Recent Publications

Teaching Strategy: Challenge and Response
March 1, 2010 — Author: Dr Gabriel Marcella Teaching all strategy, from grand to military, is essential in the preparation of national security professionals and military leaders. The experience of the armed forces in recent wars recommends that those involved with the system of military education seriously study the way strategy is taught. The task is even more... MORE

War without Borders: The Colombia-Ecuador Crisis of 2008
December 1, 2008 — Author: Dr Gabriel Marcella Unprotected borders are a serious threat to the security of a number of states around the globe. Indeed, the combination of weak states, ungoverned space, terrorism, and international criminal networks make a mockery of the Westphalian system of international order. Latin American countries are experiencing all of these... MORE

Affairs of State: The Interagency and National Security
December 1, 2008 — Author: Dr Gabriel Marcella The United States has a large and complex interagency process to deal with national security on a global basis. It is imperative that civilian and military professionals understand that process. The chapters in this volume deal with various dimensions and institutions, from the National Security Council, the Department... MORE

American Grand Strategy for Latin America in the Age of Resentment
September 1, 2007 — Author: Dr Gabriel Marcella A healthy Latin America is of critical value to the United States as a global power. It is besieged by a powerful force of resentment engendered by a combination of weak states, social exclusion, criminal violence, and corruption. In the context of attack by radical populism against democratic values, the United States... MORE

The International Community and Haiti: A Proposal for Cooperative Sovereignty
May 1, 2005 — Author: Dr Gabriel Marcella Each month a member of the SSI faculty writes an editorial for our monthly newsletter. This is the Op-Ed for the May 2005 newsletter.Read Now MORE

The United States and Colombia: The Journey from Ambiguity to Strategic Clarity
May 1, 2003 — Author: Dr Gabriel Marcella American strategy towards Colombia has shifted from a counternarcotics focus to more comprehensive support for that nation's security. This shift recognizes that Colombia's problems are deeply rooted and go beyond illegal narcotics. In the last year the Bush administration committed the United States to help Colombia... MORE

Plan Colombia: Some Differing Perspectives
June 1, 2001 — Authors: Dr Ricardo Arias Calderon, Dr Gabriel Marcella, Mr Chris Marquis, GEN (Colombia) Alvaro Valencia Tovar, GEN Charles E Wilhelm This monograph, with an introduction by Dr. Gabriel Marcella, includes four short, but interesting and important papers presented at a conference on Plan Colombia, sponsored by the Strategic Studies Institute of the... MORE

Plan Colombia: The Strategic and Operational Imperatives
April 1, 2001 — Author: Dr Gabriel Marcella The United States is committed to helping Colombia fight its struggle against the violence and corruption engendered by the traffic in narcotics. This report examines the strategic theory within Plan Colombia, the master plan which the government of Colombia developed to strengthen democracy through peace, security, and... 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

Strategic Implications for the United states and Latin America of the 1995 Ecuador-Peru War
November 24, 1995 — Author: Dr Gabriel Marcella One of the more serious dangers to peace and security in Latin America is the territorial dispute between Ecuador and Peru, which broke out into warfare in February-March 1995. In this monograph, Dr. Gabriel Marcella explores the critical historical and strategic dimensions of the conflict. He argues that unless this... MORE

Haiti Strategy: Control, Legitimacy, Sovereignty, Rule of Law, Handoffs, and Exit
October 1, 1994 — Author: Dr Gabriel Marcella Now that the armed forces of the United States have entered Haiti, what is the exit strategy? As the United States, the government of Jean-Bertrand Aristide, and the United Nations coalition establish order, it is best to be mindful of the tasks ahead: building a new authority system based on the rule of law, instilling... MORE

Reconciling the irreconcilable: The Troubled Outlook for U.S. Policy toward Haiti
March 1, 1994 — Authors: Dr Gabriel Marcella, Dr Donald E Schulz Few foreign policy issues have been more frustrating to the U.S. Government during the past year than the Haitian crisis. Thus, this report could not be more timely. The title is suggestive. The authors describe different courses of action and the steps that the United States might take to implement... MORE