Recent Publications

Strategic Leadership Competencies
September 1, 2003 — Authors: Dr Stephen J Gerras, COL William Kidd, COL Robert Pricone, COL Richard Swengros, Dr Leonard Wong The strategic leadership literature in both the academic and military contexts is replete with long lists of the knowledge, skills, and abilities. Unfortunately, long comprehensive lists are problematic. Looking across the literature on... MORE

Keep the Reserves in the Fight
September 1, 2003 — Author: COL James R Pullen Each month a member of the SSI faculty writes an editorial for our monthly newsletter. This is the Op-Ed for the September 2003 newsletter.Read Now MORE

Maintaining Effective Deterrence
August 1, 2003 — Author: Dr Colin S Gray While deterrence is as old as human conflict itself, it became particularly important with the advent of nuclear weapons when armed conflict between the superpowers had the potential to end civilization. Today there is a sense that terrorism has rendered deterrence obsolete and forced the United States to substitute... MORE

The Need for a United Nations’ Security Role in Iraq
August 1, 2003 — 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 August 2003 newsletter.Read Now MORE

War in the Balkans, 1991-2002
August 1, 2003 — Author: Dr R Craig Nation The author writes a comprehensive history of the Balkan wars which were provoked by the collapse of the Yugoslav Federation in 1991. These wars, and the instability that they have provoked, became preoccupations for international security management through the 1990s. After an initial phase of distancing and hesitation,... MORE

Socio-Economic Roots of Radicalism?: Towards Explaining the Appeal of Islamic Radicals
July 1, 2003 — Author: Prof Alan Richards The author addresses the critical questions involved in understanding and coping with the roots of Islamic radicalism. He provides particular attention to the links between radicalism and a series of crises associated with modernization in the Islamic World. The result is a thoughtful and probing study including policy... MORE

Assessing the Impact of U.S.-Israeli Relations on the Arab World
July 1, 2003 — Author: Dr Lenore G Martin The author addresses the challenge that U.S. policymakers face in managing relations with numerous regional allies, including Israel and a host of moderate Arab states. These states often maintain differing concerns and are responding to diverse domestic and international pressures when they seek to influence the United... MORE

Nationalism, Sectarianism, and the Future of the U.S. Presence in Post-Saddam Iraq
July 1, 2003 — Author: Dr W Andrew Terrill The author addresses the critical questions involved in understanding the background of Iraqi national identity and the ways in which it may evolve in the future to either the favor or detriment of the United States. He pays particular attention to the issue of Iraqi sectarianism and the emerging role of the Shi'ite... MORE

Why They Fight: Combat Motivation in the Iraq War
July 1, 2003 — Authors: COL Thomas A Kolditz, LTC Raymond A Millen, COL Terrence M Potter, Dr Leonard Wong With the recent lightning swift combat successes of Operation IRAQI FREEDOM, there may be a tendency to view with awe the lethality of U.S. technology and training. The researchers, however, argue that the true strength of America's military might lies not... MORE

Perspectives from Argentina, Brazil, and Colombia: Hemispheric Security
July 1, 2003 — Authors: Dr Luiz Bitencourt, AMB Pedro Villagra Delgado, Maj Gen Henry Medina Uribe There is a lack of a common view regarding precisely "What is a threat?" and "What is security?" which is the heart of the stability problem in Latin America. These authors acknowledge that the traditional definition of security and threat is no longer completely... MORE

The Lessons of History: The Chinese people’s Liberation Army at 75
July 1, 2003 — Authors: Ms Laurie Burkitt, Dr Andrew Scobell, Dr Larry M Wortzel With the armed forces of the People's Republic of China (PLA) celebrating its 75th anniversary on August 1, 2002, it only seemed appropriate and timely to take stock of the world's largest military. The PLA has officially been in existence for three-quarters of a century, and its... MORE

The “New” American Way of War
June 2, 2003 — Author: LTC Raymond A Millen This year’s topic, "The 'New' American Way of War," was particularly relevant because it occurred during the height of Operation IRAQI FREEDOM (OIF). Over 130 national security strategists, including ten flag officers, from the Department of Defense, civilian universities, and other policy-related institutions... MORE