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."

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.' "

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."

The Trajectory of Security Transformation Dr Steven Metz Op-Ed by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute "For a decade now, a historic revolution in military affairs has unfolded, driven largely by technological developments. Within the U. S. military, immense effort has been expended to understand this revolution and harness it into security transformation. A network of organizations, institutions, and individual experts emerged to shape and energize this process. The result has been the most rigorous and sustained security transformation in human history."

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."

Bounding the Global War on Terrorism Dr Jeffrey Record Monograph by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute "Dr. Jeffrey Record examines three features of the war on terrorism as currently defined and conducted: (1) the administration’s postulation of the terrorist threat, (2) the scope and feasibility of U.S. war aims, and (3) the war’s political, fiscal, and military sustainability. He finds that the war on terrorism—as opposed to the campaign against al-Qaeda—lacks strategic clarity, embraces unrealistic objectives, and may not be sustainable over the long haul. He calls for down-sizing the scope of the war on terrorism to reflect concrete U.S. security interests and the limits of American military power."

Expanding the Use of State Defense Forces in Homeland Defense Missions LTC Brent C Bankus Op-Ed by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute "Current high operational tempo of the active force and the federalized reserves makes it difficult to find adequate numbers of forces to accomplish the many homeland defense missions. As planners attempt to apply the right forces to the proper mission, they need to consider State Defense Forces (SDFs). Planners may be unaware of these forces’ existence; however, they represent an important source of capable manpower to apply within the borders of the various states in the Global War on Terrorism."