Regional Issues

Chinese Army Building in the Era of Jiang Zemin Dr Andrew Scobell Monograph by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute "To many in the United States, China looms large as a strategic threat. Some anticipate a threat emerging in the foreseeable future, while others believe that one already exists. Any rising power, as it seeks to find its place on the global stage, poses challenges to the world community. So it is merely prudent to consider the possibility that Beijing might become an adversary."

The PLA and the Kosovo Conflict Dr June Teufel-Dreyer Monograph by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute "The U.S. armed forces are not the only military that has sought to discern the lessons of the Kosovo campaign in the spring of 1999. The Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) has also analyzed the conflict and drawn its own conclusions. In fact, as Dr. June Teufel Dreyer, Professor of Political Science at the University of Miami in Florida, observes, rather than reach a single set of conclusions, different groups within the Chinese military drew different judgments. Dr. Dreyer argues that these differences of opinion reflect the considerable diversity of thinking about defense modernization and future war that exists within the PLA today. The analysis that follows therefore provides an opportunity for readers to learn about the different strands in Chinese strategic thinking as that country enters the 21st century."

The United States and Colombia: Untying the Gordian Knot AMB David Passage Monograph by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute "Twenty-five years after the end of the Vietnam War, the ghost of that war still haunts decisionmakers when it comes to making long-term commitments to situations that remotely resemble anything like our Indochina experience. That is the case with Colombia, which is embroiled in an internecine struggle with two guerrilla movements, bent on overthrowing the government, as well as with narcotraffickers and paramilitary forces."

Asia-Pacific Security: China's Conditional Multilateralism and Great Power Entente Dr Jing-dong Yuan Monograph by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute "This monograph provides an analysis of the People’s Republic of China’s evaluation of multilateralism and its place in Chinese foreign relations in the Asia-Pacific region. In contrast to conventional scholarly wisdom, the author, Dr. Jing-dong Yuan, contends that China is not opposed to multilateral approaches. In fact, Dr. Yuan asserts that China has adopted an approach he dubs 'conditional multilateralism.' "

The Chinese Armed Forces in the 21st Century Dr Larry M Wortzel Book by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute "The debate about China and Taiwan is re-emerging in the United States. The accidental bombing of the Chinese Embassy in Belgrade, of course, put on the front burner the way that nationalistic fervor has grown in China, at least some of it as a result of manipulation by the Communist Party. President Lee Teng-hui's comments about state-to-state relations between Taiwan and the mainland raised the temperature of relations across the strait and among the three concerned parties (China, the United States, and Taiwan). China threatened, China postured, and China ran political campaigns against the United States and Lee. But the questions of military capability, security policy, and intent are rarely treated seriously. This book is a serious look at the armed forces of China and how they will evolve."

Transnational Threats from the Middle East: Crying Wolf or Crying Havoc? Prof Anthony H Cordesman Monograph by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute "There is no doubt that the Middle East can present significant potential threats to the West. The author of this monograph examines these threats in order to put them into perspective—to distinguish between “crying wolf” and “crying havoc.” After thorough analysis, he contends that the problems caused by narcotics and organized crime, immigration, terrorism, and weapons of mass destruction do not as yet require draconian action by the Western nations. However, he asserts that if the threats of Middle Eastern terrorism and proliferation were to be combined into super-terrorism, the result would create a new form of asymmetric warfare for which the West is singularly ill-prepared."

The Future U.S. Military Presence in Asia: Landpower and the Geostrategy of American Commitment Maj Gen Robert H Scales, Dr Larry M Wortzel Monograph by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute "For more than 50 years, countries around the world have looked to the United States for international leadership. Most Asian governments welcome a U.S. presence in the region to help preserve security and stability. They know that an American presence does not mean an occupying force since, if asked, the United States leaves. These countries are reassured by a more or less continuous presence of U.S. forces in a way that the temporary passage or intervention of expeditionary forces will not accomplish."

Colombia's Three Wars: U.S. Strategy at the Crossroads Dr Gabriel Marcella, Dr Donald E Schulz Monograph by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute "Colombia is the most troubled country in the Western Hemisphere. Drug criminals, guerrillas, and paramilitary groups are feeding a spiral of violence that makes “colombianization” a metaphor for a failing state. This monograph, by Dr. Gabriel Marcella and Dr. Donald Schulz, addresses the strategic dimensions of the crisis. It argues that Colombia’s future deeply affects regional security and U.S. interests."

Landpower and Ambiguous Warfare: The Challenge of Colombia in the 21st Century Dr Richard Downes Monograph by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute "On December 10 and 11, 1998, over 100 scholars, civilian government officials, and military officers from the United States, Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, Panama and Mexico gathered at the U.S. Army War College to discuss “Landpower and Ambiguous Warfare: The Challenge of Colombia in the 21st Century.” While the conference adopted no resolutions or conclusions, it provided a valuable forum for expressing widely differing viewpoints on critical components of Colombia’s security situation."