Recent Articles

Regionalizing East Mediterranean Gas: Energy Security, Stability, and the U.S. Role Ms Laura El-Katiri, Dr Mohammed El-Katiri Monograph by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute, US Army War College Press "In recent years the distribution of the world’s exploitable energy reserves has shifted markedly. One major change is the discovery of substantial gas deposits offshore the Levant. But while these deposits have the potential to revolutionize the economies of the net energy importers, Cyprus, Lebanon, and Israel, they also bring into sharp focus long-running disputes over maritime boundaries and sovereignty. In short, these deposits provide yet another cause for conflict in an already deeply troubled region. This monograph explores both the positive and negative implications of the Eastern Mediterranean’s new gas reserves for the region, and the implications of both for U.S. interests. It combines the recognized expertise of two researchers with long experience in regional and energy studies, respectively. Their conclusion is that the management of these new energy resources is likely to influence significantly the relationships among the states in the region, particularly between Israel and its neighbors, including the Palestinian Territories. "

Re-examining the Roles of Landpower in the 21st Century and Their Implications Dr William T Johnsen Monograph by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute, US Army War College Press "After 13 years of prolonged ground combat, a weary American public is leery of further interventions requiring land forces. Shifting geo-strategic conditions, such as a revanchist Russia and a rising China, reinforce this reluctance. At the same time, technological innovation once more offers the chimera of war from a distance that does not endanger land forces. Nonetheless, at some point, a highly volatile international security environment will place U.S. national interests at risk, requiring the use of military power. Given the increasing rise of interdependence among all components of military power (air, cyberspace, land, sea, and space), a better understanding of Landpower is essential if national leaders are to have a full range of policy options for protecting and promoting those interests."

SOLLIMS Sampler - Reconstruction and Development Mister David A Mosinski PKSOI SOLLIMS Sampler by the US Army War College, Peacekeeping and Stability Operations Institute "This report provides eight lessons from the SOLLIMS database that highlight the importance of discussing, dissecting, and analyzing these difficult issues of Reconstruction and Development – and the greater need for crafting solutions/improvements/frameworks for the benefit of future missions."

Strategic Insights: Can the EU Declare Energy Independence From Russia? Scott Cowman Article by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute, US Army War College Press "The worsening situation in Ukraine has yet again reminded the European Union (EU) and the United States that Europe is far too reliant on Russian energy imports. Even after the downing of MH-17, the EU was reluctant to increase sanctions against Russia, let alone ones that target Russian energy. Several EU countries, most notably Germany, were hesitant because Russia has a history of using its energy exports as a political weapon. It seems likely that if the EU was less reliant on Russian energy, it could respond to Russian aggression in a more effective manner..."

United Nations Force Headquarters Handbook United Nations Peacekeeping Missions Manual by the US Army War College, Peacekeeping and Stability Operations Institute, United Nations "Peacekeeping operations have traditionally been considered as instrumental in consolidating confidence among conflicting parties and monitoring the effective respect of the ceasefire by those who signed it. To that end peacekeepers were usually armed only with light weapons to be used solely for self-defence in the case that they were attacked. These missions were authorized under Chapter VI of the United Nations Charter. From the 1990s to the early 2000 peacekeeping operations have been deployed in countries where security remained a critical issue. As these traditional peacekeeping operations were repeatedly confronted with major human rights violations without having the means to stop them a new generation of operations, the so called robust peacekeeping operations were launched..."

Sustainable Transportation: Strategy for Security, Prosperity and Peace Colonel Blace C Albert, LTC James P Allen PKSOI Paper US Army War College, Peacekeeping and Stability Operations Institute, US Army War College Press "In this article LTC Allen and COL Albert identify how a strategic transportation vision and the discipline to build and maintain that network over several decades can start and enhance the growth of a country. Transportation is the backbone to a stable economy and it provides efficiencies that can help a struggling economy reverse its decline and prosper over the long term. The other points in the work also emphasize that a transportation system must be continually evaluated to ensure that it remains robust and maintained."

Stepping Up: Burden Sharing by NATO's Newest Members Dr Joel R Hillison Book by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute, US Army War College Press "In August 2003, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) took control of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) mission in Afghanistan. At the time, many European allies were disgruntled with the United States over the war in Iraq. Some allies' also felt snubbed by the U.S. decision to act unilaterally in Afghanistan in the aftermath of the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001. Yet, 12 years later, the Alliance was still involved in the NATO mission in Afghanistan. All 28 NATO allies persevered in the face of intensified fighting in Afghanistan and growing domestic political and fiscal pressures..."

Nuclear Weapons Materials Gone Missing: What Does History Teach? Mr Henry D Sokolski Book by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute, US Army War College Press "In 2009, the President of the United States spotlighted nuclear terrorism as one of the top threats to international security and launched an international effort to identify, secure, and dispose of global stocks of weapons-usable nuclear materials—namely highly enriched uranium and weapons-grade plutonium. Since that time, three nuclear security summits have been held, along with scores of studies and workshops (official and unofficial), drawing sustained high-level attention to the threat posed by these materials. However, little attention has been given to incidences where sensitive nuclear materials actually went missing."

Tribal Militias: An Effective Tool to Counter Al-Qaida and Its Affiliates? Dr Norman Cigar Monograph by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute, US Army War College Press "Despite over a decade of open war, dealing with Al-Qaida and its affiliates in the Middle East is likely to remain a concern for the foreseeable future and will pose a challenge requiring the use of any tool that is likely to be effective in meeting the threat. Most of the local societies in which Al-Qaida has operated in the Middle East and Africa after September 11, 2001, have a predominantly tribal character or at least have a strong tribal component (Iraq, Yemen, Libya, Syria, Somalia, Mali, and Sinai). Developing effective tools to counter Al-Qaida’s continuing presence in that social environment, therefore, is a priority and requires understanding Al-Qaida’s critical vulnerabilities when it operates in those societies and developing the means to counter Al-Qaida’s efforts."