A guide to national security : threats, responses and strategies / Julian Richards.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Richards, Julian (Julian James)

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

National security--Great Britain.

National security.

Great Britain.

Physical Description:

xv, 182 pages : illustrations ; 24 cm

Place of Publication:

Oxford : Oxford University Press, 2012.

Summary:

A Guide to National Security offers a unique analysis of the threats and policy responses facing contemporary UK, presented within the framework of the Government's 2010 National Security Strategy and the Strategic Defence and Security Review. It explores the processes and developments which have shaped the transformation of national security over the last three decades, and critically examines the processes of politicization and securitization that have delivered the new strategic vision. This analysis is not only of significance to observers of the UK, but to anyone interested in the development of national security strategy in the twenty-first century. To this end, this book offers a critical new case study.

Presented in three parts, the book has taken one of the key recommendations from the National Security Strategy-increasing collaboration between the police, Armed Forces, and intelligence agencies-and used this as both the viewpoint from which to assess the current state of play regarding the UK's national security, as well as the approach to identifying future threats and creating policies and tactics to deal with them. Part One: Threats sets the scene for the current status of national security in the UK and its historical origins, before moving on to describe the myriad of possible threats facing governments and intelligence services, from organized crime and terrorism to cyber-threats and failed states. Part Two: Responses looks at the interaction between government and other agencies in response to the threat picture; how that framework functions and is organized; and the actions and responses to be taken. Finally, Part Three: Strategies offers a range of considerations for the future, including the case for military restructuring; the issue of domestic policies regarding radicalization and counter-terrorism; and the building of international partnerships with the EU and the rest of the world, as well as within current international organizations, such as the UN and NATO. Throughout, the book presents opinions from leading figures across government and agencies closely involved with national security policy formation, offering case studies and suggestions for further investigation.

This book provides a number of fascinating and critical points for those interested in the UK's own national security organization, from those working in intelligence, counter-terrorism, and organized crime within the police, staff within the national intelligence agencies, government policy advisers and officials, and academics involved in security studies. The contemporary era of globalization also means that it has resonance for anyone involved in such issues across the Western world and beyond. Book jacket.

Contents:

Part 1 Threats

1 Introduction 3

The 2010 National Security Strategy-breaking new ground 3

Priority risks and threats 5

National security in the UK-a modern history 7

Defining 'national security' 14

Key points 17

2 Setting the Scene: The Threat Picture in a Globalized World 19

'Wider' security risks 19

The political backdrop 20

The strategic context-globalization and transnational threats 25

Key points 30

3 Tier One Threats 32

Risk and resilience 32

Terrorism 35

Cyber threats 41

Natural hazards and disasters 44

International military crisis 48

Key points 50

4 Tier Two Threats 52

Overlapping risks and capabilities 52

An attack using 'unconventional' weapons 53

Unstable and failed states 56

Organized crime 60

Disruption to satellite communications 64

Key points 66

5 Tier Three Risks 67

Backdrop-security in Europe 67

Wider regional conflict 70

Energy security 72

The risk of a nuclear emergency 76

Border security 78

Key points 80

Part 2 Responses

6 Responses 83

The response framework 83

Administrative organization 86

Response capability-an 'adaptable posture' 90

National security 'tasks' 91

Key points 96

Part 3 Strategies

7 Administering National Security: Governmental Strategies and Structures 101

The political origins of the National Security Council 101

Why an NSC? 103

Presidentialization and prime ministerialism 106

NSC process and machinery 109

Departmental organization outside the Cabinet Office 111

Key points 115

8 Boots on the Ground: Restructuring Military Capability 116

Introduction: the case for restructuring 116

Britain's place in the world 117

The changing character of conflict 119

Inter-service issues 121

Proposed restructuring 123

The nuclear question 126

Key points 128

9 Fighting Asymmetric Conflicts 129

The challenge of Afghanistan 129

Selling the strategy-the battle of the narratives 130

Peacekeeping, peace-enforcement, and counter-insurgency 133

Future force requirements 137

Key points 139

10 Domestic Policies: Counter-Radicalization and Counter-Terrorism 140

Old and new threats 140

The evolving nature of the terrorist threat 141

Counter-terrorism strategy in the UK 143

Prevent 147

Key points 151

11 Partnerships: EU, UN, NATO, and the 'Special Relationship' 153

Chance encounters and shifting alliances 153

The 'special relationship' 154

Existing alliances 156

Europe, and France 161

Counter-terrorism 163

Key points 166

12 Conclusions 167

Key points 176.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN:

9780199655069

0199655065

OCLC:

769471066