Global Security Studies
Jørgen Dragsdahl is writing about international security politics. Here you find articles, colums etc. about  USA, Iraq, terrorism, atomic weapons, the cold war, racism.
 
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14.08.05 | MISSILFORSVAR (MISSILE DEFENCE) - A few dilemmas bypassed in Denmark and Greenland

01.06.04 | USA - An Empire Unveiled

31.12.01 | NATO - The internationals on the Balkans - Lessons for Macedonia 24 pages (pdf)

01.07.98 | NATO - NATO Resists Pressures To Militarise Central Europe

01.06.92 | PRESSEN (THE PRESS) - The Gulf War: New Challenges for Journalism


Articles and colums in English

 

14.08.05 | MISSILFORSVAR (MISSILE DEFENCE) - A few dilemmas bypassed in Denmark and Greenland
Denmark appeared caught in several difficulties to resolve political dilemmas when the US indicated a desire to upgrade Thule Air Base in Greenland for a key role in missile defence. Would a 'yes' to the request inflame the movement in Greenland for independence? Would a 'no' leave Denmark, which earlier had opted out of the EU defense co-operation, without strong allies? And would a democratic debate on the issue jeopardise a government policy in favour of yes? But after several years of consultations, debate and negotiations approval from both Greenland and the Danish parliament was obtained. Essentially the dilemmas were bypassed. The strategic and military issue in missile defense were overshadowed when Greenland used the occasion to take one more step towards independence – and in Denmark the remoteness of Thule and a sense of supreme interests at stake limited public debate. Danish democracy functioned within limits set by US hegemony – decision-making and public debate were heavily under the influence of what Walter Russell Mead call "sticky power". Neither the Danes nor the Greenlanders wanted to leave the US empire and both found their best choice in exploiting whatever the system affords. (Article for Peace Research Institute Frankfurt)

01.06.04 | USA - An Empire Unveiled
An extensive review of the US debate on the empire building efforts of the Bush-administration. The alternative offered by the Democratic candidate John Kerry during the 2004 presidential election is presented. If a single truth can be distilled from the US debate on empire it must be: It makes a difference whether an empire is formal or informal – these forms of empire are then the outer, opposite, points on a sliding scale with the degree of dominion begin the decisive factor. (Article in Baltic Defence Review)

31.12.01 | NATO - The internationals on the Balkans - Lessons for Macedonia 24 pages (pdf)
Report for BITS - Berlin Information-Center for Trasnatlantic Security. Conference report on an expert-workshop in december 2001 focused on lessons learned - or not learned - from ten years of involvement by the EU, UN and NATO in the Balkans. 40 people with extensive experience as participants during the interventions reconsidered with a "selv-critical view of the past" the accomplishments. One conclusion: The internationals have attempted crisis-management with some positive results, but have failed miserably in making a transition to conflict-resolution. Crisis-management is about putting out fires, while conflict resolution is about eliminating the reasons for fires. 

01.07.98 | NATO - NATO Resists Pressures To Militarise Central Europe
Prospects for NATO enlargement were in the 1990's tied to an expected boom in weapons purchases by new members. These expactations were spread by establishment media, anti-NATO activists and former communists in Eastern Europe, now in office as pro-NATO democrats. But, as this study for the British American Security Information Council documents, the expectations were mostly a result of propaganda. NATO has in fact deliberately discouraged early investments in big new weapons-systems. The study quotes at length from classified NATO documents, and looks at the role a prominent Lockheed Martin representative, Bruce Jackson, has played. (Report published by BASIC))

01.06.92 | PRESSEN (THE PRESS) - The Gulf War: New Challenges for Journalism
Media coverage of the 1990-91 Gulf conflict, and in particular effective news management by US forces, provoked a rash of criticism. Many critics made the task too easy for themselves. In the process, real challenges and opportunities facing today’s global media in war and peace situations were missed. Freedom of the press is based on a national contract that gives both duties and rights. If rights are to be strengthened or defended in a global context, a new framework on rights and duties reflecting the global nature of todays news media is an urgent task for the peace and conflict research community, too. Principles from the 'just war' tradition can provide guidance. (Article in Bulletin of Peace Proposals)

 


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