Monographs

From "Defending Forward" to a "Global Defense-In-Depth": Globalization and Homeland Security Dr Antulio J Echevarria II, Prof Bert B Tussing Monograph by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute "In July of last year, the Bush administration published the National Strategy for Homeland Security (NSHS) which, while commendable in many ways, failed to take into account the effects of globalization in planning for the nation’s security. Safeguarding America’s homeland in an era of globalization requires a more comprehensive approach based on a “global defense-in-depth.” The NSHS amounts to little more than a strategic directive for the newly formed Department of Homeland Security (DHS), rather than a national strategy..."

Rethinking Asymmetric Threats Dr Stephen J Blank Monograph by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute "For the last several years, the U.S. strategic community has used the terms “asymmetric” and “asymmetry” to characterize everything from the threats we face to the wars we fight. In doing so, we have twisted these concepts beyond utility, particularly as they relate to the threats we face. As one writer cited here observed, we have reached the point where the German offensives of 1918 are considered asymmetric attacks. Clearly this use of the term asymmetric or of the concept of asymmetry does not help us assess correctly the threats we face..."

Strategic Leadership Competencies Dr Stephen J Gerras, COL William Kidd, COL Robert Pricone, COL Richard Swengros, Dr Leonard Wong Monograph by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute "On December 21, 2001, the Chief of Staff of the Army tasked the U.S. Army War College to identify the strategic leader skill sets for officers required in the post-September 11th environment. The following report is the result of that tasking. Dr. Leonard Wong, assisted by four U.S. Army War College students, reviewed the strategic leadership literature, interviewed corporate leader developers, analyzed the leader development system, and gathered the views of key leader developers in the Army. They distill the essence of strategic leadership into six metacompetencies that not only describe strategic leadership, but also provide aiming points for an integrated leader development system."

Maintaining Effective Deterrence Dr Colin S Gray Monograph by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute "The purpose of this monograph is to explore the state of deterrence now, and to see what can and should be saved from the wreckage of what once was the keystone in the arch of American strategic thought, policy, and strategy. To do this, the text begins by explaining how and why deterrence has fallen out of fashion. Next, it proceeds to detail the main elements in what fairly can be termed the current crisis of deterrence. Finally, the monograph outlines some practical measures, both quite general as well as specific to U.S. landpower, which should maximize the prospects for deterrence being all that it can be, admittedly in some truly demanding circumstances."

Perspectives from Argentina, Brazil, and Colombia: Hemispheric Security Dr Luiz Bitencourt, AMB Pedro Villagra Delgado, Maj Gen Henry Medina Uribe Monograph by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute "Return to democratic rule in the Southern Hemisphere since the early 1980s had many positive effects. Among them, that the principles espoused domestically by all of our societies started to be reflected in our foreign policies, particularly towards the other countries of the region. That produced a positive synergy to promote the values we shared."

Assessing the Impact of U.S.-Israeli Relations on the Arab World Dr Lenore G Martin Monograph by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute "In this important monograph, Dr. Lenore Martin of Emmanuel College addresses the challenge that U.S. policymakers face in managing relations with numerous regional allies, including Israel and a host of moderate Arab states. These states often maintain differing concerns and are responding to diverse domestic and international pressures when they seek to influence the United States. These regional concerns and interests are thoroughly analyzed throughout this monograph. Additionally, the special importance of the Palestinian question is well-represented, with nuances of regional opinion carefully reflected."

Socio-Economic Roots of Radicalism?: Towards Explaining the Appeal of Islamic Radicals Prof Alan Richards Monograph by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute "This monograph, by Dr. Alan Richards, addresses the critical questions involved in understanding and coping with the roots of Islamic radicalism. His work closely examines the links between radicalism and a series of crises associated with modernization in the Islamic World. The result is a thoughtful and probing study including policy recommendations for U.S. military and civilian decisionmakers that makes intelligible the complex subject of Islamic radicalism."

Why They Fight: Combat Motivation in the Iraq War COL Thomas A Kolditz, LTC Raymond A Millen, COL Terrence M Potter, Dr Leonard Wong Monograph by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute "Since World War II, studies have argued and conventional wisdom has claimed that soldiers fight for each other. Cohesion, or the bonds between soldiers, traditionally has been posited as the primary motivation for soldiers in combat. Recent studies, however, have questioned the effects of cohesion on unit performance. This monograph reviews the combat motivation literature and then analyzes findings from interviews conducted during the recent Iraq War."

Nationalism, Sectarianism, and the Future of the U.S. Presence in Post-Saddam Iraq Dr W Andrew Terrill Monograph by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute "This monograph, by Dr. W. Andrew Terrill, addresses the critical questions involved in understanding the background of Iraqi national identity and the ways in which it may evolve in the future to either the favor or detriment of the United States. The monograph also provides particular attention to the issue of Iraqi sectarianism and the emerging role of the Shi’ite Muslims, noting the power of an emerging but fractionalized clergy. The result is a thoughtful and probing report including policy recommendations for U.S. military and civilian decisionmakers that helps to illuminate the complex subjects of Iraqi nationalism and sectarianism and their relevance to the U.S. presence in Iraq."