The Dynamics of Canal Colonies; Agricultural Development and Socio-Political Change in British Multan

Punjab was the last province which annexed with British India in 1949.British implemented many reforms in sub-continent, but Canal Colonies were excellent irrigation system introduced by the British, especially in the south west part of the Punjab province. These canal colonies proved very useful for the agriculture sector which boost up the not only the economic condition of the native people of the colonies areas but also increase revenue collection of the British government in India. Canal Colonies changed the arid/ barren land of the southern district of the province into a fertile land. British government also achieved their objectives through canal colonies. Therefore, government allotted the land of the canal colonies in different categories and rewarded some specific classes in native communities of the canal colonies. In canal colonies government reserved huge piece of land for their military objective because Indian Military was necessary for the strong law and order in British India and their strong influence in Middle East and other parts of the world. These canal colonies bring an agriculture revolution in the province which change the socio-economic condition of the people of the native districts. In Multan three major canal colonies were introduced, Sidhnai, Lower Bari Doab and Nili Bar canal colony. In these canal colonies British government also implemented same polices like the previous canal colonies of the province. Therefore, the in Multan district landed elites were loyal and cooperative with government with their wealth and men. These landed elites played important role at political canvas of the province during British rule in Multan.

Armed escorts to humanitarian convoys: An unexplored framework under international humanitarian law

The use of armed escorts to humanitarian convoys delivering humanitarian assistance potentially increases the targeting of these convoys, yet so far this use has not been examined from the perspective of international humanitarian law (IHL). This article attempts to determine whether the resort to armed escorts is in line with the principle of passive precautions under IHL, how the principle of proportionality could apply in cases of attack against the escort, and whether the convoy turns into a military objective when escorted. Finally, the article tackles the limitations of such a framework in order to define the situations it covers.

The Defence by Design framework: Conceptual foundations and potential applications

With rapid advancements in technology radically impacting and changing current ways of working globally, many industries and sectors, including the Defence force, are implementing new approaches to respond to and address these challenges. Design thinking is one approach to assist in this response, as it provides a novel process for solving complex problems. This article presents a specific design approach for addressing contextual Defence problems in the form of a design thinking framework based on a review of the existing literature concerning design and Defence. The article contends with the role of design as a value-added methodology in Defence strategy and development, and it reports on a unique set of design thinking capabilities for a Defence-specific context that are not only essential for the implementation of a design-led approach to innovation but are of great assistance in overcoming its associated challenges. The Defence by Design framework works with an identified military objective that, when applied, overcomes the natural bias that Defence personnel may exhibit during routine gaps and opportunities analysis. By detailing the different stages of the framework, and demonstrating their iterative nature, through the documentation of a working example – ‘Man Overboard’ – this article presents a new approach yet to be realized in Defence globally.

The Principle of Distinction and Its Relation to Proportionality

Proportionality prohibits causing excessive damage to civilian objects and civilians when attacking a military objective. The question which objects are legitimate military objectives, and which are civilian objects, is therefore of great importance. A broader definition of “military objectives” can be expected to justify greater harm to civilians and civilian objects, whereas a narrower definition would restrain military operations. This is especially true today, when conflicts are increasingly taking place in urban settings, with disturbing consequences for civilians. This chapter discusses how the principle of distinction and indiscriminate attacks, while also addressing the issue of dual-use objectives. The chapter also turns to the protection of cultural property.

Democracy in Afghanistan and External Actors

The US responded to the 9/11 terrorist attacks by invading Afghanistan. The US invasion had two perceived objectives: Military and Political. The military objective was to eliminate Al-Qaida and Taliban in order to restore peace, while the political dimension was to rebuild the Afghan state and society from scratch, to establish a healthy democratic system which would put Afghanistan on the road to prosperity. In Dec 2001, nearly all the Afghan stakeholders, except Taliban, gathered along with the representatives of international community in Bonn, Germany. The purpose of the conference was to discuss the plans which would help to materialize the dream of a stable and democratic Afghanistan. The project of democratic Afghanistan envisioned at Bonn Conference in 2001 is still far from being achieved. All the attempts made by international community to establish democracy in Afghanistan have not been met with success. The study begins with the premise that there are certain pre-conditions which enhance the growth of democracy and unless the conditions are met, democratic stability will remain a distant dream in Afghanistan. This study surveys and analyzes the deterioration of democratic system in Afghanistan with special reference to the role of ethnic cleavages and the menacing influence of foreign actors. The study recommends policies that are aimed at reducing ethnic polarization by ensuring more equitable distribution of power and resources coupled with a realistic approach on the part of Kabul to take into account the legitimate security interests of regional countries in order to compel them to play a constructive role for achieving peace and stability in Afghanistan.

A Bridge Too Far? Attacks against Cultural Property used as Military Objectives as War Crimes: The Prlić et al. Case and the Mostar Bridge

The destruction of the cultural property in conflict zones around the world has captured international attention on the need to prevent its destruction and prosecute those responsible. This article examines the current legal protection and international criminal framework on the criminalisation of the destruction of cultural property and in particular the exception to such destruction amounting to a war crime where they have become military objectives. This article discusses the recent decision in the Prlić et al. case involving the Mostar bridge, in light of its being justified to be attacked as a military objective. This article argues that considerations of proportionality are still required in such circumstances. This is vital to minimise the cost to communities and peoples whose cultural identity is bound up with such cultural objects. The article also suggests that the perfidious use of cultural property by parties to a conflict should be criminalised.

Atmospheric Density and Temperature Vertical Profile Retrieval for Flight-Tests with a Rayleigh Lidar On-Board the French Advanced Test Range Ship Monge

The Advanced Test Range Ship Monge (ATRSM) is dedicated to in-flight measurements during the re-entry phase of ballistic missiles test flights. Atmospheric density measurements from 15 to 110 km are provided using one of the world’s largest Rayleigh lidars. This lidar is the culmination of three decades of French research experience in lidar technologies, developed within the framework of the global Network for Detection of Atmospheric and Climate Changes (NDACC), and opens opportunities for high resolution Rayleigh lidar studies above 90 km. The military objective of the ATRSM project is to provide near real time estimates of the atmospheric relative density profile, with an error budget of less than 10% at 90 km altitude, given a temporal integration of 15 min and a vertical resolution of 500 m. To achieve this aim we have developed a unique lidar system which exploits six laser transmitters and a constellation of eight receiving telescopes which maximises the lidar power-aperture product. This system includes a mix of standard commercially available optical components and electronics as well as some innovative technical solutions. We have provided a detailed assessment of some of the more unique aspects of the ATRSM lidar.

Georgia relations after the 2008 War

The article discusses the role of NATO in the Russian-Georgian military conflict, their impact on regional security. The origin of the conflict was mainly caused by the new Geopolitical situation in the epoch of formation of multi-polar world order, where the main focus was made on the period of the establishment of new relations between the United States and Russia. The main reasons for the origin of the conflicts and the dynamics of their development are also presented in the work. The role of the countries involved in the conflict between the parties, which have a great impact on the geopolitical situation of the region. How did Georgia go through 10 years, what conclusions did it make or did not manage to make after the war with Russia, what has changed or has not changed in the country's domestic and foreign policy priorities. For the security system of Georgia tendencies existing in the relations between Russia and the West, internal political developments in Russia and Ukraine are particularly important. Research of the ways of originating the conflicts in the modern world is becoming increasingly important. The article analyzes the directions that have contributed to the origin and development of the conflict. For all the international turmoil and tensions, it caused, the Five-Day War in Georgia was a limited military operation for a military organization such as Russia’s. On a strategic level, the war was combined with other measures such as diplomatic ones, but militarily it cannot qualify as a grand military operation. It was successful in that it reached the main military objective of the operation, to take irreversible control of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, but the Russian casualties and the deficiencies and problems it struggled with during the operation have implications for the future development of its military. This is obvious from the analyses made in Russia and from statements from its military and political leadership.

The Law and Policy of Human Shielding

The phenomenon of human shields challenges many of the core tenets of international humanitarian law (IHL), including its careful dialectic between the imperatives of humanity and military necessity. Although the concepts of distinction, precaution, and proportionality are well established in the abstract, any consensus on how these rules apply to situations involving human shields is showing signs of fraying. The IHL literature offers competing approaches for evaluating the legal consequences surrounding the use of human shields for the party that stands to benefit from the presence of shields and for the party seeking to engage the shielded military objective. In particular, the application of the rules of distinction and proportionality has become the subject of intense debate about whether human shields are entitled to full civilian protections when it comes to targeting. This legal indeterminacy is being strategically generated and increasingly deployed by a range of implicated actors and norm entrepreneurs in an effort to loosen the restrictions on targeting, to excuse civilian deaths, and to shield armed actors from legal responsibility—all to the detriment of civilian protection. This chapter distinguishes forms of human shielding and sets out the legal framework in treaty and customary international law. It then evaluates the various arguments that address the phenomenon of human shielding. This chapter concludes that the safest course for parties committed to the values underlying IHL is to adopt a policy that treats all human shields as civilians, unless there is irrefutable proof of willing participation in hostilities.