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International Law, Self-Defense, and the Israel-Hamas Conflict
March 7, 2024 — This article examines the international law of self-defense as it applies to the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict to determine whether the October 2023 attacks by Hamas against Israel can be interpreted under Article 51 of the UN Charter as an “armed attack” that gives Israel the right to use military force in self-defense against non-state actors. It situates the conflict within ongoing legal and political debates, shows how this conflict fits into a changing global reality where the most dangerous security threats do not exclusively emanate from other states, and concludes that Israel’s resort to force in the current conflict appears to have a sound basis in international law... MORE

US-Taiwan Relations and the Future of the Liberal Order
March 7, 2024 — Strengthening ties with Taiwan is the best chance the United States has to preserve the liberal international order in Asia and improve its security relative to China. This study offers a normative perspective on how Taiwan can contribute to US-led international institutions and the Asian regional order and reduce conflict risk. It concludes with recommendations for the United States and its partners to integrate Taiwan into multilateral institutions in Asia... MORE

China’s Use of Nontraditional Strategic Landpower in Asia
March 7, 2024 — This article argues that the People’s Republic of China uses its police and internal security forces as a nontraditional means of projecting strategic Landpower in the Indo-Pacific and Central Asia. Instead of limiting analysis of China’s power projection to military forces, this article employs new data on Chinese police engagements abroad to fill a gap in our understanding of the operating environment in Asia. Policymakers will gain an understanding of how these activities enhance China’s presence, partnerships, and influence across the region to inform the development of recommendations for a more effective response... MORE

Toward a Strategic Art for Sanctions
March 7, 2024 — New strategic art is required to maneuver political economies to meet the demands of future engagements and campaigns. Current discussions of the projection of political-economic power are typically abstract, high-level, and policy-focused or present singular tactical actions as strategic actions, creating a gap for campaign practitioners. This article addresses the gap by drawing on Joint Planning, Joint Publication 5-0, and Joint Campaigns and Operations, Joint Publication 3-0, to further develop the concept and methodologies first introduced in the author’s earlier article “Multidimensionality: Rethinking Power Projection for the 21st Century.”... MORE

Ukraine: The Case for Urgency
March 7, 2024 — If the United States and its allies seek to deny Vladimir Putin an objective victory in the Russia-Ukraine War, they must commit to providing suff icient aid to the Ukrainian army soon because the window of opportunity to provide sufficient resources is narrow—and closing. This article argues that the West must articulate a reasonable strategy for Ukrainian victory now, as a failure in Ukraine will weaken relationships between the United States and Western European states and their global partners while emboldening state and non-state actors to threaten the rules-based international order... MORE

From the Editor in Chief
March 7, 2024 — Welcome to the Spring 2024 issue of Parameters. Readers will note a few differences in the formatting for this issue: we are now using endnotes instead of footnotes to facilitate switching from pdf to html via Adobe’s Liquid App; also, readers will be able to click on each endnote number to view the full endnote and then switch back to the text to resume reading. Please drop us a note to let us know how you like the changes. More are coming!... MORE

Parameters | Spring 2024
March 7, 2024 — In this edition: “Ukraine: A Case for Urgency” by Anthony L. Tingle and Rebecca W. Jensen and “Strategic Art for Sanctions” by David Katz; SRAD DIRECTOR’S CORNER “Emerging Technologies and Terrorism: A Report from NATO's COE-DAT”; For the latest on the Indo-Pacific, Strategic Thinking, the Middle East, and even the US Civil War check out the new issue... MORE

Parameters Spring 2024 Cover - Photo of the earth

Book Review: Violence in Defeat: The Wehrmacht on German Soil, 1944–1945
February 22, 2024 — Military History | Author: Bastiaan Willems | Reviewed by Lieutenant Colonel Daniel Gipper, US Air Force, faculty development scholar, Air University | Through an analysis of the German Wehrmacht's "barbarization" toward the end of World War II, Violence in Defeat provides a useful and cautionary case study on military effectiveness, distinction,... MORE

Book Review: Violence in Defeat: The Wehrmacht on German Soil, 1944–1945
Daniel Gipper

Author: Bastiaan Willems

Reviewed by Lieutenant Colonel Daniel Gipper, US Air Force, faculty development scholar, Air University

Book Review: The Islamic State in Afghanistan and Pakistan: Strategic Alliances and Rivalries
February 22, 2024 — Counterterrorism | Author: Amira Jadoon with Andrew Mines | Thomas F. Lynch III, PhD, Distinguished Research Fellow, Institute of National Strategic Studies, National Defense University | Professor and historian Dean Nowowiejski presents a thoughtful review of historian Tyler R. Bamford’s study on the “long-term impact of the interwar... MORE

Book Review: The Islamic State in Afghanistan and Pakistan: Strategic Alliances and Rivalries
Authors: Amira Jadoon with Andrew Mines

Reviewed by Thomas F. Lynch III, PhD, Distinguished Research Fellow, Institute of National Strategic Studies, National Defense University

Book Review: Waging a Good War: How the Civil Rights Movement Won Its Battles, 1954–1968
February 22, 2024 — Leadership | Author: Thomas E. Ricks| Reviewed by Keith Nightingale, retired colonel, US Army | Pulitzer Prize winner Thomas E. Ricks frames the American civil rights movement in terms of a (nonviolent) war, examining the leadership, strategy, and tactics required for success. Ricks also discusses the postwar-like effects the movement had on its... MORE

Book Review: Waging a Good War: How the Civil Rights Movement Won Its Battles, 1954–1968
Author: Thomas E. Ricks

Reviewed by Keith Nightingale, retired colonel, US Army