The Military Threat to Europe
To what extent does Russia pose a military threat to Europe today? A military threat is traditionally regarded as a combination of capabilities and intentions. However, capabilities are evolving slowly while intensions may change rapidly. Russia's military modernization over the last decade has particularly strengthened its non-strategic nuclear weapons, the precision guided missiles, and the Navy.
The Faiths for Forests Declaration and Action Agenda: Introduction and context
An introduction and contextualization of the newly launched Faiths for Forests Declaration, outlining current faith-based initiatives for environmental protection and conservation.
Radicalization behind bars: Lessons and challenges from Norway and the Netherlands
How can correctional institutions and the wider society prevent radicalization behind bars?
Breakfast seminar: How does China view the world economy?
We hear a lot about the slowing of China’s economic growth and the trade war with USA. How do Chinese researchers view the situation and what does it mean for other countries and Norway?
Theory Seminar: “Traditional” institutions and polity-building in Chechnya and Ingushetia
Dr Ekaterina Sokirianskaia, will present her book project on the situation in North Caucasus.
Stater og transnasjonale motstandsnettverk: Irans mobilisering av irakiske sjiamilitser etter 1979
The Islamic Republic of Iran has been building a transnational network of Shi’a militias since 1979, commonly referred to as its asymmetric warfare capability and ‘strategic depth’. While it is a known fact that Iran has mobilised Shi’a militias in other countries to strengthen its regional position, how they have done it has not received much scholarly attention. The objective of this paper is to explain this phenomenon by examining how Iran has mobilised Iraqi Shi’a militias since 1979. The selected cases are the mobilisation processes of three most prominent Shi’a militias in Iraq today: Badr Organisation, Asa’ib Ahl al-Haq, and Kata’ib Hizbullah. Although variation exists between them, they are all cases of Iran’s network of armed resistance groups, which have allowed it to engage in covert or indirect conflict intervention in the Middle East. To logically connect the empirical data with the study’s research question, I have used a case study research design, with process tracing and the semi-structured interview as methods for data collection. Furthermore, the empirical analysis has been guided by a theoretical framework that has attempted to build a bridge between the existing literatures on state-militia dynamics and contentious politics.
Improving nuclear strategic stability through a responsibility-based approach
This brief paper brings together several critical elements and key tenets of nuclear weapons policies and postures. There is an urgent need to find mechanisms that would help turn the world’s nuclear weapons capable states from their current increasingly perilous track and provide an incentive for countries to resume discussions on shared security interests. A vital contribution would be for states to agree a globally-shared definition of Nuclear Strategic Stability that accounts for the complexities of the world today. An equally immediate agreement and adoption of the proposed Code of Nuclear Responsibility would foster a responsibility-based approach.
How do revolutions begin, unfold and end?
To mark the establishment of the Centre of Historical International Politics (CHIP) at NUPI, we have the pleasure of inviting you to a talk with Dr George Lawson on ‘Anatomies of revolution’.