*** BARBARA DELCOURT, DENIS DUEZ, ERIC REMACLE (Eds.): La guerre d'Irak. Prélude d'un nouvel ordre international ? Presses Interuniversitaires Européennes - Peter Lang (1 av. Maurice, B-1050 Brussels. E-mail: info@peterlang.com - Internet: http://www.peterlang.net ). "Regards sur l'International" series, No. 5. 2004, 259 pp. ISBN 90-5201-265-2.
A collection of academic reflections coordinated by the Belgian 'Université libre de Bruxelles', this fine book looks at whether the Iraq War is the birthing ground for a new global order, with political scientists, legal experts, philosophers and anthropologists shedding light on the 'narratives' that have mushroomed about the Iraq War or, as the editors explain in the introduction, 'ways of narrating real events that help forge the events and the identities of the players involved and ways of legitimising their action'. In this way, the authors provide means for analysing representations in the United States and Europe of the players (whether active or passive) in the Iraq War, and hypotheses about the underlying strategies.
Initially, a range of views is provided on prevailing concepts of collective security in the United States and Europe, highlighting that international intellectual debate about the way the world is organised still tends to be debate among Americans and among the West. The second part of the book considers the legal stakes surrounding the Iraq War, particularly the claims that international law is unable to cope with the challenges facing the modern age. Other authors look at whether new threats are leading to the emergence of a new strategic vision, with Christophe Wasinski providing a 'genealogy' of the war in strategic thought, and Jean-Paul Hébert exploring a narrative that played a central role in legitimising the Iraq War under the explicit heading, "Weapons of mass destruction and the proliferation of speeches". He describes the speeches as providing confusion and discriminating logic, along with a representation of the world tending to build a social construct of a threat from countries in the South. Under the heading "The ideological contours of the US strategy - old wine in new bottles", the fourth part of the book provides two answers (broadly answering 'yes') to the question of whether the end of socialist-inspired ideas of a saviour nation with the collapse of the Berlin Wall has paved the way for updating the idea of a US saviour, with the Iraq War being seen from this point of view as the final avatar of the 'manifest destiny' and exceptionalism of the United States of America as a nation. The fifth part of the book looks at the occupation of Iraq and discourse on nation building and the way this is coming up against the complex reality of a divided society. Putting the experience of the foreign administration of Iraq into a historical perspective, Ralph Wilde and Barbara Delcourt shed light on a series of problems inherent in the attempts to re-form the world in line with a reference described as being held in common, namely humanity reconciled to universal values. As a kind of postscript, Thomas Berns provides philosophical reflections on the possible conditions for contemporary pacifist attitudes.
Last but not least, the first part of the book has a chapter by Barbara Delcourt flushing out the representations of collective security and the world in general that underlie the new US security strategy and the idea of 'preventive strikes'. Eric Remacle continues this exercise in an even more caustic manner, by starting with the EU's security strategy adopted by the European Council on 12 December 2003. In an even more caustic manner (outstanding at least) because he describes the policy in the sub-heading as being more 'Western' than 'European,' explaining this in this analysis. He writes, for example, that the way the EU views the global situation is no different from the way the United States views it. On both sides of the pond, he explains that reflection focusses on how to react to 'threats' (a term used to replace the term 'risks' which is more common in European parlance) without looking at the political sources of threats or assessing the real impact in terms of security. The only substantial difference is that where the United States talks about 'rogue states' as sources of threats in the form of terrorism and weapons of mass destruction, the European Union talks about 'failed states'. Moreover, the author explains that under the influence of officials and diplomats from Germany in particular, anxious to avoid Blairite slippage in the CFSP, the final version of the EU's strategy extended the idea of threats to include regional conflict and organised crime, but without re-orientating interpretation of the world in terms of 'security' or distancing itself from clichés about 'happy globalisation'. He argues that on the other side of the Atlantic, there is fundamental political consensus around a certain 'ideological vision of the world'. Robert Cooper, a former diplomat very close to Tony Blair and the main drafter of the EU strategy, is described as a key player in establishing this state of affairs. In a book on "The Post-Modern State", he is described as openly arguing, without any complexes, in favour of 'liberal imperialism', thereby linking up with the post-national discourse of Habermas with talk about force and power that prevails in the United States. Prof. Eric Remacle argues that reading Robert Cooper, "differentiation between the United States and Europe in terms of the US's stress on rogue states and Europe's stress on failed states looks more like a division of labour than a conceptual divergence", since both concepts take for granted the superiority of some regimes over others, challenging the principle of sovereign equality of states and legitimising the use of force by democracies if it serves the state's presumed historical mission of unifying the world. In this connection, it goes without saying that asserting an 'EU-power' at present amounts to squaring the circle or a spiritual vision, concludes Prof. Remacle in essence, before calling for citizens to remain vigilant and deepen reflection in a direction that can bring greater security for all, both in Europe and in the rest of the world. In other words, he makes a call for people to fight back against the dominant received ideas or 'pensée unique' in the world of the elite that govern us …
Michel Theys
*** JOSEPH HENROTIN: L'Airpower au 21e siècle. Enjeux et perspectives de la stratégie aérienne. Etablissements Emile Bruylant (67 rue de la Régence, B-1000 Bruxelles. Tél.: (32-2) 5129842- Fax: 5119477 - Internet: http://www.bruylant.be ). Collection "Réseau multidisciplinaire d'études stratégiques", n° 1. 2005, 583 p, 115 €. ISBN 2-8027-2091-0.
Like the world in general, airpower strategy is changing. Taking a holistic approach, Joseph Henrotin describes in this very comprehensive book how the concept and doctrine of airpower has changed, along with lessons from its use. Taking the experience of several wars (Kosovo and Iraq, for example), and also looking at the revolution in military circles with airpower becoming one of the key players and one of the main beneficiaries, the author (a senior research fellow at the 'Institut de Stratégie Comparée') explores the range of possible uses of military airpower. He reveals, for example, how the paradigmatic antagonisms inherent in air strategy, like the differences between its tactical and strategic visions, can be overcome. By fully interacting with other strategic forms, airpower is described by the author of potentially being capable of even more radical changes in strategy by unifying various military systems. This is a book aimed solely at experts, of course, who will especially appreciate its full value given the fact that this strategic field of study does not get tackled very often - even though the European Union is currently concerned with considering how it will structure its armed forces in the future.
(LD)
*** JEAN-FRANCOIS SIMONART: Russie, Etats-Unis: partenaires de l'Allemagne. Presses Interuniversitaires Européennes - Peter Lang (see above). "Géopolitique et résolution des conflits" series, No. 3. 2005, 269 pp. ISBN 90-5201-257-1.
This book is a condensed version of research carried out by the author for postgraduate studies in international relations, including his final thesis for which he won a prize from the Interbrew-Baillet Latour UCL-KUL Chair in Belgium, which aims to stimulate multi-discipinary study of how people perceive others psychologically. He looks at the way Germans see Russians and how Russians see Germans. Russians describe Germans as "niemets", meaning people who don't speak (Russian). The first part of the book takes a profound dip into the history and collective consciousness of Germans and Russians before looking at more contemporary aspects, with the United States playing a greater role in the interplay of reciprocal attraction, and the links (and wars) that have characterised the two big European powers. The book includes a passionately written account of the Berlin Wall crisis and the "2+4" talks between the United States, the FRG, the DDR and the USSR (plus the United Kingdom and France) to get the USSR to agree to the reunification of Germany and its membership of NATO, in return for remuneration and conditions found satisfactory by all parties.
(FRo)
*** KRISTEN WESTPHAL (Ed.): A Focus on EU-Russian Relations. Peter Lang AG (1 Moosstrasse, CH-2542 Pieterlen. Fax: (41-32) 3761727 -E-mail: info@peterlang.com - Internet: http://www.peterlang.de ). "Schriften zur Internationalen Entwicklungs und Umweltforschung" series, No. 15. 2005, 113 pp. ISBN 3-631-54257-7.
Looking at relations between the EU and Russia, the way this book does, means looking at a multitude of important issues for the European continent. Despite upheavals in the past decade and beyond, Russia and the EU25 are still two of the European continent's centres of gravity. The seven articles in this book have been written in either English or French by Russian, German, French and English political scientists and economists, looking at recent changes in relations between the two blocs in the light of the influence of the two systems' decision-making systems and the European Union's enlargement to the east. They outline differences in perception and how trade issues have gradually moved up the agenda of negotiations under the 'road map towards four common areas' (economics; liberty, security and justice; cooperation on external security issues; research, education and culture). Four areas where the EU wants progress to be made concurrently but which have been subject to a "pick and choose" policy by the Kremlin. Russia is not happy about being incorporated in the EU's Neighbourhood Policy, wanting to have 'primus inter pares' status at least. This disagreement is particularly prominent in Moscow's authoritarian line and scant consideration of human rights, in the Chechen conflict for example, to such an extent that the future 'road map' is even under threat. One of the articles warns against the use of fear as a political lever, looking more generally (beyond Russia) on any side of the political spectrum. The question of energy, a hot issue in current affairs at the moment, is also covered in the book of course. The small font makes this a compact book but probably rather difficult to read for people without keen eyesight.
(FRo)
*** TAKATO UETA, ERIC REMACLE (Eds.): Japan and Enlarged Europe. Partners in Global Governance. Presses Interuniversitaires Européennes - Peter Lang (see above). "International Insights", No. 4. 2005, 288 pp. ISBN 90-5201-259-8.
Japan and the EU are two 'civilian powers' which have undergone great changes in recent years. For domestic reasons (enlargement for the EU, and a more assertive international role for Japan, which has re-organised most of its economic policies to boot) of course, but also by developing and diversifying their action at global level through a common action plan. This book is a series of essays by European and Japanese academics studying cooperation between Japan and the EU to help build a safer world, sustainable development and better global governance.
(LD)
*** HELENE RUIZ FABRI, JEAN-MARC SOREL (Eds.): Le tiers à l'instance devant les juridictions internationales. Editions A. Pedone (13 rue Soufflot, F-75005 Paris). "Contentieux international" series. 2005, 266 pp, €23. ISBN 2-233-00474-4.
The fruit of a study day on international disputes held at Paris University, this book includes articles by practitioners, judges and academics on an issue common to all international courts, namely the situation of parties not involved in the case. All international courts are subject to growing demand from third parties to attend. Some are defending individual interests, others defend collective interests or even the general interest. A wide range of approaches is taken and comparisons of these different approaches is very interesting and revealing, even from a theoretical perspective. Written for specialists, the book outlines reciprocal interests shared by domestic and international courts, whether public or private.
(LD)
*** ROBERT NDEBI BIYA: Sans perdre de vue… Culture et techno-science, intégration africaine, philosophie égyptienne africaine. L'Harmattan (5-7 rue de l'Ecole Polytechnique, F-75005 Paris. Tel: (33-1) 40467920 - Fax: 43258203 - E-mail: diffusion.harmattan@wanadoo.fr - Internet: http://www.editions-harmattan.fr ). 2005, 123 pp, €12-20. ISBN 2-7475-7783-X.
A priest and philosopher working at the 'Grand Séminaire de Yaoundé' in Cameroon, the author of this book asks whether the death knell has sounded for technological and scientific absolutism spread by capitalism and dialectical materialism. He writes at any rate that these days it has to follow and reconcile itself with rules on 'art, religion and philosophy' and with the content of 'development, culture, governance and ethics.' The author hopes to see greater regional integration in Africa.
(PBo)
*** The EUROPEAN COMMISSION (Official Publications Office of the European Communities, L-2985 Luxembourg. Internet: http: //publications.eu.int) has published the following document:
*** Let's explore Europe! European Commission, DG for Press and Communications, Publications (B-1049). May 2005, 44 pp. ISBN 92-894-8390-3.
The Commission has published a short educational book with plenty of photos for children about to leave primary school (or of a similar age) to help them discover Europe. To this end, it uses an easy-to-read general framework to capture children's attention before moving on to more abstract, 'political' subjects. The book starts by introducing landscapes, animals (providing an opportunity to introduce the concept of environmental protection), scientific discoveries and big events in the history of Europe, moving on to subjects like the diversity of communities in Europe, the European project and an introduction to the history of the EU and the EU's main tasks and functioning.
***Politique étrangère. Armand Colin (15 rue Pierre Rigaud, F-94207 Ivry-sur-Seine Cedex. Fax: (33-1) 40648902 - E-mail: revue@armand-colin.fr - Internet: http://www.editions-sedes.com ). Winter 2005-2006, No. 4, 210 pp, €20. Annual subscription: €115. ISBN 2200-92056-3.
This quarterly review published by the 'Institut français des relations internationales' includes three big dossiers, both in terms of the subjects covered and in terms of content, namely the economic and social challenges facing the EU, democracy in the Middle East, and instability in Africa (focussing on Côte d'Ivoire and Mauritania). The first dossier looks at a series of less serious problems encountered by the EU last year but which it was able to deal without jeopardising its solidity. Other articles reveal the weakness of the Lisbon Strategy with regard to the EU's downturn as a section of the global economy and the increasing problems faced by the EU's trade policy with regard to disguised foreign policy. As is to be expected from the IFRI, there are also interesting articles in the other two dossiers, and a special series of articles on a range of subjects.
*** Revue du marché commun et de l'Union européenne. Editions techniques et économiques (3 rue Soufflot, F-75005 Paris. Tel: (33-1) 55426131 - Fax: 55426139- E-mail: editecom@starnet.fr - Internet: http: //http://www.editecom.com ). December 2005, No. 493, 64 pp. Annual subscription: €202.
Jean Wahl opens this issue with comments that de Gaulle wanted a 'Europe of the English' but without the English, and that since 29 May, we have basically had a Europe of the English with the English. He goes on to look at potential paths to be taken following the no votes in the French and Dutch referendums. There are four articles on the EU's foreign affairs, like the Iranian nuclear issue and the interaction of geo-economic programmes in the "Wider Europe" and the "Wider Russia" from the angle of establishing a stable and economically integrated sub-region around the periphery of the European Union. Other articles look, for example, at the question of an EU minimum wage - the lack of which was one of the reasons for the French rejection of the European Constitution… - and reforming the EU's sugar market.
*** L'Europe de vos projets en région Centre. Conseil régional du Centre - Direction des Etudes et de la Prospective (9 rue Saint-Pierre Lentin, F-45041 Orléans Cedex 1. Tel: (33-2) 38703266 - Fax: 38703295 - E-mail: europe@regioncentre.fr - Internet: http://www.regioncentre.fr ). October 2005, No. 3, 6 pp.
This issue looks at the EU's new regional policy for 2007-2013, focussing on economic and social stakeholders in the central region of France. It outlines some of the 500 programmes that have received EU co-funding under one of the three funding mechanisms directly managed by the region in question, and also describes the three funding mechanisms in question.
Reviews in Brief
***Policy Analysis. Cato Institute. November 2005, No. 554, Washington. This review describes the benefits of the economic liberalisation process launched in India in 1991. ***Cahiers du Japon. Japan Echo Inc., Autumn 2005, No. 105, Tokyo. This review looks at issues like Japanese prime minister Koizumi's attempts to get Japan a seat on the United Nations Security Council.