#10 Smuggling in Southeast Europe. The Yugoslav Wars and the Development of Regional Criminal Networks in the Balkans

Author(s): Marko Hajdinjak / Language(s): English / Publication Year: 2002

Smuggling in Southeast Europe analyzes and reviews the connection between the conflicts in the former Yugoslavia and the growth of the trans-border crime in the region, and also looks at the related issue of corruption. The paper highlights the decisive impact the Yugoslav wars had on the development of the regional criminal networks, which were often set up and maintained not only with the knowledge, but even with active participation of the highest state officials. The research also represents a contribution to the study of conflicts in the Western Balkans. The majority of existing interpretations of causes, course and consequences of the Yugoslav wars try to provide the answers through ethno-political explanations. They unjustly ignore the importance that interweaving of interests of political elites, the organized crime groups, which appeared in this period, and the "mediating class" of corrupt state officials had in this process. The paper is divided in three parts: • An analysis of the causes and course of emergence of Balkan smuggling channels in the context of Yugoslav wars and international sanctions; • A review of the recent developments in trans-border crime in Southeast Europe; • An overview of prevention efforts, undertaken both by the regional governments and the international community’ The first part analyzes the emergence of officially sanctioned "state-building" smuggling in those parts of the former Yugoslavia, which were involved in the war. The intermediary role of Albania, Bulgaria, Macedonia and Romania is also discussed. In these four countries, smuggling networks were not developed under open patronage of the governments, but the role of high-positioned politicians was nevertheless extremely important. The second part traces the evolution of the initial semi-official smuggling channels and their transformation into "classical" criminal networks. The so-called "suitcase trade," cigarette smuggling, smuggling of narcotics, and the trafficking in human beings are discussed in more detail.

#14 Weapons under Scrutiny: Implementing Arms Export Controls and Combating Small Arms Proliferation in Bulgaria

Author(s): Philip Gounev,Emil Tsenkov,Bernardo Mariani,Larry Attree / Language(s): English / Publication Year: 2004

The report concludes that despite the evolution of Bulgaria’s arms export controls and its relatively clean record, compared to most of the 1990s, there is still room for improvement. The best approach to tackling all the issues raised in this report is through stricter implementation of the new export control mechanism adopted in 2002. The report is divided into five parts. Part one provides an analysis of the social and economic reasons that have contributed to the reluctance among Bulgarian politicians to strengthen arms controls. It describes the transformation of the defense industry in the post-Communist transition period, as well as its current state. Part two provides an analytical description of Bulgaria’s arms control mechanism. Part three examines the factors contributing to illegal arms exports from Bulgaria and offers some data from recent cases. Part four focuses on the potential social, economic, and political effects of stronger arms controls. The last section offers a number of recommendations for the improvement of the export-control system.

#14bg Българският износ на оръжие: оценка на контролния механизъм върху експорта на малки оръжия и леко въоръжение

Author(s): Philip Gounev,Emil Tsenkov,Bernardo Mariani,Larry Attree / Language(s): Bulgarian / Publication Year: 2004

The report concludes that despite the evolution of Bulgaria’s arms export controls and its relatively clean record, compared to most of the 1990s, there is still room for improvement. The best approach to tackling all the issues raised in this report is through stricter implementation of the new export control mechanism adopted in 2002. The report is divided into five parts. Part one provides an analysis of the social and economic reasons that have contributed to the reluctance among Bulgarian politicians to strengthen arms controls. It describes the transformation of the defense industry in the post-Communist transition period, as well as its current state. Part two provides an analytical description of Bulgaria’s arms control mechanism. Part three examines the factors contributing to illegal arms exports from Bulgaria and offers some data from recent cases. Part four focuses on the potential social, economic, and political effects of stronger arms controls. The last section offers a number of recommendations for the improvement of the export-control system.

(Ne)etičnost i (ne)legalnost upotrebe dronova u ratu protiv terorizma

Author(s): Ivica Kelam,Darija Rupcic / Language(s): Bosnian / Issue: 73/2016

Powerful increase in the use of drones in fight against terrorism through the tactic of targeted killings, especially after the arrival of President Obama to power, causes increasingly ethical and legal issues. The intention of this paper is to investigate exactly these issues. The basic hypothesis is that the US use of drones in war against terrorism is a major threat to international security, human rights and democracy. Instead of reducing the threat of terrorism, drones uses additionally incites hatred and desire for revenge, since it leaves severe adverse consequences on the lives of civilians. The expected contribution of this paper lies in the demystification of drones activities and questioning the many dangers that the use of drones in the fight against terrorism carries.

(Re)focusing the Atlantic Alliance: Reframing Security Readings into a Peace Agenda

Author(s): Maria Raquel Freire,Licínia Simão / Language(s): English / Issue: 1/2016

Bringing a new reading to collective defence after the Cold War allowed, among other things, an expansion of NATO’s tasks as well as membership. This being said, it is high time for deep reflection about the opportunities and limitations for the Alliance from the perspective of the promotion of peace, more than 25 years after the end of the bipolar order. Drawing on the introductory remarks to this special issue, the paper will focus on 1) the strategic differences between a security versus a peace agenda for NATO in the context of increasingly transnational and complex threats, 2) Russia as both a necessary ally and a challenger at NATO’s borders, including its positioning regarding a “shared neighbourhood” with the European Union (EU) and the Atlantic Alliance, as well as Moscow’s investment in the development of military alliances to the east (the Collective Security Treaty Organisation, or CSTO), 3) the Middle East as a geostrategic area where the conflation of competing interests, norms and values has revealed complex dynamics, both in-country and regional, and impacted on the NATO space (for example, the effect of the Syrian conflict), and 4) whether the conceptualisation on a “European security architecture” remains useful or has become meaningless in face of current challenges.

(Не)реална очекивања југословенско-совјетски војни преговори 1948.

Author(s): Aleksandar Životic / Language(s): Serbian / Issue: 2/2014

Yugoslav-Soviet military negotiations were initiated in an already tensed relations related to Yugoslav attitude towards the question of Balkan federation, Greek civil war and Yugoslav presence in Albania. Ambitious plans of economical and military development were contrary to country's actual possibilites as well with potential Soviet assistance. Unreallistic and overambitious Yugoslav plans for strenghtening of military industry, creation of strong, numerous and up to date equiped army, as well navy capable to react not only to defend its own coast encountered the Soviet restraint. In several occasions Soviets demonstrated willingnes to help Yugoslavs within the boundaries of their own reallistic possibilities. Disagreements between the two concepts of development, as well Yugoslav insisting on realization of their own plans resulted in Soviet denial of further assistance. Failure in military negotiations coincided with the beggining of Yugoslav-Soviet conflict which finaly led to complete interruption of military cooperation.

,,Смем ли се ја, син таквог оца осрамоћен вратити у Србију“: Александар, син Живојина Мишића у руском јункерском училишту

Author(s): Vasily Borisovich Kashirin / Language(s): Serbian / Issue: 1/2008

This article looks at an interesting and as yet completely unknown episode in the life of Aleksandr Mishich, son of a prominent Serbian commander field-marshal Zhivoin Mishich (1855-1921). Aleksandr Mishich (1891-1941) served as an officer in the Balkan wars of 1912-13 and in the First World War. In 1941 he died heroically as one of the leaders of the chethnic movement in Yugoslavia. One of the blank pages in his biography is the time he spent in Russia from 1908 to 1912, where he tried to receive a military education. This article, based on previously unknown documents from the Russian State Military History Archive and the Foreign Policy Archive of the Russian Empire looks at how Mishich and his two Serbian friends joined the Vilna Infantry Junker school, their subsequent expulsion, acute conflict with the college’s authorities and the long and unsuccessful efforts of the three Serbs to obtain a review of their case from the military-bureaucratic machine of the Russian empire. The article also examines the discussions which took part between Russian authorities at interdepartmental level concerning the education of southern Slavs in military institutions of the Russian empire, which coincided with Mishich’s presence in Russia. The difference in opinion of representatives from the Russian military and diplomatic institutions on the problems of raising the effectiveness and the goals of Russian military-educational policy towards southern Slavs is shown. Also covered are the circumstances regarding the preparation of the Rules of admission of subjects of south Slavic states into Russian military-educational institutions, approved in 1912. This article can be of interest to all those interested in the life of field-marshal Zhivoin Mishic and his family, as well as in the questions of Russo-Serbian cooperation in the sphere of military education at the start of the 20th century.

[rec.] Lech Chojnowski, Bezpieczeństwo międzynarodowe. Aspekty instytucjonalne i organizacyjne, Słupsk 2017, ss. 193

Author(s): Andrzej Ciupinski / Language(s): Polish / Issue: 1/2017

100 dni Donalda Trumpa – próba oceny polityki zagranicznej nowej administracji

Author(s): Patrycja Sasnal / Language(s): Polish / Issue: 2/2017

130 година организованих војноисторијских истраживања у Србији - Избор излагања са округлог стола о решавању статуса Војноисторијског института (1. фебруар 2006.)

Author(s): Ljubodrag Dimic,Milan Ristovic,Miroslav Jovanovic,Dragan Bogetic / Language(s): Serbian / Issue: 1-2/2006

Уочи обележавања 130-те годишњице организованих војноисторијских истраживања у Србији (5. фебруар 1876, дан оснивања Историјског одељењa Главног ђенералштаба српске војске), одржан је, 1. фебруара 2006. године, Округли сто у Дому војске Србије и Црне Горе, у организацији Војноисторијског института (ВИИ). Повод за његово одржавање биле су најаве и планови за решење статуса Војноисторијског института, односно његовог укидања као самосталне установе. [...]

1979-2014 Yıllarında Afganistan Siyasetinde General Dostum’un Rolü ve Bunun Afganistan Türk Toplumuna Etkileri

Author(s): Abdulbashir Azad / Language(s): Turkish / Issue: 1/2019

This study examines the role of General Rashid Dostum in political life of Afghanistan between 1979-2014 and its effects on Turkish society in Afghanistan. The study investigates the subject under three main titles. Firstly, the position and importance of Dostum in political life of Afghanistan before 1991 is examined. In the second part,information on the role of Dostum in the period of civil war and the struggle against the Taliban is given. Finally, the effect of Dostum and Turks on the Constitutional Loya Jirga is analyzed. Accordingly, some suggestions are presented in order deal with the problems that Dostum and Turks of Afghanistan face nowadays.

2008 US Presidential Elections: The Iraq War, Party Platforms and Social Polarization

Author(s): Anca Parmena Olimid / Language(s): English / Issue: 17/2008

La guerre d’Irak est le principal facteur de la campagne présidentielle de 2008. Aujourd’hui elle représente le problème central de l’opinion publique Américaine. Cet article est une approche analytique intégrative de cette campagne, portant surtout trois questions: les sondages concernant les préférences des Americains pour l’élection présidentielle de 2008, le vote de la population hispanique et les déclarations des candidats sur le problème Irakien.

21. Yüzyıl için Caydırıcılık: Teori ve Pratikte Neler Değişti?

Author(s): Hakan Mehmetcik / Language(s): Turkish / Issue: 22/2015

Deterrence/Nuclear deterrence, which was theoretically the most developed and practically the best-applied strategy in the Cold War era, became one of the most important tools for the states to conduct foreign policy at the strategic level. Deterrence, as a product of the Cold War, which was itself a product of bipolar world order and mutual assured destruction between two heavily nuclear-armed super powers, had been developed gradually and studied heavily. Yet, with the end of the Cold War, it somehow lost its attraction for a while. However, with the 9/11 and recent developments in the Eastern Europe and wider Asia, it reiterated its position as the interests on deterrence studies extend. The aim of this article is to analyze the requirement of 21st century deterrence by presenting a brief of the nature and development of deterrence theory and practice. To this end, this article presents a comparative analysis of today’s deterrence theory and practice by analyzing deterrence as a concept, classic deterrence theory, and critics to the classic deterrence theory with a comparative methodology. As an integrated analysis, which is inadequate in Turkish literature on deterrence, the article has a unique contribution to existing literature.

27 Mayıs’ın “Zoraki Diplomatları”: 14’lerin Yurtdışı Faaliyetleri

Author(s): Ferit Salim Sanli / Language(s): Turkish / Issue: 23/2018

While the May 27, 1960 coup ended the DP government, it brought new debates on the relationship between the army and politics. In this respect, the dispute between politics and civilians was immediately passed on 13 November 1960 with the view that the army continued to rule the country within the National Union Committee established after the coup d’état, resulting in the liquidation of 14 members of the committee. This group, which will be called 14’s, brought those “artificial” formations both at home and abroad, which did not come from the 14 people who were formed before May 27 or within the National Unity Committee and agreed with each other, but lived in November 13. However, this group, which cannot provide any coexistence due to artificiality, has entered into various activities while abroad, but it is inevitable that two different clubs will be formed within the group. One of the sides in two different positions, Alparslan Türkeş and Orhan Kabibay were the others. In the process, the two groups considered their activities, their ideas, and their close proximity to each other, that they were involved in two different “sects” in various aspects of the 14’s. The second half of the 60’s and the subsequent process will confirm this statement.

38. конгрес Међународне комисије за војну историју „Технологија и ратовање“

Author(s): Dmitar Tasic / Language(s): Serbian / Issue: 1/2012

38. конгрес Међународне комисије за војну историју „Технологија и ратовање“, Софија, Република Бугарска, 25–31. август 2012. године / Congress of International Commission for Military History “Technology and Warfare”, Sofia, Bulgaria, 25–31 August 2012

8. конференција Радне групе за војну историју (MHWG) „Experience of War“

Author(s): Dmitar Tasic / Language(s): Serbian / Issue: 2/2008

8. конференција Радне групе за војну историју (MHWG) „Experience of War“, Љубљана, 20-24. април 2008. године / 8th Conference of Military History Working Group (MHWG) „Experience of War“, Ljubljana, April 20–24 2008

A Few Things to Be Considered in View of the Warsaw Summit

Author(s): Vincenzo Camporini / Language(s): English / Issue: 1/2016

First of all, the summit should reaffirm in practical and concrete terms NATO solidarity, calling on the nations to provide their contribution outside their specific geographical proximity. In organisational terms, a thorough reconsideration of the financial mechanisms of the Alliance appears to be necessary, stopping to keep the “costs lie where they fall” principle as a truth of faith. Also, a new task should be given to the Secretary General to revise and possibly partially reverse the recent reorganisation of the NATO Command Structure in order to grant effectively a consistent match with the agreed level of ambition, which, in the present strategic scenarios, seems to be more realistic than ever. And finally, on the political side, a new approach should be tested with Russia, making it clear that there are no hostile intentions from NATO and that Moscow has no reason to be aggressive in countries such as Ukraine and Georgia, with whom negotiated agreements must be found and complied with in order to solve the controversies.

A grassroots grown military

Author(s): Milan Lelich / Language(s): English / Issue: 3-4(22)/2016

In a matter of just two years, the devastated Ukrainian army has turned itself into one of the most efficient armies in Europe, mostly thanks to volunteers and private donations. However, reform of the defence system has lagged due to the rampant corruption and bureaucracy of the state, forcing many volunteers to give up.

A Guantánamói Haditengerészeti Bázis szerepe az amerikai-kubai kétoldalú kapcsolatok tükrében

Author(s): Eszter Réti / Language(s): Hungarian / Issue: 1/2019

The article provides a brief summary of the political situation in Guantanamo Bay and the dispute it has generated between the United States of America and Cuba. The Guantanamo Naval Base, referred to as Gitmo by the Anglo-Saxon press, is under US jurisdiction, but located in Cuban territory and operates as a military enclave in Cuba. It works as an island within an island and has been a restrictive factor in the normalisation of bilateral relations. The article gives a brief explanation on Guantanamo Bay’s historical background, highlighting its territorial and geopolitical importance, pointing out the diffi culties the operation of the military base causes, and outlining diverse professional viewpoints about its future. In spite of the Cuban government expecting the Unites States to withdraw their military forces from the territory and return the base fully back to Cuba, the US has no such intentions. Nevertheless some American experts have shared their opinion on how to take advantage of the American military base operating in Cuban territory.

A looming crisis of the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Force Treaty: Sources and consequences

Author(s): Yury Fedorov / Language(s): English / Publication Year: 2015

Russia’s violation of the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Force Treaty (INF) confirms that Moscow sees nuclear weapons as a robust tool preventing NATO from militarily opposing the Russian military expansion in the strategic rim stretching from the Baltic to the Black Sea. If Russia adds intermediate-range missiles to its armory the INF Treaty will collapse, thus challenging the USA and NATO with a dilemma: they could either to be reconciled with Russia’s growing military threat to Europe, or neutralize this threat by stationing American nuclear missiles near Russian borders. The countries of Central-Eastern Europe have to support deployment of new US nuclear weapons in Europe since it could be the only way to prevent a dangerous deterioration of the security landscape in the region.