1,720,967 research outputs found
Between Securitization and Secularisation: A Political Discourse Analysis on Members of Parliament in the British House of Commons and the Securitization of Islam and British Muslims.
Full text linkDissertation Abstract Ewan Gordon 20163085 The recent wave of Islamist-inspired terrorism throughout Britain, Europe, and the Western world, as well as the rise of the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria, has meant that the British Government has needed to respond to this security threat. One aspect of formulating a successful and effective security strategy is the political discourse which takes place amongst members of the elected Government when formulating the strategy to combat jihadist violence. This political discourse seeks to explain the current security context and to justify future security decisions. Thus, by understanding the foundational theoretical, philosophical, and political ideologies which underlie and influence this political discourse, future policy decisions can be better implemented. This dissertation examines the political discourse of British Members of Parliament in the House of Commons relating to the securitization of British Muslims and Islam between 2014-2017 in the context of both the recent wave of Islamist-inspired terrorism within Europe and the rise of the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria. The Parliamentary discourse of MPs is analysed through the political discourse framework advocated by Fairclough and influenced by Michal Foucault's concept of hegemonic "regimes of truth"...
The Science of the Indirect Approach in Modern War. Resurrection of an Art forgotten?
Full text linkThe science of the rndirect Approach in Modern war. Resurrection of an Art forgotten? PROLOGUE Previous to my successful enrollment in this post-graduate programme, I had the opportunity of studying Business Administration as an undergraduate student. Besides learning about finance, accounting and marketing, all our professors were always straining to instill to us that the most imporlant element of an enterprise are its people. Stan-up'business taking smart decisions could become giants in the international arena of commerce within very short periods of time whereas giant enterprises could very easily file for bankruptcy despite all their financial prowess. It was a paradox left insolvent to my curious mind until I came across the same phenomenon in the conduct of warfare, during this post-graduate programme. History offered many examples in which great armies, technologically and logistically superior were defeated by smaller and inferior opponents. As such, my interest in studying this paradox grew exponentially due to the factthatl come from a very small country, Cyprus which has been in conflict with a superior adversarv- Turkey, for almost half a century now. Could it be possible that my country's national problem be solved through the application of this Indirect Approach method, if the situation..
Geostrategické sázky na sebeurčení: Srovnávací studie Západní Sahary a iráckého Kurdistánu
No full textABSRACT The issue of secessionism, as one constituent of the right to self-determination, is complex, and somehow paradoxical. On the one hand, it seems to pattern the process of decolonisation that happened in the 20th Century, while paradoxically emerging from it. On the other, separatist groups legitimate their battles on the ground of past sovereignty as understood in their own cultural reality. Yet, they do not seek a structural change of the current international legal frame, but rather, are fighting for recognition of their independence within that existing structure. Thus, the very Western-centred concept of territorial nation-state acts simultaneously as an obstacle to and a motive for secessionist claims. This triggers a sort of vicious cycle, where independence would be rarely granted, as it risks disturbing the international status quo, while the structure in which the status quo is built, highly inspires secessionist groups. Furthermore, the importance to maintain the status quo reveals the very strategic essence of secessionist claims, contributing to a fundamental lack of practical tools regarding the settlement of secessionist claims. These numerous paradoxes are illustrated in this dissertation with a comparative study between Western Sahara and the Iraqi Kurdistan: more than having a...Department of Security StudiesKatedra bezpečnostních studiíFakulta sociálních vědFaculty of Social Science
The Geostrategic Stakes of Self-Determination: A Comparative Study of Western Sahara and the Iraqi Kurdistan
No full textABSRACT The issue of secessionism, as one constituent of the right to self-determination, is complex, and somehow paradoxical. On the one hand, it seems to pattern the process of decolonisation that happened in the 20th Century, while paradoxically emerging from it. On the other, separatist groups legitimate their battles on the ground of past sovereignty as understood in their own cultural reality. Yet, they do not seek a structural change of the current international legal frame, but rather, are fighting for recognition of their independence within that existing structure. Thus, the very Western-centred concept of territorial nation-state acts simultaneously as an obstacle to and a motive for secessionist claims. This triggers a sort of vicious cycle, where independence would be rarely granted, as it risks disturbing the international status quo, while the structure in which the status quo is built, highly inspires secessionist groups. Furthermore, the importance to maintain the status quo reveals the very strategic essence of secessionist claims, contributing to a fundamental lack of practical tools regarding the settlement of secessionist claims. These numerous paradoxes are illustrated in this dissertation with a comparative study between Western Sahara and the Iraqi Kurdistan: more than having a..
Exile, safe havens and rear bases:external sanctuaries and the transnational dimension of late colonial insurgencies and counter-insurgencies
No full textScholars have increasingly turned their attention to the transnational dimensions of late colonial insurgencies. Their research has helped shed new light on the diplomatic activities of anti-colonial movements, the responses of the international community of states, and the role of non-state solidarity movements both East and West of the Iron Curtain and in the nascent ‘Third World’. Few, however, have examined the other ways in which liberation movements used external places and spaces to further their strategic goals, or the manner in which the transnational dimension of late colonial insurgencies affected counter-insurgent strategies. This chapter seeks to address this gap in our understanding of colonial insurgencies and counter-insurgencies. It will do so by (a) examining how anti-colonial movements made use of external exile, safe havens and rear bases in order to aid and abet internal insurgent action, and (b) assessing how these activities encumbered colonial counter-insurgency efforts. The chapter will focus primarily on the Algerian war of independence, which became a model for subsequent liberation struggles. It will situate the Algerian case study within a wider framework in order to identify patterns in practice. Ultimately, the chapter will argue that resort to external sanctuary proved a vital asset to the survival and success of many liberation movements during the late colonial era
Exposing the ‘paradoxical citizenship’: French authorities’ responses to the Algerian presence in Federal Germany during the Algerian war (1954-62)
No full textMyth or reality? The Red Hand and French covert action in Federal Germany during the Algerian war, 1956-1961
No full textDuring the Algerian war of independence (1954–62), Federal Germany became the theatre of a series of unexplained bombings and shootings that targeted Algerian nationalists and German arms dealers. At the time, these crimes were attributed to the Red Hand, a counter-terrorist organization or parallel secret service with a mission to defeat the enemies of l’Algérie française. This article argues that the attacks on West German territory were executed neither by vigilantes nor by renegade agents. Instead, they were carried out by the French foreign intelligence service SDECE with the full approval of the highest political authorities in Paris. Using the case of Federal Germany as an example, this article seeks to reveal how and why covert action – including state-sanctioned murder – became an integral and important part of the Algerian war, particularly of France's campaign to undermine the Algerian rebels' efforts to procure military and non-military supplies. The article will show that the Red Hand served merely as a cover to detract from the state's resort to such violent and criminal means
People's war and wars of decolonisation
No full textThe wars of decolonisation in Africa were contested by national liberation movements that, to varying degrees, all modelled their insurgencies on leftist theories of people’s war. At the same time, however, African national liberation movements never followed the precepts set out by the theorists of people’s war in any slavish manner. Instead, they adapted these precepts to local conditions and needs. Drawing on examples ranging from the Algerian war of independence to the armed struggle of the African National Congress against Apartheid, this chapter explores the strategic practice of a disparate group of insurgent movements that sought to end decades and more of colonial and white minority rule in Africa. Focusing on their objectives, means, methods and priorities, the chapter argues that people’s war was an important guiding principle for African liberation movements, one from which they drew key lessons. Yet it never represented an immutable blueprint for victory
The Telefunken affair and the internationalization of the Algerian war 1957-1959
No full textBetween 1957 and 1959 the West German company Telefunken and the Bonn government became prime targets in the French army's campaign against the Front de Libération Nationale's (FLN) efforts to establish communications networks. To the French military, the prevention of sales of Telefunken equipment to the FLN or its allies constituted a matter of strategic importance. To the Germans, it was an act of economic protectionism that exposed France's continued misgivings of Germany. The problem exerted a considerable strain between Paris and Bonn, and even threatened to harm German-Arab relations. The Telefunken affair thus highlights the Algerian war's international ramifications. It further reveals the responsibility of the French military in the internationalisation of that war
West Germany, Cold War Europe and the Algerian War
No full textAn illuminating and provocative account of Germany's role as sanctuary for Algerian nationalists during their fight for independence from France between 1954 and 1962. The book explores key issues such as the impact of external sanctuaries on French counterinsurgency efforts; the part played by security and intelligence services in efforts to eliminate these sanctuaries; the Algerian War's influence on West German foreign and security policy; and finally, the emergence of West German civic engagement in support of Algeria's independence struggle, which served to shape the newly independent country's perception of its role and place in international society. Mathilde Von Bulow sheds new light on the impact of FLN activities, the role of anti-colonial movements and insurgencies in the developing world in shaping the dynamics of the Cold War, as well as the manner in which the Algerian War was fought and won
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