Foreign Terrorist Fighters: managing a twenty-first century threat

In the aftermath of the Arab uprisings Foreign Terrorist Fighters (FTFs) have emerged as a significant security challenge. Since the 1980s and the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan the notion of a ‘foreign fighter’ has been closely linked, if not synonymous, with those ideologically or religiously motivated individuals who have travelled to join conflicts in Islamic lands. This article will explore the contemporary FTF movement, offering a comparison of Afghanistan in the 1980s and Syria in the contemporary period. It will explore the international community’s expansive responses to the challenge of FTFs, with special focus on the role of the United Nations.     

The dark(er) side of ‘state failure’: state formation and socio-political variation

Scholars concerned with the formation of states, specifically the relationship between state formation and war, hold one of two positions. Some agree with Charles Tilly’s historiological conclusion that war is decisive for the establishment of stateness and specify key concepts, in order to explain presumed discrepancies between past and present. Others point towards the international sphere in its current form and advocate a ‘war breaks states’ perspective. This paper argues that both standpoints neglect the ‘sub-national’ level. While proponents of the ‘war breaks states’ thesis are missing para-sovereign zones of rule, supporters of the ‘war makes states’ approach take a juridical view of statehood and focus on ‘state strength’. The failed states paradigm guiding contemporary security and development policy hinders an adequate analysis of the actual situation on the ground. Discussing the shortcomings of failed states approaches and state formation theorising, the paper proposes a conceptualisation in terms of socio-political variation instead of a mere dichotomisation of order. Some conclusive questions are raised, indicating future research directions linked to the historical sociology of state formation.     

The European Union and its energy security challenges: engagement through and with networks

Energy security remains a vital issue for the European Union (EU), even more so in the wake of the events that unfolded in early 2014 in Ukraine. The EU's already fragile position in the international energy arena in terms of security of supply appears to be more uncertain than ever after its umpteenth fallout with its historic energy supplier, Russia. This situation is untenable and calls for swift and decisive action to adequately tackle the issue once and for all. The article looks at the creation of a single EU energy market through the integration of energy networks in the EU. This article then examines various ways to diversify its energy supply, whether through increasing the import of liquefied natural gas or through its relations with the Eurasian Union. It then explores the International Energy Charter as an example of the EU's engagement with transnational policy networks. It concludes that from energy transit, to technology transfer, to investment protection, energy and trade present interplays across various fields. Improvements can be made to the EU trading system to ensure greater energy security and more efficient energy markets.     

公安工作中社会主义法治理念的践行

社会主义法治理念具有丰富的内涵。公安工作践行社会主义法治理念是构建社会主义和谐社会的必然要求,是确保公安工作社会主义政治方向的客观需要,也是建设高素质公安队伍的客观需要。当前,在公安工作中应进一步增强党性观念、大局观念,牢固树立严格、文明、公正、效能、公开的执法思想,切实提高法律素养,自觉接受法律监督,从而践行社会主义法治理念的基本要求。     

构建省级公安机关情报信息平台的思考

构建省级公安机关情报信息平台是当前警务改革的一项重点工程,它对于提高警务资源的利用、减少公安运行成本、服务基层机关工作具有现实意义。但是,在省级公安机关的机构变迁过程中,其职责范围和发展模式却没有准确定义,进而在构建情报信息平台方面引发诸多问题,主要体现在公安管理体制、省级机构权威、信息资源管理、统一规范标准等方面。因此,省级公安机关情报信息平台的构建首要的任务就是解决这些瓶颈问题,从情报信息平台目标的明确、资源的整合、规范的运作、机构的健全,人机的结合,流程的改造等方面入手,用符合情报信息管理的标准来构建一个统一、规范、开放、共享的平台,更好地为各级警务实战服务。     

基于校园网的公安教学初探

随着网络技术的迅猛发展,校园网已成为公安高校信息化教育的组成部分,对公安教学工作产生了重要影响和作用。它既为教师教学、科研工作带来极大的便利,又为学生学习提供了良好的实践环境,同时也实现了公安教学资源共享和丰富了公安教学方式。但是在校园网应用过程中出现的诸多问题阻碍了其作用的发挥。为此,必须扩大校园网的覆盖面;转变教师的教育思想观念;提高师生信息素养;丰富校园网络教学资源;建立和完善公安院校网络教学的评价体系。     

公安院校毕业生就业问题探析

大学生就业是目前非常突出的一个社会问题。公安院校大学毕业生能否尽快走上社会,成为自食其力的社会劳动者,既是大学生本人的问题,也是公安院校的生存与发展的重要问题。     

长江下游水域治安管理现状及对策

当前长江下游水域治安问题突出,侵财性案件较多;非法采砂的行为屡禁不绝;群体性事件和水上治安灾害事故突出。在治安管理过程中面临着执法依据不全、管理体制不顺、水上警务保障不足的困境。     

再论公安工作与群众路线

坚持和贯彻群众路线是公安机关的优良传统和特色。在新世纪新形势下,公安机关必须继承和发展群众路线,解放思想,与时俱进,不断创新群众路线,从而更加有效地发挥职能作用。     

论公安文书语言的生动性

公安文书语言的生动性是由公安文书的功用和特点决定的。在写作实践中,通过恰当使用修辞格、灵活地运用词语、巧妙地安排句式等来达到生动的目的。要全面准确地把握公安文书语言生动性的内涵,必须注意几个问题:语言生动与内容准确的关系、公安文书语言的生动性与文学作品的生动性的区别、讲求公安文书语言的生动性必须适应不同文种的特点和要求。