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

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

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

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

Pakistan’s Nuclear Future: Worries Beyond War
January 1, 2008 — Author: Mr Henry D Sokolski This book, completed just before Pakistani President Musharraf imposed a state of emergency in November 2007, reflects research that the Nonproliferation Policy Education Center commissioned over the last 2 years. It tries to characterize specific nuclear problems that the ruling Pakistani government faces with the aim... MORE

Jordanian National Security and the Future of Middle East Stability
January 1, 2008 — Author: Dr W Andrew Terrill The United States and Jordan have maintained a valuable mutually-supportive relationship for decades as a result of shared interests in a moderate, prosperous, and stable Middle East. In this monograph, the author highlights Jordan’s ongoing value as a U.S. ally and considers ways that the U.S.-Jordanian alliance might... MORE

Castro’s Cuba: Quo Vadis?
December 1, 2006 — Author: Dr Francisco Wong-Diaz The United States, particularly the Army, has a long history of involvement with Cuba. It has included, among others, the Spanish-American War of 1898, military interventions in 1906 and 1912, the 1961 Bay of Pigs Invasion, the 1962 Missile Crisis, counterinsurgency, and low intensity warfare in Latin America and... MORE

Iraq, Women’s Empowerment and Public Policy
December 1, 2006 — Author: Dr Sherifa D Zuhur The role and experience of women is not always considered in wartime or during stabilization and reconstruction operations. In Iraq, it is essential to consider women’s needs and the obstacles they now face. The author examines some of the difficulties that attend policy formulation on Iraqi women, who have identified the... MORE