Middle East & North Africa

After Two Wars: Reflections on the American Strategic Revolution in Central Asia Dr Stephen J Blank Monograph by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute "In the course of its wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, the U.S. military has deployed forces to hitherto undreamt of destinations in Central Asia and the Caucasus. These deployments reflect more than the exigencies of specific contingencies, but rather are the latest stage in a revolution in strategic affairs that has intersected with the coinciding revolution in military affairs. Thanks to the linked developments in these two processes, the Transcaspian area has now become an area of strategic importance to the United States for many reasons, and not just energy."

Welcome Iran and North Korea to the Nuclear Club: You're Targeted LTC Raymond A Millen Op-Ed by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute "In one of the great ironies of the post-Cold War era, the United States, the most powerful nuclear state in the world, seems fear stricken by the possibility of Iran and North Korea obtaining nuclear weapons. Two facts frame the dilemma: both states are intent on becoming nuclear powers, and neither the European Union (EU) nor China is willing to help curb their ambitions. Clearly, nonproliferation is an important policy goal, but the United States should not view leakage as a catastrophe. Rather, the proper response is a declaratory policy of nuclear deterrence directed specifically at Iran and North Korea once they become nuclear powers."

Pseudo Operations and Counterinsurgency: Lessons from Other Countries Dr Lawrence E Cline Monograph by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute "This monograph examines the role of pseudo operations in several foreign counterinsurgency campaigns. Pseudo operations are those in which government forces disguised as guerrillas, normally along with guerrilla defectors, operate as teams to infiltrate insurgent areas. This technique has been used by the security forces of several other countries in their operations, and typically it has been very successful."

Afghanistan: Reconstituting a Collapsed State LTC Raymond A Millen Monograph by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute "In this monograph, Lieutenant Colonel Raymond A. Millen examines warlordism as the principal impediment to Afghanistan’s revival and offers a shift in strategy that addresses the war of ideas, the counternarcotics initiative, and the incorporation of the Afghan National Army into the provincial reconstruction teams. As Lieutenant Colonel Millen observes, all the resources are in place; they simply need a shift in focus. Lieutenant Colonel Millen takes into account the historical, cultural, and economic factors that impede central authority and the reforms needed for modern states. His problem-solving approach is insightful, pragmatic, and innovative."

Golden Spear Task Force Meeting and Initial Planning Conference Mr Scott T Forster Issue Paper by the US Army War College, Center for Strategic Leadership "The U.S. Central Command (USCENTCOM) hosted the Golden Spear Task Force Meeting and Initial Planning Conference in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, 14-17 February 2005. The Golden Spear National Delegates, designated as National Focal Point (NFP) members, were present from Kenya, Burundi, Egypt, Seychelles, Ethiopia, and Uganda while U.S. participation included USCENTCOM, United States European Command (USEUCOM), National Defense University (NDU) African Centre for Strategic Studies (ACSS), and the U.S. Army War College."

Network Enabled Operations in Operation Iraqi Freedom: Initial Impressions Dennis M Murphy Issue Paper by the US Army War College, Center for Strategic Leadership "The first Gulf War was conducted with legacy systems straddling the industrial and emergent information age. The major combat operations phase of Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF), on the other hand, put into practice information age constructs and theory for the first time in warfare and was an impressive success in its speed and lethality. The impact of that network enabled campaign (often referred to as Network Centric Warfare) is the topic of a study conducted by the Center for Strategic Leadership, U.S. Army War College and commissioned by the Office of Force Transformation, U.S. Department of Defense. The study will be completed by the fall of 2005, but first drafts of the study hint at valuable operational and strategic insights."

Saudi Arabia: Islamic Threat, Political Reform, and the Global War on Terror Dr Sherifa D Zuhur Monograph by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute "U.S. foreign policy and the domestic concerns of Middle Eastern states are influencing the pursuit of the global war on terror in the Middle East. A close view of Saudi Arabia reveals the complex interaction of these forces. The U.S. relationship with Saudi Arabia and the global war on terror are important challenges to the U.S. administration that have region-wide ramifications. Saudi Arabia has been facing down Islamist insurgency along with other challenges since September 11, 2001, and with even more urgency since May 2003. "

Is there a Positive Side to Al Jazeera? Dr W Andrew Terrill Op-Ed by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute "In the rogues’ gallery of contemporary American politics, one of our chief villains is the Qatari satellite television station, al Jazeera. This station at various times has been charged with being a bin Laden mouthpiece, pro-Saddam Hussein, insensitive to U.S. casualties, and willing to find bad motives in just about everything that the United States does in the region. "

Strategic Implications of Intercommunal Warfare in Iraq Dr W Andrew Terrill Monograph by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute "The future of Iraq is uncertain. The country is in a dangerous phase. The removal of a brutal dictatorship by coalition forces in April 2003 has given the Iraqi people hope for a new and better political system, where individuals do not have to live in continuing fear and uncertainty. Nevertheless, the Iraqi people must also address the difficult challenges of self-government for a diverse population, with major ethnic and sectarian groups that often maintain widely divergent agendas. If they fail to do this and an ethnic/sectarian war ensues, the consequences will be dire, not only for Iraq, but for the entire Middle Eastern region."