A Guide to National Security Threats, Responses and Strategies

by Richards, Julian

• ISBN13: 9780199655069
• ISBN10: 0199655065
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2012-04-30
• Publisher: Oxford University Press

Summary

A Guide to National Securityoffers an analysis of the threats and policy responses facing the UK, presented within the framework of the Government's 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 politicisation and securitisation that have delivered the new strategic vision. Presented in three parts, the book has taken one of the key recommendations from the National Security Strategy - collaboration between police and national security 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: Threatssets the scene for the current status of national security in the UK and relates this to the rest of the world, before moving on to the myriad of possible threats facing governments and intelligence services, from organised crime and terrorism to cyber-threats and failed states.Part Two: Responseslooks at the interaction between governments and other agencies in response to a threat, how that framework functions and is organized, as well as the action or response taken. Finally,Part Three: Strategiesoffers a range of considerations for the future, including making a case for military restructuring, discussing domestic policies regarding radicalisation and other internal security issues, and the building of 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 the agencies, including the National Security Council and members of ACPO, as well as 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 organised crime within the police, staff within the national intelligence agencies, and policy advisers and officials. However, the contemporary era of globalisation means that it also has resonances for anyone involved in such issues across the Western world and beyond.

Author Biography

Dr Julian Richards is Co-Director of the Centre for Security and Intelligence Studies at the University of Buckingham (BUCSIS), and Director of the Security and Intelligence Research Centre Ltd (SAIRC). Previously, he worked in the UK government for 17 years on intelligence analysis, counter-terrorism analysis, policy formation, and training. He is a regular facilitator on joint agency training programmes in the UK on intelligence analysis, and counter-terrorism, and a regular contributor to local, national, and international media on these issues.

Table of Contents

Abbreviations	p. xii
Threats
Introduction	p. 3
The 2010 National Security Strategy-breaking new ground	p. 3
Priority risks and threats	p. 5
National security in the UK-a modern history	p. 7
Defining 'national security'	p. 14
Key points	p. 17
Setting the Scene: The Threat Picture in a Globalized World	p. 19
'Wider' security risks	p. 19
The political backdrop	p. 20
The strategic context-globalization and transnational threats	p. 25
Key points	p. 30
Tier One Threats	p. 32
Risk and resilience	p. 32
Terrorism	p. 35
Cyber threats	p. 41
Natural hazards and disasters	p. 44
International military crisis	p. 48
Key points	p. 50
Tier Two Threats	p. 52
Overlapping risks and capabilities	p. 52
An attack using 'unconventional' weapons	p. 53
Unstable and failed states	p. 56
Organized crime	p. 60
Disruption to satellite communications	p. 64
Key points	p. 66
Tier Three Risks	p. 67
Backdrop-security in Europe	p. 67
Wider regional conflict	p. 70
Energy security	p. 72
The risk of a nuclear emergency	p. 76
Border security	p. 78
Key points	p. 80
Responses
Responses	p. 83
The response framework	p. 83
Administrative organization	p. 86
Response capability-an 'adaptable posture'	p. 90
National security 'tasks'	p. 91
Key points	p. 96
Strategies
Administering National Security: Governmental Strategies and Structures	p. 101
The political origins of the National Security Council	p. 101
Why an NSC?	p. 103
Presidentialization and prime ministerialism	p. 106
NSC process and machinery	p. 109
Departmental organization outside the Cabinet Office	p. 111
Key points	p. 115
Boots on the Ground: Restructuring Military Capability	p. 116
Introduction: the case for restructuring	p. 116
Britain's place in the world	p. 117
The changing character of conflict	p. 119
Inter-service issues	p. 121
Proposed restructuring	p. 123
The nuclear question	p. 126
Key points	p. 128
Fighting Asymmetric Conflicts	p. 129
The challenge of Afghanistan	p. 129
Selling the strategy-the battle of the narratives	p. 130
Peacekeeping, peace-enforcement, and counter-insurgency	p. 133
Future force requirements	p. 137
Key points	p. 139
Domestic Policies: Counter-Radicalization and Counter-Terrorism	p. 140
Old and new threats	p. 140
The evolving nature of the terrorist threat	p. 141
Counter-terrorism strategy in the UK	p. 143
Prevent	p. 147
Key points	p. 151
Partnerships: EU, UN, NATO, and the 'Special Relationship'	p. 153
Chance encounters and shifting alliances	p. 153
The 'special relationship'	p. 154
Existing alliances	p. 156
Europe, and France	p. 161
Counter-terrorism	p. 163
Key points	p. 166
Conclusions	p. 167
Key points	p. 176
Index	p. 177
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