Asia Pacific

Trilateral Strategic Defense Capability Planning Symposium Dr Kent H Butts, LTC Curtis W Turner Issue Paper by the US Army War College, Center for Strategic Leadership "The Republic of the Philippines (RP) has undertaken a bold initiative to reform its national security architecture in order to more effectively address regional terrorist and other transnational threats. This strategic planning initiative has developed the Emerging Security Environment to 2022 document, a National Military Strategy, a National Internal Security Plan, and a Multi-Year Defense Capability Planning System (MYDCaPS). The initiative has its roots in a two-year long series of trilateral, Republic of the Philippines, Australia and United States (U.S.) Senior Leader Strategic Planning Symposia. The Australian Embassy-Manila hosted the latest event, the Trilateral Strategic Defense Capability Planning Symposium, on 13-15 July 2004."

Civil-Military Change in China: Elites, Institutes, and Ideas After the 16th Party Congress Dr Andrew Scobell, Dr Larry M Wortzel Book by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute "In November 2002, the Chinese Communist Party held its 16th Congress and formally initiated a sweeping turnover of senior leaders in both the Party and the People’s Liberation Army (PLA). The meeting heralded not merely a new set of personalities in positions of political and military power, but also the emergence of a new generation of leaders. Who are these individuals, and what does their rise mean for the future of China and its military"?

Southeast Asia Subject Matter Expert Exchange LTC Curtis W Turner, Prof Bert B Tussing, Dr Richard L Winslow Issue Paper by the US Army War College, Center for Strategic Leadership "From 6-19 June 2004, a team composed of staff members from the United States Army War College’s Center for Strategic Leadership (CSL) and the National Defense University traveled to Indonesia and Malaysia in support of the Pacific Command’s Subject Matter Exchange Program. This team consisted of Dr. Richard Winslow, Professor Bert Tussing and Lieutenant Colonel Curtis Turner of CSL; and Dr. Greg Foster of the National Defense University’s Industrial College of the Armed Forces."

Nuclear Asia Mr Joseph Ferguson, Rep Gael Tarleton Colloquium Brief by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute, d National Bureau of Asian Research, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Central Intelligence Agency, Department of Energy, Nuclear Threat Initiative, and the Ploughshares Fund "This event was an opportunity for policymakers, security analysts, nuclear scientists and engineers, regional experts, and military planners to share perspectives and identify those issues requiring new solutions as the international community prepares for the 2005 Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) Review. "

Iraq and Vietnam: Differences, Similarities, and Insights Dr Jeffrey Record, Dr W Andrew Terrill Monograph by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute "U.S. political and military difficulties in Iraq have prompted comparisons to the American war in Vietnam. How, in fact, do the two wars compare? What are the differences and similarities, and what insights can be gained from examining them? Does the Vietnam War have instructive lessons for those dealing with today’s challenges in Iraq, or is that war simply irrelevant? In the pages that follow, two highly qualified analysts address these questions. Dr. Jeffrey Record, formerly a civilian pacification advisor in Vietnam and author of books on both the Vietnam and Iraq wars, and W. Andrew Terrill, author and co-author of several SSI studies on Iraq, conclude that the military dimensions of the two conflicts bear little comparison..."

Learning from the Stones: A Go Approach to Mastering China's Strategic Concept, Shi Dr David Lai Monograph by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute "The author introduces a new approach to learning about the different ways of strategic thinking and interaction in Chinese culture. It is through learning the Chinese board game called go. This game is a living reflection of Chinese philosophy, culture, strategic thinking, warfare, military tactics, and diplomatic bargaining. The author also sheds light on the remarkable connection between go and the strategic concepts in Sun Tzu‟s Art of War."

Strategic Consequences of the Iraq War: U.S. Security Interests in Central Asia Reassessed Dr Elizabeth Wishnick Monograph by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute "In this monograph, Elizabeth Wishnick builds on the analysis in her important 2002 SSI study, Growing U.S. Security Interests in Central Asia. She contends that by highlighting antiterrorism, the United States addresses a symptom rather than the causes of instability in Central Asia; thus it is contributing to the radicalization of political opposition movements and discrediting both democratization and the U.S. commitment to it. Instead, she argues, the United States should do more to address the underlying human security problems in Central Asia, which increase its vulnerability to terrorist movements."

China and North Korea: From Comrades-In-Arms to Allies at Arm's Length Dr Andrew Scobell Monograph by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute "The China-North Korea relationship remains the most enduring, uninterrupted bilateral friendship for both the People’s Republic of China (PRC) and Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK). This brother-in-arms relationship was solidified early during the Korean War. Sharing a common border and ideology, both China and North Korea confront the frustration of divided nations. And while, on the one hand, each views the United States as hostile, Beijing and Pyongyang, on the other hand, appear to crave better relations with Washington."

Paths Diverging? The Next Decade in the U.S.-Japan Security Alliance LTC William E Rapp Monograph by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute "Currently, optimism reigns among managers on both sides of the U.S.-Japan alliance for many reasons, not least of which is the Japanese support for the global war on terror. The Japanese are emerging from 5 decades of military minimalism and dependency and beginning to have serious debates about their role in the world and the efficacy of military power. This internal debate, however, has significant external ramifications for Northeast Asia and the United States. A decade ago, Henry Kissinger wrote that 'the new world order, with its multiplicity of challenges, will almost certainly oblige a country [Japan] with so proud of a past to reexamine its reliance on a single ally.' "