Western Hemisphere

Brazil's Security Strategy and Defense Doctrine Mr Andrew Fishman, Dr Max G Manwaring Colloquium Brief by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute, with The Center for Latin American Issues, The George Washington University "In September 2007, Brazil’s President Lula mandated the establishment of a national defense strategy. In December 2008, the Minister of Defense, Nelson Jobim, sent that strategy to the President. In 2010, President Lula signed executive orders to implement the new strategy (the Projecto Nacional) ..."

Lessons Learned from U.S. Government Law Enforcement in International Operations Scott Brady, Ben Fitzgerald, Dilshika Jayamaha, Jason Fritz PKSOI Paper by the US Army War College, Peacekeeping and Stability Operations Institute, Strategic Studies Institute "Law enforcement (LE) personnel, agencies, techniques, equipment and priorities have been an increasingly prominent feature within U.S. Government (USG) commitments to international operations. This is a reflection of the increased human and societal complexity of the operational environments in which the USG has intervened and the multifaceted nature of the objectives often sought by the USG in these international operations."

La Familia Drug Cartel: Implications for U.S.-Mexican Security Dr George W Grayson Monograph by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute "La Familia Michoacana or as it is also known, La Familia, has emerged as one of Mexico’s strangest and most grotesque drug cartels. Its leaders—Nazario “El Chayo” Moreno González and José de Jesús “El Chango” Méndez Vargas—insist they are doing the Lord’s work when they discipline teenagers for wearing long hair or spraying graffiti on colonial buildings in the Michoacán state capital of Morelia. However, this syndicate is not content with trying to civilize young people..."

Transitions: Issues, Challenges and Solutions in International Assistance Doctor Harry R Yarger Reports and Misc. Publications by the US Army War College, Peacekeeping and Stability Operations Institute "In this text, papers prepared for the Transitions: Issues, Challenges and Solutions Conference,” conducted at Carlisle Barracks in November 2010, examine transitions from theoretical and practical perspectives. In sharing their research and experience, the authors collectively cultivate in the reader a necessary strategic perspective; one that is holistic and systemic in outlook. However, each essay focuses on some specific aspect of transitions and develops it in some detail. Readers will find each essay and its argument stands on its own merit, offering an independent assessment and making a valuable and enduring contribution to the body of knowledge on transitions and state-building."

Environmental Change, Natural Disasters and Stability in Central America and the Caribbean Ms Marcela Ramirez Issue Paper by the US Army War College, Center for Strategic Leadership "Threats to state and human security result from a variety of areas and issues such as criminal gangs, political and military sources, as well as from social, economic and environmental issues. A wide array of factors contribute to making people feel insecure, from the proliferation of small arms and drug trafficking, to transnational threats like water pollution, natural disasters, the spread of diseases and climate change."

Peace & Stability Journal, Volume 1, Issue 1 Mister Robert C Browne Peace and Stability Journal by the US Army War College, Peacekeeping and Stability Operations Institute "“Rule of law” is one of those big ideas that are essential to a favorable world order in the 21st century. As Plato’s quote above reminds us, rule of law is not a new idea and historically it appears to have a degree of universality. For example, throughout Islamic history, the population and rulers alike were expected to conduct themselves in accordance with the word of God as recorded in the Qur’an (Koran) and the Prophet’s life as provided in the Sunnah and expressed in Sharia..."

The International Conference of Military Engineers and the Environment Arthur L Bradshaw, Ms Marcela Ramirez Issue Paper by the US Army War College, Center for Strategic Leadership "Building trust and cooperation between the military and civilian sectors in the nations of South America is an essential step in their continuing evaluation as democracies. To that end, the United States Army Southern Command Engineers and the Chilean Army Engineers co-sponsored an event entitled “The International Conference of Military Engineers and the Environment,” 3-7 August 2009, in Santiago, Chile. The conference was opened by General Oscar Izurieta Ferrer, Commander in Chief of the Army, Chile, and Mr. Thomas Schoenbeck, Director, Enterprise Support, United States Army Southern Command (USSOUTHCOM). It was hosted by Brigadier General Sergio Varela Solar, Commander of Army Engineers, Chile, and Colonel Norberto Cintron, Command Engineer, USSOUTHCOM. "

Dilemmas of Brazilian Grand Strategy Dr Hal Brands Monograph by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute "This monograph analyzes Brazilian grand strategy under President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. During Lula’s nearly 8 years in office, he has pursued a multipronged grand strategy aimed at hastening the transition from unipolarity and Western economic hegemony to a multipolar order in which international rules, norms, and institutions are more favorable to Brazilian interests. Lula has done so by emphasizing three diplomatic strategies: soft balancing against the United States, building coalitions to magnify Brazilian negotiating power, and seeking to position Brazil as the leader of a more united South America."

Endgame for the West in Afghanistan? Explaining the Decline in Support for the War in Afghanistan in the United States, Great Britain, Canada, Australia, France and Germany Mr Charles A Miller Letort Paper by US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute "Domestic support for the war is often mentioned as one of the key battlegrounds of the Afghan conflict. A variety of explanations have been put forward in the media and in the political realm to explain why this war, which once commanded overwhelming popular support in almost all participating countries, is now opposed by a majority, even in the United States itself. Casualties, lack of equitable multilateral burden sharing, confused and shifting rationales on the part of the political leadership for the war and a “contagion” effect from the unpopularity of the Iraq war have all been cited at one time or another."