Section: Royal United Services Institute (UK)
Assessing Theresa May’s First International Summit
The British Prime Minister Theresa May attended her first international forum at the G20 Summit in China between 4-5 September. RUSI Deputy Director-General Professor Malcolm Chalmers and Dr Jonathan Eyal RUSI associate director assesses the Prime Minister’s performance and the future prospects for UK foreign policy. More Brexit Briefings...
Has Al-Shabaab Stopped Targeting Civilians in Kenya?
Since December 2015, Al-Shabaab appears to have stopped intentionally targeting civilians in Kenya in an effort to win the hearts and minds of local Muslims. perez_newsbrief_sept_vol.36_no.5.pdfSomali jihadist terror group Harakat al-Shabaab al-Mujahideen, commonly known as Al-Shabaab (AS), appears to have shifted away from targeting civilians,...
The Beginning of the End of Nuclear Weapons?
Negotiations over a ban on nuclear weapons are likely to be given the go-ahead at the UN General Assembly. Nuclear weapon states and those under their umbrella will face challenges reducing its impact.pearce_newsbrief_sept_vol.36_no.5.pdfIn 1959, during the discussions which led to the formation of the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), Irish...
Hong Kong at 20
The ‘one country, two systems’ model for the governance of Hong Kong is under strain. Can the Chinese government demonstrate the flexibility necessary to halt the emergence of an indigenous independence movement?jainjani_newsbrief_sept_vol.36_no.5.pdfHong Kong’s democracy movement received considerable global attention during and...
Beijing’s North Korea Policy in 2016: Keep Calm and Carry On
Although North Korea’s nuclear and missile tests have rocked the relationship with China, both sides seem intent on keeping calm.cathcart_newsbrief_sept_vol.36_no.5.pdfApplying metaphors to Beijing’s relationship with North Korea is a difficult business. In recent years, China’s old bonds of brotherhood with North Korea have...
Using Social Media as a Source of Financial Intelligence: A New Frontier in the Fight Against Crime?
If social media is to deliver on its potential as a research tool for the provision of financial intelligence, a range of legal and ethical issues will need to be addressed first. keen_newsbrief_sept_vol.36_no.5.pdfFinancial institutions are an indispensable ingredient in the fight against money laundering and terrorism financing. Recently, some...
Anticipating an EU Terrorist Finance Tracking System: Three Lessons in Public–Private Security Cooperation
With the possible creation of a European version of the Terrorist Finance Tracking Programme (TFTP), SWIFT’s past experience with the TFTP provides valuable lessons for successful public–private security cooperation. wesseling_newsbrief_sept_vol.36_no.5.pdfIntra-European transactions – which have until now been excluded from discussions –...
Financial Crime: An Intelligence-Led Response is Needed
Intelligence gaps are at the heart of the UK’s vulnerability to financial crime – evidence rather than supposition must form the basis of the response.keatinge_newsbrief_sept_vol.36_no.5.pdfWhitehall has invested considerable resources in preparing for the late 2017 evaluation of its anti-money laundering (AML), counter-terror financing...
France: Learning the Lessons of Nice
The attack in Nice has not just placed France’s counterterrorism strategy under the spotlight. It has also increased pressure on the French authorities to build a more culturally inclusive society.abbas_newsbrief_sept_vol.36_no.5.pdfOn the night of 14 July, after a terrorist struck Nice, France, initial reaction was to associate it with...
Sanctions on Russia: Moscow’s Attempt to Soften the Blow
Despite attempts by Russia to create mechanisms to soften the impact of ‘targeted’ financial and energy sanctions, full reintegration, even in a scenario of future divergence between the US and the EU, will be difficult to achieve. mehdi_newsbrief_sept_vol.36_no.5.pdfSanctions, like other tools of financial warfare, have increasingly become...
