Study Guide National Security

National Security

issues that pose a threat to the security of a nation and the concept that a government should protect the state and its citizens.

Nuclear Proliferation

Horizontal proliferation- when new countries get nuclear weapons (ex. North Korea developing nukes).

Vertical proliferation- when countries that already have nukes build more or improve them (ex. USA and Russia expanding arsenal).

Non-Proliferation Strategies

Deterrence- the idea that having nukes scares other countries from attacking

Mutually Assured Destruction (MAD)- if both sides have nukes, using them means total destruction for both sides (prevents war).

Disarmament- countries reduce or eliminate their nuclear weapons.

Detente- easing tensions (cold war strategy).

Defense- missile defense systems (ex. anti-missile shields).

Weapons Proliferation Agreements

History of the nuclear bomb- WW2 the U.S. attack Hiroshima/Nagasaki which also led to the cold war arms race.

Nuclear club members- nations that officially have nukes (U.S., Russia, China, UK, France, India, Pakistan, North Korea, Israel unofficially).

Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty (NPT)- goal is to stop the spread of nukes and encourage disarmament.

Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT)- bans all nuclear testing

START/New START Treaties- reduce US-Russia nukes

Arms Control- rules or limits on weapons

Arm Race- competition between countries to build more weapons

Case Study: North Korea

Cold war history- helped by USSR/China

Rogue State- unpredictable, doesn’t follow international rules

Kim Jong Un- dictator focused on nuclear weapons

Basketball Diplomacy- Dennis Rodman visiting North Korea in attempted soft diplomacy.

Terrorism

  1. terrorism is violence

  2. deliberate and premediated

  3. targets civilians

  4. politically or religiously motivated

  5. usually directed against some hate government

  6. aimed at a wide audience

  7. meant to create a state of fear

Terrorist vs. Freedom Fighter

  • depends on perspective

  • one side sees them fighting for liberation and the another sees them committing violence

Radical Islamic Terrorism

Geography- Middle East/North Africa

Islamic Fundamentalism- belief society must strictly follow Islamic law

Osama bi Laden- leader of al Qaeda

Jihad- “struggle’, extremists interpret it as holy war

Al Qaeda- terrorist group behind 9/11

Mujahadeen- fighters in Afghanistan (originally backed by US in cold war).

Muslim Brotherhood- political Islamist movement

ISIS- terrorist group trying to from a caliphate

Sunni vs. Shiite- Islamic sectarian division

Wahhabism- strict form of Sunni Islam (Saudi Arabia)

Key Terror Events

  1. 9/11- Al Qaeda hijacked planes and attacked the world trade center and pentagon (it triggered the entre war on terror). Connections= direct cause of the US invasion of Afghanistan (2001), led to Patriot Act 2001, and also made counterterrorism the #1 US priority.

  2. U.S. Invasion of Afghanistan (2001-2021)- US removal the Taliban because they protected Osama bi Laden and al Qaeda (stared America’s longest war). Connections= happened because of 9/11, Taliban was removed but came back in 2021 and created power vacuum but some fighters late.

  3. US Foreign Policy: The USA PATRIOT Act (2001) and The Bush Doctrine (2001-2006)- Patriot act expanded surveillance to catch terrorists and the Bush Doctrine allowed preemptive strikes and acting without full international support . Connections= used to justify the Iraq war which led to the collapse and the ISIS formed.

  4. U.S. Invasion of Iraq (2003)- US removed Saddam Hussein, claimed Iraq had WMDs (not true but Iraq fell into chaos, extremists’ groups formed). Connections= the collapse of Iraq’s government helped create ISIS, ISIS spread into Syria which led to Syrian Civil War, and Arab spring also weakened governments, helping ISIS grow.

  5. Madrid Train Bombings (2004)- Al-Qaeda inspired terrorists bombed trains in Spain (showed terrorism was spreading outside the Middle East). Connection= inspired later attacks in Paris and Brussels and showed al Qaeda still active outside Afghanistan.

  6. Arab Spring (2010-2012)- mass protest in the Middle East, demanding democracy (some governments collapsed, others weakened). Connections= Libya collapse which led to region becomes unstable which led to ISIS grows and Syria protest becomes Syria Civil War, and weak states allow ISIs to take land.

  7. Collapse of Libya (2011-2012)- government falls, leaving militias and chaos (weapons and fighters spread across Africa). Connections= these weapons helped extremists’ groups in Sahel and instability contributed to Africa becoming a new terrorism hotspot.

  8. Syria Civil War (2011-present)- protest which led to brutal war between government, rebels and extremists (ISIS took advantage of the chaos). Connection= main place where ISIS formed a “caliphate”, refugee crisis in Europe, and led to ISIS attacks in Europe.

  9. Rise of ISIS and Attacks in Europe (Paris and Brussels 2013-2019)- ISIS grew in Iraq + Syria inspired attacks worldwide (major global threat). Connections= the Iraq war+ Syria War allowed ISIS to grow, European attacks increased global counterterrorism cooperation and led to US drone strikes + Obama-era strategy.

  10. Obama- Era Counterterrorism (2009-2016)-drone strikes forces, killing leaders for example Osama bin Laden in 2011 (shifted from huge wars to targeted strikes). Connections= strategy focused on ISIS and al Qaeda and continued because of the spread of terrorism after Iraq/Syria wars.

  11. US withdrawal from Afghanistan and Taliban return (2021)- US left after 20 years; Taliban quickly retook the country ( huge humanitarian crisis + concerns about terrorism rising again). Connections= war started because of 9/11, ended with Taliban back in power anyway, and possible future base for extremist groups.

  12. Expansion of Extremist Groups in Sahel/Central Africa (2015-present)- groups linked to ISIS/al Qaeda spread in Mali, Niger, Burkin Faso, Nigeria (Africa became the new center of global terrorism). Connections= weapons flowed from Libya collapse, fighters trained by ISIS/ al Qaeda, and weak African government which is easier for extremists to grow.

Cybersecurity and Russia War in Ukraine

Cyber Attacks

Cyberterrorism- using hacking to create fear or damage (ex. power grid attacks).

Cyberwarfare- government hacking another country

Operation Infection- Russia disinformation campaign from the Cold War led to spread fake news (ex. HIV was created by the US).

NATO

Ukraine War Causes- Russia wants influence, hates Ukraine leaning toward NATO/EU

Timeline: 2014 Crimea takeover led to 202 full invasion

Power Systems

Unipolar- one superpower (US after Cold War)

Bipolar- two superpowers (US vs. USSUR)

Multipolar- several powerful states

Putin: Russia president, nationalist

Zelenskyy: president of Ukraine

Strategic Common Interest

Saudi Arabia

Authoritarian monarchy

Mohammed bin Salma (MBS)- crown prince

Sovereign Wealth Fund- invest oil profits

Human rights concerns- women’s rights, dissidents

Sportswashing- hosting sports to improve image

Trade relations- oil + US partnership

China

Xi Jinping- communists party leader

Economic connections- major US trading partner

Global stability issues- Taiwan, South China Sea

Population- aging growing

Military- rapidly growing

Thucydides Trap- when rising power (China) challenges ruling power (US) which is a potential conflict

Other challenges- cyberattacks, tech rivalry, human rights