The Resilience of the Lord’s Resistance Army
The Lord’s Resistance Army is seriously depleted as a fighting force, but it still continues to exist as an armed group. This resilience is driven by several key factors.
The Responsibility to Protect and the Refugee Crisis
In the wake of mass atrocity situations, facilitating access to asylum and other forms of protection for refugees and displaced persons represents an essential step towards fulfilling R2P.
The 9/11 Generation: Life in the Surveillance State
Since the attacks of 9/11, the banner of national security has led to intense monitoring of the politics of Muslim and Arab Americans. Young people from these communities have come of age in a time when the question of political engagement is both urgent and fraught.
The DFID-FCO Merger: Long-Term Thinking and the Role of Civil Society
On 16 June, the UK government announced a merger between DFID and the FCO. DDI offers its comments on this development,
The Environment and Conflict in 2016: A Year in Review
Despite of early signs of progress, 2016 saw damaging levels of wartime environmental damage. Will 2017 be any different?
The Islamic State and Dream Warfare
The Islamic State appear to attach considerable importance to dreams and have started publishing dream accounts of martyred jihadists. Do IS see this as a way of ‘calling’ potential lone wolf jihadists to action?
The NYPD’s Post-9/11 Counterterrorism Programme
Since the September 11 attacks, the NYPD has seen a rapid expansion into counterterrorism activities. But how effective have these practices been in keeping New York safe?
The Perils of Remote Warfare: Finding a Political Settlement with Counter-Terrorism in the Driving Seat
Despite efforts to address the broader causes of instability, the current use of remote warfare has been predominantly military-focused and counter-terrorism oriented, often to the detriment of broader political efforts.
Strengthening the Bioweapons Convention
Biotechnology is advancing rapidly and the security context is evolving, potentially creating new opportunities for new (and old) biological weapons. Accordingly, there is a need to strengthen the international legal regime prohibiting biological weapons.
Targeting Civilians in Civil Conflicts: Why Ideology Matters
To understand why some groups fighting in civil conflicts target civilians more than others, it is vital to examine the role of ideology.
Planning for Future Operations: Learning Lessons from Remote Warfare
Remote warfare looks set to be an enduring feature of contemporary campaigns. If it continues to be treated as a secondary task to major warfighting it is unlikely that British forces will ever excel at it.