"International Security" Journal Highlights

A sampling of articles in the Spring 2016 issue of the Belfer Center's journal International Security

International Security is America’s leading journal of security affairs. 
IS was ranked first in impact factor for 2014 among 85 journals of international relations in the annual “Journal Citation Reports”® released by Thomson Reuters. International Security’s 2014 Impact Factor is the highest of any international relations journals.

Deal or No Deal? The End of the Cold War and the U.S. Offer to Limit NATO Expansion

Joshua R. Itzkowitz Shifrinson

During the 1990 German reunification negotiations, did the United States promise the Soviet Union that it would not expand NATO into Eastern Europe? Although no written agreement exists, archival materials reveal that U.S. officials did indeed offer the Soviets informal non-expansion assurances, while keeping open the possibility of expansion and seeking to maximize U.S. power in post–Cold War Europe.

Rebel Diplomacy in Civil War

Reyko Huang

When and why do rebel groups conduct diplomacy during civil wars? The groups that are most likely to engage in diplomacy are those seeking to secede and to acquire domestic political backing. Diplomacy is crucial to securing international legitimacy for secessionist groups, which in turn increases rebels’ support at home.

The Pivot before the Pivot: U.S. Strategy to Preserve the Power Balance in Asia

Nina Silove

The United States’ strategic reorientation toward the Asia Pacific began not under the Barack Obama administration, but under the George W. Bush administration. As part of this reorientation, the Bush administration pursued a series of military, political, and economic policies aimed at engaging with and balancing against China, not containing it.

Understanding the Islamic State—A Review Essay

Daniel Byman

Policymakers’ lack of understanding of the Islamic State has led to flawed assessments of the threat the group poses and how best to fight it. Daniel Byman reviews several recent books that offer new insights regarding the Islamic State and discusses the group’s ideology and strategy, as well as U.S. and allied counterterrorism efforts.