PKSOI Papers

The American Military Advisor: Dealing with Senior Foreign Officials in the Islamic World Mr Michael J Metrinko Monograph by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute "The advisory role is at best loosely defined in military career terms, and realities on the ground further complicate the advisory mission. These include differences in American and foreign perception of the advisory position, differences in the way Americans and host country officials view time lines, the impact of the local calendar on the advisor’s work, and the importance of cultural adaptation and intellectual openness. In the end, establishing personal rapport with a host country official is the basis for success as an advisor, and the qualities in an advisor’s personality that allow for such a relationship are difficult to quantify."

United Nations Peacekeeping Operations: Principles and Guidelines United Nations Peacekeeping Missions Manual by the US Army War College, Peacekeeping and Stability Operations Institute, Department of Peacekeeping Operations "Over the past six decades, United Nations peacekeeping has evolved into a complex, global undertaking. During this time, the conduct of United Nations peacekeeping operations has been guided by a largely unwritten body of principles and informed by the experiences of the many thousands of men and women who have served in the more than 60 operations launched since 1948. This document captures these experiences for the benefit and guidance of planners and practitioners of United Nations peacekeeping operations."

Building Governance Capacity through the Commander's Emergency Response Program LTC Peter Andrysiak, COL Scott A Spellmon Issue Paper by the US Army War College, Peacekeeping and Stability Operations Institute "Field Manual (FM) 3-24 Counterinsurgency offers ten paradoxes of counterinsurgency (COIN) operations that illustrate the unique demands, difficulties, and complexities in this form of warfare. The paradoxes range from “sometimes the more force is used, the less effective it is” to 'tactical success guarantees nothing.' While each of these notions can be counterintuitive to a conventional view of tactics and operations, they serve to stimulate our thought toward a significantly different mindset required for the successful conduct of COIN operations."

Elections in Afghanistan: Looking to the Future Michael J Metrinko Issue Paper by the US Army War College, US Peacekeeping and Stability Operations Institute "Modern Afghan political history has witnessed a series of violent power struggles, bloody coups, assassinations and unstable transfers of authority. The various forms of government over the past 50 years have included a monarchy, varieties of socialism, a communist state, and a theocracy. Although many officials of these previous regimes still play a role in Afghan politics, a very large number – including several heads of state – died violently in the various upheavals. The Afghan government has now been restructured as an Islamic republic consisting of three branches of power – executive, legislative and judiciary – with powers and responsibilities clearly delineated in a new Constitution. Elected in 2004, Hamid Karzai is now the President of Afghanistan, and a Parliament and Provincial Councils were elected by popular vote in 2005."

Guide for Participants in Peace, Stability, and Relief Operations Robert M Perito Guides and Handbooks by the US Army War College, Peacekeeping and Stability Operations Institute, United States Institute of Peace, United States Institute of Peace Press "Bringing lasting peace and stability to regions devastated by violent conflict is a daunting and urgent task. Equally important is facilitating cooperation among the diverse institutions involved in peace, stability, and relief operations. In discussing international interventions, terms go in and out of fashion, but, as I write these words (April 2007), what are referred to as “stability operations” are under way in Iraq and Afghanistan, societies still embroiled in violent conflict. Elsewhere, peace operations are carried out in situations where, for the most part, the violent phase of conflict is over."

Civil Military Operations: Afghanistan Professor William J Flavin Peacekeeping Institute Publication by the US Army War College, Peacekeeping and Stability Operations Institute "The U.S. Army Peacekeeping Institute (PKI), located at the U.S. Army War College, has previously conducted studies of Civil Military Operations (CMO) in U.S. military engagements abroad. Based on comments from various levels of command engaged in Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan, PKI felt that the one-year mark was the proper time to do an assessment of CMO there. Most participants would be completing tours and have the time and perspective to reflect on their experiences."

Touchstones for the Military Leadership Engaged in Asymmetric Warfare BRIGADIER GENERAL Bikram Singh Peacekeeping Institute Publication by the US Army War College, Peacekeeping and Stability Operations Institute "While asymmetric warfare has undertaken a new and a broader dimension especially in the aftermath of the terrorist attacks of 9/11, in the title of this paper it refers to counterinsurgency warfare, wherein terrorism is employed by the irregular adversary as a means to subvert the rule of law and effect change through violence and fear. This war is being waged in some form or the other in almost 71 countries of the world and the perceivable contours of the futuristic international security landscape portend a threat for its proliferation. Resultantly, the militaries around the world will have to gear up to counter this scourge, which offers different battle space dynamics and challenges for the military leadership. Such warfare underscores the need for different knowledge structures, wherein military’s mass and energy, in concert with other elements of national power, is applied for ‘control’ as against ‘destruction’."

United Nations Peacekeeping Training Manual United Nations Peacekeeping Missions Manual by the US Army War College, Peacekeeping and Stability Operations Institute "The aim of this document is to provide guidelines for actual or prospective troop contributing governments in the preparation and training of their personnel for assignments with United Nations peace-keeping Operations (PKOs)."

Maritime Stability Operations – China: Bullying Their Way Into the Arctic Michael Steiner (USN CAPT Ret) PKSOI Paper by US Army War College, Peacekeeping and Stability Operations Institute "The US Geological Survey estimates that the Arctic holds approximately 90 billion barrels of undiscovered oil which is about 13 percent of global estimates and 30 percent of the Earth’s undiscovered natural gas. This increase in regional shipping and resource mining may cause regional instability in the Arctic as China, Russia, and the United States and its Arctic State partners compete to ensure their interests are attended to in this newly marketable portion of the Arctic."