BELFER CENTER STUDIES IN INTERNATIONAL SECURITY
April, 2004
Filling the Ranks: Transforming the U.S. Military Personnel System
By Cindy Williams, Editorial Board Member, Quarterly Journal: International Security
The war in Iraq and the problematic military occupation of that country have called into question the adequacy of America's all-volunteer force. Politicians and others have expressed doubts about its equity and capability; some have called for the reinstatement of the draft. Yet over the past twenty years the all-volunteer military has become a technologically advanced force that has contributed to America's overall military advantage. This book analyzes current military pay and personnel policies and identifies changes needed to maintain and improve America's all-volunteer force.
January 2004
The Future of Turkish Foreign Policy
By Lenore G. Martin and Dimitris Keridis
Since the end of the Cold War, Turkey has moved from the periphery to occupy the very center of Eurasian security. It is a critical participant in NATO and aspires to become a member of the European Union. The pivotal role that Turkey plays in Southeastern Europe, the Middle East, and the Caucasus has profound implications for the international arena and spawns vital debates over the directions of Turkish foreign policy.
January, 2004
Track-II Diplomacy: Lessons from the Middle East
By Shai Feldman, Member of the Board, Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs, Ahmad Khalidi, Zeev Schiff and Hussein Agha
Track-II talks in the Middle East -- unofficial discussions among Israeli and Arab scholars, journalists, and former government and military officials -- have been going on since soon after the 1967 Six Day War and have often paved the way for official negotiations. This book, a unique collaboration of Israeli and Palestinian authors, traces the history of these unofficial meetings, focusing on those that took place in the 1990s beginning just after the Gulf War.
September 2003
Fighting Words: Language Policy and Ethnic Relations in Asia
By Michael E. Brown, Editorial Board Member and Former Co-Editor, Quarterly Journal: International Security and Sumit Ganguly, Editorial Board Member, Quarterly Journal: International Security
Language policy is a sensitive issue in most countries. In countries where more than one language is spoken—the vast majority of countries—language policies affect the ability of individuals and groups to participate in government, to be treated fairly by governmental agencies, to have access to government services, to take advantage of educational opportunities, and to pursue economic success.
September 2003
First to Arrive: State and Local Responses to Terrorism
By Robyn Pangi, Former Research Specialist, Executive Session on Domestic Preparedness, International Security Program and Juliette Kayyem, Lecturer in Public Policy
Since September 11, 2001, the United States has been preoccupied by the federal role in preparedness against terror attacks and by ways to provide a quick fix through organizational overhauls. First to Arrive argues that the best way for America to prepare for terrorism is to listen to people in the field; those working on the ground can guide decisions at the top.
September, 2003
Progress in International Relations Theory: Appraising the Field
By Miriam Elman, Former Research Fellow, International Security Program, 1993-1994, 1995-1996, 1999-2001 and Colin Elman, Former Research Fellow, International Security Program, 1998-2001
This book investigates how international relations theorists can better equip themselves to determine the state of scholarly work in their field. It takes as its starting point Imre Lakatos's influential theory of scientific change, and in particular his methodology of scientific research programs (MSRP). It uses MSRP to organize its analysis of major research programs over the last several decades and uses MSRP's criteria for theoretical progress to evaluate these programs. The contributors appraise the progress of institutional theory, varieties of realist and liberal theory, operational code analysis, and other research programs in international relations.
July, 2003
Comrades No More: The Seeds of Change in Eastern Europe
By Renee de Nevers, Former Research Fellow, International Security Program, 1995-1998
In 1989, Soviet control over Eastern Europe ended when the communist regimes of the Warsaw Pact collapsed. These momentous and largely bloodless events set the stage for the end of the Cold War and ushered in a new era in international politics. Why did communism collapse relatively peacefully in Eastern Europe? Why did these changes occur in 1989, after more than four decades of communist rule? Why did this upheaval happen almost simultaneously in most of the Warsaw Pact?
July 2002
Borders and Brethren: Iran and the Challenge of Azerbaijani Identity
By Brenda Shaffer, Former Research Fellow, International Security Program, 1999–2007; Former Research Director, Caspian Studies Program, 2000–2005; Former Research Director, Caspian Studies Project, 2005–2007
The Azerbaijani people have been divided between Iran and the former Soviet republic of Azerbaijan for more than 150 years, yet they have retained their ethnic identity. The collapse of the Soviet Union and the emergence of an independent Azerbaijan have only served to reinforce their collective identity.
May, 1999
Biological Weapons: Limiting the Threat
Biological weapons pose a horrifying and growing threat to the United States and to the world in general. Revelations about Iraq's weapons research and the plans of the Aum Shinrikyo cult in Japan serve as frightening reminders of the potential for military or terrorist use of biological agents.
April, 1999
Condemned to Repetition? The Rise, Fall, and Reprise of Soviet-Russian Military Interventionism, 1973-1996
By Andrew Bennett, Former Research Fellow, International Security Program, 1987-1989
Why did the Soviet Union use less force to preserve the Soviet empire from 1989 to 1991 than it had used in distant and impoverished Angola in 1975? This book fills a key gap in international relations theories by examining how actors'' preferences and causal conceptions change as they learn from their experiences.
