Hazara-Taliban clashes add new dimension to Afghan war

2018 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Presidential Election ◽  
Armed Forces ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Self Defence

Subject Increasing Hazara involvement in the Afghan conflict. Significance Taliban advances into districts on the southern fringes of the ethnic Hazara heartland have encountered resistance from local militias. Locals are demanding stronger self-defence forces. Iran's influence is rising as a sponsor of paramilitary forces. The clashes risk adding a new ethno-sectarian dimension to the conflict. Impacts President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani is unlikely to win many Hazara votes in next year’s presidential election. Competition among Hazara factions to organise informal armed forces is likely to intensify. Hazara politicians may find it increasingly difficult to avoid Iranian influence.

Taliban dynamics obstruct way towards Afghan solution

2018 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Presidential Election ◽  
Armed Forces ◽  
Legislative Elections ◽  
Content Type

Significance However, a Taliban spokesman also denounced the meeting and its message. The movement has yet to respond to government appeals for talks, partly because several Taliban factions function autonomously with different agendas. The senior US commander in Afghanistan, General John Nicholson, insists senior Taliban are quietly engaging in talks at the same time as fighting. Impacts Taliban divisions will persist due to contested leadership and rival external sponsors. Despondency at the impossibility of complete victory would favour those Taliban leaders inclined towards negotiations. With legislative elections expected in October and a presidential election next year, the armed forces may be neglected.

Corruption findings will strain Nigerien government

2020 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Public Opinion ◽  
Presidential Election ◽  
Armed Forces ◽  
The United States ◽  
Armed Groups ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Track Record ◽  
Military Procurement ◽  
The Government

Subject Corruption in military procurement. Significance With the presidential election set to take place in December, the government is under fire over its lenient approach to corruption in military procurement -- at a time when Nigerien soldiers have been losing their lives in the struggle to combat jihadist armed groups. With 160 Nigerien soldiers killed in recent jihadist attacks, the theft of money that could have been used better to equip the armed forces is a hot issue, particularly as the alleged culprits have connections to the ruling PNDS Taraya party. This offers opponents a chance to mobilise public opinion against the government. Impacts The exposure of corruption damages the ruling party’s claim of a track record of effective public sector management. The government allows culprits to escape jail time if they repay stolen funds, which will alienate urban public opinion. France and the United States will not publicly criticise the government, a key ally.

Obama's Reelection Prospects under “Bread and Peace” Voting in the 2012 US Presidential Election

2012 ◽  
Vol 45 (04) ◽  
pp. 635-639 ◽  
Author(s):  
Douglas A. Hibbs
Keyword(s):  
Presidential Election ◽  
Presidential Elections ◽  
Weighted Average ◽  
Armed Forces ◽  
Average Growth ◽  
Us Military ◽  
Us Presidential Election ◽  
Per Capita ◽  
Objectively Measured ◽  
Foreign Wars

According to the Bread and Peace Model postwar, American presidential elections should be interpreted as a sequence of referendums on the incumbent party's record during its four-year mandate period. In fact postwar aggregate votes for president are well explained by just two objectively measured fundamental determinants: (1) weighted-average growth of per capita real disposable personal income over the term, and (2) cumulative US military fatalities due to unprovoked, hostile deployments of American armed forces in foreign wars. No other outside variable systematically affects postwar aggregate votes for president.

Demobilisation will be a long-term challenge in Libya

2021 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Oil And Gas ◽  
Armed Forces ◽  
Armed Groups ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Near Term ◽  
The Many ◽  
Financial Arrangements

Significance Although a ceasefire has been in place since October 2020, very little has been done during that time to integrate or demobilise the many armed forces and groups that exist across the country. The obstacles are formidable. Impacts Significant demobilisation and reintegration will not happen in the near term. Local security will continue to rest on fragile political and financial arrangements between armed groups and governing authorities. The current high levels of oil and gas revenue will tend to discourage unrest.

Colombian border violence will Venezuela worsen crisis

2021 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Armed Forces ◽  
Organised Crime ◽  
Border Crossings ◽  
Armed Groups ◽  
Military Operations ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Criminal Violence ◽  
Organised Crime Groups

Significance The closure of border crossings since March 2020 has fuelled violent competition for control of lucrative informal crossings (trochas) and frontier towns. However, the Venezuelan military is ill-prepared to deal with the expanding presence of Colombia’s irregular armed groups. Recent incursions highlight weaknesses in the Venezuelan armed forces, which have suffered casualties. Impacts The penetration of organised crime groups into Venezuela’s disintegrating state and economy will continue to intensify. Organised criminal violence coupled with the violence of military operations will fuel displacement, COVID and civilian casualties. A speedy, negotiated solution to Venezuela’s political impasse is needed to preclude fusion with Colombia’s own protracted insurgency.

scholarly journals A turbulent time: government sources post-2016 presidential election

2019 ◽  
Vol 48 (1) ◽  
pp. 129-142
Author(s):  
Alicia Kubas
Keyword(s):  
Presidential Election ◽  
Point Of View ◽  
Academic Librarians ◽  
The Political ◽  
Government Information ◽  
Political Climate ◽  
Content Type ◽  
2016 Election ◽  
Democrats And Republicans ◽  
Depth Interviews

Purpose Since the 2016 presidential election, hyper-partisanship has become a regular facet of the political landscape with Democrats and Republicans in increasing conflict. The purpose of this paper is to determine if perception of government sources related to trust and credibility has changed since the 2016 election and if the experiences and strategies of librarians who teach or consult about government information has changed in response to this environment. Design/methodology/approach A 24-question survey was distributed to garner qualitative and quantitative responses from librarians who teach or consult about government information in an academic environment. A total of 122 responses were used for analysis. Findings Academic librarians are seeing more concern from patrons about disappearing online government information and wider distrust of government information. Librarians also noticed that the political leanings of students color their perspective around government sources and that librarians also need to keep their political beliefs in check. Respondents emphasized a need for more government literacy and information literacy topics when discussing evaluation of government sources. Research limitations/implications The data collection only included responses from academic librarians. Further research could include in-depth interviews and look at experiences in various library types. Originality/value With the timeliness of this topic, there has not been an in-depth investigation into how the Trump administration has changed user trust and perception of government sources from the librarian’s point of view. This paper continues the conversation about how librarians can address the growing distrust of government information and give us insight into the effects of a turbulent political climate on government sources.

scholarly journals Gewetensbezwaarden onder vuur

2021 ◽  
Vol 134 (3) ◽  
pp. 385-408
Author(s):  
Koos-jan de Jager
Keyword(s):  
The Netherlands ◽  
Armed Forces ◽  
Content Type ◽  
War Of Independence ◽  
Compulsory Vaccination ◽  
Vaccine Refusal ◽  
Conscientious Objectors ◽  
Indonesian Archipelago ◽  
Conservative Christian ◽  
Religious Reasons

Abstract Conscientious objectors under fire. Vaccine refusal among orthodox-Protestant soldiers in the Dutch Armed Forces, 1945-1950 During the Indonesian War of Independence (1945-1949), the Dutch government deployed 220,000 soldiers in the Indonesian archipelago. Among them was a group of conservative Christian soldiers who refused vaccinations against smallpox for religious reasons. Initially this caused no problems, but the situation changed after the outbreak of a smallpox epidemic in Indonesia in 1948. The non-vaccinated soldiers could not return to the Netherlands due to international restrictions. Although compulsory vaccination was abolished in 1939, some soldiers were forced to accept vaccination. In the Netherlands, representatives of the Reformed Political Party (SGP) and the conservative churches accused the Army of illegal actions. The central question in the debate was the space for religious minorities and divergent views on vaccination in the Dutch Armed Forces. This article studies the process of negotiation between the Dutch Armed Forces and the political and ecclesiastical representatives of this conservative religious group. Finally, this article argues for more research into religious diversity in the Dutch Armed Forces.

scholarly journals High death rate of older persons from COVID-19 in Quebec (Canada) long-term care facilities: chronology and analysis

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Marie Beaulieu ◽  
Julien Cadieux Genesse ◽  
Kevin St-Martin
Keyword(s):  
Older Persons ◽  
Excess Mortality ◽  
Long Term Care ◽  
Human Resources Management ◽  
Armed Forces ◽  
Term Care ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Canadian Armed Forces ◽  
Care Facilities

Purpose Among the ten Canadian provinces, Quebec has experienced the most significant excess mortality of older persons during COVID-19. This practice paper aims to present the chronology of events leading to this excess mortality in long-term care facilities (LTCFs) and a comprehensive analysis of the phenomenon. Design/methodology/approach Documented content from three official sources: daily briefings by the Quebec Premier, a report from the Canadian Armed Forces and a report produced by Royal Society of Canada experts were analysed. Findings Two findings emerge: the lack of preparation in LTCFs and a critical shortage of staff. Indeed, the massive transfer of older persons from hospitals to LTCFs, combined with human resources management and a critical shortage of permanent staff before and during the crisis, generates unhealthy living conditions in LTCFs. Originality/value To our knowledge, this paper is the first to analyse official Quebec and Canadian statements concerning COVID-19 from the angle of quality of life and protection of older adults in LTCFs.

Japan and the Revolution in Military Affairs

2018 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 172-196
Author(s):  
Tom Le
Keyword(s):  
Armed Forces ◽  
The Self ◽  
The Us ◽  
The Future ◽  
Revolution In Military Affairs ◽  
The Usa ◽  
Self Defence ◽  
The Revolution

The Revolution in Military Affairs (RMA) has not only changed how the USA engages in warfare but also how it maintains its military supremacy and how other nations budget and strategize. The very idea of the RMA has impacted how nations manage their technological advantages and raises the questions of can the RMA be monopolized and if not, which nations can adopt their own RMA? In September 2000, the Japan Defence Agency (now the Ministry of Defence [MOD]) produced a report titled ‘“Info-RMA”: Study on Info-RMA and the Future of the Self-Defence Forces’ to explore the prospects of implementing RMA principles in the Japan Self-Defence Forces. In this article, I explore to what extent can RMA principles be implemented in the Self-Defence Forces? I argue that although several significant changes have been implemented in technology, doctrine, operations and organization, various normative and technical constraints have directed the MOD to craft an RMA with Japanese characteristics, emphasizing defence and interconnectedness with the US armed forces. These findings suggest that current efforts to ‘normalize’ the Self-Defence Forces can succeed if crafted to appeal to the sensibilities of the Japanese public.

Niger self-defence groups will hasten violence spiral

2021 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Food Insecurity ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Downward Spiral ◽  
Self Defence

Significance Such attacks reinforce the sense of vulnerability and desire revenge that give rise to such self-defence groups in the first place, and contribute to a downward spiral in security in the Tillaberi and Tahoua regions. Impacts Governor and prefect reshuffles will not be enough to arrest the rising tide of violence. Western Niger will remain at crisis levels of food insecurity through mid-2022, due to the violence and other long-term vulnerabilities. Mali’s own spreading violence will hinder Niger from containing its own.

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