Monographs

The Conflicts in Yemen and U.S. National Security Dr W Andrew Terrill Monograph by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute "Yemen is not currently a failed state, but it is experiencing huge political and economic problems that can have a direct impact on U.S. interests in the region. It has a rapidly expanding population with a resource base that is limited and already leaves much of the current population in poverty. The government obtains around a third of its budget revenue from sales of its limited and declining oil stocks, which most economists state will be exhausted by 2017. Yemen has critical water shortages aggravated by the use of extensive amounts of water and agricultural land for production of the shrub qat, which is chewed for stimulant and other effects but has no nutritional value. All of these problems are especially difficult to address because the central government has only limited capacity to extend its influence into tribal areas beyond the capital and major cities..."

Russia's Prospects in Asia Dr Stephen J Blank Monograph by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute "Northeast Asia (NEA) is a place where economic interdependence among the NEA “troika”—China, Japan and South Korea—is growing. Moreover, intense interaction within that troika will determine the extent of further economic (and political) integration in the much wider region—Pacific Asia (which stretches from areas of Pacific Russia in the north to New Zealand in the south). This is a very important fact for Russia, though an understanding of its significance for the country has come only very recently. The long-standing issue for Russia is the future of the Russian Far East (Pacific Russia or RFE), its social and economic development, and its security. Pacific Russia’s future depends to a great extent on its involvement in the NEA regional economy... "

La Familia Drug Cartel: Implications for U.S.-Mexican Security Dr George W Grayson Monograph by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute "La Familia Michoacana or as it is also known, La Familia, has emerged as one of Mexico’s strangest and most grotesque drug cartels. Its leaders—Nazario “El Chayo” Moreno González and José de Jesús “El Chango” Méndez Vargas—insist they are doing the Lord’s work when they discipline teenagers for wearing long hair or spraying graffiti on colonial buildings in the Michoacán state capital of Morelia. However, this syndicate is not content with trying to civilize young people..."

Operation EUFOR TCHAD/RCA and the EU's Common Security and Defense Policy Mr Bjoern H Seibert Monograph by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute "In this monograph, Mr. Bjoern Seibert provides timely and interesting insights into the EU’s new security structure. He examines the largest and most complex EU military operation in Africa, Operation EUFOR TCHAD/RCA, and provides an unprecedented look inside the workings of an EU military operation. Mr. Seibert highlights both successes and failures and then scrutinizes the impact of the operation on the ground. He then addresses an extensive list of lessons that can be drawn from this complex multinational stability operation in Africa. He correctly observes that the operation underscores the EU’s long remaining road toward realizing its ambitious agenda. This will not merely require a more expeditionary mindset, but also substantial shifts in budget priorities and reinvestment. Though the process may take years to complete, it is undoubtedly the right course for Europe to take, and would be in the best interest of the United States. "

Preparing for One War and Getting Another? Dr Antulio J Echevarria II Monograph by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute "When Edward Luttwak’s Strategy: The Logic of War and Peace was published in 1987, it drew the attention of the defense intellectual community almost immediately, and became required reading in many strategy courses. The idea that war or strategy was driven by a paradoxical logic was attractive. However, a number of questions remain unanswered. If war has its own logic, rather than its own grammar, where does the logic of policy fit in? If the logic of strategy is, in fact, paradoxical, how can it be taught? What are paradoxes, and can they be useful in guiding our strategic choices? All of these questions and more are touched upon in this monograph by Dr. Antulio J. Echevarria II. He takes a closer look at the seemingly paradoxical logic that is driving aspects of defense thinking today. While the need for certain capabilities may indeed be genuine, the manner in which the arguments for them are made can actually undermine the overall rationale for change."

David Galula: His Life and Intellectual Context Ms Ann Marlowe Monograph by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute "This monograph attempts to place David Galula’s intellectual achievement in relation to both his life experiences and his time. It is not an assessment of the worth of his ideas, though it may be useful for those who wish to make such an evaluation."

Dilemmas of Brazilian Grand Strategy Dr Hal Brands Monograph by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute "This monograph analyzes Brazilian grand strategy under President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. During Lula’s nearly 8 years in office, he has pursued a multipronged grand strategy aimed at hastening the transition from unipolarity and Western economic hegemony to a multipolar order in which international rules, norms, and institutions are more favorable to Brazilian interests. Lula has done so by emphasizing three diplomatic strategies: soft balancing against the United States, building coalitions to magnify Brazilian negotiating power, and seeking to position Brazil as the leader of a more united South America."

Got Vision? Unity of Vision in Policy and Strategy: What It Is and Why We Need It Dr Anna Simons Monograph by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute "What do we need when confronted by adversaries who do not adhere to our rule set or social code? Drawing on India’s extensive counterinsurgency experiences, as well as British and American examples of cross-culturally astute strategists, this monograph makes the case for frontloading selection. Its premise is that with the right individual(s) devising strategy, everything else should fall into place. The author contends that certain intuitive abilities are key—abilities that no amount of doctrine can instill or teach."

Organizing to Compete in the Political Terrain Dr Nadia Schadlow Monograph by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute "The degree to which military forces can and should shape the political landscape during war—that is, who rules contested territory—is at the root of several ongoing debates about how to restructure the U.S. Army. It is an issue that is central to striking the appropriate balance between civilian and military assets in stabilization and reconstruction operations, and it is key to determining how much to shift the Army toward so-called irregular war as opposed to so-called conventional capabilities. Decisions about the military’s appropriate role in shaping political outcomes in war are fundamental to resolving these debates and will determine the degree of organizational and educational changes that the United States Army must make to meet current and future security threats. "