University of Washington Institute for National Security Education and Research (UW INSER)

Workshop on War and Democracy

2008-03-20T10:49:00.000-07:00

On March 2–3, 2008, INSER supported a workshop at the UW focused on the effects of war on liberal democracy. "War and Democracy: The Domestic Political Consequences of International Conflict" was organized by professors of political science Elizabeth Kier, University of Washington, and Ronald Krebs, University of Minnesota. The workshop brought together an interdisciplinary group of political scientists, historians, sociologists, and law professors to focus on three questions: How does war shape the transition to and durability of democracy? How does war influence the structures of democratic governance? And how does war influence associational life and collective action? The workshop also included reflections on the balance between security and liberty and on the future of war and liberal democracy. The organizers have contacted presses about publishing an edited volume of the workshop papers, tentatively entitled In War’s Wake: International Conflict and the Fate of Liberal Democracy, and the following have agreed to review the manuscript for publication: Cambridge University Press, Oxford University Press, MIT University Press, and the Security and Governance series at Routledge Press.

International Rivalry Lecture from February

2008-03-17T14:03:00.000-07:00

On February 22, 2008, Christopher Darnton spoke on "Overcoming International Security Rivalry: Argentine-Brazilian Rapprochement in Comparative Perspective." Darnton asked: "Under what conditions do countries engaged in a security rivalry with one another set aside their legacy of hostility and begin to cooperate?" Conventional wisdom in international relations theory holds that a common foe is the most likely source of cooperation between adversaries, but we know little about the mechanisms through which this factor is likely to matter, the degree and stability of cooperation it is likely to produce, or the circumstances under which its effects will most strongly be felt. Darnton derives alternative hypotheses from realism and constructivism and tests these against an argument emphasizing the parochial interest of state security agencies in a position to veto cooperation. Darnton argues that the global and bipolar nature of the Cold War provides a potential common threat for rival countries that line up against the same superpower, and he examines the evolution of rivalries among Western Bloc countries from 1945 to 1989. After discussing the relevant theories and an overview of rivalries during the Cold War, Darnton presented a structured, focused comparison of four attempts at bilateral cooperation between Argentina and Brazil, rivals from the colonial era until finally achieving rapprochement in 1980. This analysis draws on interviews with foreign policy analysts and practitioners in both Argentina and Brazil as well as on published primary and secondary sources in English, Spanish, and Portuguese obtained from more than five months of fieldwork in South America.

See the full report at http://cluster.ischool.washington.edu/caenser/Documents/darnton.htm.

Nuclear Defusing talk from January

2008-03-17T10:49:00.000-07:00

On January 25, 2008, Emanuel Adler spoke on “Damned if You Do, Damned if You Don't: Performative Power and the Strategy of Conventional and Nuclear Defusing.” Prof. Adler’s work seeks to initiate a new round of strategic intellectual innovation in an era when threats posed by non-state terrorist organizations and their state supporters do not resemble Cold War threats. Based on an interpretative sociological reading of the concepts of power, security, and rationality, it argues that a “damned if you do, damned if you don’t” dilemma is to the post–Cold War era what the danger of surprise or unintended nuclear war was to the Cold War: the defining structural threat of international politics. The dilemma leaves states confronting asymmetrical warfare with the choice of reacting with force to a terrorist act or practicing appeasement. Neither approach, however, can achieve the goal of putting an end to terrorism. Deterrence sustains the dilemma by providing a rationale for why force should be used and self-restraint is irrational. Adler proposes a third option—defusing, which may be accomplished by denial (preventing provocateurs from dragging states into the use of force) and “restructuration” (transforming the structure and rules of the situation). Defusing relies on “performative power”—the capacity to project a dramatic and credible performance on the world stage and to decouple social actors, their audiences, and their most deeply held strategic beliefs. The force of the argument is illustrated by examples from the global war on terror, the 2006 Lebanon War, and the Iranian nuclear crisis. See the full report at http://cluster.ischool.washington.edu/caenser/Documents/adler.htm

January Lecture on Nuclear Logic

2008-03-17T10:02:00.000-07:00

On January 11, 2008, Etel Solingen spoke on “Nuclear Logics: Contrasting Paths in East Asia and the Middle East.” Solingen’s talk was based on her most recent book: Nuclear Logics: Alternate Paths in East Asia and the Middle East, published by Princeton University Press (2007), in which she examines why some states seek nuclear weapons while others renounce them. Looking closely at nine cases in East Asia and the Middle East, Solingen finds two distinct regional patterns. In East Asia, the norm since the late 1960s has been to forswear nuclear weapons, and North Korea, which makes no secret of its nuclear ambitions, is the anomaly. In the Middle East, the opposite is the case, with Iran, Iraq, Israel, and Libya suspected of pursuing nuclear-weapons capabilities, with Egypt as the anomaly in recent decades. The full report is at http://cluster.ischool.washington.edu/caenser/Documents/solingen.htm

Upcoming Lecture

2008-03-04T10:18:00.000-08:00

On Friday, March 7, 2008, the Department of Political Science (a partner of INSER) will host Stephen E. Hanson (University of Washington Boeing International Professor of Political Science and Director, Ellison Center for Russian East European and Central Asian Studies), who will speak on “Ideology, Uncertainty, and Democracy: Party Formation in the Third Republic France, Weimar Germany, and Post-Soviet Russia.” The event will take place at 9:30 am to noon and from 2:30 to 5:00 pm, Gowen 1A.

Talk on Friday

2008-02-26T17:05:00.000-08:00

Reminder: February 29, 2008, Scott Gartner of University of California, Davis, will speak in the UWISC series on the psychological costs of the war on its participants: "Suicide and Fragging: Strategy and Military Dysfunction." The talk will take place in 317 Thompson Hall at Noon.

Afghani Students at Evans School

2008-02-22T09:41:00.000-08:00

The Daniel J. Evans School of Public Affairs, a partner of INSER, is welcoming as many as 21 government and nonprofit officials from Afghanistan to study public administration and policy. The students are pursuing Master of Public Policy and Administration (MPPA) degrees at Kabul University and work for organizations including the Afghan Ministries of Justice, Finance, and the Interior; Afghan National Assembly; and the United Nations.

Over the next three months, these students will pursue intensive studies in leadership, management, and international development and relations, leveraging the Evans School’s strengths in program development and evaluation, public/private/nonprofit partnerships, strategic management, and public policy. They will have the opportunity to learn first hand from public and nonprofit professionals and will work with Evans School faculty members to begin their master’s theses.

The Evans School hosts this program in partnership with the Afghan eQuality Alliances Program, a Global Development Alliance sponsored by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) through a cooperative agreement with Washington State University. The program is managed by Sanjeev Khagram, associate professor of public affairs and international studies (and member of the INSER Strategic Planning Committee), and Shannon Mills, director of executive education at the Evans School.

Talks Coming Up

2008-02-22T09:16:00.000-08:00

Reminder:
Friday, February 22: Christopher Darnton, PhD candidate, Dept. of Politics, Princeton, will speak on “Overcoming International Security Rivalry: Argentine-Brazilian Rapprochement in Comparative Perspective” (Gowen 1A, 12:00–1:30 pm).
Saturday, February 23: Afrassiabi Distinguished Lecturer, Barbara Slavin, will speak on “Missed Opportunities Between Iran and the United States and the Way Ahead” (Kane 120, 7:00 pm).

Mike Eisenberg joins INSER SPC

2008-02-19T16:47:00.000-08:00

INSER is pleased and excited to announce that we have a new member of the Strategic Planning Committee. The considerable knowledge and experience of Mike Eisenberg, Dean Emeritus of the Information School, will be tremendous assets in developing INSER and its programs.

Jewish Studies Symposium

2008-02-19T15:36:00.000-08:00

February 24–25, 2008: The Simpson Center will host a 2-day symposium, "Sovereigns and Subjects: Jewish Political Thought and Experience in the 20th Century," at UW Hillel (4745 17th Ave NE). Details: http://depts.washington.edu/uwch/projects_jewishpoliticalthought.htm.

"Pakistan's Best Chance"

2008-02-15T13:44:00.000-08:00

On February 13th 2008, more than 100 people heard Wendy Chamberlin, former Ambassador to Pakistan, speak at Seattle University on the combustible state of Pakistan today and on the relationship it has with the United States. Ambassador Chamberlin discussed the many challenges that Pakistan currently faces, many of which have been exacerbated by the US policy enacted in that region. While the United States had excellent policies the first 1 to 2 years after the terrorist attacks of September 11th, Chamberlin remarked that the state of Pakistan has evolved over the years, and therefore US policy needs to be adjusted accordingly. The most important factor concerning the US-Pakistan relationship is its efforts toward combating terrorism. President Pervez Musharraf has been recognized by the Bush administration as a key and indispensable ally on the war on terror. However, this high esteem in which he is held has been criticized by some to be the US focusing more on the war on terror rather than upholding our vision and values of democracy. Chamberlin also touched on US unilateralism in the war on terror in Pakistan and how that is damaging our relationship with the Pakistanis. She stated that the US leaders should stop criticizing the Pakistani army’s help and should act more as a partner. The point Ambassador Chamberlin stressed most was that in order to win the war on terror in Pakistan, we must win the support of the local people, and the US’s relationship with Pakistan should be with the people of Pakistan. This event was co-sponsored by INSER, the World Affairs Council, and Seattle University.

Notice of new INSER Director

2008-02-13T16:39:00.000-08:00

The UW Institute for National Security Education and Research (INSER) is pleased to announce that, effective February 14, 2008, Dr. Jeffrey Y. Kim, faculty in the Information School, is the new Director of INSER. Jeff Kim has been an instrumental part of INSER since its inception; he was previously Deputy Director of INSER. Kevin Desouza will continue in his role as a faculty member at the Information School and as Director of the Institute for Innovation in Information Management at the University of Washington.

Evans School Lecture Next Week

2008-02-13T09:20:00.000-08:00

On February 21, 2008, the Evans School of Public Affairs will host a lecture by Trevor Brown, Professor of Public Policy, Ohio State University, on issues involving public management and organizational theory, contracting and contract management, performance measurement, and democratization (Parrington Commons, 12:00–1:30 pm).

UWISC Lecture Next Week

2008-02-13T09:06:00.000-08:00

The next lecture in the UW International Security Colloquium (UWISC) lecture series we be on February 22, 2008. Christopher Darnton, PhD candidate, Dept. of Politics, Princeton, will speak on “Overcoming International Security Rivalry: Argentine-Brazilian Rapprochement in Comparative Perspective” (Gowen 1A, 12:00–1:30 pm).

Near Eastern Languages and Civilization

2008-01-30T13:49:00.000-08:00

The Department of Near Eastern Languages and Civilization, a partner of INSER at the UW, is presenting the following up-coming lectures:

February 7: Charles Krusekopf (Executive Director, American Institute for Mongolian Studies, Vancouver, BC, Canada), "Mongolia's Common Property: Resources and the Challenges of Economic Development." 3:30 p.m., Communications 120.

February 8: Charles Krusekopf (Executive Director, American Institute for Mongolian Studies, Vancouver, Canada) "Research Opportunities in Mongolia", 12:30–1:20 pm, Denny 215A (subject to change).

February 12: Daniel Schroeter (History, University of California at Irvine), "Who are the Jews of Morocco? The Origins and Identity of the Rural Communities." 12:00–1:30 pm, Communications 202.

Also February 12: Kazim Abdullaev (Institute of Archaeology, Samarkand, Uzbekistan), "The Imagery and Cult of Hercules in Central Asia." 3:30–5:00 pm, Mary Gates Hall 241.

February 14: Brian Curran (Associate Professor of Art History, Pennsylvania State University), "The Egyptian Renaissance: the Afterlife of Ancient Egypt in Early Modern Italy," Art 317, 6:30 p.m.

February 21: Prof. Thomas Schneider, University of Wales, Swansea, "Doom and Deliverance: Foreign Tales in Ramesside Egypt." Thomson Hall 101. 6:30 p.m.

February 23: Afrassiabi Distinguished Lecturer, Barbara Slavin, "Missed Opportunities Between Iran and the United States and the Way Ahead," Kane 120, 7:00 p.m.

For more information, see http://depts.washington.edu/nelc/events.html.

10th Annual Hooshang Afrassiabi Lecture

2008-01-22T11:42:00.000-08:00

The 10th Annual Hooshang Afrassiabi Lecture will be “Missed Opportunities between Iran and the United States—and the Way Ahead” by Barbara Slavin, senior diplomatic reporter for USA TODAY. The lecture will take place on Saturday, February 23, 2008, at 7:00 pm on the UW campus, 120 Kane Hall. The Afrassiabi Distinguished Lecturer Endowed Fund exists for the benefit of the Persian Studies Program. For more information, contact Jacob Lambert at 206-616-4943 or jakel@u.washington.edu.

Talk on Hindi and Urdu at UW Conference

2008-01-22T11:27:00.000-08:00

On January 17 and 18, the Department of Near Eastern Languages and Civilization, a partner of UW INSER, hosted a conference on Medieval Islamic Mysticism and History in Indo-Persian Cultures. The conference had about 100 attendees. Dr. Michael Shapiro, Professor and Chair of Asian Languages and Literature and a member of the INSER Strategic Planning Committee, spoke on “Persian Influence on the Development of Hindi and Urdu: Reexamining the Evidence.”

UWISC Lecture Next Friday

2008-01-17T10:42:00.000-08:00

Reminder: The next lecture in the University of Washington International Security Colloquium (UWISC) series (partly sponsored by INSER) is on Friday, January 25, 2008 (Gowen 1A, 12:00–1:30 p.m.): "Damned if You Do, Damned if You Don't: Performative Power, and the Strategy of Conventional and Nuclear Defusing" by Emanuel Adler, University of Toronto. For a complete listing of the series, see http://www.polisci.washington.edu/uwisc.htm.

Lecture on US Nuclear Weapons Policy

2008-01-15T16:07:00.000-08:00

There will be a lecture next week titled "U.S. Nuclear Weapons Policy" given by Linton F. Brooks, Former Administrator, U.S. Department of Energy National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) in Gowen 1A, on Thursday, January 24th, at 1:30–4:20 pm.

The moderator will be Dr. James Fuller, Affiliate Professor, Henry M. Jackson School of International Studies, former senior official, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory

Ambassador Linton F. Brooks served as the Administrator for the U.S. Department of Energy National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) from May 2003 until late 2006. Immediately prior to this appointment, he was Deputy Administrator for Defense Nuclear Nonproliferation, a post he assumed in October 2001. As NNSA Administrator, he was the primary architect of the Reliable Replacement Warhead (RRW) program and continues to speak and write in its support. He also remains very active in nuclear proliferation prevention and nuclear stockpile issues.

The NNSA, includes approximately 37,000 federal, military, and contractor personnel charged with carrying out the national security responsibilities of the Department of Energy. These responsibilities include designing, producing, and maintaining safe and reliable nuclear weapons for the U.S. military; providing safe, militarily effective naval nuclear propulsion plants; and promoting international nuclear safety and nonproliferation. Ambassador Brooks has over four decades of experience in national security, most of it associated with nuclear weapons. As a career Navy officer he deployed on four nuclear-equipped ships, serving in various positions including commanding officer.

In Washington he held such assignments as in the Office of the Special Assistant to the Assistant to the Secretary of Defense for Atomic Energy, the National Security Council, and White House Staff. For the eight years prior to joining the George W. Bush Administration, Ambassador Brooks served as a Vice President at the Center for Naval Analyses (CNA). During the George H.W. Bush Administration, he served as Assistant Director for Strategic and Nuclear Affairs at the U.S. Arms Control and Disarmament Agency, and in the State Department as Head of the United States Delegation on Nuclear and Space Talks and Chief Strategic Arms Reductions (START) Negotiator. In this latter capacity, he was responsible for final preparation of the START I Treaty, signed by Presidents Bush and Gorbachev in Moscow on July 31, 1991. In December 1992, he performed a similar function during the final preparation of the January 3, 1993, START II Treaty. Ambassador Brooks holds a B.S. in physics from Duke University, where he was elected to Phi Beta Kappa, and an M.A. in government and politics from the University of Maryland. He is a Distinguished Graduate of the U.S. Navy War College and has published a number of prize-winning articles on naval and nuclear strategy.

Near Eastern Languages

2008-01-07T09:39:00.000-08:00

One of INSER's partners at the UW, the Department of Near Eastern Languages and Civilization, has several up-coming events:

January 16, A Conversation with Walter Andrews, "Orhan Pamuk, the Nobel Prize, and the World of Turkish Literature."

January 17-18, Symposium on "Medieval Islam and Indo-Persian Cultures."

January 24, Scott Noegel will talk about his recent book, Nocturnal Ciphers: The Punning Language of Dreams in the Ancient Near East

February 1-2, "A Public Symposium Celebrating Turkish Literature in English."

Please check the website for more details about presenters, times, and locations of lectures and events at http://depts.washington.edu/nelc/

UWISC Lecture This Week

2008-01-07T08:21:00.000-08:00

Reminder: The next lecture in the University of Washington International Security Colloquium (UWISC) series is on January 11, 2008 (Gowen 1A, 12:00-1:30 p.m.): "Nuclear Logics: Contrasting Paths in East Asia and the Middle East" by Etel Solingen (Prof. of Political Science, UC Irvine). For a complete listing of the series, see http://www.polisci.washington.edu/uwisc.htm.

Proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction

2007-12-27T09:06:00.000-08:00

The INSER Director (Kevin Desouza) and Graduate Assistant (Kristen Lau) have written a new paper:

Desouza, K.C., and Lau, K.A. "Managing the Proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction: An Information Management Perspective," INSER Working Paper #2007-12-26 (December 2007), 52 Pages.

The threat towards international security that terrorists, failed or failing states and rogue regimes pose when in possession of weapons of mass destruction (WMD) is a very significant one. Having accurate and timely intelligence is a must in today’s security environment, especially when estimating WMD capabilities. Breakdowns in information management relating to WMD intelligence can be responsible for failures in deterring a WMD attack or may create a false alarm regarding a nation’s capabilities, with equally serious consequences. This paper seeks to propose a framework for understanding the informational failures associated with estimating a state’s WMD capabilities using an information management model. Estimating a state’s nuclear, biological, and chemical (NBC) weapons capabilities is complicated due to several factors. At every point of the intelligence process that will later transcend to policy and action, there are challenges that affect how information is managed. This paper will cover these different challenges by organizing them into four information management categories: Sources Management, Analytics Management, Interpretation Management, and Actions Management. An appreciation of the informational challenges associated with WMD detection may lead to improved practices of information management thereby resulting in accurate assessments regarding WMD capabilities and policy agendas.

Two lectures given

2007-12-14T09:01:00.000-08:00

The UWISC series has had two more events in their lecture series. Yuko Kawato spoke on "Bases of Power: Military Effectiveness, Alliance Politics, and Protests against U.S. Military Bases in Asia" on October 26, 2007. The report of the talk is on the INSER web site.

Joost Hiltermann spoke on "Democracy Equals Civil War: A Middle Eastern Paradox?" on November 9, 2007. The report of the talk is on the INSER web site; some pictures are shown below.

Egypt and the Pharaohs

2007-12-06T09:22:00.000-08:00

The UW Department of Near Eastern Languages and Civilization, a partner of INSER, will host a lecture on December 6 (6:30 p.m., Thomson Hall 101): "Claiming the Pharaohs: Imperialism, Nationalism, and Internationalism in Egyptian Archaeology" by Donald Malcolm Reid.

UWISC Lecture Series

2007-12-06T09:11:00.000-08:00

UWISC (University of Washington International Security Colloquium) is organized by the Department of Political Science and partly supported by INSER. Recent Lectures have been "Bases of Power: Military Effectiveness, Alliance Politics, and Protests against U.S. Military Bases in Asia" by Yuko Kawato (October 26) and "Democracy Equals Civil War: A Middle Eastern Paradox?" by Joost Hiltermann (November 9). Reports of those lectures will be posted soon.

The next lecture in the UWISC series is on January 11, 2008 (Gowen 1A from 12:00-1:30 p.m.): "Nuclear Logics: Contrasting Paths in East Asia and the Middle East" by Etel Solingen. For a complete listing of the series, see http://www.polisci.washington.edu/uwisc.htm.