Recent Publications

Unlearning Counterinsurgency
November 1, 2004 — Author: Dr Steven Metz Each month a member of the SSI faculty writes an editorial for our monthly newsletter. This is the Op-Ed for the November 2004 newsletter.Read Now MORE

Insurgency and Counterinsurgency in the 21st Century: Reconceputalizing Threat and Response
November 1, 2004 — Authors: Dr Steven Metz, LTC Raymond A Millen Modern insurgency warfare presents fresh challenges for the United States, which must re-conceptualize its approach to fighting such conflicts. Because the dominant characteristics of insurgency--protractedness and ambiguity--effectively stymie the American military's approach to war, the United States... MORE

Shadows of Things Past and Images of the Future: Lessons for the Insurgencies in Our Midst
November 1, 2004 — Author: Dr Max G Manwaring This monograph begins with a short discussion of contemporary insurgency. It makes the argument that, in studying terror war, guerrilla war, or any other common term for insurgency war, we find these expressions mischaracterize the activities of armed groups that are attempting to gain political control of a nation-state... MORE

Fighting Insurgents–No Shortcuts to Success
May 1, 2004 — Author: Dr James S Corum Each month a member of the SSI faculty writes an editorial for our monthly newsletter. This is the Op-Ed for the May 2004 newsletter.Read Now MORE

Insurgency in Nepal
December 1, 2003 — Author: Dr Thomas A Marks Insurgencies in the 21st century are different than the Cold War era ones that generated existing doctrine and strategy, and which shaped the way that most American strategists think about insurgency. The beast has mutated and evolved. So, too, must those who confront it. To help Army and Department of Defense leaders... MORE

The Past as Prologue: A History of U.S. Counterinsurgency Policy in Colombia, 1958-66
March 1, 2002 — Author: Mr Dennis M Rempe The author outlines the history of U.S. counterinsurgency policy and the recommendations made by U.S. Special Survey Teams in Colombia from 1958-66. An examination of that history and the concomitant recommendations indicates that a review of that record would be in order. This monograph comes at a time when the United... MORE

Landpower and Ambiguous Warfare: The Challenge of Colombia in the 21st Century
March 10, 1999 — Author: Dr Richard Downes On December 10 and 11, 1998, over 100 scholars, civilian government officials, and military officers from the United States, Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, Panama and Mexico gathered at the U.S. Army War College to discuss "Landpower and Ambiguous Warfare: The Challenge of Colombia in the 21st Century." While the conference... MORE

Colombia’s Three Wars: U.S. Strategy at the Crossroads
March 5, 1999 — Authors: Dr Gabriel Marcella, Dr Donald E Schulz Colombia is the most troubled country in the Western Hemisphere. Drug criminals, guerrillas, and paramilitary groups are feeding a spiral of violence that makes "colombianization" a metaphor for a failing state. The authors address the strategic dimensions of the crisis. It argues that Colombia's... 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

The Future of Insurgency
December 1, 1993 — Author: Dr Steven Metz Security professionals and strategists are discovering the post-cold war world is as rife with persistent, low-level violence as its predecessors. In fact, many regions are experiencing a rise in the amount of conflict in the absence of restraints previously imposed by the superpowers. Since frustration in many parts of the... MORE