Western Hemisphere

The United States and Colombia: The Journey from Ambiguity to Strategic Clarity Dr Gabriel Marcella Monograph by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute "There has been a remarkable turnaround in the policy of the United States towards Colombia. It has gone from an exclusive focus on counternarcotics to a comprehensive recognition of that nation’s deeply-rooted problems. The factors that drove this change are the tragic events of September 11, 2001, as well as the increased terrorism of the insurgents that threaten the state and society in Colombia. The evolution of American policy takes into account a recurring global geopolitical reality, of which Colombia is a paradigm: the problem of weak states and ungoverned space."

Mapping Colombia: The Correlation between Land Data and Strategy Dr Geoffrey Demarest Monograph by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute "This monograph highlights a shortcoming of U.S. and Colombian efforts attempted thus far to contain and reduce organized crime and terrorist violence in Colombia. Both governments acknowledge the importance that property rights play in long-term state legitimacy and in the short-term restraint of organized criminality. Nevertheless, inattentiveness to the condition of property rights, especially in rural areas, is both a cause and effect of a fundamental omission bearing on military operations: Colombia is not well-mapped, some of it not at all."

Strategic Effects of Conflict with Iraq: Latin America Dr Max G Manwaring Monograph by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute "War with Iraq signals the beginning of a new era in American national security policy and alters strategic balances and relationships around the world. The specific effects of the war, though, will vary from region to region. In some, America’s position will be strengthened. In others, it may degrade without serious and sustained efforts."

Plan Colombia: Reality of the Colombian Crisis and Implications for Hemispheric Security Dr Luz E Nagle Monograph by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute "Professor Luz E. Nagle has never been a believer in Plan Colombia as the solution to her native country’s array of problems. Now she has again published on the subject, in an article which is eloquently critical about the plan’s results during the administration of President Andrés Pastrana, yet which holds out hope for a better turn of events in the new administration of President Alvaro Uribe. It is a study written with passion and commitment. But also, as befits a law professor, it is scholarly in its degree of documentation and factual content."

Colombia's Conflicts: The Spillover Effects of a Wider War Mr Richard Millett Monograph by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute "As this country’s leadership focuses on homeland security, it is important that we look to our own Western Hemisphere. Terrorism does not solely originate in the Middle East. Colombia’s multifaceted conflicts are by no means confined to that country, a fact long appreciated by civilian and military strategists who are engaged in the search for solutions there. Professor Richard L. Millett documents succinctly in this monograph how the spillover from Colombia affects each of the five countries on its border (Venezuela, Peru, Ecuador, Panama, and Brazil), as well as those somewhat more distant (Bolivia, Paraguay, and the Caribbean states)."

Nonstate Actors in Colombia: Threat and Response Dr Max G Manwaring Monograph by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute "Global political violence is clashing with global economic integration. More often than not, the causes and consequences of the resultant instabilities tend to be exploited by such destabilizers as rogue states, substate and transnational political actors, insurgents, illegal drug traffickers, organized criminals, warlords, ethnic cleansers, militant fundamentalists, and 1,000 other “snakes with a cause” and the will to conduct terrorist and other asymmetric warfare. The intent is to impose self-determined desires for “change” on a society, nation-state, and/or other perceived symbols of power in the global community—and, perhaps, revert to the questionable glories of the 12th century."

The Past as Prologue: A History of U.S. Counterinsurgency Policy in Colombia, 1958-66 Mr Dennis M Rempe Monograph by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute "In this monograph, the author outlines the history of U.S. counterinsurgency policy and the recommendations made by U.S. Special Survey Teams in Colombia from 1958-66. The monograph comes at a time when the United States seriously is considering broadening its policy toward Colombia and addressing Colombia’s continuing internal war in a global and regional context. Thus, this report provides a point of departure from which policymakers in the United States and Colombia can review where we have been, where we are, and where we need to go."

Colombian Army Adaptation to FARC Insurgency Dr Thomas A Marks Monograph by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute "This monograph addresses the Colombian Army’s adaptation to the insurgency in that country. It outlines the FARC (Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia) threat to the control of the national territory and how the insurgents intend to achieve that objective. Then, the author analyzes the measures the Colombian Army has taken to counter the threat. He concludes that no one in the Colombian political establishment is directing the counterinsurgency war, and that the Army has been left to conduct the fight by itself. Recommendations range from the strategic to the operational levels. They argue the need for (1) a coordinated and integrated national campaign plan; (2) cogent and enforceable emergency laws and regulations; (3) enhanced information warfare; and, (4) an enhanced operational flexibility."

Colombia's Paramilitaries: Criminals or Political Force? Mr David Spencer Monograph by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute "This monograph provides a sobering discussion of some important facts regarding Colombia’s paramilitary organizations. It points out that the paramilitary “self-defense” organizations pose a complex problem for the Colombian state in its search for a solution to current 40-plus-year-old internal war. First, the paramilitaries represent some important sectors of society and enjoy more popular support from the Colombian people than the insurgents..."