Recent Articles

Getting MAD: Nuclear Mutual Assured Destruction, Its Origins and Practice Mr Henry D Sokolski Book by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute, Nonproliferation Policy Education Center "Nearly 40 years after the concept of finite deterrence was popularized by the Johnson administration, nuclear Mutual Assured Destruction (MAD) thinking appears to be in decline. The United States has rejected the notion that threatening population centers with nuclear attacks is a legitimate way to assure deterrence. Most recently, it withdrew from the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty, an agreement based on MAD. American opposition to MAD also is reflected in the Bush administration’s desire to develop smaller, more accurate nuclear weapons that would reduce the number of innocent civilians killed in a nuclear strike."

Insurgency and Counterinsurgency in the 21st Century: Reconceptualizing Threat and Response Dr Steven Metz, LTC Raymond A Millen Monograph by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute "Insurgency has existed throughout history but ebbed and flowed in strategic significance. Today the world has entered another period when insurgency is common and strategically significant. This is likely to continue for at least a decade, perhaps longer. As the United States confronts this threat, extrapolating old ideas, strategies, doctrine, and operational concepts is a recipe for ineffectiveness. Reconceptualization is needed."

Shadows of Things Past and Images of the Future: Lessons for the Insurgencies in Our Midst Dr Max G Manwaring Monograph by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute "This monograph begins with a short discussion of contemporary insurgency. It argues that in studying terror war, guerrilla war, or any other common term for insurgency war, we find these expressions mischaracterize the activities of armed groups that are attempting to gain political control of a state. These organizations are engaged in a highly complex political act--political war. Given that this type of conflict is likely to challenge U.S. and other global leadership over the next several years, it is important to understand that the final results of insurgency or counterinsurgency are never determined by arms alone. Rather, the results depend on winning the political support of the people."

A Nuclear Weapon Detonation in the Homeland Prof James O Kievit, LTC Jeffery A Mcnary Issue Paper by the US Army War College, Center for Strategic Leadership "Every day an already challenging security environment grows even more daunting with the continued proliferation of chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, and high-yield explosive (CBRNE) capabilities throughout the world. Each can create clandestine devices for delivery by state-sponsored or non state terrorists. Thus, in the future, perhaps the not so distant future, American political and military leadership actually may have to respond to “the unthinkable”: a successful weapon of mass destruction (WMD) attack by terrorists within the borders of the nation. With that possibility in mind, the United States Army War College (USAWC) recently conducted a focused workshop bringing together over 100 participants from local, regional, state and federal entities at the Center for Strategic Leadership on Carlisle Barracks to review contemporary plans, policies and procedures and discuss developing programs to incorporate military, and especially reserve component (RC) forces into the responses to a hypothetical CBRNE attack within the borders of the United States. Three different attack scenarios were presented – one biological, one radiological, and one nuclear. This paper addresses the workshop’s findings related to response to a nuclear weapon attack. "

A Radiological Detonation Device Explodes in the Homeland Prof Michael J Pasquarett, COL John A Tanzi Issue Paper by the US Army War College, Center for Strategic Leadership "The leadership of the United States has emphatically stated “it’s not a matter of if, but rather when another terrorist attack will occur.” Therefore, in the future, maybe distant or not so distant, the United States’ political and military leadership may have to face actually responding to “the unthinkable”: a successful radiological attack by terrorists within the borders of the Nation. A terror event of this magnitude makes the already challenging security environment even more daunting. This new style of attack is indeed different from past threats characterized by force-on-force conflict across borders with enemies and friends that were known and open warfare that now seems so straightforward and in comparison simple. The new security challenge is different and very complex and grows from the proliferation of chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, and high-yield explosive (CBRNE) capabilities throughout the world."

Maritime Threats Workshop Dr Kent H Butts, LTC Curtis W Turner, Cmdr Robert L Wohlschlegel Issue Paper by the US Army War College, Center for Strategic Leadership "The United States-Republic of the Philippines strengthened their strategic partnership when representatives of the two countries co-hosted the Maritime Threats Workshop held in Cebu, Republic of the Philippines on 26-30 July 2004, focused on promoting multilateral interoperability and cooperation on maritime and environmental issues that foster terrorism; identifying maritime and transnational threats; discussing solutions to these issues; developing maritime protection capabilities; encouraging military support to civil authority; facilitating international and interagency cooperation (to include NGO/IOs); and strengthening the bonds between the military and civilian organizations. The multilateral workshop is the fourth of a series of U.S. Army Pacific (USARPAC) Defense Environmental Cooperation Conference."

The Reserve Components' Role in Recovering from a Biological Incident LTC John C Traylor, Prof Bert B Tussing Issue Paper by the US Army War College, Center for Strategic Leadership "With the potential proliferation of chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, and high-yield explosive (CBRNE) capabilities throughout the world an already challenging security environment grows even more daunting every day. Whether occurring naturally, released unintentionally, or dispersed with a deliberately diabolic intent, the effects of a release of these mechanisms can transcend even the immediate devastation they may portend. Beyond massive death and injury, these agents could attack the very core of the Nation’s security, economic strength, and physical and mental well-being. As such, the military component of this Nation’s defense must begin pondering the “unthinkable,” postulating the role it may have to play in mitigating, responding to, and recovering from this kind of catastrophe."

Confronting an Irregular and Catastrophic Future Mr Nathan P Freier Op-Ed by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute "Next year's Quadrennial Defense Review (or QDR) will be the most important since the end of the Cold War. A frank appraisal of the nation’s strategic future in light of September 11, 2001 (9/11), experience in the war on terrorism, and on-going conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan indicates a need for substantial adjustment to the strategy reflected in QDR ‘01. Such adjustments in defense strategy and policy, however, require that the future trajectory of the nation’s primary challenges be thoroughly reassessed."

Civil-Military Cooperation in Peace Operations: The Case of Kosovo Dr Thomas R Mockaitis Monograph by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute "This study, by Dr. Thomas Mockaitis, is based on field work in Kosovo, supported by several years of research on peace operations. Its principal value is as a historical record of where the U.S. military was with regard to CIMIC in the 1990s. Much progress has been made, though more remains to be done. The study concludes with general recommendations for all militaries engaged in humanitarian intervention and specific suggestions for improving the U.S. approach to CIMIC."