Recent Publications

European Missile Defense and Russia
July 1, 2014 — Authors: Mr Keir Giles, Dr Andrew Monaghan View the Executive SummaryThis monograph examines the history of missile defense and the current dialogue from a Russian perspective, in order to explain the root causes of Russian alarm. Specific recommendations for managing the Russia relationship in the context of missile defense are given. Important... MORE

Russia’s Contribution as a Partner in the War on Terrorism
July 1, 2014 — Author: Mr Henry Plater-Zyberk View the Executive SummaryThis monograph examines terrorism and counterterrorism from the Russian perspective so as to assess prospects for cooperation with Russia in fighting terror. It concludes that, regardless of the state of political relations between Russia and the United States at any given time, longer-term... MORE

Visual Propaganda and Extremism in the Online Environment
July 1, 2014 — Authors: Dr Cori E Dauber, Dr Carol K Winkler View the Executive SummaryVisual images have been a central component of propaganda for as long as propaganda has been produced. But recent developments in communication and information technologies have given terrorist and extremist groups options and abilities they never would have been able to come... MORE

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Academic Engagement Notes: 2014 International Studies Association (ISA) Annual Convention
June 18, 2014 — Authors: Dr. John R. Deni, Dr. Robert J. Bunker The annual convention of the International Studies Association (ISA) was held in Toronto, Canada, on March 26-29, 2014. The 55th annual convention theme was, “Spaces and Places: Geopolitics in an Era of Globalization.” This conference was a major academic gathering with 1,140 panels and round tables... MORE

Memorandum for the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff: Secure Balance and Flexibility In Future Joint Forces
June 13, 2014 — Author: Mr Nathan P Freier The 25th Annual U.S. Army War College Strategy Conference "Balancing the Joint Force to Meet Future Security Challenges" occurred against the backdrop of a complicated decision making environment. It sought establish a context for future military decision making based on two foundational questions: what are the most... MORE

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Op-Ed: Toward an Army Story: It’s Not The “People” Part, It’s the “Land” Part
June 12, 2014 — Mr. Nathan P. Freier Not surprisingly, the Army has an image problem. It is not difficult to see why. While Army, Marine, and Special Operations Forces (SOF) were away campaigning in two unpopular wars with—to be very generous—only indeterminate and costly outcomes to show for their effort, Washington moved on decisively toward yet another... MORE

2014-15 Key Strategic Issues List
June 1, 2014 — Author: Prof John F Troxell Part II was updated December 9, 2014Parts I and III were updated October 31, 2014For several years, the Strategic Studies Institute (SSI) has annually published the Key Strategic Issues List (KSIL). The purpose of this document is to make students and other researchers aware of strategic topics that are of special... MORE

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The Paracel Islands and U.S. Interests and Approaches in the South China Sea
June 1, 2014 — Author: LTC Clarence J Bouchat (USAF, Ret) View the Executive SummaryThe Paracel Islands and South China Sea disputes require better understanding by U.S. policymakers in order to address the region’s challenges. To attain that needed understanding, legal aspects of customary and modern laws are explored in this monograph to analyze the differences... MORE

The Future of American Landpower: Does Forward Presence Still Matter? The Case of the Army in the Pacific
June 1, 2014 — Author: Dr John R Deni View the Executive SummaryThe time has come for a reappraisal of the U.S. Army’s forward presence in East Asia, given the evolving strategic context and the extraordinarily high, recurring costs of deploying U.S. Army forces from the 50 states for increasingly important security cooperation activities across the... MORE

Democratization and Instability in Ukraine, Georgia, and Belarus
June 1, 2014 — Author: Dr Robert Nalbandov View the Executive SummaryThis monograph analyzes the interconnections between the democratic institutionalization of the newly independent states of Ukraine, Georgia, and Belarus, their political (in)stability, and economic development and prosperity. By introducing the concept of regime mimicry into the field of public... MORE

Cyberterrorism after STUXNET
June 1, 2014 — Author: Dr Thomas M Chen View the Executive SummaryThe discovery of STUXNET was a recent milestone in the arena of cyber security because it was the first malware designed to cause real world damage to industrial control systems. It demonstrated that a sufficiently determined adversary might be able to cause physical damage to U.S. critical... MORE

Operational Reservations: Considerations for a Total Army Force
June 1, 2014 — Authors: COL John D Ellis, COL Laura McKnight Mackenzie View the Executive SummaryAs the Army Reserve Components—the Army Reserve and the Army National Guard—assume an “operational” mission as the force drawdowns in overseas contingency operations occur, the Army senior military and civilian leadership should consider the ramifications and... MORE