Recent Publications

The Growling Bear or “Why The Army Owes Mr. Putin a Favor”
March 2, 2015 — Lieutenant Colonel Michael A. AdelbergThe Army owes Mr. Vladimir Putin a “thank-you.” So does the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)—because his reckless aggression is providing both institutions a resurgent identity. Russia’s current actions provide the United States a unique opportunity, as well as foreshadowing the future. This is because... MORE

Always Strategic: Jointly Essential Landpower
February 11, 2015 — Author: Dr Colin S Gray View the Executive SummaryAmerican Landpower is a strategic instrument of state policy and needs to be considered as such. This monograph explores and explains the nature of Landpower, both in general terms and also with particular regard to the American case. The monograph argues that: (1) Landpower is unique in the... MORE

Assessing Egyptian Public Support for Security Crackdowns in the Sinai
February 10, 2015 — Author: Mr Gregory Aftandilian View the Executive SummaryThis monograph examines the terrorist groups in Egypt emanating from the Sinai and assesses the level of Egyptian public support for the government's security crackdown. These terrorist groups have not only targeted Egyptian security personnel and foreign tourists in the Sinai Peninsula but... MORE

Strategic Insights: Would a Post-2011 Residual U.S. Force in Iraq Have Changed Anything?
February 9, 2015 — Dr. W. Andrew TerrillCurrently, U.S. policy analysts and governmental leaders are examining the rise of the Islamic State (IS) organization, particularly its seizure of vast expanses of Iraqi territory in the summer of 2014. People legitimately ask what could have been done and would a residual U.S. force in Iraq have prevented the spread of IS... MORE

Getting to the Left of SHARP: Lessons Learned from West Point’s Efforts to Combat Sexual Harassment and Assault
January 13, 2015 — Authors: LTG Robert L Caslen Jr, LTC Daniel Gade, COL Cindy R Jebb, Cadet Hope C Landsem View the Executive SummaryOn July 26, 1948, President Harry Truman signed Executive Order 9981, ending the practice of segregating the military services by race. That same year, the Army allowed women to join the services on an equal basis with men. Both of... MORE

Re-examining the Roles of Landpower in the 21st Century and Their Implications
November 26, 2014 — Author: Dr William T Johnsen View the Executive SummaryAfter 13 years of prolonged ground combat, a weary American public is leery of further interventions requiring land forces. Shifting geostrategic conditions, such as a revanchist Russia and a rising China, reinforce this reluctance. At the same time, technological innovation once more offers... MORE

Tribal Militias: An Effective Tool to Counter Al-Qaida and Its Affiliates?
November 1, 2014 — Author: Dr Norman Cigar View the Executive SummaryDespite over a decade of open war, dealing with Al-Qaida and its affiliates in the Middle East is likely to remain a concern for the foreseeable future and will pose a challenge requiring the use of any tool that is likely to be effective in meeting the threat. Developing effective tools to counter... MORE

Political and Socio-Economic Change: Revolutions and Their Implications for the U.S. Military
September 1, 2014 — Author: Dr John R Deni View the Executive SummaryDramatic political, economic, and social changes across both the Greater Middle East and Latin America over the last several years—in some instances revolutionary, in others evolutionary—have had profound implications for global security generally and U.S. security specifically. Policymakers in... MORE

Cover for Political and Socio-Economic Change: Revolutions and Their Implications for the U.S. Military

Cyberterrorism after STUXNET
June 1, 2014 — Author: Dr Thomas M Chen View the Executive SummaryThe discovery of STUXNET was a recent milestone in the arena of cyber security because it was the first malware designed to cause real world damage to industrial control systems. It demonstrated that a sufficiently determined adversary might be able to cause physical damage to U.S. critical... MORE

U.S. Governmental Information Operations and Strategic Communications: A Discredited Tool or User Failure? Implications for Future Conflict
December 3, 2013 — Author: Dr Steve Tatham View the Executive SummaryThrough the prism of operations in Afghanistan, the author examines how the U.S. Government’s Strategic Communication (SC) and, in particular, the Department of Defense’s (DoD) Information Operations (IO) and Military Information Support to Operations (MISO) programs, have contributed to U.S... MORE

Op-Ed: What Our Civilian Leaders Do Not Understand About the Ethic of Military Professions: A Striking Example of the Current Gap in Civil-Military Relations
November 26, 2013 — Dr. Don M. SniderOver the past couple of months we have seen a clear example of just how wide the gap currently is between the understandings of senior civilian and military leaders within the Department of Defense. Now that the episode has been resolved, or at least ended, a review can be educational. By a Secretary of Defense (SECDEF)... MORE

Nigerian Unity: In the Balance
June 14, 2013 — Authors: LTC Clarence J Bouchat (USAF, Ret), Mr Gerald McLoughlin View the Executive SummaryNigeria’s future as a unified state is in jeopardy. Those who make or execute U.S. policy will find it difficult to advance U.S. interests in Africa without an understanding of the pressures that tear and bind Nigeria. Despite this, the centrifugal forces... MORE