Cycles of Jihadist Movements and the Role of Irrationality

The article argues that Islamist terror is driven by irrational forces; it analyzes jihadist values and doctrines that animate Islamic revolutionaries; it then contends that jihadist movements go through a cycle of mobilization, extremism, implosion and recreation. Finally, it assesses the prospects for jihadist revitalization, extremism, and decline in Syria and the Sahel. Examples from the Iraqi and Algerian jihadist campaigns are used for illustrative purposes throughout.     

Iranian Involvement in Yemen

For at least a decade, there have been numerous Yemeni, Saudi, and other countries’ assertions that Iran has been involved in supporting northern Yemeni rebels seeking autonomy from the Sana’a government. Iranian diplomatic and political support for this rebellious group (known as the Houthis) is undeniable, but Iranian military assistance for them has not always been easy to prove. This situation appeared to change in 2011 when Iran's increased involvement in Yemen occurred in response to both the chaotic situation there during the final year of the Saleh regime and the danger that the Arab Spring revolutions would leave Iran increasingly isolated. Evidence of Iranian efforts to supply weapons to the Houthis now seems overwhelming in contrast to uncertain reports prior to 2011. In addition, at least some of Yemen's southern secessionists also appear to be receiving at least limited Iranian financial support.     

Knowing the past to understand the present - issues in the contracting for cloud based services

This article builds on our previous introductory article to cloud computing ([2009] 25 CLSR 270-274) and seeks to explain how cloud computing has evolved. We then discuss how this evolution impacts on key contractual and legal considerations and how the treatment of these considerations might differ from their treatment in traditional IT supply agreements.     

The Rise of Gulf War Paradigm 2.0

The adage that “it is always easier to fight the last war” is one that readily can be applied to the United States and its armed forces for not predicting the scale and type of operations encountered in the occupations of Iraq and Afghanistan. This article argues that the lack of preparation in the post-invasion phases arose from an institutional attachment to a preferred paradigm of warfare, as exemplified by the Persian Gulf War of 1991. This paradigm, though, has been substantially resurrected and re-configured to suit the fighting preferences of the American armed forces in its protracted encounters in Iraq and Afghanistan. Far from re-orienting its organization and mindset to meet the challenges of so-called counterinsurgency campaigns, as much current advocacy maintains, the military has reverted to the form of warfare it knows best.     

‘Fade to Grey’: Older women,embodied claims and attributions in English university departments of education

This article explores the experiences of a small number of older women who work in university departments of education. The article starts with a brief review of some of the research that documents the experiences of women who work in departments of education. The article then considers the ways in which the older woman's body has become a focus for action, suppression and, above all, a site for constant work. Women are exhorted by the mass media to be vigilant in order to combat the embodied signs of passing time and to work on the project of the (ageing) body. The article then explores some of the ways that older women in education departments may be positioned/position themselves in relation to these pressures and some of the ways in which they disrupt these discourses.     

Adolescents' perceptions of their attachment relationships with their mothers,fathers, and friends

This study explored changes in New Zealand adolescents' perceptions of their attachment relationships with their mothers, fathers, and friends. The main findings revealed that from early to late adolescence: Males and females remained stable in their quality of affect toward their mothers. With increasing age, females utilized their mothers for support and proximity more, whereas males utilized their mothers for support and proximity less. With increasing age, males and females rated their quality of affect toward their fathers as lower and utilized their fathers for support and proximity less. Females had a higher quality of affect toward friends than males regardless of age, but both males and females increased their utilization of friends for support and proximity over age. Further analyses revealed that Pacific Island adolescents utilized their mothers less for support and proximity than European/Pakeha adolescents. Adolescents from one-parent families utilized their fathers less for support and proximity and had a lower quality of affect toward him than adolescents from two-parent families. These findings suggested that substantial changes take place in attachment relationships from early to late adolescence and highlighted the need for research to differentiate between the sex of adolescent and sex of parent dyads in order to examine adolescents' affective relationships effectively.This research is based on the first author's doctoral dissertation at the University of Auckland.Received Ph.D. from the University of Auckland. Research interests are in life span developmental psychology and in the parenting of children and adolescents.Received Ph.D. from the Australian National University. Research interests lie within life span developmental psychology and early cognitive development.Received Ph.D. from the University of Canterbury. Her main interests are in life span developmental psychology and the development of low birth weight babies.     

Adolescent attachment to parents and friends in relation to aspects of self-esteem

This study explored the relative influence of adolescents' perceptions of their attachment relationships with their mothers, fathers, and friends on three measures of self-esteem. The sample consisted of 493 New Zealand adolescents ranging from 13 to 19 years of age. Two dimensions of the attachment relationship were assessed: the utilization of emotional support and proximity, and the quality of affect. The major findings were as follows: utilization of emotional support and proximity from mothers, fathers, and friends was minimally related to overall self-esteem, coping abilities, and social competence. The quality of affect toward mothers and fathers was significantly related only to social competence. These findings suggest that adolescent self-esteem is more strongly associated with the quality of affect toward parents and friends than with the utilization of these target figures for support or proximity. The notion that parents and friends may contribute to different facets of self-esteem is discussed.This research is based on the first author's doctoral dissertation at the University of Auckland.Received Ph.D. from the University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand. Research interests are adolescent development and the development of children's health beliefs and behaviors. To whom reprint requests should be addressed at School of Occupatinal Therapy, Private Bag 92006, Auckland Institute of Technology, Auckland 1020, New Zealand.Received Ph.D. from the University of Canterbury. Main interests are in life span developmental psychology, and the development of low birthweight babies.Received Ph.D. from the Australian National University. Interests lie within life span developmental psychology and early cognitive development.     

China, Nuclear Security and Terrorism: Implications for the United States

This article outlines Chinese strategic nuclear forces and the Chinese philosophical approach to nuclear security. It then focuses on the domestic conditions in China which could precipitate vulnerabilities to its nuclear forces. From information about internal security conditions in China, specific internal threats to Chinese nuclear security will be derived. Based on these threats, several outsider and insider scenarios will be outlined involving a variety of terrorist or terrorist related behaviors. These notional scenarios will include everything from overrun or attack, to diversion, to cyber terrorism, to sabotage. The article will then cover what these scenarios and the possible Chinese reaction to them may mean for the security, military and diplomatic strategies of the United States.