Monographs

U.S. Military Presence in the Persian Gulf: Challenges and Prospects Dr Sami G Hajjar Monograph by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute "The author of this monograph, Dr. Sami Hajjar, considers the critical questions of U.S. military presence in the Gulf, the challenges it faces, and the prospects that lay ahead. He relies, in his presentation and analysis, on a variety of regional sources including newspaper reports and personal interviews conducted in the United States and the Gulf region, as well as on government and academic sources. The result is a comprehensive study, including policy recommendations for U.S. military and civilian decisionmakers, that makes intelligible the complex subject of U.S.-Gulf relations."

Colombian Army Adaptation to FARC Insurgency Dr Thomas A Marks Monograph by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute "This monograph addresses the Colombian Army’s adaptation to the insurgency in that country. It outlines the FARC (Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia) threat to the control of the national territory and how the insurgents intend to achieve that objective. Then, the author analyzes the measures the Colombian Army has taken to counter the threat. He concludes that no one in the Colombian political establishment is directing the counterinsurgency war, and that the Army has been left to conduct the fight by itself. Recommendations range from the strategic to the operational levels. They argue the need for (1) a coordinated and integrated national campaign plan; (2) cogent and enforceable emergency laws and regulations; (3) enhanced information warfare; and, (4) an enhanced operational flexibility."

The Intervention Debate: Towards a Posture of Principled Judgment Dr John Garofano Monograph by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute "Deciding when and how to use force is one of the central elements of strategy. Throughout American history, debate has raged over whether force is appropriate only in defense of the homeland and vital national interests or whether it should also be used to promote more expansive objectives like regional security and stopping humanitarian disasters in regions with few tangible U.S. interests."

The Transatlantic Security Agenda: A Conference Report and Analysis Dr Stephen J Blank Monograph by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute "Immediately after the terrorist attacks on the Pentagon and World Trade Center, NATO members unanimously voted their support for the United States under Article V of the Washington Treaty. This unprecedented action, the first time such a vote has occurred in NATO’s history, underscores the vitality of the Atlantic Alliance and its tremendous strategic value for its members. This vote conferred great legitimacy upon any response that the United States will make to those attacks and reminded us that the solidity of NATO allows the United States to defend its interests on the world stage with great confidence about European security."

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."