Striving for the impossible? Policing and territoriality in the age of the war on terror

This article asks how variations of state territorial control have influenced police missions in the recent past, and illustrate how recent police reforms were based on the structure of a ‘western’ type state with clearly identifiable formal state institutions enjoying autonomy, that strive for a form of territorial monopoly over violence. The article argues for moving beyond such assumptions by adopting scenarios based on how territory is controlled, developing four scenarios that can enable foreign-backed police missions to adapt to local circumstances. The article draws upon the typology of territorial control developed by Hansen in 2017/2019, amending this model to be adapted for policing. It argues that each of these scenarios require different strategies and compromises in order to create functioning police forces

Striving for the Impossible? Policing and Territoriality in the Age of the War on Terror

This article asks how variations of state territorial control have influenced police missions in the recent past, and illustrate how recent police reforms were based on the structure of a ‘western’ type state with clearly identifiable formal state institutions enjoying autonomy, that strive for a form of territorial monopoly over violence. The article argues for moving beyond such assumptions by adopting scenarios based on how territory is controlled, developing four scenarios that can enable foreign-backed police missions to adapt to local circumstances. The article draws upon the typology of territorial control developed by Hansen in 2017/2019, amending this model to be adapted for policing. It argues that each of these scenarios require different strategies and compromises in order to create functioning police forces

Antibiotic-loaded bone cement in prevention of periprosthetic joint infections in primary total knee arthroplasty: A register-based multicentre randomised controlled non-inferiority trial (ALBA trial)

Introduction The current evidence on the efficacy of antibiotic-loaded bone cement (ALBC) in reducing the risk of periprosthetic joint infections (PJI) after primary joint reconstruction is insufficient. In several European countries, the use of ALBC is routine practice unlike in the USA where ALBC use is not approved in low-risk patients. Therefore, we designed a double-blinded pragmatic multicentre register-based randomised controlled non-inferiority trial to investigate the effects of ALBC compared with plain bone cement in primary total knee arthroplasty (TKA). Methods and analysis A minimum of 9,172 patients undergoing full-cemented primary TKA will be recruited and equally randomised into the ALBC group and the plain bone cement group. This trial will be conducted in Norwegian hospitals that routinely perform cemented primary TKA. The primary outcome will be risk of revision surgery due to PJI at 1-year of follow-up. Secondary outcomes will be: risk of revision due to any reason including aseptic loosening at 1, 6, 10 and 20 years of follow-up; patient-related outcome measures like function, pain, satisfaction and health-related quality of life at 1, 6 and 10 years of follow-up; risk of changes in the microbial pattern and resistance profiles of organisms cultured in subsequent revisions at 1, 6, 10 and 20 years of follow-up; cost-effectiveness of routine ALBC versus plain bone cement use in primary TKA. We will use 1:1 randomisation with random permuted blocks and stratify by participating hospitals to randomise patients to receive ALBC or plain bone cement. Inclusion, randomisation and follow-up will be through the Norwegian Arthroplasty Register. Ethics and dissemination The trial was approved by the Western Norway Regional Committees on Medical and Health Research Ethics (reference number: 2019/751/REK vest) on 21 June 2019. The findings of this trial will be disseminated through peer-reviewed publications and conference presentations. Trial registration number NCT04135170.publishedVersio

Revenge or reward? The case of Somalia’s suicide bombers

This article explores the social mechanisms that lead to the emergence of suicide attacks in new theatres, as well as factors influencing the frequency of such suicide attacks, by studying one of the states in which suicide attacks have most recently occurred – Somalia. The article argues that a suicide attack in the Somali setting seems to be a well-planned reaction to diplomatic or military moves by opposing parties in the conflict. However, it also poses that the initial emergence of suicide attacks in Somalia is grounded in ideological elements new to Somalia. The article thus argues that while frequency variations in suicide attacks are best understood as the result of rational calculations within an organisation, ideological elements and organisational belief systems have to be explored in order to understand the initial adoption of suicide attacks in Somalia.Publisher PD

Unity Under Allah? Cohesion Mechanisms in Jihadist Organizations in Africa

This article explores mechanisms fostering cohesion in jihadist organizations in relation to territorial presence. This article takes four types of territorial presence as its point of departure: (1) a clandestine network-based presence; (2) an accepted presence where the organization is tolerated by a state; (3) a semiterritorial presence, where the organization is allowed some control between phases of enemy offensives and withdrawals; and (4) a relatively permanent territorial presence, where the organization fully controls the territory in which it has bases. The article argues that each of these types of territorial presence opens up for different ways for organizations to create cohesion. Cohesion mechanisms thus vary according to type of territorial presence.acceptedVersio

Piracy in the greater Gulf of Aden

This report explores several of the most commonly stated causes of Somali piracy, as well as the history and structure of Somali piracy, showing that piracy is rather a spatiotemporal and geographically con-strained phenomenon than a general Somali phenomenon, which started after the collapse of Somalia in 1991. Solutions must take this into consideration, focus on local conditions in the pirate areas and the causes that made piracy explode, first in 2004-2005, and most recently in 2008 and onwards. Tilknyttet prosjekt Piracy, Causes and Remedies: a case study of the Greater Gulf of Ade

The collapse of Somalia : of selective incentives and state collapse

What initiated the collapse of Somalia? Explanations based on clan are almost axiomatic in studies of the Somali conflict thus a different approach could be needed. The thesis " The Collapse of Somalia: Of Selective Incentives and State Collapse" tries to explain the Somali collapse but does not focus explicitly on clan or culture. It focuses on the choices available to actors in the Somali conflicts and on the reward and punishment they expected from the government and its rival organisations. By focusing on these choices, one could see if other incentives than clan and culture influenced the decision-makers. Such focus also made it possible to explore important interaction between clan, culture, political variables and economy. The theoretical focus is on Mancur Olsons theories on collective action. In brief Olson stipulate that individual reward or punishment, called selective incentives, are needed to produce successful collective action. Olson views rebellion as a form of collective action. Thus changes in the individual reward structure becomes important for the occurrence of rebellious action. The works of Barry Posen and Johan Galtung are used to explore how such changes can come about. To many westerners, the Somali conflict surfaced after 1991, especially after the complete disappearance of a centralised Somalian state around the 27th January (Høydal 1993: 15-16). The aim of this thesis was not to study the civil war between fractions following this date, but only to study the breakdown process leading to the demise of the Somali State structure. Westerners tend to overlook the long history of the Somalian conflict and that the strongest rebel movements developed and gained power at a much earlier stage. The most powerful rebel organisations had been formed during the period 1978 to 1989. It seems quite clear that without the formation of these rebel organisations, neither the breakdown process nor the full collapse of 1991 would have taken place. Instead of focusing on the fighting in 1991, the thesis focus on factors leading to the formation and growth of these organisations during the seventies and eighties. Thus the thesis concentrates on the years 1971 to 1990, without ignoring important events outside this period. This thesis concludes that the Somali Conflict could have been avoided. Economic and political developments activated the clan identity and made it more important than earlier. Examples of such decisions are the way the demobilisation after the Ogadeen war was handled, the way hyperinflation was handled and the way early rebellious action was dealt with by the Barre regime

‘Forever wars’? Patterns of diffusion and consolidation of Jihadism in Africa

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