Archive

The High Cost of Primacy Mr Nathan P Freier Op-Ed by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute "It is critical that the elected representatives, policymakers, opinion leaders, and population of the United States recognize that the maintenance of our global position comes at a price. We must now acknowledge an historic certainty; a truism ignored in the decade that preceded the War on Terror and the pacification of Iraq. Dominant global power engenders persistent resistance and exposes the United States to enormous costs and burdens. This observation is value neutral. That some actively oppose us and we incur costs as a result should come as no surprise. We must realistically account for both in the formation of grand strategy."

Contending Perspectives: Southeast Asia and American Views on a Rising China Ms Corazon S Foley Colloquium Brief by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute, with The U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Intelligence and Research, The National Bureau of Asian Research, and The Institute for Defence and Strategic Studies, Singapore "The State Department’s Bureau of Intelligence and Research (INR), the National Bureau of Asian Research, the Institute for Defence and Strategic Studies of Singapore, and the U.S. Army War College conducted a colloquium on Southeast Asia and American views of China in August 2005 in Singapore. The event brought together analysts and scholars from Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and the United States to examine the economic, diplomatic, and military dimensions of China’s rise from two perspectives. An abbreviated follow-on colloquium conducted by INR was held in Washington, DC, on November 3, 2005. This brief focuses on summarizing Southeast Asian perspectives on China as articulated by participants at the two events."

Honoring, Not Pitying, Our Troops Dr Leonard Wong Op-Ed by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute "Our perceptions of the military and the current war in Iraq largely are shaped by what we see and hear in the media. On the topic of amputees resulting from Operation IRAQI FREEDOM, a quick Lexis-Nexis search reveals hundreds of media stories in the past 2 years. We’ve all seen segments on television, read stories in newspapers or magazines, or listened to pieces on the radio about Soldier or Marine amputees getting state-of-the-art prostheses, troops courageously learning how to adjust to their injuries, and even how some soldiers are skiing or running races despite their wounds."

Implications of DoD Directive 3000 Dr Douglas V Johnson II Op-Ed by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute "Department of Defense (DoD) Directive 3000: Department of Defense Capabilities for Stability Operations (DRAFT) has now progressed through two or three iterations and appears to be approaching formal publication. The directive could be one of the most important documents of this decade, whether properly or improperly written and interpreted."

The Test of Terrain: The Impact of Stability Operations Upon the Armed Forces Dr Douglas V Johnson II Colloquium Brief by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute, Centre d’Etudes en Sciences Sociales de la Défense, Royal United Services Institute, the Association of the United States Army, the Förderkreis Deutsches Heer, the Heritage Foundation, and the United States Embassy, Paris "Peace operations and their associated stability undertakings have a very long history, but relatively little attention has been paid to the impact these have had on military organizations. Obviously the more such operations a military force is engaged in, the greater effectiveness one would expect, but that effect seems to run from institutional ad hocery to formalization in doctrine and established policies. Further, as the conditions under examination generally follow conflict operations of one sort or another, a period of transition always occurs. In some national security establishments, mechanisms exist to make the Conference Brief Strategic Studies Institute transition relatively easy; in others they do not, and the transition becomes more difficult."

Gangs, "Coups D' Streets," and the New War in Central America Dr Max G Manwaring Op-Ed by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute "A new kind of war is being waged in Central America—and elsewhere around the world—today. The main protagonists are what have come to be called first, second, and third generation street gangs. In this war, gangs are not sending conventional military units across national borders, or supporting proxy forces in an attempt to conquer territory or bring down governments. Rather, these nonstate actors are more interested in commercial profit and controlling territory (turf) to allow maximum freedom of movement and action."

U.S. Defense Strategy After Saddam Dr Michael E O'Hanlon Monograph by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute "In this defense strategy and budget monograph, Michael O’Hanlon argues that America’s large defense budget cannot be pared realistically in the years ahead. But given the extreme demands of the Iraq mission, particularly on the U.S. Army and Marine Corps, he suggests how reductions in various weapons modernization programs and other economies might free up enough funds to add at least 40,000 more ground troops to today’s military. O’Hanlon also addresses the important question of how the United States might encourage and help other countries to share more of the global military burden. Finally, he sketches other cost cutting measures such as privatization. These cost saving ideas all require serious consideration because of the enormous strain being placed on the size and cost of the U.S. ground forces."

Welcome Iran and North Korea to the Nuclear Club: You're Targeted LTC Raymond A Millen Op-Ed by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute "In one of the great ironies of the post-Cold War era, the United States, the most powerful nuclear state in the world, seems fear stricken by the possibility of Iran and North Korea obtaining nuclear weapons. Two facts frame the dilemma: both states are intent on becoming nuclear powers, and neither the European Union (EU) nor China is willing to help curb their ambitions. Clearly, nonproliferation is an important policy goal, but the United States should not view leakage as a catastrophe. Rather, the proper response is a declaratory policy of nuclear deterrence directed specifically at Iran and North Korea once they become nuclear powers."

The U.S.-UK Special Relationship: Past, Present and Future Dr Douglas V Johnson II Colloquium Brief by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute, with Dickinson College, and The Defence Academy of the United Kingdom "On April 11-13, 2005, the Strategic Studies Institute co-sponsored a conference on “The U.S.-UK Special Relationship: Past, Present and Future,” in cooperation with Dickinson College, and the Defence Academy of the United Kingdom at Shrivenham. The conference was followed by a wrap-up session hosted by the Royal United Services Institute in London. Conference attendees were primarily from the Defence Academy and its associated colleges and research bodies."