|
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)
|
