Carlisle Papers

Insanity: Four Decades of U.S. Counterdrug Strategy

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In the 4 decades since President Richard Nixon first declared war on drugs, the U.S. counterdrug strategy has remained virtually unchanged—favoring supply-reduction, law enforcement and criminal sanctions over demand-reduction, treatment, and education. While the annual counterdrug budget has ballooned from…

Finding “The Right Way”: Toward an Army Institutional Ethic

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The ethical lapses exemplified by Abu Ghraib, Mahmudiyah (Blackhearts), and Maywand (5/2 Stryker) are distressing symptoms of an even bigger, and a potentially devastating cultural shortcoming. The U.S. Army profession lacks an institutional ethical framework and a means of peer-to-peer…

End Game Strategies: Winning the Peace

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This monograph analyzes the occupation of Germany after World War II and the occupation of Iraq after major combat operations in Operation IRAQI FREEDOM to understand the similarities between the two operations and to highlight the lessons learned from both.…

The Changing Face of Afghanistan, 2001-08

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Based on the reporting of major American news media, one could have drawn the conclusion that the Bush administration had paid little attention to Afghanistan or that its strategy focused mainly on military operations in the country. This conclusion would…

An Evaluation of Counterinsurgency as a Strategy for Fighting the Long War

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Counterterrorism, support to insurgency, and antiterrorism are each both efficient and sustainable from a military and economic perspective, and each have inherent political concerns, hazards, or constraints. The author maintains that an overall strategy combining counterterrorism and antiterrorism is the…

The Role of Religion in National Security Policy Since 9/11

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The United States has struggled to find a framework to integrate religion into the post-September 11, 2001 (9/11) discussion of national security. Islam has been the central focus, with both the 9/11 terrorists and many of America’s partners in overseas…