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• Fourth-Generation War and Other Myths

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  "Fourth Generation War (4GW) emerged in the last 1980s, but has become popular due to recent twists in the war in Iraq and terrorist attacks worldwide. Despite reinventing itself several times, the theory has several fundamental flaws that need to be exposed before they can cause harm to U.S. operational and strategic thinking. A critique of 4GW is both fortuitous and important because it also provides us an opportunity to attack other unfounded assumptions that could influence U.S. strategy and military doctrine. In brief, the theory holds that warfare has evolved through four generations: 1) the use of massed manpower, 2) firepower, 3) maneuver, and now 4) an evolved form of insurgency that employs all available networks - political, economic, social, military - to convince an opponent's decision makers that their strategic goals are either unachievable or too costly." The author discusses and debunks the theoretical underpinnings of Fourth Generation War through all its 'incarnations'. This document examines the history of the theory, from its start in the 1980s to the 1990s with 'nontrinitarian war', to the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001. The myths of 'Westphalia' and 'Blitzkrieg' are also explored in detail.

  Army War College (U.S.). Strategic Studies Institute

  Echevarria, Antulio Joseph, 1959-

  2005-11
• Castro's Cuba: Quo Vadis

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  "This paper serves multiple purposes, the most important of which is contributing to the depth of knowledge about Castro's Cuba and Cuba's Fidel in a time of transition. Evidence supporting the analysis and conclusions is derived from open sources. Interest and concern about the unfolding Cuban reality increased after Fidel Castro provisionally delegated his presidential powers to his brother, Raul, on July 31, 2006, allegedly due to a life-threatening illness. Images of Castro collapsing while making a speech in 2003, falling on stage and breaking his left knee and right arm in 2004, or scoffing at reports by the Central Intelligence Agency in 2005 that he suffered from Parkinson's disease while clearly favoring a limp arm have been flashing on television screens for several years. This monograph examines alternative scenarios in the twilight of Fidel Castro and in a post-Castro Cuba. They constitute a triad of outcomes; namely, a violent regime change, a peaceful transition to democracy, or a dynastic succession. Regime change is a possibility since Cuba is one of Freedom House's two not-free countries in the Americas and a state sponsor of terrorism. However, after 47 years of one man rule, a violent overthrow of the Communist dictatorship is highly unlikely. There is no organized armed opposition within Cuba, and the repressive state machinery operates effectively against real or potential enemies. The Cuban armed forces (FAR) remain loyal after having been purged, and are tightly controlled by Raul. In addition, on August 6, Secretary of State Condolezza Rice publicly stated that the Bush administration had no intention to invade Cuba."

  Army War College (U.S.). Strategic Studies Institute

  Wong-Diaz, Francisco

  2006-12
• From the New Middle Ages to a New Dark Age: The Decline of the State and U.S. Strategy

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  "National security policymakers are continuously challenged to ensure that the judgments and assumptions underlying policy, force posture, and provision are congruent with the international environment and the role the United States is playing within it. This has become problematic in the 21st century security environment characterized by complexity, connectivity, and rapid change. This analysis offers key insights into what is a shifting security environment and considers how the United States can best respond to it. Dr. Phil Williams argues that we have passed the zenith of the Westphalian state, which is now in long-term decline, and are already in what several observers have termed the New Middle Ages, characterized by disorder but not chaos. Dr. Williams suggests that both the relative and absolute decline in state power will not only continue but will accelerate, taking us into a New Dark Age where the forces of chaos could prove overwhelming. He argues that failed states are not an aberration but an indication of intensifying disorder, and suggests that the intersection of problems such as transnational organized crime, terrorism, and pandemics could intersect and easily create a tipping point from disorder into chaos. Dr. Williams suggests that analysts and policymakers are reluctant to acknowledge the pace and scope of state decline. He argues that continued assumptions about the central role and vitality of states-a phenomenon he terms 'stateocentrism'-blinds us to emerging challenges. The exception is the Joint Operational Environment, which offers critically important insights into emerging challenges."

  Army War College (U.S.). Strategic Studies Institute

  Williams, Phil

  2008-06
• U.S. Army War College Guide to National Security Issues, Volume II: National Security Policy and Strategy, 3rd Edition

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  This is volume II of the U.S. Army War College's latest Guide to National Security Policy and Strategy. "This edition of the Guide is in two volumes that correspond roughly to the two core courses that the Department of National Security and Strategy (DNSS) teaches: 'Theory of War and Strategy' and 'National Security Policy and Strategy.' Like its predecessors, this edition is largely an expansion of the existing materials, although over 40 percent is new, and the previously published chapters have been updated as necessary. The authors, with one exception all current or former members of the faculty, represent each of the four primary teaching departments of the college. The exception is the inclusion this year of a chapter on space power by a recent graduate-the chapter was his research project while a student. The appendix on the USAWC strategy formulation model in the second volume reflects the alterations in that fundamental document made for the 2008 academic year (2007-08). Although DNSS uses several of the chapters in this volume as readings for its core courses, and at least one other department uses chapters in its core instruction, this is not a textbook. It does reflect, however, both the method and manner we use to teach the theory of war and the formulation of national security strategy to America's future senior leaders. As we continue to refine and update the Guide, we intend to increase course-oriented essays, and several of the new chapters were written specifically to support instruction. The book is also not a comprehensive or exhaustive treatment of either the theory of war, strategy, or the policymaking process. The Guide is organized in broad clusters of chapters addressing general subject areas."

  Army War College (U.S.). Strategic Studies Institute

  Bartholomees, J. Boone, 1947-

  2008-06
• National Security Strategy: Documenting Strategic Vision

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  "The issue addressed in the following paper is whether it is wise in the future to attempt anything more than broad and episodic planning as a part of the formulation of strategy at this level. The art of devising and articulating strategy is that of combining the various elements of power and relating them to the desired end. But in the final analysis, people of goodwill and intelligence will have to place national interests above political, personal, or even organizational concerns if the United States is to be served well by a coherent and appropriate strategy. […] The Goldwater-Nichols Department of Defense Reorganization Act of 1986 requires the President annually to submit an articulation of national grand strategy. There have been six such reports published, two during the second Reagan administration (1987 and 1988), three by the Bush administration (1990, 1991 and 1993), and one by the Clinton administration in July 1994. Several conclusions about the formulation of American national security strategy can be drawn from the way in which these reports were developed. Perhaps most importantly is the notion that today there is no consensus as to an appropriate grand strategy for the United States. Second, the executive branch traditionally does not conduct long-range planning in a substantive or systematic manner. Third, what the executive branch does do is episodic planning for particular events as they rise to prominence."

  Army War College (U.S.). Strategic Studies Institute

  Snider, Don M., 1940-

  1995-03-15
• Role of Armed Forces in the Americas: Civil-Military Relations for the 21st Century

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  "In November 1997, the United States Army War College joined with the U.S. Southern Command, the Inter-American Defense Board, the National Guard Bureau, and the Latin American Consortium of the University of New Mexico and New Mexico State University to cosponsor a conference entitled 'The Role of the Armed Forces in the Americas: Civil-Military Relations for the 21st Century'. The meeting was held from 3 to 6 November in Santa Fé, New Mexico, and was hosted by the New Mexico National Guard. The conference brought together over 150 prominent civilian governmental and military leaders and some of the most noted scholars from throughout the Americas. It was designed to support the Commander-in-Chief, U.S. Southern Command's objectives of strengthening democratic institutions, assisting nations in eliminating threats to their security, supporting economic and social progress, and enhancing military professionalism. In addition, the meeting sought to promote the Army Chief of Staff's goals of conflict prevention through peacetime engagement, strategic outreach to organizations and institutions outside the Department of Defense, and the enhancement of Active and Reserve component integration. Included in this publication are the papers and speeches delivered at the conference, rapporteurs, synopses of the working group discussions and an analysis, with recommendations, of the implications for civil-military relations and U.S. policy. These presentations, the level and scope of participation, the candor of the dialogue, the outstanding support provided by our cosponsors, and the charming atmosphere of Santa Fé all contributed to making the meeting a success."

  Army War College (U.S.). Strategic Studies Institute

  Schulz, Donald E., 1942-

  1998-04
• ASEAN Regional Forum: Asian Security Without an American Umbrella

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  "The United States is an Asian power, but its role and credibility lack clear definition in the minds of many Asian leaders. Some mistrust the United States, thinking it harbors chiefly economic, even 'imperialist,' motives. Others have little faith in U.S. commitments, recalling our about-face in Vietnam. U.S. Asian policy today is a curious blend of seemingly firm bilateral commitments and occasionally startling ambiguities. The latter, while preserving American flexibility, run the risk of signalling weakness when friends and potential adversaries probe for clarity of purpose. This American 'inscrutability' in Asia is all the more troubling in a region lacking a strong web of multilateral institutions, as exists across the North Atlantic. Indeed, if the United States is to maintain regional stability in Asia, Colonel Larry Wortzel, the U.S. Army attache in Beijing, argues, it must make multilateral dialogues like the Association of Southeast Asian Nations Regional Forum a major tenet of its Asian policy. The problems that need to be addressed by the United States in conjunction with its Asian friends, allies and potential foes-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, ethnic conflict, territorial issues, trade relations, and the future of democracy throughout the region-are every bit as important to U.S. security in the Asian context as they are in Europe, where they receive intensive, continuous, multilateral scrutiny. Therein lies the value of Colonel Wortzel's monograph. It calls our attention to the nascent ASEAN Regional Forum and causes us to consider its potential to enable a highly diverse group of nations to enhance their mutual understanding, stability, and security as they enter the 21st century."

  Army War College (U.S.). Strategic Studies Institute

  Wortzel, Larry M.

  1996-12-13
• Pacific Security Today: Overcoming the Hurdles

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  "The Asia-Pacific region is endowed with a wide variety of unique cultures, diverse languages, multifaceted religions, and complex political systems. Each of these elements has an impact on foreign and security relations in the region, thereby underscoring the need to use open dialogue as a tool for assessing and addressing the intricacies of Asia-Pacific security issues. The cosponsors believe that the conference achieved its intended objectives. Most importantly, it opened channels of communication for the exchange of ideas and viewpoints that can help those involved in the Asia-Pacific security arena more fully understand the complex issues before them. Furthermore, this conference set the foundation for future meetings, which will tackle such topical issues as the aftermath of the Asian economic crisis and U.S.-Chinese cooperation in the Pacific. Future conferences will also include additional representatives from the Pacific Rim. Herewith, SAIC and the U.S. Army War College are pleased to submit a summary of the proceedings of the November 1998 Annual Conference on Pacific Security Today."

  Army War College (U.S.). Strategic Studies Institute

  1999-03-24
• Interagency and Counterinsurgency Warfare: Stability, Security, Transition, and Reconstruction Roles

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  "The contemporary challenges underpinning interagency cooperation within the U.S. Government are not entirely new. For decades since the formation of the defense establishment under the 1947 National Security Act, U.S. cabinet departments, national security agencies, and military services-all those involved in providing for the common defense-have struggled to overcome differences in policy and strategy formulation, organizational cultures, and even basic terminology. This new century's post-September 11, 2001 (9/11), international system and security environment have placed additional strains on the U.S. Government's interagency processes. U.S. military campaigns in Afghanistan, Iraq, and the greater Global War on Terrorism have confronted civilian policymakers and senior military officers with a complex, fluid battlefield which demands kinetic and counterinsurgency capabilities. This monograph addresses the security, stability, transition, and reconstruction missions that place the most pressure on interagency communication and coordination. The results from Kabul to Baghdad reveal that the interagency process is in need of reform and that a more robust effort to integrate and align civilian and military elements is a prerequisite for success. While the present volume represents a significant effort towards addressing the current interagency problems, much more discussion is required. The baseline goals of this partnership effort between the Bush School and the Strategic Studies Institute are to generate knowledgeable interaction and chart a way forward for government, private sector, and academic actors to reexamine interagency reform as a precondition for achieving real change. Such an initiative could not be more relevant or time sensitive."

  Army War College (U.S.). Strategic Studies Institute

  Cerami, Joseph R.

  2007-12
• Developing Strategic Leaders for the 21st Century

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  "The government that is supposed to protect us has also felt the winds of change. The requirement for interagency decisionmaking has accelerated, demands for greater policy flexibility have increased, and a process that was largely confined to a few agencies of the Federal government now involves a multitude of new players and allied states. Clearly, the sad and apparently unexpected aftermath of the Iraq War underscores the critical need for significant changes in the planning of military operations, preparation for post-conflict requirements, and oversight of their execution. This monograph will examine the development of career civilian leaders for strategic decisionmaking in the national security policy process. Such development must include the recruitment of high-quality personnel, experiential learning through a series of positions of increasing responsibility, training for specific tasks or missions, and continuous education that considers both policy and process. Consequently, it requires people who are not only substantively qualified and knowledgeable of policy issues, but also possessed of the leadership abilities to direct large complex organizations."

  Army War College (U.S.). Strategic Studies Institute

  McCausland, Jeffrey D.

  2008-02-08
• Strategic Logic of the Contemporary Security Dilemm

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  "This monograph provides a brief examination of: 1) the relatively recent evolution of international conventions and declarations that contribute directly to the contemporary diplomatic-legal definition of security; 2) salient scholarly thinking relating to political-diplomatic-legal principles that have become integral parts of the United Nations (and various other international efforts to confront threats to citizen and collective security and human well-being); and, 3) selected post-Cold War military responses to hegemonic non-state actors. The security dilemma, then, is more than a question of determining what aggression is and what aggression is not. Rather, it is now a question of: Why, when, and how to intervene to protect people and prevent egregious human suffering. This question, in turn, encompasses more than a redefinition of security. It is nothing less than a redefinition of sovereignty. Sovereignty was, in the past, the control of territory and the people in it. Sovereignty is now the responsibility to protect peoples' well-being in a given territory."

  Army War College (U.S.). Strategic Studies Institute

  Manwaring, Max G.

  2011-12
• Falling Behind: International Scrutiny of the Peaceful Atom

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  "Ask how effective International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) nuclear safeguards are in blocking proliferation, and you are sure to get a set of predictable reactions. Those skeptical of the system will complain that IAEA inspections are too sketchy to ferret out nuclear misbehavior (e.g., North Korea, Iraq, and Iran) and that in the rare cases when such violators are found out (almost always by national intelligence agencies), the IAEA's board of governors is loath to act. IAEA supporters have a rather opposite view. The IAEA, they point out, actually found Pyongyang, Baghdad, and Tehran in non-compliance with their IAEA safeguards agreements and reported this to the United Nations (UN) Security Council. International inspectors, moreover, were the only ones correctly to assess the status of Saddam's strategic weapons programs. The problem is not to be found in Vienna or in the IAEA's inspections system but in Washington's unwillingness to listen. In the future, the United States, they argue, should rely more, not less, on the IAEA to sort out Iran's nuclear activities and to disable North Korea's nuclear weapons complex. These two views could hardly be more opposed. There is at least one point, though, upon which both sides agree: If possible, it would be useful to enhance the IAEA's ability to detect and prevent nuclear diversions. This would not only reduce the current risk of nuclear proliferation, it would make the further expansion of nuclear power much less risky. The question is what is possible? To date, little has been attempted to answer this basic question."

  Army War College (U.S.). Strategic Studies Institute

  Sokolski, Henry D.

  2008-02
• Drug Intoxicated Irregular Fighters: Complications, Dangers, and Responses

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  "The complexity of many ongoing and persistent conflicts in the post-Cold War is partially attributed to the widespread presence of drug intoxicated irregular fighters. Drug consumption in contemporary wars has coincided with the use of child soldiers, has led to increased unpredictability among irregular fighters, provided the conditions for the breakdown of social controls and commission of atrocities, and caused the lessening of command and control among the ranks. Although the nonmedical use of drugs by combatants has a long history, recent encounters of professional armed forces have demonstrated the need to reinvestigate the reasons irregular combatants consume drugs, the type of drugs they consume, how they acquire drugs, and the consequences for professional militaries. Intoxication among combatants continues to be a part of today's conflicts and occurs in minimal, acute, and unrestrained degrees. The perceived benefits felt by combatants consuming illegal narcotics on the battlefield have few pressures to constrain them. Pressures like social norms, legal controls, expense, and availability, along with individual fears of addiction, toxicity, and concerns about the lack of knowledge about a drug and supervision of its use are often mitigated by the nature of contemporary wars which tear down each of these by focusing attacks on the institutions and people who comprise them. However, drug use and abuse in wartime still depend on the law of supply and demand which is distorted due to the type of consumer (a person engaged in armed violence) and the areas (zones of conflict) where a drug is available."

  Army War College (U.S.). Strategic Studies Institute

  Kan, Paul Rexton

  2008-03-12
• Evolution of U.S.-Turkish Relations in a Transatlantic Context: Colloquium Report

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  "Since World War II, the relationship between Turkey and the United States has been characterized by complexity and flux; there have been periods of remarkable cooperation, even when significant disagreements existed. Relations between the two countries are never merely bilateral, for the two are also linked to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and the European Union (EU). The relationship between those two organizations is also complicated because of differing core purposes and somewhat differing memberships. Current Turkey-U.S. diplomatic and military relations are more strained than in recent years, but both countries recognize how vital it is to address issues of mutual importance. In mid-2007 the Atlantic Council, Strategic Studies Institute, and German Marshall Fund of the United States jointly organized a conference to discuss the current state of U.S.-Turkish-EU ties and to consider how those relations might be repaired and enhanced. Participants included an impressive collection of diplomats, academics, and policy analysts with extensive knowledge and relevant experience. This conference report provides an overview of the enduring issues that must be addressed if Turkey-U.S. relations are to move beyond current roadblocks and begin to realize their full potential. Since the conference that served as the basis of this report took place, the political environment in Turkey has changed, and several of the issues, such as the use of Iraq as a staging area by Kurdish insurgents, have continued to evolve. Such dynamics reveal the importance of the ideas surfaced in each of the conference presentations and the need to continue addressing the issues identified."

  Army War College (U.S.). Strategic Studies Institute

  Burwell, Frances G. (Frances Gale)

  2008-04
• Precision in the Global War on Terror: Inciting Muslims Through the War of Ideas

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  "This monograph questions the messages conveyed to Muslims about their religion and extremism in the war of ideas. Why do American strategic messages on this issue play so badly in the region? Why, despite broad Muslim disapproval of extremism as shown in surveys and official utterances by key Muslim leaders, has support for bin Ladin actually increased in Jordan and in Pakistan since some polling suggests bin Ladin's approval in Jordan suffered a great deal after the hotel bombings? A reason that the United States is winning so few 'hearts and minds' in the broader Islamic world is confusion and imprecision in American strategic messages. The grand strategy of defining, isolating, and destroying Islamism or radical Islamism may not be possible if America does not proceed more carefully, and listen to what its allies think, know, and feel about their faith. This monograph will not revisit the origins of Islamist violence. It is instead concerned with conceptual failure that wrongly constructs the War on Terror and discourages Muslims from supporting it. They are unable to identify with the proposed transformative countermeasures because they discern some of their core beliefs and institutions as targets in this endeavor."

  Army War College (U.S.). Strategic Studies Institute

  Zuhur, Sherifa

  2008-04
• United States Army College Guide to National Security Issues, Volume II: National Security Policy and Strategy, 5th Edition

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  From the Strategic Studies Institute website: "This edition of the U.S. Army War College Guide to National Security Issues continues to reflect the structure and approach of the core national security strategy and policy curriculum at the U.S. Army War College. The 5th Edition is published in two volumes that correspond roughly to the Department of National Security and Strategy's core courses: 'Theory of War and Strategy' and 'National Security Policy and Strategy.' Like previous editions, this one is based on its predecessor, but contains both updates and new scholarship. Over a third of the chapters are new or have undergone significant rewrites. Many chapters, some of which appeared for years in this work, have been removed. Nevertheless, the book remains unchanged in intent and purpose. Although this is not primarily a textbook, it does reflect both the method and manner that the U.S. Army War College uses to teach strategy formulation to America's future senior leaders. The book is not a comprehensive or exhaustive treatment of either strategic theory or the policymaking process. Both volumes are organized to proceed from the general to the specific. Thus, the first volume opens with general thoughts on the nature and theory of war and strategy, proceeds to look at the complex aspect of power, and concludes with specific theoretical issues. Similarly, the second volume begins by examining the policy/strategy process, moves to a look at the strategic environment, and concludes with some specific issues. This edition continues the effort begun in the 4th Edition to include several short case studies to illustrate the primary material in the volume."

  Army War College (U.S.). Strategic Studies Institute

  Bartholomees, J. Boone, 1947-

  2012-06
• Culture, Identity, and Information Technology in the 21st Century: Implications for U.S. National Security

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  "This monograph describes strategic trends in cultural change and identity formation in the 21st century. While it is impossible to predict credibly the values and beliefs of future generations, the first part of the monograph provides a modest forecast by tracing global trends in the use of language and media, as well as in the use of information and communication technologies. The second part then draws out potential implications of these culture and identity trends for the strength of the U.S. 'signal' in the global info-communication sphere. The analysis by Dr. Pauline Kusiak suggests that in the next several decades, the world is likely to be more ideologically fragmented than at any time during the 20th century and that the ability of the United States to push back against other 'centers of influence' may be comparatively reduced. At the same time, existing legal frameworks, bureaucratic methods, and strategic communication techniques are likely to be greatly strained by the emergent norms of a future saturated by information and communication technologies. Ultimately, Dr. Kusiak suggests that in the information-dominated 21st century, the beliefs and values of foreign societies may increasingly and more directly impact our own national security, making it ever more critical for policymakers to understand issues of cultural change and identity formation from a strategic perspective."

  Army War College (U.S.). Strategic Studies Institute

  Kusiak, Pauline

  2012-08
• Transnational Organized Crime, Terrorism, and Criminalized States in Latin America: An Emerging Tier-One National Security Priority

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  "This monograph synthesizes research on such criminalized states in Latin America. It documents how, through the growing alliance with Iran and other external actors, these governments have developed a clearly articulated view hostile to the United States. That view also adopts a military doctrine of asymmetric warfare that embraces the use of weapons of mass destruction. The associated doctrine is further underpinned by a small group of intellectuals who articulate a need for radical Shi'a Islam and the armed, revolutionary Left to unite in order to defeat the United States--a message that has been welcomed by Bolivarian states. Taken together, the emergence of criminalized, strongly anti-American governments in the Western Hemisphere, in alliance with Iran and other states who sponsor terrorist organizations and consider the United States to be the Great Satan, now represent a tier-one threat to the security of the U.S. Homeland. This monograph offers a template for examining similar developments in other parts of the world, as well as recommendations on how to begin to confront the emerging threat. The first step in the long process of dealing with a multifaceted set of enemies with unlimited resources is to understand the nature of that threat."

  Army War College (U.S.). Strategic Studies Institute

  Farah, Douglas

  2012-08
• Forging a New National Military Strategy in a Post-Cold War World: A Perspective from the Joint Staff

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  "This report concerns the role of process and people in the making of the U.S. National Military Strategy in the immediate aftermath of the cold war. Although the title suggests that the perspective is from the Joint Staff, the view is really of a Joint Staff officer who has observed and participated in the forging of that strategy. Hence this is a personal account, with all of the biases and prejudices familiar to such endeavors. The report consists of two parts. The first examines the new military strategy as a major departure from previous cold war military strategies in the calculations of ways and means. The second compares and contrasts the way military strategy was supposed to be made, and the manner in which the major participants really developed it. In this latter part, the author concludes that people and not process were more important in the forging of the new strategy. He further proposes that strategic formulation is more art than science, more judgment than fact. He also makes some observations on the impact of the Goldwater-Nichols Act on strategic formulation, and stresses the importance of the Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff (CJCS) in the process. The main theme is that strategic vision is vital to formulating strategies."

  Army War College (U.S.). Strategic Studies Institute

  Rothmann, Harry E.

  1992-02-26
• Military Strategy of Global Jihad

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  "America entered the Global War on Terrorism with little understanding of the enemy it faced. Al-Qaeda plays a leading role in the larger movement of global jihad, a splinter faction of militant Islamism intent on establishing its vision of strict Islamic rule in the Muslim world through armed action. Global jihadis have spent more than 40 years refining their philosophy, gaining experience, building their organization, and developing plans to reestablish what they see as the only true Islamic state on earth. The September 11, 2001 (9/11), attacks set this plan in motion. In the years leading up to and following the 9/11 attacks, global jihadis have written copiously on their military strategy for creating an Islamic state. This paper draws on those writings to examine and explain the mechanisms by which they plan to neutralize the superpower guardian of world order, claim land and peoples for Islamic emirates out of the resulting chaos, and bring these emirates together to become a true Islamic state. Their writings also expose weaknesses in their strategy, and this paper explores some of those potential vulnerabilities as well."

  Army War College (U.S.). Strategic Studies Institute

  Zabel, Sarah E.

  2007-10
• Concept at the Crossroads: Rethinking the Center of Gravity

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  "Since the 1980s, the U.S. military has placed great emphasis on the theories and concepts of Clausewitz. Concomitantly, a tremendous emphasis has been placed in doctrine on the center of gravity (COG) as a central element of campaign planning. The doctrinal definitions of the COG are still imperfect, but the concept arguably serves as an effective tool for focusing military effort to win decisively in major operations or campaigns. Although the American military performs brilliantly in decisive operations, the difficulties it has faced in Iraq and Afghanistan suggest that a doctrinal renaissance is in order. This paper examines the potential for employing the COG concept in areas beyond the realm of decisive operations. After examining the concept's evolution, present doctrinal manifestations, and some previous proposals for future employment, the author opines that the COG's role in American military thinking is flawed and must be reconsidered entirely. To that end, three options are offered for evolving the COG, with a specific recommendation that it would be most effective if removed from doctrine and considered as an abstract concept, rather than a practical one."

  Army War College (U.S.). Strategic Studies Institute

  Janiczek, Rudolph M.

  2007-10
• Regional Threats and Security Strategy: The Troubling Case of Today's Middle East

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  "Like the Arab-Israeli Six-Day War of 1967, the U.S. invasion of Iraq is fundamentally reordering regional politics and security in ways that will be felt for a generation, if not longer. The Pandora's Box opened by the United States in Iraq adds a new level of unwelcome complexity to an already strained regional fabric. Threats to regional security stem from global, interstate, and intrastate sources. The complicated, multidimensional, and interrelated natures of these threats suggest that the United States must reassess strategy and policy if it is to protect and further its regional interests. The objective of this monograph is threefold: to deconstruct the threats to regional security and stability in the aftermath of the Iraq invasion; determine whether U.S. strategy is tailored to the threat environment; and suggest steps that can be taken to bring strategy and the environment into closer alignment. Such a process runs counter to the current defense planning methodology paradigm used by the Defense Department. Both the 2006 Quadrennial Defense Review and its predecessor released just after the September 11, 2001 (9/11) attacks called for the divorce of U.S. strategy and defense planning from specific regional threats and contingencies. Instead, the planning documents called for the development of 'capabilities portfolios' to enable U.S. military forces to fight in a series of different operational environments: irregular warfare against nonstate actors, traditional interstate warfare, catastrophic attacks using weapons of mass destruction, and disruptive attacks from adversaries using cyber-warfare or other advanced technologies."

  Army War College (U.S.). Strategic Studies Institute

  Russell, James A. (James Avery), 1958-

  2007-11
• AFRICOM'S Dilemma: The 'Global War on Terrorism,' 'Capacity Building,' Humanitarianism, and the Future of U.S. Security Policy in Africa

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  "The February 2007 decision to launch a new Department of Defense Unified Combatant Command for Africa (AFRICOM) has already been met with significant controversy both in the United States and abroad. AFRICOM's proponents claim that the new command accurately reflects Africa's growing strategic importance and an enlightened U.S. foreign policy focused on supporting 'African solutions to African problems.' Its critics allege that the command demonstrates a self-serving American policy focused on fighting terrorism, securing the Africa's burgeoning energy stocks, and countering Chinese influence. To overcome such misgivings, AFRICOM must demonstrate a commitment to programs mutually beneficial to both African and American national interests. Yet a shrewd strategic communication campaign will not be enough to convince a skeptical African public that AFRICOM's priorities mirror their own. Indeed, much African distrust is justified. Since September 11, 2001 (9/11), the Department of Defense's (DoD) most significant endeavors in Africa have been undertaken in pursuit of narrowly conceived goals related to the Global War on Terrorism (GWOT). Operations in North and East Africa, though couched in a larger framework of development, long-term counterinsurgency, and a campaign to win 'hearts and minds,' have nonetheless relied on offensive military operations focused on short-term objectives. Though often tactically successful, these efforts-against Algerian insurgents in North Africa and an assortment of Islamists in Somalia-have neither benefited American security interests nor stabilized events in their respective regions. This failure is ascribable in part to the flawed assumptions on which the GWOT in Africa has rested."

  Army War College (U.S.). Strategic Studies Institute

  Berschinski, Robert G.

  2007-11
• On the Uses of Cultural Knowledge

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  "The aim of this monograph is two-fold. First, it attempts to distinguish between the various 'levels' of cultural knowledge and how they are used at various levels of warfare--strategy, operations, and tactics. Although not mutually exclusive, cultural knowledge informs these distinct levels in different ways. For example, the kinds of cultural knowledge that are required at the tactical level (e.g., the cultural knowledge of specific customs) is quite separate from the kinds of cultural knowledge that are required to formulate grand strategy and policy. Second, the monograph attempts to explore how cultural knowledge might help to redefine an overarching strategy on counterinsurgency. While the military has been at the forefront of significant new and innovative thinking about operations and tactics, revising its old doctrines on the fly, America's political leaders have failed to provide the necessary strategic framework to guide counterinsurgency. The innovative insights about cultural knowledge adapted in operations and tactics by our military leaders have so far not yielded any comparable innovations from our political leaders. While the use of cultural knowledge is transforming military operations and tactics in significant and revolutionary ways, this same knowledge is not being adapted by our political leaders to help redefine a compelling new strategy for counterinsurgency. The monograph concludes by suggesting four distinct ways in which cultural knowledge can work to help redefine an overarching strategic framework for counterinsurgency."

  Army War College (U.S.). Strategic Studies Institute

  Jager, Sheila Miyoshi

  2007-11
• Strategy, National Interests, and Means to an End

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  "This paper focuses on the interrelationship among national interests, stated ends, means to achieve those ends, and the strategies required to tie all of them together into a cohesive and effective vision for the commitment of U.S. forces. The introduction addresses the current U.S. debate regarding proposed actions in the Iraq War and postulates that the lack of true strategic discussion, particularly by our national leadership who instead prefer to focus on far less appropriate discussions such as tactics and techniques, inhibits the development of a comprehensive and effective overarching vision and ultimately is to blame for the setbacks that the U.S.-led coalition has experienced in Iraq. This lack of strategic foresight, however, is not surprising and has become endemic to American foreign policy since the end of the Cold War. The fact that so much of U.S. post-Cold War foreign policy involves interventions merely exacerbates the difficulties a lack of strategic foresight engenders. The U.S. inability--or unwillingness--to connect strategic ends and appropriate means to accomplish clearly defined goals has occurred so often over the past 15 years that one could make a credible argument that it has become a disturbing and pervasive characteristic of the modern American way of war."

  Army War College (U.S.). Strategic Studies Institute

  Sklenka, Stephen D.

  2007-10-15
• 'Making Riflemen from Mud': Restoring the Army's Culture of Irregular Warfare

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  "Prior to World War II, the Army had a deeply ingrained facility with and acceptance of what we now term unconventional warfare--raising, training, advising, and cooperating with tribal militias, local paramilitaries, and other nonstate armed groups. This culture of irregular warfare was attributable to nearly 300 years of American military tradition from the colonial period until 1941, including extensive experience in cooperating with Native American tribes and individual scouts during the expansion of the western frontier. These traditions of unconventional war reached maturity in the years of fighting on the western plains after the Civil War, and were given ultimate expression in the creation of the Philippine Scouts at the beginning of the 20th century. Since World War II, the wider military has lost this expertise in and comfortable familiarity with unconventional operations, with the Special Operations community taking on the sole proprietorship of this role. Given the variety of political environments in which today's conventional soldiers may find themselves and the current nature of conflicts ongoing and likely to occur in the world, the Army culture as a whole can and must readapt itself to the new old realities of irregular war."

  Army War College (U.S.). Strategic Studies Institute

  Campbell, James D.

  2007-10
• Learning by Doing: The PLA Trains at Home and Abroad

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  From the book's synopsis: "To better understand the PLA's [People's Liberation Army] ability to employ its developing capabilities in a variety of potential scenarios, this year's workshop examined how the PLA learns by doing, specifically through its exercises and noncombat operations at home and overseas, and through key logistical and theoretical developments. Key findings are: 1) recent PLAN exercises and operations point to an increasing interest in developing expeditionary naval capabilities and a presence in distant seas, suggesting that a move beyond the current "near seas" focus is both possible and an extension of existing efforts; 2) PLA ground force exercises-rather than aiming to intimidate others by demonstrating the ability to project power beyond China's borders-focus on moving military power within China, both to defend China's borders and perhaps as a prelude to military restructuring in which smaller but more mobile formations could replace larger and more static ones; 3) through its participation in international military exercises as well as peacekeeping operations and humanitarian aid and disaster relief missions, the PLA is gaining greater capabilities to deploy outside of China's borders for a a variety of missions; and, 4) PLA operations are increasingly supported by a modern, civilian-integrated military logistics network, though a lack of overseas bases continues to limit the effectiveness of this network as it pertains to overseas power projection capabilities."

  Army War College (U.S.). Strategic Studies Institute

  Kamphausen, Roy; Lai, David, 1955-; Tanner, Travis

  2012-11
• Energy and Security Nexus: A Strategic Dilemma

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  "During the period March 3-4, 2011, the Triangle Institute for Security Studies (TISS), North Carolina State University (NCSU), and the Strategic Studies Institute (SSI) held a colloquium at the McKimmon Center in Raleigh. The event received additional financial support from the Research Triangle Energy Consortium, the Oak Ridge National Laboratory-North Caro¬lina State University Collaborative Research Program, and Duke University's Program in American Grand Strategy. It was launched as part of the TISS/NCSU Energy and Security Initiative which was formed in 2010 and is dedicated to exploring the links between energy and security. The colloquium, entitled 'The Energy and Security Nexus: A Strategic Dilemma,' was attended by 128 persons from federal and state government, academia, think tanks, and a wide variety of local organizations and businesses working on energy issues. The goal of this conference was to explore the connections between energy and security (human, national, and international) and to consider how best to resolve strategic dilemmas. This edited volume is based on this event." This publication includes the articles: 'Energy and Security Keynote,' 'Oil and Global Security,' 'Protecting the Prize,' 'Coal, Climate Change, and Conflict,' 'Nuclear Proliferation,' 'Pathways between Civilian and Military Nuclear Power,' 'The Water-Energy-Security Nexus,' 'Nuclear Energy and the Military,' 'Energy, Environment, and Security,' 'Comparative Security of Different Technologies,' 'Hidden Costs of Energy,' 'Climate vs. Economics: Security Implications of Energy Choices,' 'Shale Gas: A Key to Energy Security?' 'Alternative Energy and International Relations,' 'Rising Great Powers and Competition for Energy,' 'Unconventional Threats to Energy Supplies,' and 'Smart Grid Vulnerabilities to Cyber Attacks.'

  Army War College (U.S.). Strategic Studies Institute

  Pumphrey, Carolyn W. (Carolyn Wilson), 1955-

  2012-11
• National Security Staff for the 21st Century

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  "America stands at a crossroads. Within the past 2 decades, national security and foreign policy organizations and experts have perceived serious deficiencies in the authorities, organizations, and personnel used to prepare for and conduct national security missions allowing the United States to exercise its power to fullest advantage in achieving the goals of our national security strategy. If the nation is to maintain its world leadership and influence, it must transform its obsolete national security system to enable better handling of the challenges and opportunities of the changed global ecosystem. This transformation must go beyond simple reform and doing the same things differently. It must involve doing new things that enable us to truly establish collaborative, networked, performance-based management of the national security system at the strategic level, management that cascades down to the departments, agencies, and elements in the field."

  Army War College (U.S.). Strategic Studies Institute

  LeCuyer, Jack A.

  2012-12
• Drug Trafficking, Violence, and Instability

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  "'Drug Trafficking, Violence, and Instability,' will serve to: (1) introduce the series by providing general conceptions of the global security challenges posed by violent armed groups; (2) identify the issues of greatest import to scholars studying the phenomenon; and, (3) emphasize the need for the U.S. Government to understand variations in the challenges it faces from a wide range of potential enemies."

  Army War College (U.S.). Strategic Studies Institute

  Williams, Phil, 1948-; Felbab-Brown, Vanda

  2012-04