The security sector and the plunder of Zimbabwe’s Chiadzwa alluvial diamonds: the ‘goat mentality’ in practice

While the human rights impact of the deployment of state security agencies in the Chiadzwa diamond fields has been explored, it is important to continue to expose the increasing tendency within the sector to take public resources that should be protected by the state and used for the benefit of the people and channel them for personal gain. The security sector stranglehold of President Robert Mugabe and the ruling political party, the Zimbabwe African National Union Patriotic Front (ZANU-PF), has facilitated the siphoning of Chiadzwa diamond revenue into the pockets of individual security personnel. The unfolding sociopolitical crisis in Zimbabwe has also meant that these security personnel have been deployed beyond conflict zones and into traditionally civilian domains, with dire consequences for the public purse. With this in mind, it is asserted that these issues have driven state security agencies to enrich themselves through what is termed in this article as a ‘goat mentality’. The article thus explores the ways in which state security agencies have been deployed and gone on to promote personal enrichment in the Chiadzwa diamond fields.     

Using strategic culture to understand participation in expeditionary operations: Australia,Poland, and the coalition against the Islamic State

This article investigates how strategic culture influenced the decision-making of Australia and Poland regarding the global coalition against the Islamic State. In the coalition, Australia has followed its tradition of active participation in United States-led operations, while Poland has embarked on a more cautious line, thereby breaking with its previous policy of active participation. The article examines how Australian and Polish responses to the coalition were shaped by five cultural elements: dominant threat perception, core task of the armed forces, strategic partners, experiences of participating in coalitions of the willing, and approach to the international legality of expeditionary operations. It finds that Australia and Poland differed on all five elements but that the major differences are found in dominant threat perception and core task of the armed forces.     

虚拟化技术研究与探索

近年来虚拟化技术在商业应用上的优势日益体现,不仅降低了IT成本,而且还增强了系统安全性和可靠性。主要针对服务器虚拟化技术的出现、发展,对目前x86平台主流虚拟化技术类别进行了总结,重点阐述了纯软件虚拟化技术的原理及面临的挑战。     

Ideology,ballots, and alliances: Canadian participation in multinational military operations

The decision to employ force abroad is often a contentious political decision, where partisanship plays a crucial role. Prior to military intervention, political parties usually make their ideologically distinctive preferences clear and seek to implement them once in power. What remains unclear, however, is how ideology affects the decision to use military force. This article contends that alliance and electoral calculations constrain the ability of political parties to implement their ideological preferences with regards to the use of force. It examines a “most likely” case for the partisan theory of military intervention, namely Canada’s refusal to take part in the invasion of Iraq and its decision to commit forces to the war against the Islamic State. It finds that only in combination with alliance and electoral calculations does executive ideology offer valuable insights into Canada’s military support to U.S.-led coalition operations, which contributes to our understanding of allied decision-making.     

The Central Asian Militants: Cannon Fodder of Global Jihadism or Revolutionary Vanguard?

Central Asians have long been present within the ranks of organisations linked to the global jihad movement, but has there been an acceleration in their recruitment in recent years? There is growing evidence of substantial numbers of Central Asians (mostly Uzbeks and Tajiks) present in Syria in the ranks of the Islamic State and of a number of organisations linked to Al-Qaida. There is also growing evidence of recruitment inside Kyrgizstan and Tajikistan at least (as opposed as among Central Asian emigrants). The authors argue that distrust towards information provided by the Central Asian regimes should not blind analysts towards an emerging trend, which has substantial destabilising potential. The factors driving this recruitment also seem to be much more complex than a rejection of the authoritarianism of the ruling elites.     

表面类裂纹缺陷与地磁场相对空间位置对漏磁场检测的影响

采用低频电磁场的有限元单元分析方法，分析铁磁性金属零件表面类裂纹缺陷与地磁场的空间相对位置变化对缺陷处漏磁场的影响，并通过试验进行了验证。结果表明：相对空间位置对漏磁场强度值影响较大，但对漏磁场强度曲线的变化特征影响不大。当缺陷与地磁场磁力线相互垂直时，漏磁场强度值最大；当缺陷与地磁场磁力线平行时，漏磁场强度值最小。这表明当采用漏磁场检测方法进行无损探伤时，零件的空间方向可能会影响探伤结果。     

基于改进支持向量机的航空装备维修安全评估

传统航空装备维修安全评估大多采用定性评估方法,针对传统评估中存在主观性、随意性过强,实践中缺乏可操作性等问题,提出了基于核密度估计的改进支持向量机。构建了航空装备维修安全评估指标体系,在利用层次分析法对其权重进行计算的基础上,通过改进支持向量机对某单位航空装备维修状况进行了全面评估,为航空装备维修安全评估提供了科学的方法,对确保航空装备维修安全具有较强的理论和现实意义。