Middle East & North Africa

21st-Century Challenges of Command: A View from the Field Dr Anna Simons Letort Paper by US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute, US Army War College Press "Among lessons said to have been learned over the past decade and a half is that the United States should never again use force absent a coherent strategy. Yet, no matter how necessary a coherent strategy is, it will prove insufficient unless the problem of too many competing hierarchies is likewise addressed. A second complicating challenge for those in 21st-century command is churn: churn of personnel, of units, and of responsibility. Without there being a commanding general, a supreme commander, or some “one” individual placed in charge for the duration, decisive results will remain elusive."

Can Egypt Lead the Arab World Again? Assessing Opportunities and Challenges for U.S. Policy Mr Gregory Aftandilian Monograph by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute, US Army War College Press "This monograph’s research, completed in August 2016, analyzes the potential for Egypt to resume an Arab leadership role that has been in abeyance for several years because of its turbulent domestic scene. The monograph also assesses whether or not such a role would be beneficial for U.S. policy. Although there has been a change in U.S. leadership since then, the situation in Egypt has remained the same."

The Turning Point for Russian Foreign Policy Mr Keir Giles Letort Paper by US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute, US Army War College Press "This Letort Paper examines the background to Russia’s use of military force in Ukraine in 2014 and Syria in 2015, and investigates the roots of Russia’s new assertiveness and willingness to resort to direct military action to resolve foreign policy challenges. This Letort Paper identifies two long-standing trends that led to this increased willingness: first, a greater and more urgent perception of threat, whether real or imagined, to Russia’s own security; and second, a recognition that Russia itself had regained sufficient strength, military and otherwise, to assert itself and counter this threat."

Peace & Stability Journal, Volume 7, Issue 1 Mister Robert C Browne Peace and Stability Journal by the US Army War College, Peacekeeping and Stability Operations Institute "North Korea’s hereditary rulers have been on “death watch” for decades, with many pundits regularly predicting the demise of the “Kim Family Regime.” Recent collapse scenarios are based on two potentially inter-related events: first, the sudden death of Kim Jong-un, the 32-year-old Supreme Leader (so far in reasonably good health but without a male heir) and second, the emergence of alternative power centers either within the secretive Kim family clan itself or among key security organizations. In turn, these power elites ultimately clash and break up the brittle, centralized regime."

Strategic Insights: Strategic Questions Loom Large for President Trump in the Middle East LTC Anthony Abbott, Mr Kenneth Michael Absher, COL Gregory A Adams, Dr Christopher J Bolan Article by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute, US Army War College Press

Strategic Insights: Reimagining U.S. Foreign Assistance in the Middle East Dr Christopher J Bolan Article by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute, US Army War College Press

Declassified Documents: Iraq War Study Volumes 1 & 2 Declassified documents presented by the US Army War College, Army Heritage and Education Center

Past is Prologue: Abroad in Syria with the Ghosts of Iraq Dr David Alpher PKSOI Paper by US Army War College, Peacekeeping and Stability Operations Institute "This paper presents a framework that planners can use to speed the planning process and improve traction. R&S contexts require the ability to function at a high level within conditions of ambiguity, violence and chaos. Using past lessons as principles rather than fixed points on a checklist speeds implementation and guides efforts from a stronger and more flexible starting point. As governance reform is a core thrust within US intervention frameworks, this document argues for improving future operations through a paradigm shift away from top-down R&S interventions."

Strategic Insights: Syria Safe Zones Dr Azeem Ibrahim Article by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute, US Army War College Press