Regional Issues

Commentary on “The US Army in Multi-Domain Operations 2028” BG Huba Wass de Czege Monograph by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute, US Army War College Press "Accepting General Mark A. Milley’s invitation to provide critical feedback on the Multi-Domain Operations (MDO) discussion, Brigadier General Huba Wass de Czege, US Army retired, provides an institutionally informed critique of United States Army Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC) Pamphlet 525-3-1, The U.S. Army in Multi-Domain Operations 2028."

Professionalizing the Iraqi Army: US Engagement after the Islamic State Dr C. A. Pfaff Monograph by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute, US Army War College Press "While the US intelligence community worries about the emergence of “Da’esh 2.0,” the US security cooperation community has to worry about the development of the “Iraqi Security Forces (ISF) 4.0” that will have to fight Da’esh and meet a broad range of other security and defense requirements. Here, the “4.0” refers to the facts that this is not the United States’ first attempt to assist the Iraqis in building their defense capacity and the United States is not the first security partner to try. Britain and the Soviet Union also took their turns developing Iraqi military capabilities, both with similar results."

Turkey and the United States on the Brink: Implications for NATO and the US-Turkish Strategic and Military Partnership Dr. Kamal A. Beyoghlow Monograph by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute, US Army War College Press "The US-Turkish strategic partnership established at the end of World War II reached its climax in the late eighties, and is at a dangerous crossroad. Such an outcome has had a devastating effect on Turkey’s relationship with other Western partners, especially NATO, which has been the backbone of America’s defense alliance since the start of the Cold War. This situation, if it continues, is likely to force the unraveling of NATO as a cohesive organization at a time when it is facing a myriad of collective global security challenges, particularly in Syria, Iraq, and Afghanistan—far beyond its traditional defensive posture on the European continent. All is not lost, however, and with more diligent diplomatic and military-to-military dialogue and compromises, US-Turkish relations can be salvaged."

Deterrence in the Nordic-Baltic Region: The Role of the Nordic Countries Together With the U.S. Army Dr Stefan Forss, Juha Pyykönen Monograph by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute, US Army War College Press "The Russian Federation continues to present a clear and unique security challenge to its European neighbor states all around its Western periphery. To the north, in the Nordic-Baltic region, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and its Nordic partner nations are acutely aware of the challenge which Russia’s forceful and at times aggressive behavior can present to their security. The situation has been compounded by internal factors, such as a decade of shrinking defense budgets and a lack of local capacity to deal with potential military threats."

Maneuver and Manipulation: On the Military Strategy of Online Information Warfare Mr. Tim Hwang Monograph by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute, US Army War College Press "Ongoing discussion around the Russian development of hybrid warfare and the revelations about meddling in the 2016 U.S. Presidential election have focused the public’s attention on the threats posed by coordinated campaigns of propaganda and disinformation. These recent events have also raised concerns around the broader challenge posed by the emergence of a “post-fact society,” the notion that the weakening ability for civil society and the public to analyze truth and falsity is creating a threat to the health and sustainability of democratic institutions."

Deterring Russia in the Gray Zone Michael C. McCarthy, Matthew A. Moyer, Brett H. Venable Monograph by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute, US Army War College Press "One of the most complex challenges facing the United States and its allies today is how to deal with an increasingly bold and aggressive Russia. As evidenced by its invasion of Ukraine, annexation of Crimea, and unremitting influence operations against the West, Russia has engaged in an antagonistic foreign policy campaign that has both challenged and befuddled the United States and its allies. How should the United States respond? What measures can it take without igniting a major conflict? These are some of the difficult questions that the authors, active duty military officers, and national security fellows from the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University address in this timely and prescient monograph..."

Conventional Deterrence and Landpower in Northeastern Europe Michael A. Hunzeker, Alexander Lanoszka Monograph by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute, US Army War College Press "The 2018 National Defense Strategy directs the Department of Defense (DoD) to prepare for a long-term strategic competition with other great powers. It minces no words in pointing to Russia’s repeated attempts at economically, diplomatically, and militarily coercing its neighbors. Toward this end, the DoD emphasizes the need to strengthen the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) by getting partners to increase their share of the defense burden and modernize their forces, making them more capable and responsive if and when crises occur."

Assessing the Collective Security Treaty Organization: Capabilities and Vulnerabilities Dr Richard Weitz Monograph by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute, US Army War College Press "The Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) consists of Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, and Tajikistan. The CSTO’s membership has been stable, with the exception that Uzbekistan, which joined the organization in 2006, withdrew in 2012. The CSTO operates on the basis of the Collective Security Treaty (CST), a mutual defense pact signed in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, on May 15, 1992. The CSTO’s initial declared purpose was to counter external aggression against members and to harmonize their foreign policy stances."

Strategic Insights: ISIS in Libya: A Threat or a Dead-End? Dr Azeem Ibrahim Article by US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute, US Army War College Press "Prior to 1912, Libya was a province within the Ottoman Empire and subdivided into two regions (Tripolitania in the west and Cyrenaica in the east) reflecting a long-standing ethnic and geographic division in the country. Although not administered separately, the large region reaching south into the Sahara had a different ethnic make-up compared to the rest of the country and was more connected to sub-Saharan Africa than to the Mediterranean. Ottoman control in the south was limited to a few towns, which gave them some oversight of the trade routes; but by the start of the 20th century, Ottoman authority was notional rather than effective in this region."