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At this point it shall also be noted that CSBMs also differ from classical approaches of disarmament
as they
“do not seek to limit forces in terms of quantity or quality, but rather control and
communicate how, when, where and why military activities are employed. They
are intended to mitigate the possibility of conflict occurring through accident,
miscalculation, or failure of communication, and to diminish opportunities for
political coercion and surprise attack” (Borawski 1986: 113).
CSBMs and the Reduction of the Levels of Private Information in Interstate Bargaining
Situations
Based on the above presented definition of CSBMs, it is possible to identify and deduce the
following three causal mechanisms through which they appear able to reduce the level of private
information and thus also the likelihood of interstate armed conflict:
1. Exchange of military information;
2. Verification of compliance with agreed commitments;
3. Different forms of military co-operation.
This reduction of private information can already be considered to have a structural conflict
preventing effect, as it increases the accuracy of the calculations of both sides’ military capabilities:
“In principle, both sides could gain by sharing information, which would yield a consensus military
estimate [...] [and] doing so could not help but reveal bargains that both would prefer to a fight”
(1995: 393). It can thus be assumed that the mechanism of ‘military information exchange’ forms th B