Recent Publications

“The Case for an Army Stability Professional”
April 5, 2023 — The US Army is unprepared to occupy and stabilize territory because it does not adequately educate active-duty officers to do so. One way to professionalize the Army’s ability to carry out military government and stability operations is to develop active-duty functional area officers who can advise commanders and integrate staff planning for these operations. In this episode, author Andrew Colvin analyzes case studies, doctrine, and commentary to envision specialized staff officers with foreign language proficiency, cultural skills, advanced academic abilities, and a strong professional ethic. These officers would enhance the Army’s competence in stabilizing territory to achieve American policy objectives. ... MORE

Recommendations for Success in Afghanistan
July 23, 2019 — Author: Dr M. Chris MasonView the Executive Summary The United States will soon enter the 18th year of combat operations in Afghanistan. During that time, multiple approaches to stabilize the country have been tried, including support to regional security initiatives, “nation-building,” counterinsurgency, counternarcotics, counterterrorism, and... MORE

Cover for Recommendations for Success in Afghanistan

Parameters VOL. 49 NO. 1–2 Spring–Summer 2019
July 18, 2019 — Editor: Dr Antulio J. Echevarria FEATURES:A2/AD Myths: Chinese & Russian"Anti-Access Strategies in the Pacific: The United States and China" by Sam J. Tangredi."Russia's A2/AD Capabilities: Real and Imagined" by Keir Giles and Mathieu Boulegue.Enhancing Security & Stability"Human Security in the Arctic: Implications for the United States Army" by... MORE

Corruption, Legitimacy, and Stability: Implications for the U.S. Army
June 6, 2017 — Author: Dr Shima D KeeneView the Executive Summary Corruption increases the level of instability and the risk of conflict by undermining the legitimacy and credibility of state institutions. It can be both a cause and effect of poor leadership and governance. States emerging from conflict are particularly vulnerable to corruption, due to the lack... MORE

Can Egypt Lead the Arab World Again? Assessing Opportunities and Challenges for U.S. Policy
May 26, 2017 — Author: Mr Gregory AftandilianView the Executive Summary This monograph examines the possibility of Egypt leading the Arab world again, and how that effort, if successful, will present opportunities and challenges for U.S. policy. At the present time, Egypt is not in a position to do so given its many domestic problems stemming from its turbulent... MORE

Strategic Insights: Caribbean Security Issues
May 16, 2017 — Dr. R. Evan EllisINTRODUCTIONOutside of military, law enforcement, and some academic circles, security issues are rarely part of the discourse about the Caribbean. Yet, during the Cold War, the region’s contiguity with the United States made its largest island, Cuba, the focal point of the world’s closest publicly known approximation to nuclear... MORE

Strategic Insights: Syria Safe Zones
January 9, 2017 — Dr. Azeem IbrahimSummary. Diplomacy has all but failed in Syria, and it is difficult to envisage when and how diplomatic efforts could be restarted in light of the continued difficulties between Russia and the West. With these difficulties, it is imperative to change focus and tackle the one area where the United States might still be able to have... MORE

Strategic Insights: The Coming Perfect Storm of Europe
April 15, 2016 — Lieutenant Colonel Michael A. Adelberg A collection of social and security trends are at play in Europe that may threaten the peace and stability of the continent. The array of challenges, threats, and frictions could converge at such a point that an unintentional spark could ignite a major crisis or even a regional war of some type.The most... MORE

Cover for Strategic Insights: The Coming Perfect Storm of Europe

From Assistance to Partnership: Morocco and its Foreign Policy in West Africa
November 17, 2015 — Author: Dr Mohammed El-Katiri View the Executive Summary This monograph focuses on the geopolitical and economic drivers for the renewed Moroccan interest in West Africa and examines how Morocco is conducting its foreign and security policy in a variety of Western African countries. It highlights Morocco’s contribution to counterextremism in West... MORE

The Limits of Offshore Balancing
September 24, 2015 — Author: Dr Hal BrandsView the Executive Summary Is offshore balancing the right grand strategy for America? Is it time for Washington to roll back the vast system of overseas security commitments and forward military deployments that have anchored its international posture since World War II? This monograph argues that the answer to these questions... MORE

Strategic Insights: Fragile States Cannot Be Fixed With State-Building
July 27, 2015 — Dr. Robert D. LambThe problem with the way the international community thinks about and responds to fragile states is not that we do not understand “fragility,” its causes, and its cures, but that we think of them as “states,” as coherent units of analysis. As a result of this strategic level mistake, efforts to build state capacity to contain... MORE

The Approaching Implosion of Venezuela and Strategic Implications for the United States
July 10, 2015 — Dr. R. Evan EllisThe U.S. response to the ever deepening political and economic crisis in Venezuela, and the regime’s increasingly aggressive behavior toward its neighbors and the international community, is compelling evidence that the Barack Obama administration is sincere in respecting the sovereignty of nations of Latin America and the... MORE