After the 16th Party Congress: The Civil and the Military Mr Andy Gudgel Colloquium Brief by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute, The Heritage Foundation, and American Enterprise Institute "Over 50 experts in the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) gathered at Carlisle Barracks, Pennsylvania, from September 19-21, to attend the 2003 PLA Conference. Cosponsored by the U.S. Army War College, the Heritage Foundation, and the American Enterprise Institute, the conference was titled “After the 16th Party Congress: The Civil and the Military."

What should be Believed about Progress in Iraq? Prof John R Martin Op-Ed by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute "Reading the newspaper, watching the news or listening to it on the radio, one is led to believe that little or nothing is going right in Iraq. Headlines tell of the combat deaths of soldiers; Iraqis ungrateful and impatient for costly reconstruction efforts; and the failure to find Saddam, his weapons of mass destruction, or evidence of ties to al Qaeda. It seems that the 'quagmire' of 'another Vietnam' is just around the corner. At the opposite extreme are some of the reports coming from the Department of Defense. In an effort to counter the bad image generated from the news reports, they too often insist that all is going according to plan, and that the trends are in the right direction."

National Security Challenges for the 21st Century Dr Williamson Murray Book by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute "September 11, 2001 changed many things in the United States not the least of which was our national defense policy and military strategy. The challenges facing the defense establishment in the United States at the beginning of the 21st century are daunting indeed; however, the thoughtful essays included in this volume by students at the U.S. Army War College provide insights into those trials that will prove useful to policymakers both in and out of uniform."

National Security Challenges for the 21st Century Dr Williamson Murray Book by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute "September 11, 2001 changed many things in the United States not the least of which was our national defense policy and military strategy. The challenges facing the defense establishment in the United States at the beginning of the 21st century are daunting indeed; however, the thoughtful essays included in this volume by students at the U.S. Army War College provide insights into those trials that will prove useful to policymakers both in and out of uniform."

Building Regional Security Cooperation in the Western Hemisphere: Issues and Recommendations COL Wendy Fontela, Dr Mary Grizzard, Dr Max G Manwaring, Mr Dennis M Rempe Monograph by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute "Today’s Western Hemisphere strategic environment is unique. In stark contrast to many other parts of the world, countries in the Western Hemisphere are not threatened militarily by their neighbors. Twenty-five years ago, the vast majority of the governments in Latin America and the Caribbean were under either communist or autocratic rule. Today, every country in the hemisphere except one is a democracy. Democracy is the goal and the accepted model for government in the Western Hemisphere. This is significant because democracies tend to look out for the welfare of their people, seek positive relations with their neighbors, and, most importantly, do not make war against each other."

Army Professional Expertise and Jurisdictions COL Richard A Lacquement Jr Monograph by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute "Changes in the international security environment and in technology challenge leaders to defi ne the Army’s role for the future. Effective strategic leadership of the Army profession will be an essential component of successful transformation. To serve American society effectively, strategic leaders of the profession must define, prioritize, and limit the expert knowledge of the profession, clarify the jurisdictions within which this knowledge applies, and then develop professionals to apply this knowledge."

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..."

Keep the Reserves in the Fight COL James R Pullen Op-Ed by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute "This statement, attributed to GEN Creighton Abrams, Army Chief of Staff from October 12, 1972 to September 4, 1974, summarizes what has become known as the Abrams Doctrine. This has also been called the Laird-Abrams Doctrine, because it followed on the heels of the Total Force Policy announced in August 1970 by Secretary of Defense Melvin Laird. In the three decades since GEN Abrams’ tenure, the Army’s reserve components -- the Army Reserve and the Army National Guard -- transformed from neglected, demoralized and left-behind forces to ready units and soldiers that are acknowledged by Defense Department and Army leaders as essential to the Army’s ability to conduct operations."

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..."