Western Hemisphere

Strategic Insights: Thinking Strategically About Latin America and the Caribbean Dr R Evan Ellis Article by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute, US Army War College Press

SOLLIMS Sampler – Investing in Training for, and during, Peace and Stability Operations Mister David A Mosinski PKSOI SOLLIMS Sampler by the US Army War College, Peacekeeping and Stability Operations Institute "Perhaps the greatest “enabler” for successful peace and stability operations is Training. It is absolutely imperative that contingents, teams, and individuals designated for deployment to complex environments are properly trained on the spectrum of peace/stability tasks required to accomplish the mission/mandate –and that host nation personnel assuming new roles and responsibilities for their fragile nation/government in the aftermath of conflict/instability are likewise comprehensively trained to accomplish their new duties. The following selection of lessons attests to this imperative."

Honduras: A Pariah State, or Innovative Solutions to Organized Crime Deserving U.S. Support? Dr R Evan Ellis Monograph by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute, US Army War College Press "The public protests against Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernandez, which peaked in July 2015, highlighted perceptions of corruption by Hondurans of their President and his government, and fostered a new spirit of civic participation in Central America. Outside the region, less noticed is that President Hernandez has also made significant changes in the strategy and institutions of the country in combating the interrelated scourges of organized crime and violent gangs, which have plagued Honduras as well as its neighbors. That new approach, set forth in the administration’s interagency security plan and Operation MORAZÁN, has produced notable successes. With U.S. assistance, the National Interagency Security Force (FUSINA) and the Honduran government dismantled the leadership of the nation’s two principal family-based drug smuggling organizations, the Cachiros and the Los Valles, and significantly reduced the use of the national territory as a drug transit zone, particularly narco flights. Murders in the country have fallen from 86.5 per 100,000 in 2011, to 64 per 100,000 in 2014."

Impunity: Countering Illicit Power in War and Transition Michelle Hughes, Michael Miklaucic Guides and Handbooks by the US Army War College, Peacekeeping and Stability Operations Institute "Strategies that weaken illicit power structures and strengthen legitimate state authority are vital to national and international security. As Dr. Henry Kissinger observed, we may be “facing a period in which forces beyond the restraints of any order determine the future.” Because threats to security emanate from disorder in areas where governance and rule of law are weak, defeating terrorist, insurgent, and criminal organizations requires integrated efforts not only to attack enemy organizations, but also to strengthen institutions essential to sustainable security."

Strategic Insights: The Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS/ISIL) and Trinidad and Tobago: Establishing a Dangerous Presence in the Western Hemisphere Dr. Jose de Arimateia da Cruz Article by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute, US Army War College Press

Strategic Insights: Mexico—New Directions, Continuity, and Obstacles in the Fight Against Transnational Organized Crime Dr R Evan Ellis Article by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute, US Army War College Press

Strategic Insights: Guyana-Venezuela: The Essequibo Region Dispute Dr. Jose de Arimateia da Cruz Article by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute, US Army War College Press

SOLLIMS Sampler – Foreign Humanitarian Assistance Mister David A Mosinski PKSOI SOLLIMS Sampler by the US Army War College, Peacekeeping and Stability Operations Institute "Foreign Humanitarian Assistance operations typically involve a wide array of participants – US Government civilian and military organizations, multinational partners, nongovernmental organizations, intergovernmental actors, and host nation government authorities. Their various contributions can be vital for saving lives and relieving/reducing human suffering within an affected host nation."

The New Russian Engagement with Latin America: Strategic Position, Commerce, and Dreams of the Past Dr R Evan Ellis Monograph by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute, US Army War College Press "The present monograph by Strategic Studies Institute professor Dr. R. Evan Ellis is one of the first in-depth treatments of contemporary Russian engagement with the countries of Latin America and its significance from a national security perspective. As such, it provides important insights into both the nature of the challenge posed by Russia, as well as the evolving role and persistent importance of Latin America and the Caribbean to the national security of the United States. "