Lee H Marsh

Permanence of Temporary Security Barriers? Lee H Marsh

Publisher Marketing: Monograph examines the use of security barriers and delves into circumstances leading to the removal of security barriers. The purpose was to explore whether there existed specific conditions or criteria for removal of security barriers. Specific situations in the use of security barriers in Northern Ireland, Cyprus and Iraq to include Baghdad, Fallujah and Mosul were used as case studies. Based on analysis of the case studies, it was determined there are not definable, prerequisite conditions for the removal of security barriers. The most significant finding was that the most direct link to removal of barriers is risk tolerance regarding an improved security environment, but the decision to remove barriers seemed to be a subjective one rather than based on an objective assessment of variables. Additional observations: (1) the historical/cultural context of the conflict between primary actors affects the attitudes toward removal of barriers, (2) the numbers/types of actors in the conflict affect the likelihood of a barrier's removal (3) time can often establish the permanence of temporary barriers as well as establish a precedence for their use, (4) time can also often allow for perspectives to change allowing more accommodation (5) that sometimes an incentive or reward outweighs security concerns.