Monographs

Britain's Role in U.S. Missile Defense Dr Jeremy Stocker Monograph by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute "U.S. plans for missile defense have been a contentious issue in transatlantic relations for nearly 40 years. Notwithstanding the recent focus on events in Iraq, ballistic missile defense (BMD) remains a significant part of American defense policy, and an aspect that continues to generate interest and concern abroad. At the same time, U.S. allies have potentially important roles to play in American missile defense and have developing requirements of their own."

Developing Adaptive Leaders: The Crucible Experience of Operation Iraqi Freedom Dr Leonard Wong Monograph by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute "The euphoria over the exceptionally successful combat operations of the Iraqi War has subsided as Operation IRAQI FREEDOM shifted to the long, hard tasks of nation-building and counterinsurgency. By all accounts, the process of assisting Iraq in becoming a secure, stable democracy has become much more complicated than originally believed. Yet within the complex environment of postwar Iraq, Dr. Leonard Wong argues that junior officers are being developed into creative, innovative, and independent leaders. He attributes this unique leader development opportunity to the ambiguous, complex, and unpredictable environment of postwar Iraq."

The Exigencies of Global, Integrated Warfare: The Evolving Role of the CJCS and his Dedicated Staff LTC Michael S Bell Monograph by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute "Professional military advice from the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (the Chairman or CJCS), informed and supported by an independent Joint Staff, is more important than ever in the conduct of global, integrated operations after 9/11. For more than 60 years, the Chairman has played a vital role by providing military advice to the President, the National Security Council (NSC), the Secretary of Defense, and the Congress within the context of civilian control of the U.S. armed forces. The advice of the Chairman consists of much more than his personal views and opinions; it represents the synthesis of the broad operational experience, military judgment, and technical expertise found in a Joint Staff dedicated to the Chairman."

Iraq and Vietnam: Differences, Similarities, and Insights Dr Jeffrey Record, Dr W Andrew Terrill Monograph by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute "U.S. political and military difficulties in Iraq have prompted comparisons to the American war in Vietnam. How, in fact, do the two wars compare? What are the differences and similarities, and what insights can be gained from examining them? Does the Vietnam War have instructive lessons for those dealing with today’s challenges in Iraq, or is that war simply irrelevant? In the pages that follow, two highly qualified analysts address these questions. Dr. Jeffrey Record, formerly a civilian pacification advisor in Vietnam and author of books on both the Vietnam and Iraq wars, and W. Andrew Terrill, author and co-author of several SSI studies on Iraq, conclude that the military dimensions of the two conflicts bear little comparison..."

Learning from the Stones: A Go Approach to Mastering China's Strategic Concept, Shi Dr David Lai Monograph by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute "The author introduces a new approach to learning about the different ways of strategic thinking and interaction in Chinese culture. It is through learning the Chinese board game called go. This game is a living reflection of Chinese philosophy, culture, strategic thinking, warfare, military tactics, and diplomatic bargaining. The author also sheds light on the remarkable connection between go and the strategic concepts in Sun Tzu‟s Art of War."

Strategic Consequences of the Iraq War: U.S. Security Interests in Central Asia Reassessed Dr Elizabeth Wishnick Monograph by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute "In this monograph, Elizabeth Wishnick builds on the analysis in her important 2002 SSI study, Growing U.S. Security Interests in Central Asia. She contends that by highlighting antiterrorism, the United States addresses a symptom rather than the causes of instability in Central Asia; thus it is contributing to the radicalization of political opposition movements and discrediting both democratization and the U.S. commitment to it. Instead, she argues, the United States should do more to address the underlying human security problems in Central Asia, which increase its vulnerability to terrorist movements."

Security in the Americas: Neither Evolution nor Devolution--Impasse Dr Max G Manwaring Monograph by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute "This monograph comes at a time of promise for greater economic integration between the United States and Latin America, but also one of profound concern about the deteriorating security situation in several countries in the region. Importantly, the benefits of stability, economic growth, and democracy depend on effective national sovereignty and security. These realities are gaining credence as we grow to understand that Colombia is a paradigm of the failing state, and that has enormous implications for the well-being of the Western Hemisphere. Yet, no consensus on the threat and how to deal with it has emerged. As a consequence, hemispheric security cooperation is at an impasse."

China and North Korea: From Comrades-In-Arms to Allies at Arm's Length Dr Andrew Scobell Monograph by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute "The China-North Korea relationship remains the most enduring, uninterrupted bilateral friendship for both the People’s Republic of China (PRC) and Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK). This brother-in-arms relationship was solidified early during the Korean War. Sharing a common border and ideology, both China and North Korea confront the frustration of divided nations. And while, on the one hand, each views the United States as hostile, Beijing and Pyongyang, on the other hand, appear to crave better relations with Washington."

Toward an American Way of War Dr Antulio J Echevarria II Monograph by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute "The American way of war has been much written about over the years. That literature is remarkable for its explicit and implicit consensus regarding the overriding characteristics of the American approach to warfare--aggressive, direct, and focused on achieving decisive victory. A way of war implies thinking about conflict holistically, from prewar condition-setting to the final accomplishment of one’s strategic objectives. Unfortunately, American thinking about war tends to put more emphasis on coercive operations--the destruction of an opponent’s regular forces on the field of battle--than on what is loosely known as war’s “aftermath.” Yet, it is in the aftermath where wars are typically won."