Recent Publications

Security Sector Reform in Liberia: Mixed Results from Humble Beginnings
March 1, 2008 — Author: Mr Mark Malan The author presents an explanatory overview and analysis of progress made with the process of security sector reform in Liberia--with particular reference to the armed forces and the police. The author begins with a concise review of what the theory of SSR and its application in the Liberian context and follows with a... MORE

Projecting Pyongyang: The Future of North Korea’s Kim Jong Il Regime
March 1, 2008 — Author: Dr Andrew Scobell The author seeks to assist planners and decisionmakers in thinking about and preparing for possible future contingencies concerning North Korea. He does not dwell on war or conflict scenarios involving North Korea because military planners have already focused considerable effort and attention on these. It is entirely... MORE

Drug Intoxicated Irregular Fighters: Complications, Dangers, and Responses
March 1, 2008 — Author: Dr Paul Rexton Kan The presence of drugged fighters is not unknown in the history of warfare. Yet widespread drug use on the battlefield is now part of protracted conflicts largely fought by nonprofessional combatants that take place in an international system characterized by the process of globalization. From marijuana, khat,... MORE

The Political Context Behind Successful Revolutionary Movements, Three Case Studies: Vietnam (1955-63), Algeria (1945-62), and Nicaragua (1967-79)
March 1, 2008 — Author: LTC Raymond A Millen Following the collapse of the Soviet Empire, the new world order did not bring about a closure of revolutionary warfare. In fact, the Soviet-inspired wars of liberation against imperialism have been eclipsed by reactionary, jihadist wars. By all indications in Afghanistan, Chechnya, Somalia, and Iraq, Islamic militants... MORE

Building for the Future: China’s Progress in Space Technology during the Tenth 5-Year Plan and the U.S. Response
March 1, 2008 — Author: Mr Kevin Pollpeter The Chinese government is using space power to increase its influence at home and abroad and hopes to leverage the political, economic, and military benefits of space to become a great power. The ambivalent nature of the U.S.-China relationship, however, assures that over the long term China's rise as a space power will... MORE

The North Korean Ballistic Missile Program
February 25, 2008 — Author: Dr Daniel A Pinkston North Korea’s nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programs have drawn international attention for years. In the early 1960s, Pyongyang began to pursue the capability to produce advanced weapons systems, including rockets and missiles. However, foreign assistance and technology, particularly from China and the Soviet... MORE

Developing Strategic Leaders for the 21st Century
February 1, 2008 — Author: Dr Jeffrey D McCausland Emerging analysis of the American interagency and intergovernmental processes has underscored the nation’s inability to respond effectively and coherently to contemporary national security demands. Modifications to various organizations and the overall interagency process have been recommended. These are clearly... MORE

Falling Behind: International Scrutiny of the Peaceful Atom
February 1, 2008 — Author: Mr Henry D Sokolski If possible, it would be useful to enhance the International Atomic Energy Agency’s (IAEA) 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... MORE

Deterrence, Missile Defense, and Collateral Damage in the Iranian-Israeli Strategic Relationship
February 1, 2008 — Author: Dr W Andrew Terrill Each month a member of the SSI faculty writes an editorial for our monthly newsletter. This is the Op-Ed for the February 2008 newsletter.Read Now MORE

Cover for Deterrence, Missile Defense, and Collateral Damage in the Iranian-Israeli Strategic Relationship

Dissent and Strategic Leadership of the Military Professions
February 1, 2008 — Author: Dr Don M Snider One of the central difficulties to a right understanding of American civil-military relations is the nature of the U.S. military. Are our armed forces just obedient bureaucracies like most of the Executive branch, or are they vocational professions granted significant autonomy and a unique role in these relationships because... MORE

Towards a New Russia Policy
February 1, 2008 — Author: Dr Stephen J Blank It is obvious that U.S.-Russian relations and East-West relations more broadly have recently deteriorated. Yet analyses of why this is the case have often been confined to American policy. The author examines some of the key strategic issues at stake in this relationship and traces that decline to Russian factors which... MORE

Development and Reform of the Iraqi Police Forces
January 1, 2008 — Author: COL Tony Pfaff Despite 4 years of millions of dollars in aid, equipment, education, and advisors, Iraqi police force development lags far behind the military. Numerous reasons are offered to account for this gap: corrupt practices left over from the previous regime, infiltration by militias, weak leadership, competition by better armed and... MORE