Recent Publications

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

U.S. Defense Strategy After Saddam
July 1, 2005 — Author: Dr Michael E O'Hanlon In this defense strategy and budget book, Michael O'Hanlon argues that America's large defense budget cannot be pared realistically in the years ahead. But given the extreme demands of the Iraq mission, particularly on the U.S. Army and Marine Corps, he suggests how reductions in various weapons modernization programs... MORE

Democratization Vs. Liberalization in the Arab World: Dilemmas and Challenges for U.S. Foreign Policy
July 1, 2005 — Author: Dr Daniel Brumberg The author looks at the political origins and dynamics of "liberalized autocracy" in the Arab world. Liberalized autocracy is a system of rule that allows for a measure of political openness and competition in the electoral, party, and press arenas, while ultimately ensuring that power rests in the hands of ruling... MORE

Gangs, “Coups D’ Streets,” and the New War in Central America
July 1, 2005 — Author: Dr Max G Manwaring Each month a member of the SSI faculty writes an editorial for our monthly newsletter. This is the Op-Ed for the July 2005 newsletter.Read Now MORE

Pseudo Operations and Counterinsurgency: Lessons from Other Countries
June 1, 2005 — Author: Dr Lawrence E Cline The author examines the role of pseudo operations in several foreign counterinsurgency campaigns. Pseudo operations are those in which government forces disguised as guerrillas, normally along with guerrilla defectors, operate as teams to infiltrate insurgent areas. This technique has been used by the security forces of... MORE

U.S. National Security Implications of Chinese Involvement in Latin America
June 1, 2005 — Author: Dr R Evan Ellis Ultimately, this monograph argues that increasing Chinese engagement with Latin America will make the nation both a powerful competitor and a potential partner for the United States in the Western Hemisphere. On one hand, China with major investments in Latin America and dependence on its material flows is likely to be a... MORE