Regional Issues

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."

East Asia in Crisis: The Security Implications of the Collapse of Economic Institutions Dr Stephen J Blank Monograph by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute "The financial crisis that began in Thailand in mid-1997 has now become a global one. It has consumed governments, upset defense planning and the regional standing of major powers in Asia, and is forcing us to rethink Asia’s entire past and future political trajectory. The security implications go beyond merely the crash of unsound financial systems. Governments have fallen across Asia and in Russia. Civil violence is currently taking place in Indonesia, a key Asian state. Defense research, development, and procurement have been postponed in most Asian countries. The crisis and its reverberations have shaken financial markets and governments as far away as Brazil."

Security Implications of the Proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction in the Middle East Dr Sami G Hajjar Monograph by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute "This monograph, by Dr. Sami Hajjar, addresses the important question of the security implications for the nations of the region of the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction in the Middle East. The Strategic Studies Institute is pleased to offer the monograph as a contribution to the national security debate on this important issue. The author offers a unique perspective based on extensive interviews that he conducted in the region, and makes specific policy recommendations for U.S. military and civilian decisionmakers."

China's Military Potential Dr Larry M Wortzel Monograph by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute "This monograph provides an appraisal of the ability of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) to build a credible military force in the 21st century. The author, Colonel Larry M. Wortzel, examines a complicated set of factors, which when taken together, equates to potential military power in China’s case."

NATO After Enlargement: New Challenges, New Missions, New Forces Dr Stephen J Blank Monograph by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute "In 1999 NATO will formally admit three new members and adopt a new strategic concept. In so doing, it will take giant strides towards effecting a revolutionary transformation of European security. On the one hand, it could be said that NATO enlargement closes the immediate post-Cold War period that began with the collapse of the Berlin Wall in 1989. But on the other hand, enlargement raises a host of serious new issues for the Alliance and for U.S. policymakers that they must begin to address now. Bearing this fact in mind, the Strategic Studies Institute (SSI) organized a conference with the Center for Strategic and International Studies in January 1998 to explore the new challenges confronting the NATO Alliance. These essays are the product of that conference."

New Century, Old Thinking: The Dangers of the Perceptual Gap in U.S.-China Relations COL Susan M Puska Monograph by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute "American angst over “China” and how to deal with it has spurred a seemingly endless cycle of U.S. policy debates. Each disagreement or new revelation, such as the recent allegation that the Chinese tried to buy influence through illegal funding to U.S. elections,1 feeds another round of charges that U.S. leaders are either too “soft” or too “hard” on China. These charges are usually punctuated by warnings that these actions could lead to dire consequences for the United States in the future."