The current face-off over Gibraltar between the Spanish and British governments is the result of juridical and diplomatic differences, in such a way that it would be pointless for the dispute to be securitised or militarised.
The French military intervention in northern Mali has disrupted the Jihadist condominium that is being established there. However, this should not be taken to mean that AQIM, the terrorist organisation leading the joint project with its likeminded partners, has been defeated or even critically damaged. Nor that it has given up its plans as a global Jihad actor.
Unless Europeans acknowledge the importance of military force and the ability to project power on a global scale, any discussions on strategy or foreign policy will be largely futile.
On December 12 North Korea succeeded in putting into orbit a satellite (or other object) after the three stages of the Unha-3 rocket separated as planned. Contrary to the previous attempts, the launch was successful, the three-stage rocket functioned correctly and the satellite (or other object) now appears to be now orbiting the earth.
Despite continuous efforts by the international community to achieve the denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula, time is passing and working against this goal.
Helping to prevent the consolidation of a jihadist condominium in northern Mali, including support for regionally concerted military action, should lead Europeans to reflect on their own responsibility in the growth of terrorism in the area.
Pragmatism, flexibility and effectiveness replace normativism, formalism and legitimacy as the founding principles of international security. Changes from multipolarity towards multinodality are challenging traditional mindsets, theories and mentalities.
Between April and June of 2012 three Jihadist organisations have managed to jointly impose their rigorist Islamist control over some 1.5 million inhabitants in northern Mali, a vast desert area of around 850,000 square kilometres between Mauritania, Algeria and Niger.
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