Recent Articles

The Human Terrain System: Operationally Relevant Social Science Research in Iraq and Afghanistan Dr Christopher Sims Book by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute, US Army War College Press "The announcement that the Human Terrain System (HTS) was brought to a close in the fall of 2014 met with a flurry of responses. Commentators assessed the character and content of the social science research program and several identified plausible legacies that it may bequeath U.S. Armed Services. Often the conclusions therein were mixed, hinting instructively at the absence of a strong empirical record of the program. Therefore, this book is a welcomed larger study of the HTS, one of the first investigations to delineate the experiences of former program members, chart the stance of the American Anthropological Association, and gain engagement both from the U.S. Training and Doctrine Command, and a manager from the first primary contractor, BAE Systems."

Lethal and Legal? The Ethics of Drone Strikes Dr Shima D Keene Monograph by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute, US Army War College Press "With greatly increased lethal use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) comes greater scrutiny and controversy. This monograph lays out the ethical and legal landscape in which drone killings take place and makes key recommendations not only for ensuring legality and a sound moral basis for operations, but also for ensuring those operations are effective. "

What's Old is New — Kennan, Putin, and the Russian Competitive Viewpoint LTC Michael A. Adelberg Article by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute, US Army War College Press

Collins Center Update - Summer 2015 Professor Bernard F. Griffard, Mr. Ritchie Dion, Colonel Jack Pritchard, Colonel Jerry Hall, Major Dennis Davis, Lieutenant Colonel Joe Chretien, Lieutenant Colonel Donald Travis Collins Center Update by the US Army War College, Center for Strategic Leadership

The New Arab Regional Order: Opportunities and Challenges for U.S. Policy Mr Gregory Aftandilian Monograph by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute, US Army War College Press "Gregory Aftandilian examines the new Arab regional order that has emerged in recent years and analyzes opportunities and challenges for U.S. interests in the region as a result of this order. He argues that the new order encompasses two main alliances. The first is an anti-Islamist grouping of countries and factions opposed to the Muslim Brotherhood and like-minded Islamist groups. This alliance emerged in the aftermath of the ouster of Egyptian President Mohammad Morsi of the Muslim Brotherhood in July 2013. Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Kuwait showered the new Egyptian government with billions of dollars in aid because they saw the Brotherhood as a threat. This alliance has expanded to include secular elements in Tunisia and Libya, as well as the Jordanian government."

The Hour of Truth: The Conflict in Ukraine–Implications for Europe’s Energy Security and the Lessons for the U.S. Army Mr Ivan Benovic, Dr Ariel Cohen Monograph by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute, US Army War College Press "Natural gas disputes between Russia and Ukraine have occurred repeatedly since the breakup of the Soviet Union. However, the 2014-15 wave of these conflicts was also coupled with a Russian-supported war in eastern Ukraine. This warfare, together with Gazprom’s shortsighted attitude to its customers’ needs and concerns, has made Russia’s natural gas supplies unreliable in the eyes of the European Union (EU) members. Given the dependence of the Old Continent on outside sources of natural gas, the unreliable record of Russia as a supplier has boosted regional cooperation and incentivized the EU as a whole to seek solutions to its dangerous dependence..."

Training Humans for the Human Domain Mr Keir Giles, Dr Steve Tatham Monograph by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute, US Army War College Press "This monograph offers an outline for educating U.S. and allied service personnel in fundamental human domain skills and argues against their being overlooked in favor of technical solutions. Experience from Afghanistan and Iraq has demonstrated the vital nature of understanding human terrain, with conclusions relevant far beyond counterinsurgency operations in the Islamic world. Any situation where adversary actions are described as “irrational” demonstrates a fundamental failure in understanding the human dimension of the conflict. It follows that where states and their leaders act in a manner that in the United States is perceived as irrational, this too betrays a lack of human knowledge. The monograph highlights specific elements of psychology, theology, anthropology, sociology, and linguistics as key requirements for the understanding of human terrain, which is necessary for avoiding mirroring—projecting Western assumptions onto a non-Western actor—and therefore failing correctly to assess the options available to that actor."

From Assistance to Partnership: Morocco and its Foreign Policy in West Africa Dr Mohammed El-Katiri Monograph by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute, US Army War College Press "Morocco is seeking to position itself as a regional security provider in West Africa. Over recent years, Morocco has emerged as a key partner for the development of variety of sectors in different West African countries, but it also aspires to contribute to peace and stability of this African sub-region that continues to face important challenges and significant threats. In particular, a range of initiatives is under way to combat religious extremism, terrorism, and transnational organized crime including illicit drug trafficking, which remains a major threat to peace and security in the region."

ATP 3-07.6 Protection of Civilians Joint and Army Stability Operations Doctrine by the US Army War College, Peacekeeping and Stability Operations Institute, Army Knowledge Online "Army Techniques Publication (ATP) 3-07.6, Protection of Civilians, replaces Army Tactics, Techniques, and Procedures (ATTP) 3-37.31, Civilian Casualty Mitigation, dated 18 July 2012. ATP 3-07.6 is the primary doctrinal publication for the protection of civilians during unified land operations, including the mitigation of civilian casualties and mass atrocity response operations (MARO)."