Strategic Impact

REASSESSING THE CONCEPTUAL ELEMENTS OF ISLAMIC RADICALIZATION: THEORETICAL CHALLENGES AND RESEARCH TRENDS

2024-08-08T12:40:00+03:00

The radicalization phenomenon has captured the attention of the academic community, considering the need to understand its conceptual elements and to analyze the impact of the main causes that trigger the radicalization process. On the other hand, the rationale to elaborate on this article is that there is no unanimously accepted definition of radicalization at the academic level, and the causes that determine the radicalization process are explained reductively most of the time. Thus, what this article proposes is to review the specialized literature regarding the theoretical delimitations of radicalization, aiming for a definition as comprehensive as possible that would characterize in a holistic manner the process of Islamic radicalization. Also, another objective of the paper seeks to identify the challenges of the academic community regarding the conceptual elements of the phenomenon, using a methodology based on the confrontation of different theories through which the process of Islamic radicalization is explained.

DEFENCE SYSTEM DEVELOPMENT IN A ‘FROZEN CONFLICT’ CONDITION: CASE STUDY OF THE REPUBLIC OF SERBIA

2024-08-08T12:33:17+03:00

Safeguarding the security of the state and society is the meaning and reason for the national security system’s existence and its functioning. How security will be achieved depends on the organisation of the state security system, which is determined by the level of vulnerability of proclaimed national values. Since the ‘frozen conflict’ represents a latent and permanent threat to the security of state and the identity of society, the national security system adapts to the dynamics of the security environment by revising its defence capabilities. Reconsideration of the readiness for defence is most often manifested through an increase in military potential, which can generate a security dilemma problem and threaten regional stability. Due to the escalation of violence on the Eurasian continent and the security situation in the Western Balkans region, this study critically examines the need for the development of a defence system in the case of the Republic of Serbia. The purpose of the research paper is to encourage reflection on the implications of the independent state’s concept for international peace and security. Is the solution that brought peace to Europe nearly four centuries ago a source of nowadays conflicts?

GUIDE FOR AUTHORS

2024-08-08T12:48:52+03:00

ENTERING THE THIRD YEAR OF THE RUSSIA – UKRAINE WAR: WHAT MIGHT HAPPEN IN THE NEAR FUTURE

2024-08-08T12:25:59+03:00

The war in Ukraine has entered its third year and no one can predict what may happen in 2024 and the years to come. Many military leaders consider that it is very difficult to predict the conduct of the Russia – Ukraine War in the next six months and beyond. Even so, Russia’s recent momentum, together with the upcoming Ukraine’s weaponry and ammunition shortage, as well as the delayed US military aid, should raise serious red flags to political and military analysts regarding some concerns and worries on the current situation in Ukraine and the possible scenarios for the end of 2024 and beyond. Moreover, the war in Ukraine should be analysed in an international context, taking into consideration the evolution of the situation in the Middle East and Africa, as well as the fierce Sino – American confrontation for the World dominance. Therefore, this paper will focus on the main characteristics of the War in Ukraine at the beginning of 2024, in order to design several scenarios concerning what might happen in the near future. The research method is based on facts analysis and comparison with the last two years of war. The article has some limitations because the international support’s effects on the battlefield are still unclear and the uncertainty regarding the results of the US future Presidential elections. But, even so, it could be used to design Eastern European countries’ strategies for the evolving situation, including Romania.

STRATEGIES XXI INTERNATIONAL SCIENTIFIC CONFERENCE - “The Complex and Dynamic Nature of the Security Environment” February 28th, 2024

2024-08-08T12:42:56+03:00

THE NEED FOR A SOFT POWER STRATEGY FOR ROMANIA. ELEMENTS

2024-08-08T12:36:34+03:00

The importance of soft power strategies in recent decades has been both overstated in some cases, and understated in others. Both approaches have come with negative effects for the initiators, as well as the recipient societies. We can still encounter both approaches in contemporary societies, but we also encounter more moderate and more balanced successful approaches as well. Our assessment is that a balanced, professional, realistic approach and, above all, having as its final goal collective benefits for several states, for an entire region, not only for the initiating state, a soft power strategy that does not conceal hard power goals behind it, would be extremely welcome for Romania, and we propose several elements for it. It would be even more necessary in an area like ours, where different soft power strategies are seen in action, and they have broader strategies concealed behind them, usually characteristic of hard power, with revisionist aims, namely to resuscitate old empires. We can give the example of neo-Ottoman strategies of Recep Erdogan’s Turkiye, Vladimir Putin’s strategies or Viktor Orban’s. In some cases, the hard power strategies disguised in soft forms have been revealed, in others, not yet.

AN ACADEMIC APPROACH OF THE MILITARY DOCTRINE TRANSFORMATION IN THE CONTEXT OF ASYMMETRICAL CONFLICTS

2024-08-08T12:29:43+03:00

Transformation of military doctrines in the context of asymmetric conflicts is an imperative to maintain the relevance and effectiveness of the military response to contemporary threats. This transformation requires a holistic approach that integrates technological innovations, international cooperation, interoperability, reflecting the dynamics and complexity of the global security environment. Military doctrine requires a foundation based on a thorough analysis of the existing threats and potential risks, provided that the asymmetric conflict imposes the need for a quick and adaptable reaction. Asymmetric conflicts differ from classic conflicts by involving a number of actors, and the integration of these actors in the planning and execution of military strategies can support post-conflict stabilization and reconstruction efforts, thus strengthening the resilience of communities and states facing asymmetric threats. Therefore, adapting military doctrines to the specifics of asymmetric conflicts is an ongoing process, which requires a flexible approach that allows military forces to respond effectively to a wide range of threats in a constantly changing security environment.

EDITOR’S NOTE

2024-08-08T12:45:18+03:00