Plan Colombia: Some Differing Perspectives Dr Ricardo Arias Calderon, Dr Gabriel Marcella, Mr Chris Marquis, GEN (Colombia) Alvaro Valencia Tovar, GEN Charles E Wilhelm Monograph by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute "This volume in our “Plan Colombia” series contains four expert presentations which were made to the February 2001 Miami symposium. The writers are a high-ranking retired military commander from Colombia and one from the United States, a leading Panamanian political figure, and a U.S. journalist. As might be expected, they look at the complex dilemma of Colombia from somewhat different angles."

The Regional Security Crisis in the Andes: Patterns of State Response Dr Judith A Gentleman Monograph by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute "For some time it has been apparent that the crisis of Colombia is no longer confined to that country. In fact, under no imaginable scenario can Colombia’s problems be contained within it. The activities of drug traffickers and guerrillas are on the rise in the entire region, coming from Colombia. Given such compelling evidence of spillover, why has a regional, cooperative response been so slow in taking shape? Dr. Gentleman goes right to the heart of the matter: a pattern of competing objectives and inherent tensions."

Plan Colombia: The View from the Presidential Palace Mr. Eduardo Pizano Monograph by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute "I begin by recollecting briefly what the guerrilla movement has been doing in Colombia for the last 40 years. More specifically, I shall glance at what the current government is trying to do in its confrontation with the violent actors in this nation. Guerrilla movements have been active in Colombia going back to the early Sixties, with 1960 having been a particularly hard year. And even since the late Forties, Colombia has been living with la violencia, in which liberals and conservatives kill each other in order to seize control of the government."

U.S. Support of PLAN COLOMBIA: Rethinking the Ends and Means Dr Stephen E Flynn Monograph by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute "This is one of the monographs in the series from the February 2001 conference on Plan Colombia cosponsored by the Strategic Studies Institute of the U.S. Army War College and The Dante B. Fascell North-South Center of the University of Miami. In this short essay, Stephen E. Flynn provides an intended counterpoint to Dr. Gabriel Marcella’s lead-off monograph in which he argues that Plan Colombia is a brilliantly conceived grand strategy for democratization and national security."

The Search for Accountability and Transparency in PLAN COLOMBIA: Reforming Judicial Institutions--Again Dr Luz E Nagle Monograph by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute "This monograph, written by Professor Luz Estella Nagle, is another in the special series to emerge from the February 2001 conference on Plan Colombia that was cosponsored by the Strategic Studies Institute of the U.S. Army War College and The Dante B. Fascell North-South Center of the University of Miami. In it, she stresses what has been defined by President Andrés Pastrana as one of the five strategic issues included in Plan Colombia. Nevertheless, the author argues that the issue of judicial reform deserves long-term attention and a higher priority within the larger context."

European Perceptions of Plan Colombia: A Virtual Contribution to a Virtual War and Peace Plan? Dr Joaquin Roy Monograph by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute "Professor Roy, a Spaniard with valuable sources throughout Europe, notes that Europeans apparently do not approve of the seeming U.S. emphasis on providing military equipment and training to Colombia for a counternarcotics effort in what they see as a larger strategic political conflict. At the same time, he reports that Europeans are not only concerned with the counternarcotics violence in Colombia, but also with the economic, security, and political spillover effects for neighboring countries."

U.S. Army and the Asia-Pacific Dr Andrew Scobell Monograph by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute "This monograph highlights the significant and ongoing contribution of the U.S. Army in deterring war, executing smaller-scale contingencies, and shaping the security environment. The author advocates a robust, pro-active Army presence for the foreseeable future. Such a presence will ensure the promotion and protection of U.S. national interests in the region."

Political Control over the Use of Force: A Clausewitzian Perspective LTC Suzanne C Nielsen Monograph by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute "What is the ideal relationship between the commander and the statesman in time of war? Is there a balance to be struck between political control and military operational expertise? Given the importance of these questions, the range of answers that has been given to them by both theorists and practitioners is striking. Major Suzanne Nielsen addresses these issues by examining what Carl von Clausewitz has to say about civil-military relations and the use of force. Though Clausewitz’s insight that “War is a continuation of policy” is well-known, his arguments about the appropriateness of extensive political control during time of war are not as often discussed. Clausewitz provides an argument for extensive political influence over military operations—influence that lacks a clear limit."

Plan Colombia: The Strategic and Operational Imperatives Dr Gabriel Marcella Monograph by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute "The crisis in Colombia is the most compelling challenge the United States faces in the Western Hemisphere. The United States is committed to helping Colombia fight its struggle against the violence and corruption engendered by the traffic in narcotics. This report examines the strategic theory within Plan Colombia, the master plan which the government of Colombia developed to strengthen democracy through peace, security, and economic development."