Kdion

Interesting in potential edits: Peacekeeping: Failures in Peacekeeping- Rwandan Genocide, Darfur, Srberenica massacre... Not just discussing the UN's failure to act overall, but failure to adequately support ongoing missions be it the case of Rwanda, Srberenica or even Congo until more recently. In relation to the inadequacy of appropriate support I want to explore capabilities and limitations for forces on the ground. What sort of Rules of Engagement do U.N. Forces contend with? Do Peacekeepers make any noticeable impact on the conflict they are there to avoid? We see both in the case of Sierra Leone and Angola a tenuous peace brought about by Executive Outcomes shifts back into violence when the global community shifts EO out and replaces them with Peacekeepers. Is Peacekeeping cost effective, or even effective at all? Want to look into comparative studies, if there are any (haven't seen any yet but there's a lot to sift through), between failed and successful Peacekeeping operations and what made the difference. Also potentially examine Peacekeeping during the Cold War and whether it served as an extension of US foreign policy... the UN Peacekeeping force, still fairly new, played a rather unique role during the First Congo Crisis that it may never have played again, but it essentially acted as the country's military for a brief period in helping bringing an end to the secession of Katanga.

Private Military Companies- The further growth of this industry has been alarming, especially to many in the west. Want to look at their use by varying governments and see if any comparative work can be done. The differences between early operations by the likes of Executive Outcomes versus the companies that exist today. The rational for the expansion of PMCs post-Iraq invasion, their use by the US government, their use in protection of CIA (as at Benghazi and elsewhere) as well as abroad for NSA team (as with Scorpion teams). How prolific is the use of contractors? What are the rational and irrational fears and concerns? Application of command responsibility for PMCs in the field... accountability measures that can be taken. THE USE of PMCs in Peacekeeping operations, specifically as a rapid reaction force for the United Nations (which has been thoroughly investigated), include survey information completed by the Independent Panel on Peace Operations conducted by the UN in 2015, which found that it could and perhaps should be done, although there are concerns (highlight concerns. Also brief mention with regard to the history of that potential, wherein Executive Outcomes offered a comprehensive concept of operations to intervene on behalf of the UN to halt the Rwandan genocide, this plan was shopped to the US, UN, and France, but EO was told no by each.

Hybrid Warfare- The expansion and use of this means of warfare in order for states to clandestinely seek hostile means to attain certain goals, probably best highlighted by Russia's actions in the Crimea and Eastern Ukraine. Look into potential stop-gap measures the US and allies can take to combat this-- the page is relatively non-descript, but there are several good pieces produced by a few think tanks as well as work done by the Air and Space Power Journal. Georgetown Journal of IA describes Russian use of Hybrid Warfare, costs and benefits and difficulties with regard to defending against it. Is it a new kind of warfare we can expect to see more of in the years to come as countries seek to offset the preponderance of American military might by using these surreptitious means to accomplish military objectives? The means by which hybrid warfare is conducted can make it very difficult for a defending nation or its allies to bring about direct military confrontation, as the very nature of it allows for deniability on behalf of the attacker. Russian and Chinese capabilities for hybrid warfare, considerations and needs in order to make it work...