Middle East & North Africa

Hizballah: Terrorism, National Liberation, or Menace? Dr Sami G Hajjar Monograph by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute "The author of this monograph, Dr. Sami Hajjar, reviews the history of Hizballah since its inception in 1982, and examines its role in the recent political turmoil of Lebanon and the region. Not only is Hizballah’s role central in the dispute over the Shab’a Farms enclave between Lebanon and Israel, it is part of an entangled set of linkages involving Syria, Iran, the United States, the European Union, and the Palestinians. The challenge that Hizballah poses to U.S. policy in the Middle East involves complicated strategic issues, not merely problems of terrorism that could be dealt with by countermeasures."

Defeating Terrorism: Strategic Issue Analyses Prof John R Martin Book by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute "Within only a few days after the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, the U.S. Army War College initiated a series of short studies addressing strategic issues in the war on terrorism. This collection of essays analyzes a broad array of subjects of great strategic importance. Because national leaders were pressed to issue orders on the prosecution of the war on terrorism, it was necessary to produce these papers on a very short time-line. This got the ideas included in the articles into the hands of decisionmakers as quickly as possible, giving them better understanding of factors affecting their various decisions. Issue analysis was never short-changed in this process, but authors were asked to provide “think pieces” quickly and to worry less about references and footnotes and more about capturing strategic insights. The shortened time-line in some cases also meant that it was possible to provide only an understanding of the context of the decision; specific policy recommendations were considered something that could be developed later if not included in these papers."

Planning Considerations for International Involvement in Post-Taliban Afghanistan Jarat Chorpa, James S Mccallum, Alexander Thier Study by the US Army War College, Center for Strategic Leadership "On November 14, 2001—the day after the fall of Kabul—the US Army Peacekeeping Institute at the US Army War College, Carlisle, PA, in collaboration with the Thomas J. Watson Jr. Institute for International Studies at Brown University, hosted an informal meeting on Afghanistan."

Jihadi Groups, Nuclear Pakistan, and the New Great Game Dr M Ehsan Ahrari Monograph by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute "In this monograph, Dr. Ehsan Ahrari, of the Armed Forces Staff College, assesses Jihadi groups from the framework of a new “Great Game” for influence in Central Asia involving an array of states. He argues that, if this competition leads to increased violence, outside states including the United States could be drawn in. On the other hand, if the region stabilizes, it could provide solid economic and political partners for the United States. A well-designed American strategy, Ahrari contends, might help avoid crises or catastrophe."

Land Power and Dual Containment: Rethinking America's Policy in the Gulf Dr Stephen C Pelletiere Monograph by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute "The author of this study contends that America’s Dual Containment policy has failed. He outlines in what way he thinks that it has, and suggests alternative polices, which he believes might prove successful, and which would not destablize the Gulf—the risk that (in the author’s view) we are now running."

Transnational Threats from the Middle East: Crying Wolf or Crying Havoc? Prof Anthony H Cordesman Monograph by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute "There is no doubt that the Middle East can present significant potential threats to the West. The author of this monograph examines these threats in order to put them into perspective—to distinguish between “crying wolf” and “crying havoc.” After thorough analysis, he contends that the problems caused by narcotics and organized crime, immigration, terrorism, and weapons of mass destruction do not as yet require draconian action by the Western nations. However, he asserts that if the threats of Middle Eastern terrorism and proliferation were to be combined into super-terrorism, the result would create a new form of asymmetric warfare for which the West is singularly ill-prepared."

Security Implications of the Proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction in the Middle East Dr Sami G Hajjar Monograph by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute "This monograph, by Dr. Sami Hajjar, addresses the important question of the security implications for the nations of the region of the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction in the Middle East. The Strategic Studies Institute is pleased to offer the monograph as a contribution to the national security debate on this important issue. The author offers a unique perspective based on extensive interviews that he conducted in the region, and makes specific policy recommendations for U.S. military and civilian decisionmakers."

Searching for Stable Peace in the Persian Gulf Dr Kenneth Katzman, Dr Stephen C Pelletiere Monograph by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute "America's dual containment policy for the Persian Gulf faces difficult challenges. Key allies of the United States withhold support for military action against Iraq, despite evidence that the Iraqis are clandestinely producing weapons of mass destruction. Similarly, U.S. allies have concluded potentially lucrative deals with Iran to exploit central Asian oil resources, despite Washington's opposition to them."

Syria and the Peace: A Good Chance Missed Dr Helena Cobban Book by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute "One of the more dismaying aspects of the current peace process has been the failure of Syria and Israel to make a deal. According to Christian Science Monitor correspondent Helena Cobban, these two long-standing foes came very close to composing their decades-old quarrel. The Syrian and Israeli leaders persevered to overcome extraordinary obstacles, but in the end failed. A terrible setback, says Cobban, because so much hard negotiating work had been done up to the very last moment when the whole carefully constructed edifice of peace drifted away."