Strategy & Policy

Post-Conflict Strategic Requirements Workshop COL Peter D Menk Issue Paper by the US Army War College, Center for Strategic Leadership "This Issue Paper summarizes the factual discussions and issues raised during the Center for Strategic Leadership, United States Army War College and the Foreign Service Institute, Department of State hosted Post-Conflict Strategic Requirements Workshop, conducted at Carlisle Barracks, Pennsylvania November 28 to November 30, 2000. Participants included United States Ambassadors and United States military commanders experienced in affected regions, distinguished subject matter experts from the inter-agency arena, NGOs, allied nations, and the United Nations."

American Strategy: Issues and Alternatives for the Quadrennial Defense Review Dr Steven Metz Book by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute "Because of the confluence of the congressionally mandated Quadrennial Defense Review (QDR) and a presidential election, the years 2000 and 2001 are likely to be important in the evolution of American military strategy. Basic strategic concepts and alternatives will be debated and analyzed. The results will shape U.S. strategy for several decades. This study provides a brief history of the evolution of American military strategy since the end of the Cold War, delineates the key issues which are likely to shape the upcoming QDR process, and assesses a range of strategic alternatives."

Armed Conflict in the 21st Century: The Information Revolution and Post-Modern Warfare Dr Steven Metz Monograph by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute "In this monograph, Dr. Steven Metz, who was one of the earliest analysts of the strategic dimension of the revolution in military affairs, suggests that official thinking within the U.S. military may be too narrow. The information revolution, he contends, will have far-reaching strategic effects. The transformation it brings will not only be technological, but political, social, ethical and strategic as well."

Prevailing in a Well-Armed World: Devising Competitive Strategies Against Weapons Proliferation Mr Henry D Sokolski Book by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute "The United States has a long-standing commitment to efforts to limit, delay, or stop, and even reverse the proliferation of a variety of weapons and weapon systems. The several papers contained in this volume are drawn from a conference that explored the merits of, and various methods of applying, a competitive strategies approach to the pursuit of U.S. goals in nonproliferation. This approach requires thinking through how to improve one’s relative position in any long-term competition."

Refining American Strategy in Africa Dr Steven Metz Book by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute "Traditionally, the United States has not been a major player in the security environment of Sub-Saharan Africa, relying instead on European nations to provide outside assistance to African states. Today, it is appropriate to rethink this neglect. Africa is undergoing vast political, social, and economic changes. A consistent and well-designed American strategy in the region could help tilt the scales in favor of security and stability."

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."

Force, Statecraft and German Unity: The Struggle to Adapt Institutions and Practices Dr Thomas-Durell Young Monograph by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute "Since the unification of Germany on October 3, 1990, the question of how Bonn will conduct its foreign and defense policies continues to be posited. Gone are the days when Paris "led" Western Europe and the Federal Republic of Germany tacitly accepted its supporting role. The Federal Republic now has all the composite elements to be a Great Power, with the exception of its own nuclear arsenal. Nonetheless, Bonn possesses the largest economy and population in Western and Central Europe, and plans to maintain the largest peacetime military establishment east of the Bug River. Even if Germany were to eschew any Great Power ambitions, it no longer has the luxury of denying either to itself or its allies that it does have important international responsibilities to which it must be prepared to contribute."

The Strategist and the Web Revisited: An Updated Guide to Internet Resources LTC James Kievit, Dr Steven Metz Monograph by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute "For analysts or planners attempting to craft appropriate, timely solutions to strategic problems, the ability to collect information rapidly and to evaluate its relevance and validity is a crucial skill. Computers linked via the Internet can offer timely access to millions of documents and files on a vast range of topics, and the number of documents available increases on a daily basis. But to make maximum use of the Internet as a research tool, researchers must understand it. And analysts trained in library, archive, and word-of-mouth research must learn where to look for salient electronic information."

International Politics in Northeast Asia: The China-Japan-United States Strategic Triangle Dr Thomas L Wilborn Monograph by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute "The United States has vital security and economic interests in Northeast Asia, one of the most dynamic regions of the world. This monograph focuses on the three bilateral relationships, those connecting China, Japan, and the United States to each other, which will dominate the future of the region. Dr. Thomas Wilborn analyzes these relations, taking into account key issues involving Taiwan and North Korea, and offers insights regarding their future course. He also reviews U.S. engagement policy and assesses the value of U.S. military presence for regional stability."