Afghanistan: Reconstituting a Collapsed State LTC Raymond A Millen Monograph by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute "In this monograph, Lieutenant Colonel Raymond A. Millen examines warlordism as the principal impediment to Afghanistan’s revival and offers a shift in strategy that addresses the war of ideas, the counternarcotics initiative, and the incorporation of the Afghan National Army into the provincial reconstruction teams. As Lieutenant Colonel Millen observes, all the resources are in place; they simply need a shift in focus. Lieutenant Colonel Millen takes into account the historical, cultural, and economic factors that impede central authority and the reforms needed for modern states. His problem-solving approach is insightful, pragmatic, and innovative."

Saudi Arabia: Islamic Threat, Political Reform, and the Global War on Terror Dr Sherifa D Zuhur Monograph by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute "U.S. foreign policy and the domestic concerns of Middle Eastern states are influencing the pursuit of the global war on terror in the Middle East. A close view of Saudi Arabia reveals the complex interaction of these forces. The U.S. relationship with Saudi Arabia and the global war on terror are important challenges to the U.S. administration that have region-wide ramifications. Saudi Arabia has been facing down Islamist insurgency along with other challenges since September 11, 2001, and with even more urgency since May 2003. "

Street Gangs: The New Urban Insurgency Dr Max G Manwaring Monograph by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute "This monograph explains the linkage of contemporary criminal street gangs (that is, the gang phenomenon or third generation gangs) to insurgency in terms of the instability it wreaks upon governments and the concomitant challenge to state sovereignty. Although differences between gangs and insurgents regarding motives and modes of operations exist, this linkage infers that gang phenomena are mutated forms of urban insurgency. In these terms, these “new” nonstate actors must eventually seize political power to guarantee the freedom of action and the commercial environment they want. The common denominator that can link the gang phenomenon to insurgency is that some third generation gangs’ and insurgents’ ultimate objective is to depose or control the governments of targeted countries."

The Return of the Latin American Left Dr Alex Crowther Op-Ed by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute "Latin America watchers decry the rise of the political left in the region, citing its animosity towards both the United States and globalization. According to this point of view, the left is rising and its influence will be detrimental to hemispheric economic and political development."

Seizing the Day: Resolution in and around the Black Sea Dr Stephen J Blank Op-Ed by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute "President Bush’s February 2005 meeting with European and Russian leaders represented an attempt to repair relations with each of these governments, with NATO, and with the European Union (EU). While Iraq, Iran, and Israel probably were the main issues in these meetings, recent events in the Black Sea basin provide an enormous opportunity to advance a common Western agenda and even possibly to associate Russia with an extension of the realm of security in Europe."

The Problem with Fourth-Generation War Dr Antulio J Echevarria II Op-Ed by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute "For theorists of Fourth Generation War (4GW), there’s both good news and bad news. The good news is that there is only one problem with the notion of 4GW. The bad news is that the theory itself is the problem. Like the fabled emperor who had no clothes, 4GW is bereft of any intellectual garments: the concept itself is fundamentally and hopelessly flawed. It is based on poor history and only obscures what other theorists and analysts have already clarified."

Is there a Positive Side to Al Jazeera? Dr W Andrew Terrill Op-Ed by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute "In the rogues’ gallery of contemporary American politics, one of our chief villains is the Qatari satellite television station, al Jazeera. This station at various times has been charged with being a bin Laden mouthpiece, pro-Saddam Hussein, insensitive to U.S. casualties, and willing to find bad motives in just about everything that the United States does in the region. "

The U.S.-India Relationship: Strategic Partnership or Complementary Interests? Dr Amit Gupta Monograph by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute "Can India and the United States create a strategic partnership that will further the security and foreign policy interests of both countries? This monograph argues that given the divergent worldviews of the two countries, it would be difficult to develop a strategic partnership. Further, the two countries differ about India’s nuclear status, with the United States not in favor of making India into a de jure nuclear weapons state. Indian analysts also remain concerned about the reliability of the United States as a supplier of high technology, and continued U.S. support to Pakistan is also seen as slowing down the positive growth of the relationship."

Strategic Implications of Intercommunal Warfare in Iraq Dr W Andrew Terrill Monograph by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute "The future of Iraq is uncertain. The country is in a dangerous phase. The removal of a brutal dictatorship by coalition forces in April 2003 has given the Iraqi people hope for a new and better political system, where individuals do not have to live in continuing fear and uncertainty. Nevertheless, the Iraqi people must also address the difficult challenges of self-government for a diverse population, with major ethnic and sectarian groups that often maintain widely divergent agendas. If they fail to do this and an ethnic/sectarian war ensues, the consequences will be dire, not only for Iraq, but for the entire Middle Eastern region."