Price, and Tara Murphy
Publication Date:
06-2010
Content Type:
Working Paper
Institution:
Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS)
Abstract:
The Department of Defense's (DoD's) mission to protect the nation necessitates its leaders' concern about the military's readiness for a vast and expanding range of missions. These concerns are heightened in the midst of two ongoing campaigns in Iraq and Afghanistan and within the context of a world that is increasingly complex. To their credit, DoD leaders continue to seek insight from both inside and outside the department about areas of potential vulnerability; this study is one such effort.
Topic:
Military Strategy
Political Geography:
Afghanistan and Iraq

1545. Shaping the War in Afghanistan: The Situation in the Spring of 2010

Author:
Anthony H. Cordesman
Publication Date:
04-2010
Content Type:
Working Paper
Institution:
Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS)
Abstract:
The Taliban-led insurgency has the momentum...but additional effective counterinsurgency forces and operations will challenge them in select districts and provinces.
Topic:
Humanitarian Aid, War, and Military Strategy
Political Geography:
Afghanistan and Taliban

1546. Elections in Afghanistan

Author:
Yalım Eralp
Publication Date:
06-2010
Content Type:
Policy Brief
Institution:
Global Political Trends Center (GPoT)
Abstract:
Elections are being held in Afghanistan. The result will not change Afghan political landscape. As Obama said, the war was not one of choice but of necessity. Yet the Western project of building a unified Afghan nation and creating a modern state was a matter of choice. It has a very slim chance of succeeding. Today, it is better understood.
Topic:
Politics and Military Strategy
Political Geography:
Afghanistan and Taliban

1547. Understanding Military Innovation: Chinese Defense S in Historical and Theoretical Perspective

Author:
Thomas G. Mahnken
Publication Date:
09-2010
Content Type:
Policy Brief
Institution:
University of California Institute on Global Conflict and Cooperation (IGCC)
Abstract:
Given the high stakes involved in China's rise, both in Asia and globally, understanding the scope and pace of Chinese military modernization is an important undertaking. This brief applies insights from the theory and history of military innovation to the task of understanding China's development of anti-access and area denial capabilities and provides recommendations on how the United States can improve its ability to detect and recognize Chinese military innovation.
Topic:
International Relations and Military Strategy
Political Geography:
United States, China, Asia, and North America

1548. Does Doctrine Drive Technology or Does Technology Drive Doctrine?

Author:
Dennis Blasko
Publication Date:
09-2010
Content Type:
Policy Brief
Institution:
University of California Institute on Global Conflict and Cooperation (IGCC)
Abstract:
Within China's overall national strategy, priority goes to national economic development. How this fits with the PLA's needs to modernize and China's overall military strategy is driven by the concept of People's War that emphasizes strategy over technology and may hold some surprises for the United States.
Topic:
Military Strategy
Political Geography:
United States, China, and Asia

1549. China's Defense Electronics Industry: Innovation, Adaptation, and Espionage

Author:
James Mulvenon and Matthew Luce
Publication Date:
09-2010
Content Type:
Policy Brief
Institution:
University of California Institute on Global Conflict and Cooperation (IGCC)
Abstract:
Contrary to popular perceptions of China as either "technology thief" or "technology superpower," the success of the Chinese defense electronics sector can be attributed to a combination of indigenous innovation, adaptation of foreign technology, and large-scale technology espionage. Advanced defense electronics components and systems play a key role in this revolution in military capability, making it imperative to understand the strengths and weaknesses of the Chinese defense electronics industry and their implications for U.S. interests in the region.
Topic:
Economics, Science and Technology, and Military Strategy
Political Geography:
United States, China, and Asia

1550. The Changing Dynamics Behind China's Rise as a Military Technological Power

Author:
Tai Ming Cheung
Publication Date:
12-2010
Content Type:
Policy Brief
Institution:
University of California Institute on Global Conflict and Cooperation (IGCC)
Abstract:
The Minerva project on "The Evolving Relationship Between Technology and National Security in China" held a two-day workshop on the "Military and Geo-Strategic Implications of China's Rise as a Global Technological Power" in Washington, D.C., in November 2010. Presentations were given by academic experts Susan Shirk, Barry Naughton, Tai Ming Cheung and David Meyer (all from UC San Diego), Alice Miller (Stanford University), Bates Gill (Stockholm Peace Research Institute), and Thomas Mahnken (Naval War College). This brief provides a summary of the workshop findings.
Topic:
International Political Economy, Science and Technology, and Military Strategy
Political Geography:
China, Washington, and Asia