Monographs

Insurgency in Iraq: An Historical Perspective Dr Ian FW Beckett Monograph by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute "This monograph considers the patterns of insurgency in the past by way of establishing how much the conflict in Iraq conforms to previous experience. In particular, the author compares and contrasts Iraq with previous Middle Eastern insurgencies such as those in Palestine, Aden, the Dhofar province of Oman, Algeria, and Lebanon. He suggests that there is much that can be learned from British, French, and Israeli experience."

The Impact of Missile Threats on the Reliability of U.S. Overseas Bases: A Framework for Analysis Mr Joel Wuthnow Monograph by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute "Although the United States will continue to utilize overseas military bases in the next decade, the acquisition and improvement of long-range missiles by several potential aggressors will pose new operational and strategic problems for U.S. forces. Several states will likely attain a credible capability to threaten U.S. bases within their respective regions, despite the sophistication of U.S. missile defenses. Strategically, there are uncertainties about whether the United States can deter some of these new missile-capable actors. Deterrence problems will create new risks to U.S. deployed forces: If deterrence fails, U.S. troops will be at a higher level of exposure. Alternately, missiles will grant states some leverage to dissuade the United States from actually using overseas forces, as well as a means to coerce host states into denying access to the United States. Though several factors will mitigate these concerns, the question remains: How reliable will alliance-derived “tripwires” and other deployments be in the overall U.S. strategy of engagement? Alterations in force structure, tailored to these threats, will likely be needed."

Deception 101--Primer on Deception Dr Joseph W Caddell Monograph by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute "This monograph reviews the basic concepts related to “deception.” The author, Dr. Joseph Caddell, defines terms, provides historical examples, and discusses problems associated with deception. His monograph provides a general overview, a “primer,” and is not directed at those who already possess a working knowledge of deception operations. Nevertheless, given the complex and ever-changing nature of deception in the political-military environment, it may serve as a useful reminder of the basic assumptions and methods concerning the subject."

U.S.-Ukraine Military Relations and the Value of Interoperability Mr Leonid I Polyakov Monograph by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute "Ukraine has been a pivotal actor in Eurasia since its independence in 1991. Ukraine’s destiny is critical to the security of the entire post-Soviet zone, and both it and the United States always have acted on that assumption. The stated goal of Ukrainian defense policy long has been to integrate with Euro-Atlantic structures like the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), and this goal has been one of the chief objectives of the United States, as well. However, to move from rhetoric to implementation is particularly difficult where the defense reform of a post-Soviet state has been concerned, and Ukraine is no exception. Nevertheless, in the past few years Ukraine has begun to make remarkable progress towards its self-professed goal of defense integration with Western structures."

Insurgency and Counterinsurgency in the 21st Century: Reconceptualizing Threat and Response Dr Steven Metz, LTC Raymond A Millen Monograph by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute "Insurgency has existed throughout history but ebbed and flowed in strategic significance. Today the world has entered another period when insurgency is common and strategically significant. This is likely to continue for at least a decade, perhaps longer. As the United States confronts this threat, extrapolating old ideas, strategies, doctrine, and operational concepts is a recipe for ineffectiveness. Reconceptualization is needed."

Shadows of Things Past and Images of the Future: Lessons for the Insurgencies in Our Midst Dr Max G Manwaring Monograph by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute "This monograph begins with a short discussion of contemporary insurgency. It argues that in studying terror war, guerrilla war, or any other common term for insurgency war, we find these expressions mischaracterize the activities of armed groups that are attempting to gain political control of a state. These organizations are engaged in a highly complex political act--political war. Given that this type of conflict is likely to challenge U.S. and other global leadership over the next several years, it is important to understand that the final results of insurgency or counterinsurgency are never determined by arms alone. Rather, the results depend on winning the political support of the people."

Civil-Military Cooperation in Peace Operations: The Case of Kosovo Dr Thomas R Mockaitis Monograph by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute "This study, by Dr. Thomas Mockaitis, is based on field work in Kosovo, supported by several years of research on peace operations. Its principal value is as a historical record of where the U.S. military was with regard to CIMIC in the 1990s. Much progress has been made, though more remains to be done. The study concludes with general recommendations for all militaries engaged in humanitarian intervention and specific suggestions for improving the U.S. approach to CIMIC."

Current and Future Challenges for Asian Nonproliferation Export Controls: A Regional Response Dr Scott A Jones Monograph by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute "This monograph examines the current state of export control system development in the greater Asia region, with particular emphasis on the economic and security environment in which these systems operate. Identification then is made of the gains and remaining deficiencies in export control development. The monograph concludes by examining the applicability of the European Union’s effort to coordinate export controls to the regional forces shaping the regional trade and security dynamics in Asia and what the United States can do to facilitate greater export control development and cooperation."

Islamic Rulings on Warfare LTCDR Youssef H Aboul-Enein, Dr Sherifa D Zuhur Monograph by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute "The United States no doubt will be involved in the Middle East for many decades. To be sure, settling the Israeli–Palestinian dispute or alleviating poverty could help to stem the tides of Islamic radicalism and anti-American sentiment. But on an ideological level, we must confront a specific interpretation of Islamic law, history, and scripture that is a danger to both the United States and its allies. To win that ideological war, we must understand the sources of both Islamic radicalism and liberalism. We need to comprehend more thoroughly the ways in which militants misinterpret and pervert Islamic scripture."