Middle East & North Africa

What should be Believed about Progress in Iraq? Prof John R Martin Op-Ed by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute "Reading the newspaper, watching the news or listening to it on the radio, one is led to believe that little or nothing is going right in Iraq. Headlines tell of the combat deaths of soldiers; Iraqis ungrateful and impatient for costly reconstruction efforts; and the failure to find Saddam, his weapons of mass destruction, or evidence of ties to al Qaeda. It seems that the 'quagmire' of 'another Vietnam' is just around the corner. At the opposite extreme are some of the reports coming from the Department of Defense. In an effort to counter the bad image generated from the news reports, they too often insist that all is going according to plan, and that the trends are in the right direction."

The Need for a United Nations' Security Role in Iraq Dr W Andrew Terrill Op-Ed by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute "In the aftermath of the U.S. intervention in Iraq, some unilateralists daydreamed about a decline or even collapse of the United Nations' role in helping provide for global security. Force had been used without the blessing of a second Security Council Resolution, and the new concept of a “coalition of the willing” seemed to offer promise in maximizing U.S. latitude for dealing with international problems. The UN had become unnecessary, and enemies of that institution saw the death throes of Saddam Hussein’s regime as fatal to the UN’s continued existence or at least relevance."

Assessing the Impact of U.S.-Israeli Relations on the Arab World Dr Lenore G Martin Monograph by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute "In this important monograph, Dr. Lenore Martin of Emmanuel College addresses the challenge that U.S. policymakers face in managing relations with numerous regional allies, including Israel and a host of moderate Arab states. These states often maintain differing concerns and are responding to diverse domestic and international pressures when they seek to influence the United States. These regional concerns and interests are thoroughly analyzed throughout this monograph. Additionally, the special importance of the Palestinian question is well-represented, with nuances of regional opinion carefully reflected."

Why They Fight: Combat Motivation in the Iraq War COL Thomas A Kolditz, LTC Raymond A Millen, COL Terrence M Potter, Dr Leonard Wong Monograph by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute "Since World War II, studies have argued and conventional wisdom has claimed that soldiers fight for each other. Cohesion, or the bonds between soldiers, traditionally has been posited as the primary motivation for soldiers in combat. Recent studies, however, have questioned the effects of cohesion on unit performance. This monograph reviews the combat motivation literature and then analyzes findings from interviews conducted during the recent Iraq War."

Nationalism, Sectarianism, and the Future of the U.S. Presence in Post-Saddam Iraq Dr W Andrew Terrill Monograph by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute "This monograph, by Dr. W. Andrew Terrill, addresses the critical questions involved in understanding the background of Iraqi national identity and the ways in which it may evolve in the future to either the favor or detriment of the United States. The monograph also provides particular attention to the issue of Iraqi sectarianism and the emerging role of the Shi’ite Muslims, noting the power of an emerging but fractionalized clergy. The result is a thoughtful and probing report including policy recommendations for U.S. military and civilian decisionmakers that helps to illuminate the complex subjects of Iraqi nationalism and sectarianism and their relevance to the U.S. presence in Iraq."

Re-Examining Tomorrow's Battlefield: Taking the Fight into the Cities COL Steven M Jones Student Issue Paper by the US Army War College, Center for Strategic Leadership "Americans and our allies are not the only ones glued to the television lately! One can be sure that enemies of the United States not directly engaged by the invasion of Iraq have likewise been watching intently—and learning. Now, more than ever, the U.S. military's overwhelming dominance in Iraq has guaranteed that future adversaries will pursue every conceivable asymmetric advantage to offset their conventional and technological inferiority."

Planning Considerations for International Involvement in the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict -- Part II Amjad Atallah, Jarat Chorpa, Yaser Dajani, Orit Gal, James S Mccallum, Prof Joel Peters Study by the US Army War College, Center for Strategic Leadership "On 25-26 April 2003—the eve of the formation of a new Palestinian government and the presentation to the parties of the Quartet “Roadmap”—a group of international officials, Israelis and Palestinians convened to address operational aspects of third party intervention in the current conflict. Convened by Yezid Sayigh and Jarat Chopra, this “Experts’ Forum” was hosted in Cambridge, England, by the Programme for Security in International Society at the University of Cambridge Centre of International Studies, and sponsored by the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs."

Prospects for Peace in South Asia Dr W Andrew Terrill Colloquium Brief by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute, with the Asia/ Pacific Research Center, Stanford University "On January 21-22, 2003, the U.S. Army War College Strategic Studies Institute and Stanford University’s Asia Pacific Research Center cosponsored a conference on “Prospects for Peace in South Asia.” This event brought together a number of well-known scholars, diplomats, and senior military officers with wide experience in the region. Panels considered a variety of topics related to the role of religion in conflict, the nature of past South Asian conflicts, Kashmir, the war on terrorism, and outsider policy interests."

Planning Considerations for International Involvement in the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict Amjad Atallah, Jarat Chorpa, Gidi Grinstein, James S Mccallum Study by the US Army War College, Center for Strategic Leadership "On 5-7 January 2003, a group of Palestinians, Israelis and international officials convened for the first time to address the operational aspects of third party intervention in the current conflict. The meeting was hosted in Ermelo, the Netherlands by the Foundation de Burght, organized with Mercy Corps and co sponsored by the Foundation for Middle East Peace and the Foundation de Oude Beuk."