Recent Publications

Iran, Iraq, and the United States: The New Triangle’s Impact on Sectarianism and the Nuclear Threat
November 1, 2006 — Author: Dr Sherifa D Zuhur This monograph considers the issues of Iranian influence in Iraq, and its impact on continuing sectarian violence there. It also questions the claims that a Shi'a crescent of power is solidifying by examining the distinct features of Iraqi versus Iranian Shi'ism and political Islam. Iran and Iraq havehistorically... MORE

Checking Iran’s Nuclear Ambitions
January 1, 2004 — Authors: Mr Patrick Clawson, Mr Henry D Sokolski Were Iran to acquire nuclear weapons, there is a grave risk it would be tempted to provide them to terrorists. After all, mass casualty terrorism done by proxies has worked well for Iran to date. The fear about what Iran might do with nuclear weapons is fed by the concern that Tehran has no clear... MORE

Hizballah: Terrorism, National Liberation, or Menace?
August 1, 2002 — Author: Dr Sami G Hajjar The author reviews the history of Hizballah since its inception in 1982, and examines its role in the recent political turmoil of Lebanon and the region. Not only is Hizballah's role central in the dispute over the Sheb'a Farms enclave between Lebanon and Israel, it is part of an entangled set of linkages involving Syria,... MORE

Prevailing in a Well-Armed World: Devising Competitive Strategies Against Weapons Proliferation
March 1, 2000 — Editor: Mr Henry D Sokolski This book provides insights into the competitive strategies methodology. Andrew Marshall notes that policymakers and analysts can benefit by using an analytical tool that stimulates their thinking about strategy in terms of long-term competition between nations with conflicting values, policies, and objectives.The book... MORE

Managing Strains in the Coalition: What to Do About Saddam?
November 1, 1996 — Author: Dr Stephen C Pelletiere For 5 years U.S. policy has managed to steer a coalition of states which share broad interests in regional stability and free trade. Yet below these common interests, the United States has walked a tightrope stretched between competing objectives vis-à-vis Iraq, e.g., undermining Saddam while preserving Iraq as a... MORE

Central Asia: A New Great Game?
June 1, 1996 — Author: LTC Dianne L Smith In January 1996, the U.S. Army War College's Strategic Studies Institute (SSI) and the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) hosted a conference on "Asian Security to the Year 2000." One focus of the conferees was the growing relevance of events in Central Asia. Perhaps nowhere on the continent was the... MORE

A Theory of Fundamentalism: An Inquiry into the Origin and Development of the Movement
September 28, 1995 — Author: Dr Stephen C Pelletiere Islamic fundamentalism is growing at such a rapid rate that many believe it threatens to take over the Middle East. To prevent this, enormous resources have been summoned, not only from within the region, but in the West as well. Yet, for all the efforts to contain, if not turn back the fundamentalists, the movement... MORE

Terrorism: National Security Policy and the Home Front
May 1, 1995 — Author: Dr Stephen C Pelletiere The recent bombing of the Federal Building in Oklahoma has highlighted the complexity of the phenomenon of political extremism. Until this occurred, inside the United States foreign terrorists were the focus of attention, particularly the so-called Islamic fundamentalists. Undue emphasis on the "foreign connection"... MORE

Turkey’s Strategic Position at the Crossroads of World Affairs
December 1, 1993 — Authors: Dr Stephen J Blank, Dr William T Johnsen, Dr Stephen C Pelletiere This report analyzes the implications of Turkey's policies and the reactions of Turkey's neighbors in three discrete chapters. The authors focus their conclusions and options for U.S. policymakers on the effect of Turkish policies in Europe, the Middle East, and the former... MORE