Recent Publications

Balik Terrorism: The Return of the Abu Sayyaf
September 1, 2005 — Author: Dr Zachary Abuza The author warns that despite the regeneration of the ASG as a bonafide terrorist organization, the primary security threat confronting the GRP comes from the Communist Party of the Philippines and their armed wing, the New People's Army. To that end, the GRP will focus on the ASG and MILF in as much as they expect it to... MORE

Contractors on Deployed Military Operations: United Kingdom Policy and Doctrine
September 1, 2005 — Author: Prof Matthew Uttley Department of Defense (DoD) initiatives to use contractors on deployed military operations remains a contentious issue in U.S. military transformation. Despite the intense debates surrounding the benefits and costs of DoD outsourcing, little attention has focused on similar Ministry of Defence (MoD) initiatives underway... MORE

Honoring, Not Pitying, Our Troops
September 1, 2005 — Author: Dr Leonard Wong Each month a member of the SSI faculty writes an editorial for our monthly newsletter. This is the Op-Ed for the September 2005 newsletter.Read Now MORE

Appeasement Reconsidered: Investigating the Mythology of the 1930s
August 1, 2005 — Author: Dr Jeffrey Record U.S. use of force since 1945 has been significantly influenced by the perceived consequences of appeasing Hitler in the 1930s, and from the mid-1970s to 2001 by the chilling effect of the Vietnam War. As the United States approached its second war with Iraq, proponents cited the Munich analogy to justify the war, whereas... MORE

Implications of DoD Directive 3000
August 1, 2005 — Author: Dr Douglas V Johnson II Each month a member of the SSI faculty writes an editorial for our monthly newsletter. This is the Op-Ed for the August 2005 newsletter.Read Now MORE

The Test of Terrain: The Impact of Stability Operations Upon the Armed Forces
July 16, 2005 — Author: Dr Douglas V Johnson II On June 16-18, 2005, the Strategic Studies Institute co-hosted a conference on "The Impact of Stability Operations Upon the Armed Forces" in cooperation with the Centre d’Etudes en Sciences Sociales de la Défense, Royal United Services Institute, the Association of the United States Army, the Förderkreis Deutsches... MORE

2005 Key Strategic Issues List (KSIL)
July 1, 2005 — Author: Dr Antulio J Echevarria II Half a decade into the new millennium, the strategic environment continues to change rapidly, and in important ways. Some of those changes, of course, challenge U.S. interests, while others advance them. And the challenges assume regular and, increasingly now, irregular forms. Yet, while the causes of change are... MORE

After Two Wars: Reflections on the American Strategic Revolution in Central Asia
July 1, 2005 — Author: Dr Stephen J Blank The author explains how this newly won access to the Transcaspian has come about and describes why it will remain important to the United States. He then offers analysis and recommendations as to how we might retain access to deal with future contingencies and examines intersecting geopolitical and strategic trends.Read... MORE

Law vs. War: Competing Approaches to Fighting Terrorism
July 1, 2005 — Authors: Ms Shawn Boyne, Mr Michael German, Dr Dallas D Owens, Dr Paul R Pillar The authors address one of the fundamental assumptions underlying the conduct of the War on Terrorism - the nature of our enemy, whether perpetrators of terrorist activities are criminals or soldiers (combatants). Although the United States recognizes that terrorist... MORE

Who Stays and Who Goes: Army Enlisted Reserve and National Guard Retention
July 1, 2005 — Author: Dr Clayton K S Chun The U.S. Army faces global challenges that have required it to use its reserve components in a manner unseen since World War II and the Korean War. Today, there are many questions and concerns about the future of the Army Reserve and National Guard due to the unprecedented, continued mobilization of these reserve... MORE

North Korea’s Strategic Intentions
July 1, 2005 — Author: Dr Andrew Scobell Dr. Andrew Scobell examines the topic of Pyongyang's strategic intentions. He first identifies a broad spectrum of expert views and distills this wisdom into three "packages" of possible strategic intentions. He then sets out to test which package appears to reflect actual North Korean policy. While he opines that one is... MORE

Sustainability of Colombian Military/Strategic Support for “Democratic Security”
July 1, 2005 — Author: Dr Thomas A Marks For the first time in 40 years, cautious optimism pervades discussions of Bogota's seemingly intractable situation. Drugs, terrorism, and insurgency continue in their explosive mix, but the current government of President Alvaro Uribe has fashioned a counterinsurgency approach that holds the strategic initiative and has a... MORE