Western Hemisphere

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)."

Strengthening the Bonds of Environmental Cooperation Between Security Forces and Environmental Institutions Prof Bernard F Griffard 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’s southern cone is an essential step in their continuing maturation as democracies. During most of the 20th Century, a state of tension existed between these two sectors because of the role played by the military as either the primary enforcement instrument of the ruling oligarchy, or as the actual government in being. Today, in order to set the conditions for continued growth and stability, these two sectors must cooperate both nationally and multilaterally in order to build confidence in the government and to promote regional stability. The vehicle chosen to encourage this necessary dialogue is environmental security and its adjunct of disaster response planning."

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..."

The Drug Scourge as a Hemispheric Problem Gen Barry R McCaffrey Monograph by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute "In this timely monograph, General Barry McCaffrey, USA (Retired), the former Director of National Drug Control Policy, argues that Colombia’s 40 million citizens must not be deserted by their neighbors. Leaving the Colombians to deal in isolation with a pervasive drug problem will deeply affect all 800 million of us in the Western Hemisphere through addiction, violence, and corruption. Moreover, he argues that the United States and the entire international community must support a long-term commitment to Plan Colombia and to building cooperative multinational approaches to the tough drug-associated problems that face us all. This is an undertaking in which we all have an equal stake and an equal responsibility."