Recent Publications

Strategic Challenges for Counterinsurgency and the Global War on Terrorism
September 1, 2006 — Author: Dr Williamson Murray In March 2006, President George W. Bush signed a new National Security Strategy that he refers to as a “wartime national security strategy” and states that to follow the path the United States has chosen, we must “maintain and expand our national strength.” One way to do this is to study and propose solutions to the... MORE

U.S. Army War College Guide to National Security Policy and Strategy, 2nd Edition
June 1, 2006 — Author: Dr J Boone Bartholomees Jr This edition of the U. S. Army War College Guide to National Security Policy and Strategy reflects to some extent recent changes in the structure of the core curriculum at the War College. The college broke its traditional core course, “War, National Policy and Strategy,” into two courses: “Theory of War and... MORE

Preventive War and Its Alternatives: The Lessons of History
April 1, 2006 — Author: Dr Dan Reiter The 2002 National Security Strategy suggested preventive attacks, diplomacy, deterrence, and other policies as means of curtailing threats presented by the spread of nuclear, biological, and chemical (NBC) weapons to terrorists and rogue states. The author analyzes which mix of these policies might best and most cost... MORE

Strategic Theory for the 21st Century: The Little Book on Big Strategy
February 1, 2006 — Author: Dr Harry R Yarger The word "strategy" pervades American conversation and our news media and is most often used as a general term for a plan, a concept, a course of action, or a "vision" of the direction in which to proceed at the personal, organizational, and governmental—local, state, or federal—levels. Such casual use of the term to... MORE

2005 Key Strategic Issues List (KSIL)
July 1, 2005 — Author: Dr Antulio J Echevarria II Half a decade into the new millennium, the strategic environment continues to change rapidly, and in important ways. Some of those changes, of course, challenge U.S. interests, while others advance them. And the challenges assume regular and, increasingly now, irregular forms. Yet, while the causes of change are... MORE

American Grand Strategy After 9/11: An Assessment
April 1, 2005 — Author: Dr Stephen D Biddle In the three years since 9-11, the Administration has yet to arrive at a clear definition of the enemy or the aim in the War on Terrorism; to date, American policy has combined ambitious public statements with ambiguity on critical particulars. Heretofore, the costs of pursuing such ambitious but ill-defined goals have... MORE

Northeast Asia–Cultural Influences on the U.S. National Security Strategy
June 1, 2004 — Author: Mr Larry B Rogers The U.S. core interests and National Security Strategy are founded on Western cultural operatives that assume all nation-states will respond to its influences in a predictable manner. When states do not respond appropriately, we assume they are either recalcitrant or irrational. A decade ago, this approach towards the... MORE

U.S. Army War College Guide to Strategy
February 1, 2001 — Editors: Dr Joseph R Cerami, COL James F Holcomb Jr For more than 3 decades, the U.S. Army War College (USAWC) Department of National Security and Strategy has faced the challenge of educating future strategic leaders on the subject of national security, or grand strategy. Fitting at the top of an officer's or government official's career-long... MORE

Asia-Pacific Security: China’s Conditional Multilateralism and Great Power Entente
January 1, 2000 — Author: Dr Jing-dong Yuan According to Dr. Jing-dong Yuan, China now recognizes that multilateral engagement is unavoidable and indeed can be useful in advancing China's interests. China's embrace of multilateralism, however, varies depending upon the particular forum and specific issue. Furthermore, Dr. Yuan contends China remains leery of... MORE

World View: The 1997 Strategic Assessment from the Strategic Studies Institute
February 3, 1997 — Author: Dr Earl H Tilford Jr In December of each year the analysts at the Strategic Studies Institute (SSI) look to the year ahead to assess the strategic equation for their particular areas of interest. This is part of an effort to focus our priorities both corporately as well as individually. As they address those issues and factors that will... MORE

The National Security Strategy: Documenting Strategic Vision Second Edition
March 1, 1995 — Author: Dr Don M Snider The Goldwater-Nichols Defense Reorganization Act requires the President to submit an annual report on the National Security Strategy. In theory, a formal presentation of grand strategy was intended to lend coherence to the budgeting process; a clear statement of interests, objectives, and concepts for achieving them gave... MORE

Counterinsurgency: Strategy and the Phoenix of American Capability
February 1, 1995 — Author: Dr Steven Metz Dr. Steven Metz argues that the way the Department of Defense and U.S. military spend the time when counterinsurgency support is not an important part of American national security strategy determines how quickly and easily they react when policymakers commit the nation to such activity. If analysis and debate continues, at... MORE