Recent Publications

Puncturing the Counterinsurgency Myth: Britain and Irregular Warfare in the Past, Present, and Future
September 1, 2011 — Author: Dr Andrew Mumford This monograph holds that an aura of mythology has surrounded conventional academic and military perceptions of British performance in the realm of irregular warfare. It identifies 10 myths regarding British counterinsurgency performance and seeks to puncture them by critically assessing the efficacy of the British way of... MORE

Colloquium Brief: Conflict Management: A Tool for U.S. National Security Strategy
July 6, 2011 — Ms. Mackenzie Duelge, Esq., Dr. Volker C. FrankeA Partnership Between the U.S. Army War College, and Kennesaw State UniversityKey Insights: Security and development go hand-in-hand. Especially in fragile and failing states, the military is increasingly involved in peace- and nation-building efforts. However, military involvement is reaching... MORE

Rebuilding Armed Forces: Learning from Iraq and Lebanon
May 1, 2011 — Author: Dr Florence Gaub Security Force Assistance becomes more and more important not only in the post-conflict reconstruction process, but also in a more general way in the foreign policy of the United States. Looking into the experience of both Iraq and Lebanon, this monograph offers useful insights for future military assistance programs and... MORE

Improvised Explosive Devices in Iraq, 2003-09: A Case of Operational Surprise and Institutional Response
April 1, 2011 — Author: Brigadier Andrew SmithSurprise is a familiar term in military writings and is enshrined in most nations’ doctrine. Surprises that emerge in tactics, however, can also operate at the strategic and operational levels and are particularly dangerous because they can test the relevance and adaptability of military forces and the "institutional"... MORE

Op-Ed: What If They Threw a War and…
February 1, 2011 — Mr. Lawrence KaplanThis is the February Op-Ed of the SSI NewsletterAs a member of the media who reported on the U.S. military in Iraq, I had numerous opportunities to measure the “gap” between the press corps and the Armed Forces. One of these came a few years ago at a grubby Italian restaurant near a military base in North Carolina, where I was... MORE

Predictions, Observations, and the Free Lunch
January 1, 2011 — Author: COL Louis H Jordan Jr Each month a member of the SSI faculty writes an editorial for our monthly newsletter. This is the Op-Ed for the January 2011 newsletter.Read Now MORE

Preparing for a Mid-Term Assessment of Leadership and National Security Reform in the Obama Administration
August 1, 2010 — Authors: Mr Jared E Bennett, Dr Joseph R Cerami, Dr Robert H Dorff Key Insights:• The initiatives for the extensive national security reform that is required to meet current threats will have to come from outside of the executive branch bureaucracy. This is true even though former senior members of the Project on National Security Reform are... MORE

Cover for Preparing for a Mid-Term Assessment of Leadership and National Security Reform in the Obama Administration

2010 Key Strategic Issues List (KSIL)
July 1, 2010 — Author: Dr Antulio J Echevarria II Unlike other lists that generally reflect issues which are operational or tactical in nature, the focus of the Key Strategic Issues List is strategic. The spotlight is, in other words, on those items that senior Army and Department of Defense leaders should consider in providing military advice and formulating... MORE

Decisionmaking In Operation IRAQI FREEDOM: The Strategic Shift of 2007
May 1, 2010 — Author: Dr Steven Metz In this second volume of the series, Dr. Metz looks carefully at the 2007 decision to surge forces into Iraq, a choice which is generally considered to have been effective in turning the tide of the war from potential disaster to possible—perhaps probable—strategic success. Although numerous strategic decisions remain to be... MORE

Thinking about Nuclear Power in Post-Saddam Iraq
April 1, 2010 — Author: Dr Norman Cigar Iraqis are debating the desirability of atomic power for their country. One can expect increasing Iraqi calls for a revival of the country’s nuclear capability, at least in the civilian sector, which reflects a general consensus within key sectors of Iraqi public opinion as well as a growing regional trend. The Iraqi... MORE

Transnational Insurgencies and the Escalation of Regional Conflict: Lessons for Iraq and Afghanistan
March 1, 2010 — Author: Dr Idean Salehyan Many insurgents groups benefit from sanctuaries in neighboring countries where they are relatively safe from state security forces. These transnational insurgencies complicate traditional counterinsurgency operations in significant ways. Most importantly, transnational insurgencies have the potential to spark conflicts... MORE

Synchronizing U.S. Government Efforts toward Collaborative Health Care Policymaking in Iraq
March 1, 2010 — Author: LTC Thomas S Bundt A primary pillar to achieving strategic aims in Iraq is through the reestablishment of a functional healthcare system. Currently, no set corporate solution exists including all agencies pertaining to a universally acceptable strategic health policy in support of this objective. Healthcare is an elemental component of... MORE