Past Publications

The United States and Iraq's Shi'ite Clergy: Partners or Adversaries? Dr W Andrew Terrill Monograph by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute "The U.S. military presence in Iraq is currently in a transitional phase. Either the anti-U.S. insurgency will be brought under control and security will be provided to those forces involved in nation-building; or the insurgency will expand, and U.S. goals in Iraq will be undermined by increasing civil unrest. It is imperative that the former objective be accomplished while the later fate be avoided. To ensure this outcome, U.S. policymakers must understand the internal dynamics of Iraq, including the role of Iraq’s Shi’ite clerics."

Toward a New U.S. Strategy in Asia Dr Stephen J Blank Op-Ed by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute "Uzbekistan has announced that it will offer U.S. forces a base for operations in Afghanistan, and that it does not rule out the possibility of a permanent base if needed. The importance of this cannot be overestimated. Both Russia and China hoped America's incursion into Central Asia was temporary and would end when the terrorism threat abated. Instead, it appears the United States will remain a major player there, not only countering terrorism but also maintaining access to large energy deposits, preserving options for democratizing these states, and establishing a global power projection capability."

Strategic Deception in Modern Democracies: Ethical, Legal, and Policy Challenges Dr Antulio J Echevarria II, Dr Carolyn Pumphrey Colloquium Brief by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute, Triangle Institute for Security Studies "Some consensus exists regarding the definition of strategic deception—the intentional manipulation, distortion, or falsification of information to mislead an adversary. However, significant ethical, legal, and political questions persist concerning the conditions under which modern democracies should apply it"

Checking Iran's Nuclear Ambitions Mr Patrick Clawson, Mr Henry D Sokolski Book by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute, commissioned by Nonproliferation Policy Education Center (NPEC) "Considering the latest Iranian nuclear developments, one might question whether a study now on how best to restrain Tehran is simply one that’s come too late. To be sure, estimates vary as to when Iran could build its fi rst bomb. Some believe Tehran could do it before the end of 2005; others think Iran would only be able to do so by the end of the decade. In either case, though, the die seems cast: If Iran wants, it has all that it needs eventually to build a bomb on its own. Certainly, trying to deny Iran further nuclear technology in the hopes that this will prevent it from getting nuclear weapons is no longer a credible strategy."

Paths Diverging? The Next Decade in the U.S.-Japan Security Alliance LTC William E Rapp Monograph by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute "Currently, optimism reigns among managers on both sides of the U.S.-Japan alliance for many reasons, not least of which is the Japanese support for the global war on terror. The Japanese are emerging from 5 decades of military minimalism and dependency and beginning to have serious debates about their role in the world and the efficacy of military power. This internal debate, however, has significant external ramifications for Northeast Asia and the United States. A decade ago, Henry Kissinger wrote that 'the new world order, with its multiplicity of challenges, will almost certainly oblige a country [Japan] with so proud of a past to reexamine its reliance on a single ally.' "

An American Way of War or a Way of Battle? Dr Antulio J Echevarria II Op-Ed by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute "Serious study of the American approach to waging war began in the early 1970s with the publication of Russell Weigley’s The American Way of War: A History of U.S. Military Strategy and Policy. Examining how war was thought about and practiced by key U.S. military and political figures from George Washington to Robert McNamara, Weigley concluded that, except in the early days of the nation’s existence, the American way of war centered on the desire to achieve a “crushing” military victory—either through a strategy of attrition or one of annihilation—over an adversary."

Security Transformation Dr Steven Metz Colloquium Brief by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute, The Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University, The Eisenhower Conference Series "For the past 5 years, the United States has sought to transform its defense capabilities to reflect ongoing changes in technology, management techniques, the American political and economic landscapes, and the global security environment. The terrorist attacks of September 2001 and the ensuing Global War on Terrorism provided stark and tragic reminders of the need for such an adjustment. With American military forces engaged around the world in both combat and stabilization operations, the need for rigorous and critical analysis of security transformation has never been greater."

Insurgency in Nepal Dr Thomas A Marks Monograph by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute "A decade has passed since the end of the Cold War, and insurgency remains a major factor on the world scene. Whether driven by separatism, religious alienation, or ideological desire to restructure the state, insurgents are as active now as in the earlier Cold War era of state support. Indeed, forced to rely more upon their own devices, insurgencies have posed increasingly complex problems for the globe’s numerous weak states which fi nd themselves challenged by a growing array of development and population issues."

The Future of the Australian-U.S. Security Relationship Dr Rod Lyon, Prof William T Tow Monograph by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute "Australia is an increasingly important ally for the United States. It is willing to be part of challenging global missions, and its strong economy and growing self-confidence suggest a more prominent role in both global and regional affairs. Moreover, its government has worked hard to strengthen the link between Canberra and Washington. Political and strategic affinities between the two countries have been reflected in--and complemented by--practiced military interoperability, as the two allies have sustained a pattern of security cooperation in relation to East Timor, Afghanistan and Iraq in the last 4 years."