Asia Pacific

Lashkar-I-Taiba: The Fallacy of Subservient Proxies and the Future of Islamist Terrorism in India Dr Ryan Clarke Letort Paper by US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute "This work provides a discussion of the foundation of Lashkar-i-Taiba (LeT) and the development of its modus operandi, and it engages in an investigation of LeT activities in India, Pakistan, and the Kashmir region. Further, LeT fundraising methods are touched upon and LeT relationships with regional state and nonstate actors such as Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) and Dawood Ibrahim’s D-Company are analyzed. Also, the impact that these developments have on domestic Islamist terrorism in India are addressed."

Criminal Sovereignty: Understanding North Korea's Illicit International Activities Dr Bruce E Bechtol Jr, Mr Robert M Collins, Dr Paul Rexton Kan Monograph by US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute "The authors of this monograph have exposed a key piece of the puzzle which helps to provide a better understanding of North Korea’s surreptitious international behavior. For years, North Korea’s military provocations have been obvious to the world, however, much of its decisionmaking is shrouded in secrecy, particularly that of a wide-range of clandestine activities. This monograph is unique in the way that it sheds light on the illicit activities of the regime, and how those illegal activities are used to support its military programs and the government itself."

Transnational Insurgencies and the Escalation of Regional Conflict: Lessons for Iraq and Afghanistan Dr Idean Salehyan Monograph by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute "In this monograph, Dr. Idean Salehyan examines several recent transnational insurgencies and their implications for regional relations. While the majority of cases resulted in an escalation of conflict between neighbors, in some instances countries have been able to construct successful border security regimes. This monograph discusses these patterns of conflict and cooperation. Additionally, detailed analyses of the relations between Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, as well as India and its neighbors, are offered to shed light on positive and negative dynamics."

The Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Mr Daniel Alderman Colloquium Brief by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute, The National Bureau of Asian Research, and Bush School of Government and Public Service "Signs are emerging that the PLA is becoming more confident about its position vis-à-vis Taiwan. At the same time, China believes that a changing international environment requires the Chinese armed forces to have more diversified capabilities. It is therefore placing relatively more emphasis on developing operational capabilities for missions other than against Taiwan (e.g., humanitarian assistance, peacekeeping operations, disaster relief, antipiracy, etc.)."

Resetting the Reset Button: Realism About Russia Dr Stephen J Blank Op-Ed by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute "In Washington, there is a widely shared view that the United States needs Russian cooperation to stop Iranian and North Korean nuclear proliferation, particularly Iran’s. This view rests on the premise that the United States should take Russia “seriously,” and taking Russia seriously means accepting Russian demands for no missile defense in Europe and no NATO enlargement or further European integration of the countries of the former Soviet Union."

Pakistan's Nuclear Future: Reining in the Risk Mr Henry D Sokolski Book by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute "With any attempt to assess security threats, there is a natural tendency to focus first on the worst. Consider the most recent appraisals of Pakistan’s nuclear program. Normally, the risk of war between Pakistan and India and possible nuclear escalation would be bad enough. Now, however, most American security experts are riveted on the frightening possibility of Pakistani nuclear weapons capabilities falling into the hands of terrorists intent on attacking the United States."

India's Strategic Defense Transformation: Expanding Global Relationships LTC Brian K Hedrick Letort Paper by US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute "India’s defense establishment is undergoing an unprecedented transformation as it modernizes its military, seeks “strategic partnerships” with the United States and other nations, and expands its influence in the Indian Ocean and beyond. This transformation includes a shift from an emphasis on the former Soviet Union as the primary supplier of defense articles to a western base of supply and an increasing emphasis on bilateral exercises and training with many of the global powers."

Food Security Mr Brent C Bankus, Jason Delosua Issue Paper by the US Army War College, Center for Strategic Leadership "For a majority of Americans and western Europeans, sufficient food is readily accessible and its cost is a relatively small percentage of their annual income. This, however, is not the case for almost a billion people around the world, including large numbers in the strategically important states of Egypt, India, China, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Indonesia, Pakistan and Ethiopia. In these countries, and in others, food insecurity has been or is a contributor to regional or domestic instability, "

United States and Mongolia Conduct Exercise Gobi Wolf Arthur L Bradshaw Issue Paper by the US Army War College, Center for Strategic Leadership "Cooperation between the United States and Mongolia has developed dynamically since the establishment of diplomatic relations in 1987. Today Mongolia and the United States share a growing and strong cooperative partnership based on shared values, a commitment to democracy and free-market economy, and the global war against terrorism. To that end the two nations are partnering in several areas to expand expertise and training to Mongolia as it reconfigures its government from a Soviet-style bureaucracy to a more western, interagency-based structure."