Suchergebnisse

With the outbreak of famine in the mid-1990s, the DPRK has become a recipient of humanitarian assistance. Immediately after the inception of aid flows, an extensive diversification of donors arose. The most important donor duo was the Republic of Korea and the USA. Japan, Russia, and the European Union all had important roles in the matter, and Switzerland had a very specific role in it. Meanwhile, the Chinese assistance obtained an entirely unique position. There was a temporary suspension of China's assistance in the mid-1990s, but then it started again, and today, China is the DPRK's patron. The aim of this article is to provide a comparison of the donors' strategies and to outline the main trends of the assistance to the DPRK in the framework of the period of 1995-2012. The strategies of donorship have divergent tendencies, and in most of the cases, the donors preferred to make a strong effort to reach their political goals in the DPRK while providing humanitarian aid to it. Adapted from the source document.

The presented analysis deals with the issue area of missile defense (MD) from the perspective of strategic studies. There are several objectives set for the text, & these in turn shape its structure. First, the analysis investigates the relationship between deterrence & MD. It debunks the myth claiming that the former is replaced by the latter; instead, their juxtaposition is acknowledged & demonstrated. This is made possible by a nuanced discussion of deterrence that goes beyond its flawed identification with the MAD logic. Subsequently, the Third Pillar of the US MD project is examined. It is investigated both within a wider discussion of bilateral US-Russian relations & in the context of the accompanying multilateral processes in NATO. The last tackled issue is a future link between the Third Site & the Sino-US strategic dynamics. The argument is summarized in the conclusion. Adapted from the source document.

The discussion of the energy security of Europe is focused mainly on Russia. However, Russia -- Central Asia energy relations became very important in Eurasia after the dissolution of the USSR. While its reserves of strategic raw materials (especially gas) are not comparable with those in Russia, Central Asia could be an additional source for supplying these raw materials to Europe. Europe should be involved in "The Great Game" for Central Asian gas. The significance of Central Asia regarding the increasing demand for gas in Europe cannot be overestimated. On the other hand, due to the growing interest of China & other Asian powers in Central Asia, maintaining a local gas pipeline network which would move gas in the direction of Europe (rather than in the direction of other Asian countries) should be a priority for both European countries & Russia. The rivalry between Russian & non-Russian pipeline projects for delivering gas is secondary in this context. Adapted from the source document.

Among the most important factors influencing the pre-war (not only Transatlantic) debate on Iraq were the close economic ties between Saddam Hussein's regime & those countries opposing military action against it. The most notable aspect of these links was the extensive arms trade. Analysis of Iraq's arms programs reveals that the most resolute opponents of military action against the Iraqi regime were those most extensively involved in arms deals with Iraq -- supplying Iraq with both weapons & weapons technologies. The Iraqi nuclear program received significant assistance from French & German firms. German firms were also among those helping Iraq with their chemical weapons programs. SCUD missiles -- key carriers for weapons of mass destruction -- were supplied by the USSR (later Russia), & their further refinement was mainly due to contributions by German experts. The main suppliers of conventional weapons to Iraq under Saddam Hussein were the USSR (later Russia), France, China, Czechoslovakia & Poland. Compared to this, the role played by the USA & United Kingdom in Iraq's arms programs (both for conventional weapons & weapons of mass destruction) was insignificant. Adapted from the source document.

Nach der einleitenden allgemeinen Charakteristik der gegenwärtigen wirtschaftlichen und politischen Lage Japans werden Grundelemente der japanischen Außenpolitik gegenüber dem asiatisch-pazifischen Raum analysiert. Die Aufmerksamkeit gilt dabei insbesondere den ökonomischen und den militärischen Aspekten dieser Politik. Im weitern wird nacheinander die japanische Außenpolitik gegenüber den USA, der Russischen Föderation, den ASEAN-Staaten, der Chinesischen Volksrepublik, der Korea-Halbinsel und schließlich den übrigen asiatischen Ländern erörtert. (BIOst-Hrs)