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Defining Remote Warfare: British Training and Assistance Programmes in Yemen, 2004-2015

Between 2004-2015 Britain engaged in capacity building operations across Yemen’s police, military, and intelligence agencies. This briefing seeks to provide a critical review of these efforts, their successes, and the causes of their ultimate failure, in order to identify lessons for future training and assistance missions. Read more

Defining Remote Warfare: British Training and Assistance Programmes in Yemen, 2004-2015

Agile Warrior Quarterly

Emily Knowles and Abigail Watson have contributed an article to Agile Warrior Quarterly, the British Army’s intellectual examination of current and emerging threat and opportunities for land capability.Read more

ORG Explains #1: The UK Military in the Asia-Pacific

This primer explains what presence, relations and obligations the UK military has in Asia-Pacific, defined here as the largely maritime region between Hawaii, New Zealand and the Asian mainland.Read more

Global Britain: A Pacific Presence?

Several developments over the last month suggest that the UK is moving to establish its strongest military presence in the Western Pacific since its 1971 withdrawal of forces from Singapore. Drivers include the quest for post-Brexit trade and arms supply deals, the imperative to use the Royal Navy’s new aircraft carriers to promote a strong Global Britain brand, and a growing alignment with US regional objectives and alliances.Read more

Sino-Indian Relations after the BRICS Summit

Despite the welcome de-escalation of the situation, Sino-Indian relations are not yet out of the woods. The underlying strategic context makes confidence-building extremely difficult.Read more

What does North Korea want?

US-led war games may look like a defensive manoeuver to us, but from North Korea‘s perspective they do not look the same.Read more

Trump, North Korea and the Risk of War

April has seen the inexperienced Trump Administration further escalate US military activities from Iraq and Syria to Afghanistan and Yemen.Read more

Drones in Pakistan relocating terrorists, not eliminating them

The report, Terrorist relocation and the societal consequences of US drone strikes in Pakistan, reveals that the US drone programme in Pakistan has caused large numbers of terrorists to relocate from the heavily-targeted Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) to avoid being attacked.Read more

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Westminster Round Up | December 2018

In the 12 days of December that parliament sat, the long-awaited release of the Modernising Defence Programme could and should have been the big news. Instead it was released two days before the Christmas recess began and it was deemed underwhelming by MPs and analysts alike.

Drone Proliferation: An Interview With Ulrike Franke

Specialist on European security and defence issues, Ulrike Franke, discusses the global proliferation of drone technology.

Emily Knowles presents at Peace Research Institute Oslo Event

RWP Director Emily Knowles delivered a presentation at the Litteraturhuset in Oslo aimed at improving Norwegian approaches to security force assistance.

The Government’s Defence Review: An Incomplete Picture

The Ministry of Defence’s long-awaited Modernising Defence Programme was released this week. The report appears to reinforce the government’s shifting strategic focus towards countering state-based threats, despite the fact that remote warfare is likely to dominate British military engagement in the foreseeable future.

The Role of Youth in Peacebuilding: Challenges and Opportunities

Young people are frequently ‘othered’ in discussions about conflict. This is a dangerous practice as youths can play a very positive role aiding peacebuilding in societies recovering from conflict.

Making Bad Economies: The Poverty of Mexican Drug Cartels

Some stories say that local economies benefit from cartels in Mexico. But research suggests that the areas most plagued by drug-related violence have seriously suffered economically.

ORG's Vision

Oxford Research Group (ORG) is an independent organisation that has been influential for over 35 years in pioneering new, more strategic approaches to security and peacebuilding. Based in London since 2006, ORG continues to pursue cutting edge research and advocacy in the United Kingdom and abroad while managing innovative peacebuilding projects in several Middle Eastern countries.

Remote Warfare: Lessons Learned from Contemporary Theatres

This report is a first attempt to identify some of the factors that have helped or hindered the UK’s current approach to remote warfare.

Weavers of Peace: The Higaonon Tribe in the Philippines

The Higaonon, an indigenous tribe in Northern Mindanao in the southern Philippines, have preserved an ancient system of conflict resolution which has enabled them to be a truly peaceful community. However, there is a need to ensure that this knowledge is not lost in the future.

The Cyprus Problem: Why Solve a Comfortable Conflict?

Several diplomatic efforts have been made both domestically and internationally to enhance peaceful unity since the start of the Cyprus Problem. Despite the shortcomings of past efforts, it is still desirable not only to resolve the issue, but also to do so in a timely manner.

Why Does UN Humanitarian Intervention Remain Selective?

Over the past two decades, the United Nations Security Council has responded more strongly to some humanitarian crises than to others. This variation in Security Council action raises the important question of what factors motivate United Nations intervention.