Middle East & North Africa

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."

Insurgency in Iraq: An Historical Perspective Dr Ian FW Beckett Monograph by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute "This monograph considers the patterns of insurgency in the past by way of establishing how much the conflict in Iraq conforms to previous experience. In particular, the author compares and contrasts Iraq with previous Middle Eastern insurgencies such as those in Palestine, Aden, the Dhofar province of Oman, Algeria, and Lebanon. He suggests that there is much that can be learned from British, French, and Israeli experience."

The Paradox of Civil War Dr Stephen D Biddle Op-Ed by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute "The danger of civil war in Iraq has gotten much recent attention. Civil war would certainly be a disaster. Paradoxically, though, threatening overt civil war may be the only way out of our current predicament."

Env Sec Arabian Gulf -- Foreword Doctor Kent H Butts, Prof Bernard F Griffard, LTC Curtis W Turner, John B Wheatley Study by the US Army War College, Center for Strategic Leadership " 'Environmental Security Planning, Prevention, and Disaster Response in the Arabian Gulf Region' was a United States Central Command (USCENTCOM) initiative, with assistance from the Office of the Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Installations and Environment (DUSD (I&E)), the National Defense University’s Near East-South Asia Center for Strategic Studies (NESA), and the Center for Strategic Leadership (CSL) of the United States Army War College. Hosted by the Qatar Armed Forces at the Ritz-Carlton, Doha, Qatar, the conference brought together senior military leaders from the Arabian Gulf Region, international academics, governmental and military subject matter experts, and non-governmental organizations to examine critical environmental issues that affect the security of the region."

Env Sec Arabian Gulf 9-04 -- Appendix A -- Attendee List Doctor Kent H Butts, Prof Bernard F Griffard, LTC Curtis W Turner, John B Wheatley Study by the US Army War College, Center for Strategic Leadership Attendee List of Conference on Environmental Security Planning, Prevention, and Disaster Response in the Arabian Gulf Region

Env Sec Arabian Gulf 9-04 -- Appendix B -- Agenda Doctor Kent H Butts, Prof Bernard F Griffard, LTC Curtis W Turner, John B Wheatley Study by the US Army War College, Center for Strategic Leadership Agenda of Conference on Environmental Security Planning, Prevention, and Disaster Response in the Arabian Gulf Region