Terrorists,Insurgents, and Criminals—Growing Nexus?

Using Iraq and Afghanistan as case studies, this article explores several critical questions. First, what is the scope of the relationship among criminal organizations, terrorists, and insurgents? The analysis is drawn from theoretical approaches but also relies on government studies and open source reports. Second, how has the transitional period between post-conflict and reconstruction/nation-building created fertile ground for strengthening the criminal–terrorist–insurgent continuum? This is a particularly important issue as the Bush administration engages international organizations. Lastly, what can the United States and its Coalition allies do to mitigate the security challenges presented by the criminal–terrorist–insurgent problem in the these two countries?     

A Crowded Stage: Liabilities and Benefits of Multiparty Mediation

In today's environment, the international response to conflict often entails multiple mediators as well as other third-party actors such as peacekeeping forces, development agencies, nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), and lone operators. Such a profusion of actors has often made peacemaking efforts messy, difficult, and at times chaotic. The vicious nature of internal conflicts, however, and the high costs for the international community of failing to prevent or end war make it critical to understand these multiple third-party interventions. The principal question is: do these multiparty mediations help or hurt the cause of peace? If the answer to that question is that a multiplicity of third parties can hurt a peace process, does the solution lie in stopping multiple third-party attempts at peacemaking? On the other hand, if the answer is that multiparty mediation can help, are there ways of increasing the chances that it will?     

Cognitive revivification: A review of forensic hypnotic application in America

Forensic hypnosis was first presented in U.S. Courts in 1898. It began to be used again in 1960 and was used often through the the 1970s. The paper traces the jurisprudential development and discusses the many psychological, legal, and practical uses facing hypnotically induced or influenced testimony.     

Constancy and change in the U.S. age distribution of crime: A test of the “invariance hypothesis”

The recent controversy over the age relationship with criminal behavior can be traced to Hirschi and Gottfredson's (Am. J. Sociol. 89, 552–584, 1983) failure to define invariance. In this paper, I distinguish two types of invariance—parametric andmathematical form— that explains both the pattern of stability claimed by Hirschi and Gottfredson and the pattern of variability observed in more recent research. I then directly test for each type of invariance using age-specific arrest data for index offenses in the United States from 1952 to 1987. The results are largely consistent with recent research showing variability in the characteristics (i.e., parameters) of the age distribution of crime, but at the same time, the results provide evidence for a persistent, underlying mathematical form to the age distribution of crime, regardless of year or offense type.     

The Resurgence of Chinese Anti-Americanism in the 1990s： State Policy or Popular Expression？

While Western observers typically attribute the population＇s nationalist anti-Americanism largely to government propaganda or manipulation, they misunderstand the roots of anti-American behavior in China. As depicted by Peter Hay Gries in China＇s New Nationalism and by Michael H. Hunt in The Genesis of China＇s Foreign Policy, a more nuanced portrayal is in order. While the two books utilize distinct socialpsychological and historical perspectives, an integrative reading of the two suggests that popular expression is in fact largely responsible for China＇s anti-Americanism. At first this conclusion in favor of popular expression may seem at odds with Hunt＇s state-centered analysis of the roots of foreign policy. Nevertheless, after a brief summary of each book and a comparative application to the issue of anti-Americanism, the authors demonstrate that applying a comparative historical reappraisal to Hunt＇s study suggests that both scholarly works support the predominant role of popular expression on contemporary China＇s nationalist anti- Americanism.     

Ready for Prime Time: The When,Who, and Why of International Mediation

Most of the literature on international dispute resolution emphasizes timing and ripeness when considering whether or not a dispute is suitable for mediation. In addition to this focus, the authors believe analysts should consider whether a particular mediator is ready for prime time. Their framework posits that one may gauge the appropriateness of a mediator for a particular dispute along three different types of considerations: operational and political; strategic and diplomatic; and relationship and cultural fit. They provide numerous case examples illustrating how the choice of a mediator might apply in each dimension.