The new warfare and cooperative international security

Abstract

General interstate warfare, that characterized so many twentieth century conflicts is increasingly becoming obsolete, except for some rare cases. Indeed, the nature of warfare has greatly shifted into something new, and perhaps into something even more dangerous for international security with the development and proliferation of weapons of mass destruction (WMD), the emergence of extremist groups, the access and use of WMD by terrorists, and the small deterrent effect of current military establishments towards these groups. The new warfare that has emerged is perhaps the most difficult type to respond to given its secrecy, its non‐territorial base, its “nihilist” characteristic, and the extraordinary dedication of its adherents to achieve their goals. New security requirements are urgently needed at this point and the essence of the response to this new warfare today lies in international cooperation, since the new opponents to the current world order are building a global organized presence.