Colombia's Paramilitaries: Criminals or Political Force? Mr David Spencer Monograph by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute "This monograph provides a sobering discussion of some important facts regarding Colombia’s paramilitary organizations. It points out that the paramilitary “self-defense” organizations pose a complex problem for the Colombian state in its search for a solution to current 40-plus-year-old internal war. First, the paramilitaries represent some important sectors of society and enjoy more popular support from the Colombian people than the insurgents..."

ESDP and Missile Defense: European Perspectives for More Balanced Transatlantic Partnership Mr Martin Aguera Monograph by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute "Are transatlantic relations currently in a crisis? The public debates over U.S. plans for a missile defense shield and European efforts to create a coherent and stronger military force might support such a thesis. However, as the author argues, transatlantic relations with NATO as its main security institution are not in a crisis. Rather, the European Security and Defense Policy as well as missile defense are transatlantic approaches, although not always commonly organized in the past, that seek to adjust to a more fragile international system. These new approaches have become necessary since the end of the Cold War, but only cooperation and mutual understanding for both projects will guarantee their final realization."

Chinese Information Warfare: A Phantom Menace or Emerging Threat? Mr Toshi Yoshihara Monograph by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute "Mao Tse-tung counseled, “To achieve victory we must as far as possible make the enemy blind and deaf by sealing his eyes and ears, and drive his commanders to distraction by creating confusion in their minds.” Few concepts mesh so contextually with Mao than the Chinese approach to Information Warfare (IW). As the People’s Republic of China struggles with its national military strategy, IW offers opportunities to win wars without the traditional clash of arms."

Rapid Decisive Operations: An Assumptions-Based Critique Dr Antulio J Echevarria II Monograph by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute "Technological innovation plays a paradoxical role in military transformation. With each problem it solves, technological innovation tends to introduce new challenges or complications. Operational concepts can partly reconcile these tensions by finding the optimal balance between technological strengths and weaknesses. In so doing, they perform two vital functions (integrating and stimulating) for military transformation."

AC/RC Integration: Today's Success and Transformation's Challenge Dr Dallas D Owens Monograph by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute "In the following monograph, Lieutenant Colonel Dallas Owens analyzes current integration programs and initiatives and evaluates them for their potential to resist transformation’s possible threat to AC/RC integration. His two-part analysis first addresses the continuity, logic, and effectiveness of the Army’s integration efforts and then turns to an examination of how historical experience with integration should direct future efforts."

Budget Policy and Fiscal Risk: Implications for Defense Dr Dennis S Ippolito Monograph by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute "The fate of defense budgets is closely tied to the size, composition, and balance of the federal budget. Over the past decade, efforts to reduce the relative level of federal spending and to eliminate deficits yielded disproportionate cuts in defense. Now that the federal budget is in surplus, and expected to remain so for the next decade, the prospects for more adequate defense funding appear more positive."

Preparing for Asymmetry: As Seen Through the Lens of Joint Vision 2020 Ms Melissa Applegate Monograph by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute "Since the mid-1990s, the concept of strategic asymmetry has begun to receive serious attention from the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD). The 1997 Quadrennial Defense Review, for instance, stated, “U.S. dominance in the conventional military arena may encourage adversaries to use . . . asymmetric means to attack our forces and interests overseas and Americans at home.” But while American strategists and defense leaders sense the importance of strategy asymmetry, much analytical work remains to be done before it is fully understood."

Funding Defense: Challenges of Buying Military Capability in Sub-Saharan Africa COL Daniel W Henk, Dr Martin Revayi Rupiya Monograph by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute "In this monograph, Martin Rupiya, Director of the University of Zimbabwe’s Centre for Defence Studies, and Daniel Henk of the Air War College provide one of the first comprehensive studies of defense budgeting practices in Africa. They assess both the problems with these practices, and fruitful avenues of reform. By doing so, they provide a solid roadmap both for African leaders and for Americans concerned with the development of greater security in the region."

Internal Wars: Rethinking Problem and Response Dr Max G Manwaring Monograph by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute "Dr. Max Manwaring wrote this monograph in response to the fact that today over half the countries in the global community are faced with one variation or another of asymmetric guerrilla war. Insurgencies, internal wars, and other small-scale contingencies (SSCs) are the most pervasive and likely type of conflict in the post-Cold War era. That the United States will become involved directly or indirectly in some of these conflicts is almost certain. The Balkans, Colombia, Mexico, Somalia, and the Philippines are only a few cases in point. Yet, little or no recognition and application of the strategic-level lessons of the Vietnam War and the hundreds of other smaller conflicts that have taken place over the past several years are evident."