Research Briefing
Both the National Security Strategy and the Strategic Defence and Security Review were published in October 2010, five months after the Government took office. This paper examines the main priorities and recommendations set out in each of those documents
Research Briefing
Security-related incidents, paramilitary-style attacks, and deaths due to the security situation in Northern Ireland. By Ross Young. SN/SG/2229.
Research Briefing
The purpose of the Armed Forces Bill is to provide the legal basis for the Armed Forces and the system of military law which exists in the UK. It also offers an opportunity to make necessary amendments, such as those required by changes to civilian law in the UK or as a result of cases brought before the European Court of Human Rights. The Bill has also been used, on occasion, to introduce new measures relating to the Armed Forces that fall outside the Bill’s traditional remit.
Research Briefing
The UK and France agreed a series of measures intended to enhance defence co-operation between both country's armed forces, including the signing of two new defence treaties, at the latest bilateral summit on 2 November 2010. The treaties have been labelled by a number of analysts as 'historic', in particular for the implications of co-operation in the nuclear sphere. This note provides a brief summary of historical UK-French defence co-operation, the main elements of the two new defence co-operation treaties and some initial reactions to the proposals that have been set out.
Research Briefing
Five months after entering office the Coalition Government published its Strategic Defence and Security Review on 19 October 2010. The following note is a guide to the principal recommendations and conclusions of that review which relate to the Armed forces specifically. It will be followed by a more detailed paper on the wider recommendations of the SDSR, and their implications, in the near future.
Research Briefing
This note is a short guide to the main recommendations of the defence reviews that have taken place since the end of the Second World War, and whether those recommendations subsequently lived up to events.
Research Briefing
President Saakashvili's second term expires in 2013. Whether the election is won by a more Moscow-friendly successor will be critical for the progress of Russia's efforts to establish its ""zone of privileged interest". Critics of the US administration may say that Obama's decision to "press the reset button" on relations with Russia has betrayed Georgia's ambitions to join western countries.
Research Briefing
Shortly after taking office, US President Obama gave negotiations with Iran over its nuclear programme one year, promising to push for a new set of United Nations sanctions if there was no progress. After negotiating since the end of 2009, the E3+3 countries, France, Germany and the United Kingdom plus China Russia and the United States reached agreement on the fourth round of sanctions in June 2010 This note looks at Iran's nuclear programme and UN, US and EU sanctions.
Research Briefing
That Strategic Defence and Security Review (SDSR) was announced shortly after the new Coalition Government took office in May 2010. As the SDSR is ongoing, it is difficult to conclude with any certainty what its final recommendations may be. Therefore, this note seeks to 'set the scene' by providing an outline of what proposals have been highlighted by the new Government thus far and a list of suggested reading material for relevant commentary.
Research Briefing
This paper is now out-of-date and has been replaced by Commons Library Briefing CBP7353, Replacing the UK's Trident Nuclear Deterrent, 26 October 2015
Research Briefing
The first part of this paper focuses on the Pashtuns, beginning with a survey of the geographic, historical and cultural factors which have shaped Pashtun identities in Afghanistan and Pakistan before going on to describe the political and security arrangements under which they currently live. The paper then reviews the Pashtun armed militant groups currently operating in Afghanistan and Pakistan. The second part of the paper then looks at the US AfPak policy, setting out its origins and evolution before assessing the prospects for success over the coming year and beyond.
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