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Publications - Security Insights
The Grom-2019 Exercise Illuminated the Risks of Nuclear Renaissance in Russian Strategic Culture
Author: Pavel K. Baev - MC Series: Security Insights, Number 43 - Published: January 2020
Russian strategic culture has transformed quickly in various and not always coherent directions. One of the increasingly prominent traits is the greater reliance on nuclear capabilities as an instrument of policy. The breakdown of many key elements of the arms control system underpins and intensifies this Russian reenergizing of nuclear deterrence. Russia's Grom-2019 strategic exercise in October 2019, unprecedented in its scale and complexity, illuminated some alarming features in this nuclear renaissance:
Russian leadership not only accepts the possibility of but also seeks to prevail in a large-scale nuclear war involving multiple exchanges of various strikes.
The modernization of Russia's nuclear arsenal is not yet complete and—because new weapon systems are mixed with old ones—the compatibility of various capabilities is uncertain.
High-intensity exploitation and exercising of all available assets and testing of new prototypes progressively increases the probability of accidents, which could be blamed on a "hostile external interference."
Russian command tends to perceive its readiness to manage the high risks of accidents and brinksmanship as an important strategic advantage over the risk-averse United States and North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).
The heaviest concentration of nuclear assets and the highest intensity of nuclear-related activities will continue to be found in the Arctic theater.
Author: Dmitry Gorenburg - MC Series: Security Insights, Number 42 - Published: November 2019
This Marshall Center Security Insight provides a summary of a project that examined Russian foreign policy positions by analyzing statements made and interviews given by Russian government officials. The analysis found a set of ten narratives frequently used by officials discussing Russian foreign policy. In this policy brief, we describe each of the narratives and provide some recent examples of their use.
The narratives described in this brief include Russia as the center of a distinct Eurasian civilization, Russia as a bastion of traditional values, Russophobia, whataboutism, fraternalism with Russia's near abroad, ties with Soviet-era allies, outside intervention in sovereign affairs, Russia as a proponent of stability in the world, Russia as a proponent of multipolarity in the world, and the promotion of international structures in which Russia plays a leading role.
The most frequently used narratives included outside intervention in sovereign affairs, whataboutism, the promotion of international structures in which Russia plays a leading role, and Russophobia.
Although the foreign policy narratives of Russian officials are designed to twist reality in ways that promote and justify foreign policy decisions to both domestic and foreign audiences, one common thread tying these narratives together is that all of them have an element of truth at their core.
Russia's Security Council: Where Policy, Personality, and Process Meet
Author: Mark Galeotti - MC Series: Security Insights, Number 41 - Published: October 2019
The Security Council, an autonomous element of the wider Russian Presidential Administration, is the central body responsible for managing the formulation and execution of security-related policies.
It has a variety of roles both formal and informal, as well as considerable influence—not least because of the trust Russian President Vladimir Putin places in its veteran secretary, Nikolai Patrushev. However, it does not have direct authority over the security agencies and ministries, and it is often more a broker of consensus than anything else.
As a structure, it can best be characterized as a conservative renovator: Its leadership is committed to preserving Russia's existing strategic culture and operational code but also appreciates the need for technical reform to preserve the fundamentals.
New Perspectives on the Black Sea Theater in Russian Strategic Culture
Author: Pavel K. Baev - MC Series: Security Insights, Number 40 - Published: September 2019
Most cases of Russia's direct use of military force—including two wars in Chechnya in 1999 and 2004, and the August 2008 war with Georgia—happened in the wider Black Sea region. The configuration of this theater has changed significantly with the Russian annexation of Crimea in spring 2014, the ensuing combat operations in eastern Ukraine, and even more drastically with the military intervention in Syria in autumn 2015. Russian strategic culture is still internalizing these new changes, and has acquired some new features.
Living in Different Worlds: The European Union and Russian Political War
Author: Mark Galeotti - MC Series: Security Insights, Number 39 - Published: September 2019
Russia is waging a political war campaign of active measures intended to divide, distract, and dismay European states.
The institutions of the European Union (EU) have made very patchy and often reluctant responses to this campaign, in part as a result of a lack of consensus among member states.
A primary issue, though, is the dramatically different strategic cultures and operational codes of the EU and Russia.
The EU faces a campaign of Russian active measures—covert political subversion—that has been called "hybrid warfare" but is probably best understood as opportunistic political warfare. The aim is to divide, distract, and dismay the Europeans such that they cannot or will not resist Moscow's wider political agenda. Against this campaign, in the words of an admittedly Euroskeptic British security official, "the EU is nowhere, simply nowhere.
Perspectives from the Arctic as a Strategic Space: Geopolitics of the Northern Flank
Authors: Michelle Angeline Miller and Andreas Hildenbrand - MC Series: Security Insights, Number 38 - Published: July 2019
The George C. Marshall European Center for Security Studies and the Swedish Defense University hosted a conference on the "Arctic as a Strategic Space" bringing together Arctic experts and security practitioners from nations representing Europe's Northern Flank, Germany, Canada, and the United States. The intent of the conference was to provide a forum for strategists, academics, and military professionals to identify, assess and discuss regional security challenges.
Russian Strategic Decision-Making in a Nordic Crisis
Author: Dmitry Gorenburg - MC Series: Security Insights, Number 37 - Published: July 2019
This policy brief, the second in a series that addresses how Russian strategic culture can explain Russian foreign policy behavior, examines how Russian strategic culture operates in the distinct geographic and geopolitical environment of the Nordic region. The Nordic region is presented as a case study to generate conclusions with regard to the drivers of Russian strategic behavior, especially the factors that incentivize or constrain risk-taking.
Strategic Culture and Geography: Russia's Southern Seas after Crimea
Author: David Lewis - MC Series: Security Insights, Number 36 - Published: July 2019
Geography plays an important role in strategic culture, by placing enduring objective constraints on military and defense policy and influencing the way that political and military elites view the world.
Although Western attention has been focused on Russian activity in the Baltic region and Eastern Europe, Russian strategy has been more preoccupied with the geography of Russia's southern border. An important role in this southern strategy is played by Russia's three southern seas—the Caspian, Azov, and Black seas—as interconnected maritime platforms for Russia's wider power projection.
Russia's Naval Strategy in the Mediterranean
Russia's strategy in the Mediterranean is focused on three key goals: taking advantage of the Mediterranean's geographical position to improve Russia's security, using Russia's position in the Mediterranean to increase Russia's status as an alternative world power to the United States, and providing support for the Syrian regime.
Strategic Culture and Russia's "Pivot to the East": Russia, China and "Greater Eurasia"
Putin's "Pivot to the East," announced during his 2012 election campaign, is far from Russia's first attempt to reorient its foreign policy toward Asia. Historically, Russia's strategic culture has been shaped by the tension between its relationship with Europe and numerous attempts to balance its European orientation with new initiatives in Asia.1
The Impacts of the Syrian Intervention on Russian Strategic Culture
Author: Pavel K. Baev - MC Series: Security Insights, Number 33 - Published: July 2019
Russian political leadership and military command have gained much experience from launching and waging the military intervention into the Syrian war and tend to see this experiment in projecting power as successful. The political and military lessons learned in this enterprise are quite different, so the transformation of Russian strategic culture driven by this learning is far from coherent.
Shifts in Russian Military Build-Up in the Arctic Driven by the Interactions with China
Author: Pavel K. Baev - MC Series: Security Insights, Number 32 - Published: June 2019
Active measures—covert political operations ranging from disinformation campaigns to staging insurrections—have a long and inglorious tradition in Russia and reflect a permanent wartime mentality, something dating back to the Soviet era and even tsarist Russia.
A strategic culture whose participants see the world full of secret threats and an operational culture whose adherents regard the best defense as offense have ensured that both have become central aspects of modern Russia's geopolitical struggle with the West.
Active measures are not solely the preserve of the intelligence services, but of other actors as well, and these actors are expected to generate their own initiatives aimed at furthering the Kremlin's disruptive agenda.
Active Measures: Russia's Covert Geopolitical Operations
Author: Mark Galeotti - MC Series: Security Insights, Number 31 - Published: May 2019
The Intelligence and Security Services and Strategic Decision-Making
The intelligence and security communities have a disproportionate influence in Vladimir Putin's Russia, exerted not only through their institutional roles within the system but also through their social and political authority.
They share certain common assumptions about the world—notably that it is essentially hostile and dominated by zero-sum competition—but also are deeply divided along generational, factional, personal, and ideological lines.
In broad terms, the strength of the agencies contributes to several key policy tendencies: a combination of strategic caution and tactical risk-taking, multitrack approaches driven by individual and institutional initiative, and an essentially isolated and covert decision-making mechanism that makes it difficult for alternative views to be considered.
Russia's "Strategic Deterrence" in Ukraine
Author: David Lewis - MC Series: Security Insights, Number 29 - Published: April 2019
In current Russian usage, "strategic deterrence" is the use of both military and non-military means to prevent strategic gains by an opponent. It combines military means short of the use of force, such as an aggressive military build-up, with non-military tactics, including diplomacy, peace negotiations, information warfare, and political tactics.
This strategy has allowed Russia to consolidate control of the Crimean peninsula, the Donbas region, and the Kerch Strait with only limited use of regular military forces.
The Interplay of Bureaucratic, War-Fighting, and Arms-Parading Traits in Russian Military-Strategic Culture
Author: Pavel K. Baev - MC Series: Security Insights, Number 28 - Published: April 2019
A key element in the Russian strategic culture is its military culture, which, however, lacks coherence and has been evolving through the interplay of three main traits: bureaucratic, war-fighting, and arms-parading.
The conflict in the Donbas region and the country's military intervention in Syria gave a boost to the war-fighting trait, but the escalation of confrontation with the West and work on the 2027 State Armament program (SAP-2027) have increased the influence of the bureaucracy. Meanwhile, President Vladimir Putin's frequent boasts about new weapons systems have exemplified the arms-parading trait.
The Baltic States as Targets and Levers: The Role of the Region in Russian Strategy
Author: Mark Galeotti - MC Series: Security Insights, Number 27 - Published: April 2019
Before the worsening of Russia-Western relations in 2014, the Russian speakers of Narva, Estonia, and Riga, Latvia, in particular, were willing to leverage their sense of being excluded and neglected in the name of mobilizing constituencies for political impact. However, they show no enthusiasm now for exchanging membership of prosperous, democratic European states for Kremlin rule.
Furthermore, Moscow appears to understand how unwelcome and dangerous direct intervention would be, over and above bringing Russia into direct conflict with NATO. As one recently retired Russian general staff officer noted, when asked about the state of contingency planning for such operations, "the trouble with the Baltic States is that they are full of Balts"; in other words, in his eyes, a feisty, contrary people who have already shown the will and capacity to resist under overwhelming odds.
Russian Strategic Guidelines and Threat Assessments for the Arctic
Russia has declared its commitment to international cooperation in the Arctic, but it has invested massively in the modernization of its nuclear arsenal concentrated on the Kola Peninsula and has consolidated its military positions in the Barents region and along the Northern Sea Route.
Russian Strategic Culture in a Baltic Crisis
Author: Dmitry Gorenburg - MC Series: Security Insights, Number 25 - Published: March 2019
This policy brief addresses how Russian strategic culture operates in the distinct geographic and geopolitical environment of the Baltic region. This analysis is based on a model of Russian decision-making in crisis situations that describes Russian leaders as prospect theory players who take greater risks to prevent anticipated defeats than they do to pursue potential opportunities. They seek to prevent foreign policy defeats that could translate into a loss of power in the region, a loss of great power status, or, in some cases, translate into political defeats at home.
Emerging Challenges in Arctic Security and Recommendations for the Future: Perspectives from the European Security Seminar North 19-05
Authors: Rachael Gosnell and Andreas Hildenbrand - MC Series: Security Insights, Number 24 - Published: March 2019
The George C. Marshall European Center for Security Studies hosted mid-level and senior security practitioners, policymakers, and academics from thirteen countries throughout Europe, North America, and Asia for the second iteration of the European Security Seminar – North (ESS-N).
This seminar, ESS-N 19-05, was held from 4-8 February 2019 and provided an opportunity for participants to discuss emerging challenges and opportunities in the Arctic region and further assessed the impact on security. Participants then developed strategic recommendations to address the security challenges of the Arctic region.
Demographic Change and Youth in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA)
Authors: Prof. Dr. Ralf Roloff, Nicolas Fulghum, Henrik Simon, and Nicolas Reising - MC Series: Security Insights, Number 23 - Published: August 2018
Demographic change in the MENA region is often referred to either as a ticking time bomb or an opportunity to harvest the demographic dividend. The challenge, it thus seems, is to identify the risks associated with a rapidly changing demographic environment and the influence this has on regional economies, labor markets, societies, and political systems.
Eventually, European security could also be in jeopardy due to phenomena like migration, radicalization, and terrorism.
The Trump Administration and the Balkans
Author: Matthew Rhodes - MC Series: Security Insights, Number 22 - Published:January 2018
Amidst warnings of rising instability in the Balkans, the Trump administration's initial "business as usual plus" policy toward the region has surprised some observers. The most promising path for building on this approach now lies in coordinated action with Germany, the European ally with greatest concurrent influence and interest.
Economic Security in the Eastern Partnership
Author: Valbona Zeneli - MC Series: Security Insights, Number 21 - Published:September 2017
This paper explores the dire economic situation in the countries that make up the Eastern Partnership, which is a joint initiative involving the European Union, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova, and Ukraine. Building economic resilience is imperative and requires a multidimensional and regional approach. It is crucial to strengthen the rule of law in the EaP countries. To foster economic development, it is imperative to create a friendly business environment through simplification of procedures, judiciary reforms, and an effective fight against corruption.
Effective rule of law is necessary to attract Foreign Direct Investment (FDI), which is crucial for sustainable development in the region. The European Union integration process is the most important driver for serous economic and political reforms in the region. Membership in the EU may seem distant, but the EU instruments for support in structural reforms, infrastructure projects, and good governance are crucial. Finally, regional economic cooperation through the promotion of free trade agreements or regional infrastructural projects is imperative to boost the regional economy.
Crisis Response and Crisis Prevention on Europe's Southern Flank: Challenges and Opportunities
Author(s): Valentina Caracci and Ralf Roloff - MC Series: Security Insights, Number 20 - Published: August 2015
The European southern flank has been experiencing multi-faceted and unprecedented security threats stemming from its neighboring regions. Within and outside Europe, joint efforts and a sense of solidarity alternate with waves of parochialism and fragmentation, which just add fuel to the fire and further stoke the crisis, preventing the resolution of external conflicts. The European Security Seminar – South addressed the challenges and the opportunities of crisis management in southern Europe and contributed to build a common understanding of the current security environment and a joint strategical approach among the countries of the region. The first part of this report provides an analysis of the challenges the southern flank is currently facing, by focusing in particular on migration, terrorism and maritime security. What emerges from the analysis is that all these issues overlaps and interlinks, creating a tangle of challenges which has then to be tackled both individually (by providing tailored responses) and collectively (through a joint, whole-of government response). Building on such premise, the second part deals with joint ownership as a crucial element for any crisis response: successful strategies are the ones which combine customized solutions with a non-invasive external support. Lastly, a series of policy recommendations is provided to practically embrace the concept of shared responsibility among partner countries. The bottom line is that The Euro-Atlantic community as well as the countries of MENA and Sahel should combine realistic assessments and achievable aims with idealistic aspirations and sensitivity to each other's differences.
Macedonia Revisited
Authors: Bekim Maksuti and Sebastian von Münchow - MC Series: Security Insights, Number 19 - Published: May 2017
Macedonia may not be ready to join the key transatlantic institutions immediately, but all parties need to consider the next steps carefully.
As a first priority, the next election must determine who shall lead the country into a more prosperous future. Secondly, local and regional players must behave in a more honest and transparent manner in order to facilitate negotiations and progress.
Finally, the government in Skopje and the Brussels-based institutions face challenges and opportunities at the same time. The momentum is on Skopje's side, as is its geostrategic relevance, as long as the migration crisis is on-going. Nevertheless, on the internal front, the country needs to quickly form a government.
A Secure Brexit? UK Security and Defense and the Decision to Leave the European Union
Authors: James K. Wither - MC Series: Security Insights, Number 18 - Published: May 2017
The Brexit vote in June 2016 surprised political establishments in the United Kingdom (UK) and the rest of the European Union (EU) and was a severe blow to Western cohesion in the face of growing common political challenges.
As Britain and the EU begin difficult negotiations to determine their future relationship, defense and security will be one of the key topics for discussion. This article outlines the defense and security context for Brexit and analyzes claims made by the British government that there will continuity in defense and security policy post Brexit.
Specific topics for examination include the UK's defense relationship with the EU, counterterrorism intelligence and security terrorism cooperation, UK defense funding challenges and the impact of possible Scottish independence arising from the Brexit process.
Foreign Fighters and Regional Security in Central Asia
Authors: Gregory Gleason and Roger Kangas - MC Series: Security Insights, Number 17 - Published: April 2017
Political insurgents seek to overthrow nation-states in the Middle East with the goal of creating a supra-national empire. With the aim of expanding territorial control, these political extremists have used violence, brutality, and coercion unseen in the modern world. The use of such unprecedented and unexpected barbaric methods of expansion initially met with little organized resistance. In June 2014, Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi proclaimed the establishment of an "Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant," which came to be known by its acronym Da'esh. As the world became aware of the true nature of this cruel and sadistic political movement, Middle Eastern states and foreign partners organized to repel and destroy the insurgents. Resistance to Da'esh is not yet well coordinated and focused but it is determined.
Da'esh fighters will lose battles and territory in Syria and Iraq. This does not mean, however, the war will necessarily terminate with an unconditional surrender of the insurgency. Da'esh's defeat can be expected to result in death, fragmentation, and destruction of the main forces yet may also result in the dispersion of thousands of battle-hardened extremists who escape capture or destruction.
Some of these fighters may seek to join other forces still operating in other parts of Syria, Libya, Afghanistan or elsewhere. The fragmentation of Da'esh may also result in the return of fighters and ideological zealots to their countries of origin, including the countries of Central Asia. In "Foreign Fighters and Regional Security in Central Asia," Gregory Gleason and Roger Kangas examine the factors behind the dynamics of the insurgency and offer perspectives on international cooperation to address these issues. Gleason and Kangas analyze tactical issues combatting the immediate threats as well as long-term strategic issues involved in promoting a just and resilient post-ISIL normalization.
Hybrid Threats and Strengthening Resilience on Europe's Eastern Flank
Authors: Pál Dunay and Ralf Roloff - MC Series: Security Insights, Number 16 - Published: March 2017
Between 23-27 January 2017, the George C. Marshall European Center for Security Studies, brought together sixty civilian and military mid- to senior level security policy practitioners and experts from 26 countries in order to collaborate on the second European Security Seminar-East (ESS-E). The group's task was to explore how to address the hybrid threats and contribute to making the West, as redefined since the end of the East-West conflict, more resilient against them. However, the definition of the prospects had to be based on an accurate and realistic assessment of the security situation and the concerns that are associated with the security challenges emerging in Europe's east.
The meeting was held at a turbulent and somewhat unpredictable time, during the week after the inauguration of U.S. President Donald Trump, a few months after the Brexit referendum and a week before the renewed intensification of hostilities in the south-east of Ukraine between the Ukrainian armed forces, the separatists and those that back the latter. As the seminar addressed potential responses to hybrid threats, including building resilience to counter them, it faced the challenge of working with ill-defined categories and overcoming disagreements as far as their meaning and interpretation.
Foreign Terrorist Fighters: German Islamists in Syria and Iraq and What Can be Done about Them
Author: Daniel H. Heinke - MC Series: Security Insights, Number 15 - Published: September 2016
Though the numbers of European Foreign Terrorist Fighters in Syria (and, to a lesser extent, in Iraq) appear to be declining, there is still a constant influx of new recruits for Jihadist factions in this cross-border civil war, most notably the so-called Islamic State (IS). Islamists have tried to recruit German-speaking Muslims in the past, but in recent years their efforts have increased in both quantity and quality. While there had been some individuals involved in conflicts in the Muslim world earlier–including support of the Taliban in Afghanistan, participation in the post-Yugoslav civil war in Bosnia,and, to a lesser extent, in Chechnya, Yemen, and Somalia – the war in Syria provided a whole new theater of conflict that has attracted radicalized Muslims from Germany ona previously unseen scale. The official current estimate is that more than 850 persons left Germany for Syria or Iraq because of Islamist motivations, although it is not possible to verify that all of these individuals did indeed reach the region. About one-third of those who departed to join IS is known to beor assumed to be back in Germany. More than seventy of those have experienced armed combat with the Islamic State or at least undergone some sort of military training.
About 140 Islamists from Germany are presumed to have been killed in the conflict. In order to both effectively counter future departures of foreign terrorist fighters and to develop a strategy on how to deal with the returnees, it is necessary to compile and analyze the available data on the individuals who have departed thus far, including known factors that influenced the radicalization process. The German security authorities, i.e. the police and domestic intelligence agencies of both the Länder (states) and on the federal level, collected and aggregated information about 677 individuals who had departed Germany to travel to Syria or Iraq before 30 June 2015. This analysis was jointly conducted by the Bundeskriminalamt (the Federal Criminal Police Agency), the Bundesamt für Verfassungsschutz (the Federal Domestic Intelligence Service), and the Hessisches Informations- und Kompetenzzentrum gegen Extremismus (Hessian Center for Information and Expertise on Extremism). The analysis was released on 4 December 2015 by the Ständige Konferenz der Innenminister und -senatoren der Länder (Permanent Conference of Ministers of the Interior of the Länder).This edition of Security Insights highlights some of themost important findings in terms of data available, sheds some light on the factors involved in radicalization, andbriefly outlines the main approaches used to counter this threat in Germany.
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Euro-Atlantic Security: A Pre-Warsaw Assessment
Authors: Matthew Rhodes and Michal Kořan - MC Series: Security Insights, Number 14 - Published: June 2016
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) of the Czech Republic, the George C. Marshall European Center for Security Studies, and the Prague Institute for International Relations co-organized an international conference, "Euro-Atlantic Security: A Pre-Warsaw Assessment," at the MFA in Prague 29 February - 1 March 2016. Over sixty officials and scholars from the Czech Republic, Estonia, France, Germany, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Slovakia, the United Kingdom, and the United States analyzed their nations' shared security outlook in the lead up to NATO's July summit in Warsaw.
This paper draws freely on discussions at the conference in an attempt to capture and extend their major points. The crises of the past two years have accelerated NATO's political and military adaptation as a twenty-first century alliance. Still, in the face of a fraying international order, a united Euro-Atlantic community must seize the opportunity of Warsaw to transition from reactive coping to more proactive shaping of its security environment.
Revisiting Convergence: Adapting Europe's Security Strategy to Emerging Challenges
Authors: Jürgen Storbeck & Sebastian von Münchow - MC Series: Security Insights, Number 13 - Published: March 2016
Europe is now facing security challenges that only a few security practitioners, researchers, academics, and politicians would have predicted a decade and a half ago when terrorist attacks convulsed the U.S. and Europe. Many of the European Union's security policy concerns relate to instability found in countries in the region's immediate vicinity. Civil wars have erupted in Syria, Iraq, and Libya, causing immense suffering for the general populace in these states. Asymmetrical conflicts as well as corrupt executive and judicial branches in these countries have led to fragile or failed states. The subsequent lack of functioning governmental structures has facilitated the convergence of organized crime and terror in the Middle East as well as in other countries of the African continent. There, terrorist groups have increasingly adjusted their operations and now use methods long associated with organized crime. That is the case of Al-Shaabab in Somalia, Boko Haram in Nigeria, and the Islamic State (IS) in Syria and Iraq. The latter, with a reported budget of two billion U.S. dollars - including a $250 million surplus - and a comprehensive bureaucracy that allows for a wide range of revenue streams, stands out as a model of diversified and selffinancing business, built on a number of coopted revenue streams, including some that are drawn from illegal or criminal sources. Money, however, is also the Achilles' heel of terrorist organizations, therefore countering the financing of terrorism should be at the core of any strategy in the fight against terrorism.
This paper sets out to explore to what extent and under what premises new forms of terrorism may converge with organized criminal structures and activities. Sources and dynamics of terrorism funding, where the phenomenon of convergence stands out, are specifically examined.
The discussion highlights the necessity of establishing an overarching European framework to counter terrorism. This framework should identify a set of priorities Europe has to address in order to combat transnational organized crime and international terrorism. Particular attention should be dedicated to developing specific measures to counter terrorist use of criminal activity as a source of revenue.
The New Dynamic in the East: Conflicts, Vulnerability, and (Dis)Order
Authors: Graeme P. Herd & Ralf Roloff - MC Series: Security Insights, Number 12 - Published: January 2016
Between 11-15 January 2016, the George C. Marshall European Center for Security Studies, a German-American partnership, brought together fifty-eight military and civilian mid- to senior level security policy practitioners and experts from twenty-eight countries in order to collaborate on our first European Security Seminar East (ESS-E). The group's task was to explore how best to relate to the Russian Federation in the future. Participants were divided into five working groups that addressed: 1) instruments of national power; 2) protracted conflicts; 3) transnational organized crime, political corruption, and undermining political institutions; 4) economic integration and disintegration; and 5) energy security.
The working group sessions were designed to generate three outputs; in particular, we made explicit the assumptions that underpinned strategic choices. First, possible alternative Euro-Atlantic strategic postures towards Russia and shared neighbors were identified and evaluated. Second, we sought to highlight - through discussions with representatives of Russia's neighbors - the range of strategic thinking (preferences, attitudes, ideas, and expectations) and to explore how to mitigate frictions between states with differing strategic postures and national security priorities. Third, we wished to inform international policies by generating timely and useful strategic analysis. This edition of Security Insights is the result of these deliberations.
Baltic and Central European Security After the Ukraine Crisis
Authors: Dr. Matthew Rhodes and Ms. Ruta Buneviciute - MC Series: Security Insights, Number 11 - Published: April 2015
The Seimas (parliament) and Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania and the George C. Marshall European Center for Security Studies co-organized an international conference on "Baltic and Central European Security" in Vilnius, Lithuania 19-20 November 2014. Over sixty officials and scholars from the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Poland, Slovakia, Sweden, and the United States analyzed the impact of the Ukraine crisis and renewed tension with Russia on regional and Euroatlantic security.
This paper draws freely on discussions at the Vilnius conference in an attempt to capture and extend their major points. Russia's aggression against Ukraine has profoundly challenged international order. The Euroatlantic community retains a significant edge in both present power and future prospects relative to Russia, but it will need to remain united in implementing agreed policy responses as well as develop effective means of countering Russian hybrid warfare. While Germany and the United States must continue to offer leadership in these tasks, geography gives Baltic, Central European, and Nordic countries a particular stake and role in their achievement.
International Marketing: An Imperative for Southeast Europe
Authors: Michael Czinkota & Valbona Zeneli - MC Series: Security Insights, Number 10 - Published: January 2014
International marketing consists of the activity, institutions, and processes across national borders that create, communicate, deliver, and exchange offerings that have value for stakeholders and society. International marketing has forms ranging from export-import trade to licensing, joint ventures, wholly owned subsidiaries, turnkey operations, and management contracts.
The focus is on stakeholders and society, whose present positions are to be improved.
The Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership: A Historic Deal?
Author: Valbona Zeneli - MC Series: Security Insights, Number 9 - Published: August 2013
The daily news about America's strategic shift towards Asia and the political narrative on the deep economic crisis of the euro zone has misleadingly suggested that Europe is becoming less and less important in the eyes of the U.S. and that transatlantic ties are weakening. Many scholars and policy analysts argue about the real challenges Europe will be facing in light of these changing transatlantic relations. It seems that conventional wisdom is being guided only by press headlines. A couple of important points have been missed here.
During the June 2013 G-8 Summit in Northern Ireland, the United States and European Union (EU) announced plans to open negotiations on a long sought deal to create a unique market between the world's two strongest economic regions. This joint endeavor, which leaders on both sides of the Atlantic hope will conclude in a final agreement by the end of 2014, is part of the development agenda for creating growth and jobs on both sides of the Atlantic by boosting trade and investment.
Despite continuing economic turbulence on both sides of the Atlantic and new rising global powers, the transatlantic relationship is already the world's largest, accounting for half of the global economic output. The visionary deal would deepen the U.S.-EU bilateral relationship, assert trade policy leadership, and advance a rules-based system for global economic governance.
Democracy and the Transatlantic Community: The Role of Central Europe
Authors: Matthew Rhodes and Michal Baranowski - MC Series: Security Insights, Number 8 - Published: August 2013
The Warsaw office of the German Marshall Fund of the United States (GMF), the George C. Marshall European Center for Security Studies (GCMC), and the Transatlantic Academy (TA) jointly organized an international conference on "Democracy and the Future of the Transatlantic Community" in Warsaw, Poland on 21 May 2013. The event's timing and location reflected a new wave of concern with democracy's health (as articulated in TA's in-depth research report, "The Democratic Disconnect," released earlier the same month), reflection by the GMF and GCMC on the title topics prompted by milestone anniversaries of their foundings (forty and twenty years, respectively), and the intensified activism in this area by Poland and other countries in Central Europe (as exemplified by the establishment of the new European Endowment for Democracy).
This paper draws freely on discussions at the Warsaw conference in an attempt to capture and extend their major points. The scale of present problems does not doom democracy's future. Though there are no quick fixes, well-focused efforts can yet revitalize the transatlantic community's internal politics as well as its external support for democratic development.
The Global Shift of Power and Its Impact on Europe
Author: Sven Bernhard Gareis - MC Series: Security Insights, Number 7 - Published: November 2012
President Barack Obama announced in November 2011 that U.S. security interests would shift to the Asia-Pacific region, bringing to an end the short period of a unipolar world order united under American patronage, if such a thing indeed ever existed. Emerging powers such as China and India have become more determined in the pursuit of their political and economic interests and more self-assertive in claiming a dominant role in the international system. The United States, one the other hand, as the incumbent world power, has had to pool its strengths to maintain its status and has increasingly had to rely on regional partners and alliances to live up to its role. Weakened by two wars in Afghanistan and Iraq that it could never win and groaning under an enormous debt burden, the U.S. now must set strategic priorities. "America's Pacifi c Century," a term used in recent speeches and articles by U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and other U.S. officials, is actually not an expression of strength and self-confidence, but rather a term that makes clear that the U.S recognizes that is no longer able to exert its political infl uence to the same degree in all regions of the world.
For Europe, this shift of U.S. interests towards the Pacific does not come as a surprise, but it does have an enormous impact. For a long time, the "old continent" had been in the comfortable position of a consumer of security that was essentially guaranteed by the United States. Europe had been able to enjoy a substantial peace dividend when its armed forces were reduced drastically after the end of the East-West conflict. Today, however, the challenge for Europe will be to take on much more responsibility and become the primary guarantor of its own security. For Europe, as a global commercial and trading power, the Asia-Pacific region is of greatest importance, however thus far Europe's political role in the area has been a minor one. If Europe does not wish to become a mere spectator in a world dominated by the U.S. and China, it will have to underpin its economic interests with stronger political engagement.
In view of these facts, this paper will attempt to present a European view of the global power shifts and the resulting "rebalancing" of U.S. security interests, and then address the challenges that Europe will face in the context of changing transatlantic relations. The focus of the following remarks will be on the rise of China as well as the reactions of the United States. For a stringent analysis of these current developments, it seems appropriate to first make some brief comments on the defi ning concepts of power in the globalized world.
2012 - A Make or Break Year for Serbia and Kosovo?
Authors: Dr. Matthew Rhodes and Dr. Valbona Zeneli - MC Series: Security Insights, Number 6 - Published: May 2012
Instead of the hoped for turn to normalization, 2011 saw escalated tensions over Kosovo. Agreement on Kosovo's participation in regional fora and Serbia's formal advance to EU candidacy in early 2012 have revived a cautious sense of optimism, but unresolved underlying issues and approaching political contests leave the prospects for further progress uncertain. Warnings of precipices and powder kegs are overdone in the Balkans, but 2012 is shaping up as a potentially decisive year for international policy in the region.
Despite the Euro-Atlantic community's current internal challenges, integration into that community's formal structures remains the best path for Balkan security and development. It is also a prerequisite for realizing the vision of a stable, democratic, and prosperous united Europe. The United States, European Union, and the countries involved in this process must use the coming months to avoid long-term setbacks to those goals.
Afghanistan's Neighbors and Post-Conflict Stabilization
Authors: Gregory Gleason and Timothy A. Krambs - MC Series: Security Insights, Number 5 - Published: March 2012
Successful war strategies conclude with successful peace strategies. Afghanistan's transition from armed conflict to a stable, secure, and developing society depends on its capacity to overcome a fundamental conundrum: economic development cannot take place in the absence of a secure environment; at the same time, a secure environment cannot long be sustained without progress in economic development. Overcoming this fundamental challenge will define Afghanistan's success in the years ahead. The drawdown of the International Security Assistance Forces (ISAF) is a phased aspect of the transition to national authority and the stabilization of Afghanistan. International coalition troops are scheduled to be reduced in number at the same time as Afghan security forces assume responsibility for the country's security.
During the transitional period, Afghanistan will continue to be heavily dependent upon foreign partners. Although the relationship with Pakistan will likely continue to be troubled for the foreseeable future, Afghanistan must endeavor to build and maintain stable and secure relations with as many of its neighboring countries as possible. Afghanistan also will need continued international assistance to protect itself from foreign threats and also from insurgents acting within its borders and from abroad. Afghanistan's relations with its neighbors will continue to be a high priority. The modern world requires secure borders, but it does not require closed borders. In the 21st century, international trade, international investment, and the cross-border movement of ideas, people, goods, and services are necessary components of both economic and political development in any country. In landlocked Afghanistan, relations with neighboring countries define in many respects the interactions with the outside world as a whole.
NATO Enlargement – Approaching a Standstill
Author: Dr. Raphael Biermann - MC Series: Security Insights, Number 4 - Published: December 2009
Zbigniew Brzezinski coined the term "double enlargement" in the 1990s, i.e. the expansion of mission and membership, to capture the new raison d'être of the North Atlantic Alliance in the post-Cold War era. It envisaged Eastern enlargement as one of the two main purposes of NATO following the demise of the Warsaw Pact; the other was crisis response.
In recent years, cracks have appeared in both tracks, leading many critics on both sides of the Atlantic to doubt NATO's continuing relevance as the premier Euro-Atlantic security institution. While the fissures in the mission track, such as the national caveats in Afghanistan, are widely debated, those in the enlargement track are just surfacing. The discord during the Bucharest Summit of April 2008 surrounding the future enlargement strategy, which centered on whether to grant a Membership Action Plan (MAP) to Georgia and Ukraine and whether to extend an invitation to Macedonia in the face of Greece's veto, did not bode well for the debates to come. The divergent lessons of the Georgian war of August 2008 regarding future enlargement to the Caucasus have brought the issue to the fore. Wisely, it was removed from the table when the Heads of State and Government met in Kehl and Strasbourg last May.
This article argues that enlargement no longer runs on its own steam. Instead, the Alliance is approaching a standstill in both geographic dimensions of enlargement, the East (Georgia, Ukraine) and the South East (Balkans). NATO will either opt for a de facto suspension of enlargement for an indefinite time to come, or it will face divisive internal debates over the quality of the next candidates and the timing of pre-accession steps. This imminent fork in the road calls for a serious review of the fundamentals of NATO enlargement and for innovative proposals to manage the time ahead. The crafting of the new Strategic Concept presents an opportune moment to address these challenges. The goal should be to design a future pre-accession strategy that is consensual within the Alliance, while reassuring to our partners and friends. In the end, devising different categories of associate membership, similar to that of the Western European Union, though leaving open the option of moving from one category to another, might be the least costly way out.
Uzbekistan Charts a New "Uzbek Path"
Author: Gregory Gleason - MC Series: Security Insights, Number 3 - Published: November 2008
The announcement the Uzbek government has withdrawn from participation in the Eurasian Economic Community exemplifies the reliance upon what has come to be known as the "Uzbek Path". Uzbekistan has a long tradition of independence in policy and orientation, having pursued economic and foreign policies often at odds with its Central Asian neighbors and with Russia. But the withdrawal from participation in the foremost economic cooperation organization in the former Soviet region, the Eurasian Economic Community (EAEC), is important because it represents a significant fissure in the solidarity among the former Soviet states so energetically promoted by the Russian government.
The EAEC Secretariat in Moscow was informed in mid-October 2008 by a diplomatic note from the Uzbek Ministry of Foreign Affairs of its decision to "suspend" participation in the EAEC. The Uzbek decision was not publicly discussed until the EAEC Secretariat acknowledged the diplomatic note on November 12, 2008. At the same time, a letter from Uzbek President Islam Karimov was sent to all the heads of state of the other EAEC countries—Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, and Tajikistan—informing them of Uzbekistan's decision. Russian foreign officials were slow to acknowledge this unwelcome Uzbek decision. Russia in the years following the initiation of the EAEC agreement in October 2000, had invested a great deal of effort into sponsoring economic integration among the EAEC states. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in a November 17, 2008 press interview acknowledged the Uzbek move, noting that Russia would respect Uzbekistan's right to make independent judgments but felt that the decision was not in Russia's best interests.
Kosovo: Adjusting to a New Reality
Author: Dragan Lozancic - MC Series: Security Insights, Number 2 - Published: July 2008
The "last episode" of the former Yugoslavia's dissolution is how United Nations (UN) Special Envoy Martti Ahtisaari described his proposal of "supervised independence" for Kosovo, adding it would finally set the region on a new path to peace, stability and prosperity. Kosovo has been administered by a civilian UN mission (UNMIK) under Security Council Resolution 1244 following NATO intervention in 1999 to halt Belgrade's brutal repression of ethnic Albanians. International involvement transformed Serbia's sovereignty over Kosovo to a vaguely nominal title.
Russia's opposition to Ahtisaari's comprehensive proposal and the consequent failure to reach an agreement in a final round of talks under a United States (US)-European Union (EU)-Russia "Troika" format led Kosovo's predominantly Albanian government to declare independence, after protracted consultations, in February and adopt a new constitution in June 2008, both rejected by Belgrade and most Kosovo Serbs. Yet, taken together, these events have set Kosovo on an irrevocable path and represent a new, decisive moment in Kosovo's conflict-riddled history, perhaps just as difficult and no less uncertain than ever before.
The Assault on Aid Workers: A New Pattern in Terrorism
Author: Christopher C. Harmon - MC Series: Security Insights, Number 1 - Published: January 2008
As 2008 opened, it appears that terrorism confirmed a favorite pattern of recent years: attacks on aid workers and humanitarian professionals.
John Granville, who with his Sudanese driver was shot dead on January first in Khartoum, worked for the U.S. Agency for International Development. The London Times and the BBC note this happened amidst increasing concerns about the United Nations' assuming control of peace operations in Darfur. The shooting also happened near the United Nations compound—and observers recall Al Qaeda threats of attacks against U.N. forces in the Sudan. For A.I.D. officials, moreover, there would have been immediate memories of October 2002 when their colleague Lawrence Foley was shot to death in Jordan by two Al Qaeda men.
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Q: How to make a script wait for another script to finish reading a file This is not a duplicate of Locking a file in Python
I have two scripts, one runs every 30 minutes, the other one runs every one minute.
and they both use the same file to do few things.
at some point, every 30 minute they try to access the same file at the same time and they corrupt the file.
I was thinking about using wait. but they are two independent scripts and I am not sure if this is possible.
Any idea?
I thought about using
    with FileLock("document.txt")

The problem that arise is; if script-1 acquire the lock for "document.txt" then script-2 wants to access document.txt, is it going to wait that script-1 finish? or is it going to skip that line of code? as the 2nd one isn't an option?
also. once the lock is acquired, how to remove it when it's no longer needed?

A: One of the simpliest ways to get this done (in case you have write access to the file's directory) is to create an additional file (like filename.lck) to point out that some script is working on that file. Obviously, once a script has finished working with the file, that lock-file needs to be removed.
But honestly, I would be very surprised if such a locking mechanism is not foreseen in Python. How exactly do you open and close the mentioned file? Maybe some parameter already takes care of the locking.

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Raising kids can feel like a rollercoaster ride of joyous moments coupled with a feeling that you may not make it through the day. Sometimes it feels like you're grasping onto your sanity while trying to get a million things done at the same time. Can you relate? Here are ten tips to help you stay sane amidst the chaos that comes with being a working mom.
While every child progresses at their own rate, understanding the stages of development can help you to know what to expect. Are your child's tantrums driving you nuts? It's normal for two-year-olds to throw a fit when they don't get their own way. During this developmental stage, your child is trying hard to become independent. Knowing what your child is going through can help to reduce your frustration when you encounter behavior that's tough to handle.
Getting creative with or without your kids is a great way to relax. Creative projects help you to express your emotions, which is a better strategy than bottling everything up. Journaling before you go to sleep is an excellent way to work through problems that are worrying you before you get a good night's rest.
Save your energy by picking your battles with your kids wisely. If it's not a situation that puts your child in danger, try letting them learn through experience. Not only will you avoid a draining argument, you'll also give your child a chance to learn a valuable lesson. Try to praise your children for good behavior more than you punish them. You can help your children by modeling good behaviors and teaching them the healthy habits that you want them to have.
Be present with your children even in the tough times. When your kids are fighting with each other or throwing a tantrum, it's tempting to disengage from the situation. While we all need a time out sometimes, it's important to stay emotionally present when things get difficult. Facing the problem can help to resolve it faster and more effectively than if you opt out.
While having a fairly tidy living space can help you to feel sane, obsessing over keeping your house spotless is a recipe for disaster. Kids come with mess and as soon as you embrace that, you'll be a lot happier. That being said, having designated containers for toys and teaching your kids to tidy up for themselves can help to keep complete chaos at bay.
Staying cooped up in the house is sure to leave you and your kids feeling frustrated. Take a walk to the park to get some fresh air, to boost your mood and to get a change of scenery. Sometimes a change of scenery is all that it takes to feel better and to get a different perspective on any problems that are bothering you.
Whether it's eating dinner together or planning a fun weekend activity, there are plenty of ways to bond as a family. While tantrums are normal, you can reduce bad behavior by making your children feel loved and cared for. When your children feel like they can talk to you about their problems, it helps you to stay involved in their life as they grow up. While you'll always worry about your kids, it's easier to cope with the anxiety when you know that your children feel comfortable asking you for guidance.
With a million and one things to do each day, it's easy to neglect your relationship with your partner. Having a good relationship with a partner that you can rely on goes a long way towards keeping you sane. You can cultivate a good relationship by communicating properly, sharing your feelings and learning when to compromise.
When you leave things to the last minute, it's sure to end in disaster. Set some time aside on Sunday evening to plan for the week and take note of any important appointments. That way if you're thrown a curve ball, you'll be ready to cope with it.
While you may feel like you're losing the plot on some days, in amongst the chaos are memories that you'll treasure forever. Take photos and remember the good times so that when you hit a rough patch it's easier to keep everything in perspective.


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Xerophyllopteryx är ett släkte av insekter. Xerophyllopteryx ingår i familjen vårtbitare.

Kladogram enligt Catalogue of Life:

Källor

Vårtbitare
Xerophyllopteryx

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What's the Difference Between For-Profit and Non-Profit Colleges?
By Thomas Broderick
When I hear the phrase 'non-profit organization,' I immediately think of those ASPCA commercials that play Sarah McLachlan's "Angel" while displaying pictures of neglected puppies and kittens.
Disclaimer: If you've never seen the commercial I'm talking about, don't look it up. It'll wreck your day.
The ASPCA is one of many non-profit organizations in the United States. In the smallest of nutshells, a non-profit is an organization that puts back any surplus income into its mission. There are no shareholders to please or pay off. As a result, non-profits do not pay taxes on the money they take in. That way, people who give to the ASPCA know that 100% of their donation is going to the organization's mission.
Everything else is a for-profit enterprise. When you buy the latest iPhone, a little bit of that money goes to people who own Apple's stock and the board of directors. Another way to put it is that a for-profit organization's mission is to make lots (and lots) of money. Unlike non-profits, these organizations pay taxes on the money they bring in.
Now that we've learned a bit about the difference between for- and non-profit organizations, let's see how this distinction applies to the college you attend. What's the difference in the educational experience and academic rigor? We'll explore answers to this question and much more.
Public colleges are always non-profit schools…
Public colleges and universities are as much a part of their states' educational systems as public elementary, middle, and high schools. They receive funding from the state and put students' tuition dollars back into their programs. Also, as institutions designed to benefit in-state residents, they often charge higher tuition to out-of-state students and set quotas on how many out-of-state students they accept each year. That's why, for example, a student from New York who attends the University of California – Berkeley pays more than double the in-state tuition rate.
…but private colleges aren't always for-profit schools.
When I went to Vanderbilt University, I could almost see the money bleeding from the walls. In my junior and senior years, the university was spending truckloads of cash constructing new dorms and science centers. You would imagine that just by looking around, Vanderbilt was a for-profit institution. But that's not the case.
Vanderbilt, along with many other private colleges and universities, is a non-profit school, as well. They invest their tuition dollars into endowments, research, and new construction. In other words, the amount of money a school has doesn't make the difference between for-profit and non-profit.
So what does?
There's a lot of tax law and legalities involved, but like the example at the beginning of the article, a for-profit school is managed by a corporation. Here's an easy-to-remember scenario that explains the difference between the two.
Non-profit college: "We need to provide a broad range of majors and minors to our students. We do not consider how profitable a major is when making funding decisions."
For-profit college: "Enrollment in East Asian studies major dropped 20% since last year. We're eliminating it."
At for-profit colleges, majors and academic departments are like products. If one's not selling well enough, they cut it to save money.
Now that we know a little bit about how for-profit and non-profit schools operate, let's examine the question you really came here to answer.
What's the Difference for Students?
In terms of the student experience, the most significant difference concerns each type of school's academic offerings. Like in the example in the previous section, for-profit schools tend to offer a more limited selection of majors, those that are in line with what the economy needs. At for-profit colleges, you're likely to find more STEM majors and fewer humanities majors.
Another thing you may have heard concerns for-profit schools and scandals. Yes, for-profit colleges have gotten in hot water in recent years for breaking the law and other dubious practices. Thankfully, many of these schools have gone out of business, and remaining for-profit schools are under the microscope. What this means is that if you're considering for-profit colleges, you need to do your due diligence. When researching a for-profit college, ask yourself the following questions:
Does this school possess regional accreditation?
If the answer is 'no,' move on.
Does the program I'm interested in possess national or subject-specific accreditation?
If the answer is 'no,' it's not a deal breaker, but keep looking just in case.
Are there any news reports that portray this school in a negative light?
If the answer is 'yes,' move on.
What are alumni saying about their educational experience?
Like restaurant reviews, people with negative experiences are more likely to share their stories online than people who had a good or neutral experience. Even so, take all claims seriously and continue researching.
In fact, it's a good idea to ask yourself these same questions about non-profit colleges, too.
Non-profit and for-profit colleges have the same basic mission: educate students. And as many for-profit schools have cleaned up their acts in recent years, you can feel safer about them as an option for your college degree. However, no matter what kind of college you want to attend, pick a reputable school that aligns with your interests and goals.
So, set aside time to research schools, call admissions offices, and ask yourself – sometimes difficult – questions about what you really want out of your education. This way, you can pick the best school for you.
Good luck. ☺
Top 50 Best Colleges in the United States: myKlovr 2018 Rankings
By Matt Wujciak
Your virtual college counselor has arranged a list of 2018's 50 best colleges and universities in the U.S. MyKlovr arranged a ranking-scale by combining the average ranking and data of some of the most reliable college rankings, including sources such as the Wall Street Journal, Forbes, Niche, and more.
1) Harvard University
Location: Cambridge, MA
Student Enrollment: 29,652
College Type: Private
The oldest institute of higher learning in the country, Harvard is well known for its political science, social science, and law programs. With a beautiful campus and an 87% graduation rate in the standard four years, Harvard is the most prestigious and sought after university in the country.
2) Stanford
Location: Stanford, CA
Known for their Computer Science program, Stanford enrolls nearly 17,000 students with average ACT scores hovering between 31 – 36 points. Stanford's location, close in proximity to Silicon Valley is a great incentive for living arrangements for many applicants.
3) Yale University
Location: New Haven, CT
Yale University is arguably the most selective Ivy League school with a rich history, tight community, and impressive alumni organization. Yale is also the alma mater of 5 U.S. presidents and 20 living billionaires.
4) Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Opened up to students in 1865 after the Civil War, MIT, is worldwide leader in physical sciences, engineering, economics, and biology.
5) California Institute of Technology
Location: Pasadena, California
Student Enrollment: 2,255
CalTech is best known for their prestigious engineering program, social life, sports teams, and famous beaver mascot. The extremely small student body can be extremely appealing or problematic to potential applicants depending upon their individual interests.
6) University of Pennsylvania
Upenn's motto is "Leges sine moribus vanae," meaning "Laws without morals are useless." The competitive, yet respected reputation, as well as the city-feel location of this Ivy-League school is a huge reason why Upenn receives well over 37,000 applications each year.
7) Princeton University
Location: Princeton, NJ
Formerly known as the college of New Jersey in the 1800's, Princeton is well known for their Econ concentration. It is no surprise that they also have a phenomenal financial aid program, graduating 83% of their students without student debt.
8) Duke University
With a shockingly small faculty to student ratio of 7:1, The majority of Duke's students are enrolled in the graduate school. With a wide variety of majors to choose from, Duke is known for their top-tier athletic teams and facilities, including their lacrosse team who has won 3 national championships.
9) University of Chicago
The university is composed of the College, various graduate programs and committees organized into five academic research divisions and seven professional schools. The University of Chicago scholars have played a major role in the development of many academic disciplines, including sociology, literary criticism, religion, and more.
10) Dartmouth College
Dartmouth provides 57 majors for their students throughout their quarter plan. The most popular of these majors are Economics and Political Science. Dartmouth also has a unique Center for Professional Development, in which faculty members work with students and employers to achieve post-graduate success.
11) Rice University
With a competitive acceptance rate and 6:1 faculty to student ratio, Rice places great emphasis and support on academic achievement, as well as their sports teams, including their 14 Division one programs and wide variety of intramural sports.
12) Brown University
Location: Providence, RI
With an incredibly long history, Brown was the first school in the Ivy League, 7th oldest college in the country, and the first to admit students regardless of their religious affiliation. The unique city of Providence is also another reason many students chose to apply here.
13) University of Notre Dame
Location: Notre Dame, IN
Most Notre Dame students live on campus, hovering around 80% of the student-body. This is huge factor in the incredible turn-outs of their sporting events at Notre Dame Stadium, specifically football games, seating over 80,000 fans. Popular majors include finance, marketing, and accounting.
14) Vanderbilt
Located in the middle of Nashville, Vanderbilt is known for their strong curriculum and upstanding reputation. Vanderbilt accepts students with average SAT scores between 1,430-1,580 and ACT scores between 32-36.
15) Washington University in St. Louis
Location: Lexington, VA
Named after George Washington and Robert E. Lee, W&L offers a wide variety of majors and minors. Their school motto is Non Incautus Futuri, meaning not unmindful of the future.
16) Amherst College
Location: Amherst, MA
Amherst is often referred to as the best liberal arts college in the country. Their academic reputation, political engagement, and scenic campus is a large factor in why students choose this school over many Ivy-League schools.
17) Georgetown University
Location: Washington, DC
Offering around 50 majors, Georgetown is made up of 9 grad and under-grad schools. They are best known for their Economics, Political Science, and Finance programs. They are also regarded as having a very active student body, especially when it comes to their sports teams.
18) Harvey Mudd College
Location: Claremont, CA
With an extremely small student body, Harvey Mudd's mission is fairly simple and straight forward. As a liberal arts college, they aim to educate future mathematicians, engineers, and scientists. In fact, they have one of the best engineering programs in the nation.
19) University of California – Berkley
Location: Berkley, California
College Type: Public
Often considered as the best public school in the country, UC Berkley specializes in Social Sciences, Engineering, Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, and Mathematics and Statistics. Although the school has a massive student body, 52.3 percent of its classes have fewer than 20 students. It is also interesting to note that the average freshman retention rate, an indicator of student satisfaction, is 97 percent.
20) Swarthmore College
Location: Swarthmore, PA
Founded by Quakers in 1864, Swarthmore was one of the first coeducational schools in the U.S. It has an 89% four-year graduation rate. They also have a very small student-to-faculty ratio of roughly 8:1, giving students plenty of face to face exposure with their professors.
21) Williams College
Location: Williamstown, MA
Known as being one of the oldest and most prestigious colleges in the U.S., Williams was founded in 1793. They are also known for meeting 100% of admitted students' financial needs.
22) University of Michigan – Ann Arbor
Michigan has an extremely unique curriculum when it comes to choosing fields of interests. Their most popular majors include more general studies such as Business, Economics, Psychology, and Computer Sciences. They also have a flourishing social scene that revolves around their top-notch sports programs including football, hockey, and basketball.
23) Johns Hopkins University
Founded in 1876, Johns Hopkins is known for their incredible medical school. It is no wonder that their most popular undergraduate majors are Nursing, Public Health, and Biomedical Engineering. Many students here have a lot of pride in their school and sports teams, specifically the lacrosse team.
24) Carnegie Mellon University
Location: Pittsburg, Pennsylvania
Carnegie Mellon is known for its programs in science and technology, but its seven schools and colleges include the College of Fine Arts and the Dietrich College of Humanities and Social Sciences. They are also known for their acclaimed grad-programs.
25) Tufts University
Location: Medford, MA
Tufts has a slim 16.1% acceptance rate. There is also a 9:1 student to faculty ratio at this university, creating a small, yet close culture. Their mascot, Jumbo the Elephant is very popular among their student-body and athletic programs.
26) Pomona College
The top 4 most popular majors at Pomona are Economics, Mathematics, Biology, and Neuroscience. As you would guess, the student to faculty ratio and the class sizes are extremely small. It is also interesting to note that the average SAT and ACT scores for admitted students fall around the 95th percentile.
27) Claremont Mckenna College
With a huge emphasis on academic achievement and athletic support, Claremont McKenna College was originally an all-boys college, but opened their doors to women in in the 70's. For whatever reason, their men's sports teams play as the Stags, while the wMatt Wujciakomen play as the Athenas.
28) University of California – Los Angeles
At UCLA, the two most popular majors are Political Science and Psychology. They also have a phenomenal Economics program which is very popular among under-grads. The LA location is also a large factor in why students chose this University.
29) United States Military Academy
Location: West Point, VA
Students come to Army from all over the country to follow their code "a cadet will not lie, cheat, steal, or tolerate those who do." interestingly, the Cadets have a 93% first-year retention rate and an extremely small faculty to student ration, allowing for plenty of hands-on learning and engagement with USMA educators.
30) Carleton College
Location: Northfield, Minnesota
Carleton has a rural setting with a campus size of 955 acres. It utilizes a trimester-based academic calendar and ranks as the 8th best Liberal Arts College in the 2018 edition of Best Colleges. Tuition and fees hover around $52,782 a year.
31) United States Naval Academy
Location: Annapolis, MD
Located a little over 30 miles away from Washington D.C., Navy has an incredible 98% first-year retention rate and an 8:1 student-to-faculty ratio. Students love to support the blue and gold at their division one sporting events, including football and basketball.
32) University of Virginia
Location: Charlottesville, VA
UVA specializes in liberal arts studies and business as their students' most preferred majors. They also have an amazing alumni association. Olympians, astronauts, and U.S. political leaders have all graduated from the University of Virginia.
33) Haverford College
Location: Haverford, PA
Haverford offers a wide variety of majors. The most popular include Psychology, Biology, Economics, and English. The average SAT scores range between 1,350-1,530.
34) Emory University
year or above
Heavily affiliated with the United Methodist Church, Emory is one of the oldest private Universities in the country. Emory specializes in Business Administration and Management.
35) Middlebury College
Location: Middlebury, VT
This liberal arts school has a competitive 17.4% acceptance rate and has an 8:1 student to faculty ratio. With a beautiful north eastern campus and close-knit community, Middlebury has a 97% first year retention rate, a great indicator of freshmen satisfaction.
36) United States Air Force Academy
Location: USAFA, CO
All cadets at Air Force participate in intercollegiate or intramural athletics, a specialized leadership curriculum, and an intense training program. The Academy's mission is "to educate, train, and inspire men and women to become leaders of character, motivated to lead the United States Air Force in service to our nation."
37) University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill
Location: Chapel Hill, NC
UNC is tied with two other colleges as the oldest public university in the United States, dating back to 1795. Students can participate in over 550 officially recognized student organizations and are known for their talented sports teams, beautiful facilities, and strong social scenes and events.
38) Wellesley College
Location: Wellesley, MA
One of the original Seven Sisters Colleges, Wellesley is arguably one of the most famous women's colleges in the world. Notable alumni include Katharine Lee Bates, Diane Sawyer, and Hillary Clinton. Their most preferred major is Economics.
39) New York University
NYU is an extremely culturally diverse and international university that offers a wide variety of majors. They have campuses in Abu Dhabi, Shanghai, Accra, Berlin, Buenos Aires, Florence, London, Madrid, Paris, Prague, New York City, Sydney, and Washington D.C. NYU also has an impressive list of notable alumni, including CEOs of Fortune 500 companies, Olympians, heads of state, astronauts, and more.
40) Davidson College
Location: Davidson, NC
Known as the Wildcats, Davidson students have an average SAT score of 1,280–1,430. Their motto is "Let learning be cherished where liberty has arisen," which is instilled among their high-achieving students and strong reputation.
41) Wake Forest University
Location: Winston-Salem, NC
Located just a few hours from the Blue Ridge Mountains and beaches of South Carolina, Wake Forest has a beautiful campus that offers intramural sports and plenty of outdoor trips. Of the 6 schools that make up Wake Forest, the School of Law, School of Business, and School of Medicine are extremely competitive. Undergraduates are enrolled in either Wake Forest College or the business school.
42) College of William and Mary
Location: Williamsburg, VA
William and Mary has more than 30 undergraduate programs and more than 10 graduate and professional degree programs. Of their highly ranked grad schools, the first law school in the U.S. is one of them. William and Mary is also responsible for the nation's first academic Greek society, Phi Betta Kappa.
43) Colgate University
Location: Hamilton, NY
Colgate's academic departments and majors fall into one of four general divisions: humanities, natural sciences and mathematics, social sciences and university studies. Greek life plays a significant role in student life, representing nearly half of sophomores, juniors and seniors.
44) Boston College
Location: Chestnut Hill, MA
Boston College, founded in 1863 by the Society of Jesus is a Jesuit Catholic school that has been classified by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching as a university with high research activity. BC is made up of nine schools, including grad-programs, and competes in nearly 30 NCAA Division I varsity sports.
45) Lehigh University
Location: Bethlehem, PA
Lehigh is considered one of the twenty-four Hidden Ivies in the Northeastern U.S. They have four colleges: the P.C. Rossin College of Engineering and Applied Science, the College of Arts and Sciences, the College of Business and Economics, and the College of Education. The College of Arts and Sciences is the largest, which roughly consists of 40% of their students.
46) Santa Clara University
Location: Santa Clara, CA
Santa Clara is the oldest currently operating institution of higher education in California and offers a wide variety of majors, as well as 17 varsity athletic programs competing at the division one program. Students at this highly selective school tend to have ACT scores between 27–32 and SAT scores between 1,220–1,410.
47) Vassar College
Location: Poughkeepsie, NY
Vassar college is a top-tier liberal arts college that offers over 100 clubs and organizations for students to get involved with. Almost all students live on campus in 1 of 12 resident halls. Vassar has a solid 90% four-year graduation rate, and a 94% first year retention rate.
48) Barnard College
Barnard College is comprised of two schools, offering a small, yet strong liberal arts school and a large, coeducational Ivy League institution, both in NYC. Barnard is an all-female college in Manhattan with a co-ed partnership with Columbia University, across the street.
49) Bucknell University
Location: Lewisburg, PA
Bucknell, being a very diverse institution offers nearly 50 majors and over 60 minors. Bucknell's most popular are Economics, Political Science, Accounting, Finance, and Biology. They have an impressive first year retention rate of 93%.
50) Colby College
Location: Waterville, ME
Student Enrollment: 1815
Colby's campus encompasses a wildlife refuge and is close in proximity to a preserved lakefront property for environmental studies. There are approximately 100 student-run clubs and organizations on campus, ranging from the Colby Ballroom Dance Club to the Society Organized Against Racism. More than one-third of students are members of Colby's intercollegiate varsity sports teams, the Mules.
So there you have it, top 50 colleges and universities in the U.S. ranked by myKlovr. If you are still not sure what schools to apply to, check out our college finder to find your perfect match today!
https://www.timeshighereducation.com/rankings/united-states/2018#!/page/0/length/25/sort_by/rank/sort_order/asc/cols/stats
https://www.niche.com/colleges/search/best-colleges/
https://www.collegeraptor.com/find-colleges/articles/2018-university-rankings/top-50-best-colleges-united-states-2018-rankings/
https://www.forbes.com/top-colleges/#1ebed4661987
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


With overdriven 50's boogie riffs, bumble-gum chants, tinges of R&B mixed in, and terrible costumes Glam Rock holds a very special place in my heart. Glam rock never enjoyed much success in America except for a few imported acts from the UK. Despite a short heyday, Glam rock had a significant influence on the genres that succeeded it: punk, hard rock, heavy metal…and who could forget all those god awful hairbands?
This mix IS NOT meant to be a history lesson or all encompassing. Just like Glam it's meant to be fun and not make you think too much about hidden meanings. Play it loud and boogie hard.
Since I've got bitten by the record collecting bug, a lot of people (especially my parents) have asked me "why". I suppose it has a lot to do with the fact that for the past decade or so of my existence as a flaming music nerd that I felt ashamed of my actual music collection. For many years the only thing I had to show for it was a hard drive and a baskets full of (ab)used CD's.
Sometime ago Naveed Mir left the hustle and bustle of East Coast life to seek greener pastures across the country in Portland, Oregon. A simple mission – bring back the garage basics and add a dash of good old fashioned spooky Halloween fun. His latest effort, a self-released 7" under the moniker The Boo Jays containing four tracks he penned and recorded on his own holds true to his "f*ck, I'll do it live!" attitude. If lo-fi macabre garage rock is what you seek, this rare gem of four doom and gloom house party tracks will deliver.
For ears accustomed to the late psychedelic hangover of Ariel Pink or the eerie surf melodies from The B-52's, The Boo Jays twisted melange of influences brings fresh air to genre of rock that many believe has been dead and played out for awhile. Check out the send up to Scooby Doo and the gang in the video for "Creepy Crawlin'".
For more tunes from The Boo Jays go visit Naveed's imprint Astrodorque.


Please plan on entering through the north or west doors of the school.
We will be sharing a little about our curriculum and also the process for registering for Kindergarten. We will be providing folders with all the information you need to begin the process and hope to answer any questions you might have at this time.


text:
Carlos Hernán Rodríguez Becerra (Palmira, 1961) es un abogado, político y docente colombiano.

Biografía
Nació en Palmira, Valle del Cauca. Estudió derecho en la Universidad Santiago de Cali e hizo su especialización en derecho constitucional y derecho administrativo en la Universidad Libre. Fue docente en derecho administrativo y constitucional de las universidades del Valle, San Buenaventura, Santiago de Cali y Javeriana.

Comenzó su trayectoria política siendo Concejal de Palmira para los períodos 1995 y 1998 a 2000. En 2001, fue elegido Diputado del Valle del Cauca, cargo que ocupó hasta 2003. En el ejercicio de sus funciones fue testigo del Secuestro de los 12 diputados del Valle del Cauca, debido a que ese día se salvó de ser secuestrado a causa de no estar presente en la Asamblea Departamental, pues se encontraba acompañando a su hijo a una cita médica. De 2004 a 2006 se desempeñó en la Gobernación del Valle del Cauca como secretario de despacho, desarrollo institucional y planeación durante el mandato de Angelino Garzón.

Entre 2008 y 2012 fungió como Controlador de Valle del Cauca. En el 2016 lo asignaron como Defensor del Pueblo del Valle del Cauca. Del 2017 al 2019 dirigió la Auditoría General de la República. Entre 2020 y 2022 fue asesor de despacho en la Agencia Nacional de Tierras. En el año 2022 el Congreso de la República lo oficializó Contralor General de la República, sustituyendo a Carlos Felipe Córdoba.

Referencias

Enlaces externos
  Perfil en Ámbito Jurídico.com

Nacidos en Palmira (Colombia)
Abogados de Colombia
Diputados de Colombia
Profesores de universidades de Colombia
Alumnado de la Universidad Santiago de Cali
Alumnado de la Universidad Libre (Colombia)


We're holding information evenings around the country next month where you can find out about the experience, what the programme of the Jamboree is like, the activities that will be held, listen to Venturers who went to the last World Jamboree and what we expect the event will cost.
Upper South Island Regional Office - 211 Hoon Hay Road, Hoon Hay.
National Scout Centre, 1 Kaiwharawhara Road, Wellington.
Hawke Sea Scouts, 55 West End Road, Cox's Bay.
There's no need to RSVP, just turn up on the day. We'll be on site 10 minutes before the start time. The evening is open to all older Scouts, Venturers, Leaders and Parents/Caregivers.


Hey loyal readers! With Spring 2011 in full bloom, Adriana Marie Co. is following steady behind with creating a new company page on facebook for our friends to suggest to their friends, leave comments, as well as get status updates about events Adriana Marie Co. is sponsoring to help the community, new design concepts the brand is working on, & much more.
As part of creating the Adriana Marie Co. company page on facebook, we have decided to offer a special contest to our friends! That means YOU!!
5 friends + AmCo. tee = Happiness Contest is where our friends can receive a FREE Adriana Marie Co. vintage inspired T-shirt by suggesting the Adriana Marie Co. page to 5 of their friends and getting them to become friends with us so they can join the contest too! There is plenty to share with everyone!
It's easy, just click here and add us as your friend! Suggest it to your friends and post it on your page!! All your friends have to do is post on our wall who suggested them! If they suggest five people then they are eligible for a FREE AMco T-shirt too! Not a bad deal! Just remember to repost or RT @AdrianaMarieCo !! We love our loyal tweeties!
"Never give up, never let go of your dreams." Until next time!
This is awesome! I'll be sure to tell my friends to add Adriana Marie Co. on Facebook! I love these t-shirts!


Excellent case that has just come back from polish. The bezel insert is a newer service insert from the 80's.
Excellent Serif Dial with creamy yellow tritium dial with original and matching tritium hands.


text:
SecurShred Finds Market Growing Amid ID Theft Fears
April 19 , 2004 in SecurShred in the News
Eric Flegenheimer and Ken Miller launched SecurShred in South Burlington in October 2000, and they say they couldn't have chosen a more opportune time.
However, prospective clients were at first bewildered by the notion of an on-site, document shredding service.
"There were customers who we called and they would say, 'You're a what?' and then they would say, 'No thanks, we're all set,' " Flegenheimer said.
As reports of identity theft spread, however, SecurShred's owners have noticed a marked difference. The same customers who shrugged off the company a few years ago "now say, 'I think I'd better call those guys and find out what they're all about,' " Flegenheimer said.
"We've slowly started educating people in Vermont about the importance of shredding. Our timing was extremely good," Flegenheimer said.
Dubious at start
Flegenheimer was looking for another business to launch after selling his seafood supply business a few years ago, and his father suggested that he start a paper shredding company.
Flegenheimer was dubious. So was his friend Miller.
"At first, I told him he was crazy," Miller said.
Still, Flegenheimer began researching the industry and, together with Miller they decided that the idea did make sense.
Identity theft is a growing problem in America, as an FTC survey released in September suggested when it said 9.9 million Americans had experienced identity theft in the past year.
As many as 516,740 cases were reported to the FTC's consumer complaint database, the Consumer Sentinel, in 2003 – up from 404,336 in 2002 and 220,343 in 2001.
In Vermont, 159 cases of identity theft were reported to the database in 2003.
New federal regulations have also boosted SecurShred's business. Laws including the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) of 1996 and the Gramm-Leach-Billey Act of 1999 now require health care organizations, health insurance providers, and financial institutions to take greater measures to protect patients' and consumers' privacy.
"Those two laws alone have helped not only our business but society in general realize the importance of (protection against) identity theft," Miller said.
The state of Vermont is also taking definitive action against identity theft.
In 2003, Sen. John Campbell, D-Windsor, introduced a bill that would prevent businesses from discarding "personally identifiable data," about customers and employees, including data about medical conditions, bank accounts, identification numbers or credit information unless that data were shredded, erased, or modified beyond recognition.
"We think that is it extremely important to address this on a state level," Campbell said. "If we can prevent (identity theft) or try to save one person from having to go through it, it's going to be completely worth it."
Carving a niche
Flegenheimer and Miller say they have hundreds of customers throughout the state, as well as clients in Massachusetts and New Hampshire – ranging from individuals who need a few boxes of personal documents shredded to large companies who go through an annual document purge.
The company travels to clients' sites in one of its two mobile shredders, which weigh the documents (SecurShred charges by the pound), shred them at a rate of about 3,000 pounds an hour, and transport them back to SecurShred's building in South Burlington, where they are bundled and recycled.
"We've grown steadily and carved out a niche. We're the only (local) company that shreds on-site," Flegenheimer said of SecurShred, which now has six people on staff: two part-time employees, two full-time employees and Flegenheimer and Miller.
As much as identity theft awareness has spread and business has grown for SecurShred, Flegenheimer and Miller express frustration that some companies are nevertheless neglecting to dispose of their documents properly.
"So many people think, when they recycle paper, that it's just being destroyed. But someone could walk by a recycling bin in a building and just pick something up. Every day, we see paper that should be shredded and is not," Miller said, adding that when SecurShred is in a building shredding one company's documents, another company's recycling bin is often out in the open filled with private information.


Stephen Sisson from Fellowship of Faith in Gallipolis, OH brings us this unique shape for reclaimed wood.
They started with 2x4s to build a basic diamond shaped frame with a wider base at the bottom for stability. All of the wood was brought in by a member of the church who was trying to get rid of some scrap. To create the negative-space cross section,they just nailed two small pieces of scrap together and framed the wood around it.
To provide more versatility if they didn't want it just as a center piece, they brought in a circular saw and just cut the center braces at the top and bottom. That gave them two more-or-less identical pieces they could then separate and move if needed.
The design cost them $0. All the wood, even the framing wood, was donated.


text:
22 By faith Joseph, when he died, made mention of the departing of the children of Israel; and gave commandment concerning his bones.
PREVIOUS Hebrews 11:21 NEXT Hebrews 11:23
Hebrews 11:22 Meaning and Commentary
By faith Joseph, when he died
The riches and honours of Joseph, as they could not secure him from death, so they did not make him unmindful of it; nor was he afraid of dying, or uneasy about it; nor did his prosperity make him proud, or above speaking to his brethren, nor revengeful to them, nor unthoughtful of their future afflictions; nor did his affluence of temporal things take off his regards to divine promises, nor weaken his faith in them, which is here commended in the following instances; as that at the time of his death,
he made mention of the departing of the children of Israel;
that is, out of the land of Egypt: he remembered it himself, and put his brethren in mind of it, by speaking of it to their comfort, with great assurance; he knew they were well situated in the land of Egypt, and yet speaks of their departure out of it; he foresaw, and firmly believed they would be greatly afflicted in it, and that God would look upon them, and visit them, and bring them out of it, into the land of Canaan; all which shows the strength of his faith, and that it was about things not seen.
And gave commandment concerning his bones;
and the command was a very strict one when he gave it; he took an oath of his brethren to fulfil it; it was concerning his bones, not his body, which shows that he believed their departure out of Egypt was at a great distance, when his flesh would be consumed, and only his bones left, as it was about two hundred years after his death; it respects the carrying them out of Egypt with them, and burying them in the land of Canaan, when they came there; and this is an instance of his humility, in choosing to lie with his fathers, rather than with the kings, and great men in Egypt, and of his care to prevent idolatry, which he might observe the Egyptians would be prone unto: and this command was a great instance of Joseph's faith, that the children of Israel would return to Canaan, and which might serve greatly to confirm their faith in it; it also shows his belief of the resurrection of the dead, and of his enjoying the heavenly inheritance, signified by the land of Canaan; See ( Genesis 50:24 Genesis 50:25 ) , the Papists, from hence, plead for the relics of saints; but it should be observed, that it was at the request, and by the command of Joseph, that his bones were preserved, which is not the case of the saints, whose relics are pleaded for; besides, these were the true and real bones of Joseph, whereas the relics of the saints are only pretended; to which may be added, that the bones of Joseph, were ordered to be buried, not to be showed for a sight, much less worshipped, as Popish relics are. Joseph's coffin, the Jews say F8, was put into the river Nile; and so says Patricides F9, an Arabic writer: others say it was in the buryingplace of the kings, until it was taken up and removed by Moses.
F8 T. Bab. Sota, fol. 13. 1.
F9 Apud Hottinger. Smegma Oriental. l. 1. c. 8. p. 379.
Hebrews 11:22 In-Context
20 By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau concerning things to come.
21 By faith Jacob, when he was a dying, blessed both the sons of Joseph; and worshipped, leaning upon the top of his staff.
23 By faith Moses, when he was born, was hid three months of his parents, because they saw he was a proper child; and they were not afraid of the king's commandment.
24 By faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter;


text:
La spedizione di Qaṭan () fu un'azione bellica organizzata da Maometto nel muharram del 4 dell'Egira (equivalente al 13 giugno 625).

La gravissima sconfitta di Uhud suggerì ai Banū Asad del Najd di colpire Medina e i musulmani.
Informato però da un appartenente alla tribù dei Banū Ṭayy di quanto si andava progettando, Maometto decise di prevenire gli Asad, organizzando un'immediata azione. Affidò il comando di 150 uomini (tra cui due cugini del Profeta e Arqam ibn Abi l-Arqam) al suo Compagno ʿAbd Allāh b. ʿAbd al-Asad, detto Abū Salama, ancora convalescente per una brutta ferita all'avambraccio, ricevuta a Uhud.

Gli Asad non furono colti di sorpresa, perché gli attaccanti si fecero tentare dalla razzia di alcuni loro dromedari, e gli scontri non provocarono molti morti, risolvendosi in una banale razzia di pecore e dromedari.

Sulla strada di ritorno la ferita del comandante musulmano si riaprì e ʿAbd Allāh b. ʿAbd al-Asad morì alcuni mesi dopo, il 26 Jumada II / 3 dicembre 625, mentre la compagine islamica era ancora sulla strada di ritorno.

Bibliografia
Leone Caetani, Annali dell'Islām, 10 voll. Milano, Hoepli, I, pp. 575-576.

Qatan