| Lebanon: Background and U.S. Relations |
30-Nov-2009 |
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| Authors:
Casey L Addis; LIBRARY OF CONGRESS WASHINGTON DC CONGRESSIONAL RESEARCH SERVICE
|
 | Lebanon is a religiously diverse, democratic state transitioning toward independence after a ruinous civil war and the subsequent Syrian and Israeli occupations. The United States and Lebanon have historically enjoyed a good relationship due in part to cultural and religious ties; the democratic character of the state; a large, Lebanese-American community in the United States; and the pro-western orientation of Lebanon, particularly during the Cold War. Current U.S. concerns in ... |
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| Lebanon: Background and U.S. Relations |
02-Nov-2009 |
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| Authors:
Casey L Addis; LIBRARY OF CONGRESS WASHINGTON DC CONGRESSIONAL RESEARCH SERVICE
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| Lebanon is a religiously diverse, democratic state transitioning toward independence after a ruinous civil war and the subsequent Syrian and Israeli occupations. The United States and Lebanon have historically enjoyed a good relationship due in part to cultural and religious ties; the democratic character of the state; a large, Lebanese-American community in the United States; and the pro-western orientation of Lebanon, particularly during the Cold War. Current U.S. concerns in ... |
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| Dealing with Political Ferment in Latin America: The Populist Revival, the Emergence of the Center, and Implications for U.S. Policy |
Sep-2009 |
85 pages |
| Authors:
Hal Brands; ARMY WAR COLL STRATEGIC STUDIES INST CARLISLE BARRACKS PA
|
 | Over the past decade, Latin America has experienced considerable political upheaval. Persistent poverty, corruption, and public insecurity have produced profound popular dissatisfaction and caused widespread ideological ferment. While the electoral results of this ferment are frequently described as a lurch to the left, such descriptions are misleading. Latin America is not experiencing a uniform shift to the left; it is witnessing a competition between two very different political trends. The ... |
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| A Comparison of the Democratic Security Policy in Colombia and Provincial Reconstruction Teams in Iraq |
Sep-2009 |
74 pages |
| Authors:
James A Walker; NAVAL POSTGRADUATE SCHOOL MONTEREY CA DEPT OF NATIONAL SECURITY AFFAIRS
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| The issue of security and democratic development in Colombia and Iraq are important for them as nations as well as for the international community. For Colombia, the Democratic Security Policy is a mechanism to establish government presence throughout the country, reclaim territory and the population from insurgent, paramilitary, and other criminal groups, and so end practically 60 years of internal conflict. Colombia's chronic instability not only creates tensions in the ... |
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| Lebanon: Background and U.S. Relations |
23-Jul-2009 |
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| Authors:
Casey L Addis; LIBRARY OF CONGRESS WASHINGTON DC CONGRESSIONAL RESEARCH SERVICE
|
| Lebanon is a religiously diverse, democratic state transitioning toward independence after a ruinous civil war and the Syrian and Israeli occupations that followed. The United States and Lebanon have historically enjoyed a good relationship due in part to cultural and religious ties; the democratic character of the state; a large, Lebanese-American community in the United States; and the pro-western orientation of Lebanon, particularly during the Cold War. Current U.S. concerns ... |
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| Costa Rica: Background and U.S. Relations |
21-Jul-2009 |
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| Authors:
Peter J Meyer; LIBRARY OF CONGRESS WASHINGTON DC CONGRESSIONAL RESEARCH SERVICE
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| Costa Rica is a relatively politically stable and economically developed nation with a long tradition of civilian democracy. Former president (1986-1990) and Nobel-laureate Oscar Arias of the National Liberation Party was elected President in 2006. Throughout his term, Arias has focused on expanding the country's social safety net and increasing free trade. He faced strong opposition to the country's inclusion in the Dominican Republic-Central America-United States Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA-DR), ... |
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| Panama: Political and Economic Conditions and U.S. Relations |
15-Jul-2009 |
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| Authors:
Mark P Sullivan; LIBRARY OF CONGRESS WASHINGTON DC CONGRESSIONAL RESEARCH SERVICE
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| With five successive elected civilian governments, the Central American nation of Panama has made notable political and economic progress since the 1989 U.S. military intervention that ousted the regime of General Manuel Noriega from power. The current President, Ricardo Martinelli of the centrist Democratic Change (CD) party was elected in May 2009, defeating the ruling Democratic Revolutionary Party (PRD) in a landslide. Martinelli was inaugurated to a fiveyear term on ... |
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| Afghanistan: U.S. Foreign Assistance |
14-Jul-2009 |
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| Authors:
Curt Tarnoff; LIBRARY OF CONGRESS WASHINGTON DC CONGRESSIONAL RESEARCH SERVICE
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| The U.S. program of assistance to Afghanistan is intended to stabilize and strengthen the Afghan economic, social, political, and security environment so as to blunt popular support for extremist forces in the region. Since 2001, nearly $38 billion has been appropriated toward this effort. More than half of U.S. assistance -- roughly 54% -- has gone to security programs, mostly the training and equipping of Afghan forces. Another 32% has ... |
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| International Criminal Court Cases in Africa: Status and Policy Issues |
14-Jul-2009 |
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| Authors:
Rhoda Margesson; Alexis Arieff; Marjorie A Browne; LIBRARY OF CONGRESS WASHINGTON DC CONGRESSIONAL RESEARCH SERVICE
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| The International Criminal Court (ICC), established in 2002, has to-date initiated investigations exclusively in Sub-Saharan Africa. The ICC Prosecutor has opened cases against 16 individuals for alleged crimes in northern Uganda, the Democratic Republic of Congo, the Central African Republic, and the Darfur region of Sudan. In addition, the Prosecutor is analyzing situations-a preliminary step toward initiating a full investigationin Kenya, Coete d'Ivoire, and Chad, as well as in Colombia, ... |
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| Human Rights in China: Trends and Policy Implications |
13-Jul-2009 |
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| Authors:
Hannah Fischer; Thomas Lunn; LIBRARY OF CONGRESS WASHINGTON DC CONGRESSIONAL RESEARCH SERVICE
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| Human rights has been a principal area of U.S. concern in its relations with the People's Republic of China (PRC), particularly since the violent government crackdown on the Tiananmen democracy movement in 1989. Some policy makers contend that the U.S. policy of engagement with China, especially since granting the PRC permanent normal trade relations status in 2000, has failed to produce meaningful political reform. Others argue that U.S. engagement has ... |
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| Strategic Vision Workshop -- Land Power in the 21st Century (CSL Issue Paper, Volume 8-09, July 2009) |
Jul-2009 |
7 pages |
| Authors:
Art M Loureiro; ARMY WAR COLL CARLISLE BARRACKS PA CENTER FOR STRATEGIC LEADERSHIP
|
| The Center for Strategic Leadership (CSL), United States Army War College (USAWC), in conjunction with Headquarters, Department of the Army (HQDA) Staff and in cooperation with National Security Faculty and Researchers at Texas A&M University, Bush School of Government, Scowcroft Institute, co-hosted a February 2009 workshop entitled Strategic Vision Workshop: Land Power in the 21st Century. The workshop's purpose was to assist the Army Staff in analyzing Grand Strategic choices ... |
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| Religious-Based Violence and National Security in Nigeria: Case Studies of Kaduna State and the Taliban Activities in Borno State |
12-Jun-2009 |
128 pages |
| Authors:
Sanusi Aliyu; ARMY COMMAND AND GENERAL STAFF COLL FORT LEAVENWORTH KS
|
| Nigeria is a multi-religious and multi-ethnic society with enormous potential for economic, social, and democratic development. However, the intense conflicts and violence that have manifested within it since colonial rule have made development and elude the country. Nigeria is usually characterized as a deeply divided state in which major political issues are vigorously contested along the lines of complex ethnic, religious, and regional divisions. The causes of these conflicts may ... |
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| Human Rights in China: Trends and Policy Implications |
12-Jun-2009 |
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| Authors:
Hannah Fischer; Thomas Lum; LIBRARY OF CONGRESS WASHINGTON DC CONGRESSIONAL RESEARCH SERVICE
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| Human rights has been a principal area of U.S. concern in its relations with the People's Republic of China (PRC), particularly since the violent government crackdown on the Tiananmen democracy movement in 1989. Some policy makers contend that the U.S. policy of engagement with China, particularly since granting the PRC permanent normal trade relations status in 2000, has failed to produce meaningful political reform. Others argue that U.S. engagement has ... |
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| Domestic Agricultural Subsidies' Impacts on National Security Objectives Relative to the SOUTHCOM AOR |
12-Jun-2009 |
103 pages |
| Authors:
Philip W Goddard; ARMY COMMAND AND GENERAL STAFF COLL FORT LEAVENWORTH KS
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| Strategic documents and policies, from the United States' National Security Strategy down to the SOUTHCOM Commander's Posture Statement to Congress, recognize the role of economic development and liberalized trade in promoting global and regional security. However, domestic agricultural subsidies appear to negate or limit the potential positive impacts of free trade agreements in the SOUTHCOM AOR. Two questions arise from this apparent disparity. First, are U.S. agricultural subsidies detrimental to ... |
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| Chile: Political and Economic Conditions and U.S. Relations |
03-Jun-2009 |
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| Authors:
Peter J Meyer; LIBRARY OF CONGRESS WASHINGTON DC CONGRESSIONAL RESEARCH SERVICE
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| Following a violent coup against democratically elected Marxist President Salvador Allende in 1973, Chile experienced 17 years of military rule under General Augusto Pinochet before reestablishing its elected civilian democracy in 1990. A center-left coalition of parties known as the Concertacion has governed Chile for the nearly two decades since the end of the dictatorship. The coalition has enacted a number of constitutional changes to strengthen civilian control of the ... |
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| Iraq: Politics, Elections, and Benchmarks |
02-Jun-2009 |
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| Authors:
Kenneth Katzman; LIBRARY OF CONGRESS WASHINGTON DC CONGRESSIONAL RESEARCH SERVICE
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| Iraq's political system, the result of a U.S.-supported election process, is increasingly characterized by peaceful competition rather than violence, but sectarianism and ethnic and factional infighting continue to simmer. As 2009 began, there was renewed maneuvering by opponents of Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki who view him as authoritarian and were perceived as conspiring to try to replace him, had his party fared poorly in the January 31, 2009, provincial elections. ... |
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| Diverging Roads: 21st-Century U.S.-Thai Defense Relations (Strategic Forum, Number 241, June 2009) |
Jun-2009 |
9 pages |
| Authors:
Lewis M Stern; NATIONAL DEFENSE UNIV WASHINGTON DC INST FOR NATIONAL STRATEGIC STUDIES
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| The 175th anniversary of the signing of the Treaty of Amity and Commerce in 2008 was seized by both Thailand and the United States as a reason for celebrating a long and mutually beneficial treaty alliance. This alliance has been defined by the shared though not uncomplicated commitment to democracy and human rights, and the common interest in free and fair trade, all of which inform the tradition of bilateral ... |
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| The Policy of the Bharatiya Janata Party, 1980 and 2008: Possible Influence of Hindu Nationalism on Indian Politics |
Jun-2009 |
147 pages |
| Authors:
Carsten Busch; NAVAL POSTGRADUATE SCHOOL MONTEREY CA
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| The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is one of the few Indian political parties which contest nationwide. Its Hindu nationalistic appeal changed over time. In 1998, the BJP gained power and formed a coalition to rule India. Against some expectations, it did not transfer its Hindu nationalistic ideology into practice when it came to domestic and international politics. This thesis answers the question of which factors affected the behavior of the ... |
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| United States and Mongolia Conduct Exercise Gobi Wolf (CSL Issue Paper, Volume 5-09, June 2009) |
Jun-2009 |
5 pages |
| Authors:
Bradshaw; Arthur L Jr; ARMY WAR COLL CARLISLE BARRACKS PA CENTER FOR STRATEGIC LEADERSHIP
|
| Cooperation between the United States and Mongolia has developed dynamically since the establishment of diplomatic relations in 1987. Today Mongolia and the United States share a growing and strong cooperative partnership based on shared values, a commitment to democracy and a free-market economy, and the global war against terrorism. To that end the two nations are partnering in several areas to expand expertise and training to Mongolia as it reconfigures ... |
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| American Grand Strategy after War (Colloquium Brief, May 22, 2009) |
22-May-2009 |
5 pages |
| Authors:
Ionut C Popescu; Dallas D Owens; ARMY WAR COLL STRATEGIC STUDIES INST CARLISLE BARRACKS PA
|
| The Triangle Institute for Security Studies (TISS), the Duke University Program in American Grand Strategy, and the Strategic Studies Institute of the U.S. Army War College (USAWC) conducted a colloquium and recognition of TISS's 50th anniversary at the Duke University and University of North Carolina campuses on February 26-28, 2009. The colloquium, entitled American Grand Strategy after War, examined debates over grand strategy after World War II, Korea, Vietnam, and ... |
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| France: Factors Shaping Foreign Policy, and Issues in U.S.-French Relations |
20-May-2009 |
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| Authors:
Paul Belkin; LIBRARY OF CONGRESS WASHINGTON DC CONGRESSIONAL RESEARCH SERVICE
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| The factors that shape French foreign policy have changed since the end of the Cold War. The perspectives of France and the United States have diverged in some cases, although their core interests remain similar. Both countries' governments have embraced the opportunity to build stability in Europe through an expanded European Union and NATO. Each has recognized that terrorism and the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction are the most ... |
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| Iran: U.S. Concerns and Policy Responses |
19-May-2009 |
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| Authors:
Kenneth Katzman; LIBRARY OF CONGRESS WASHINGTON DC CONGRESSIONAL RESEARCH SERVICE
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| President Obama has said his Administration shares the goals of the previous Administration on Iran, but the Obama Administration is formulating strategies and approaches to achieve those goals that differ from those of its predecessor. According to President Obama, the Administration intends to expand direct diplomatic engagement with Iran. This effort was put in practice with a message to the Iranian people by President Obama marking Persian New Year (Nowruz), ... |
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| Future of the Balkans and U.S. Policy Concerns |
13-May-2009 |
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| Authors:
Steven Woehrel; LIBRARY OF CONGRESS WASHINGTON DC CONGRESSIONAL RESEARCH SERVICE
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| The United States, its allies, and local leaders have achieved substantial successes in the Balkans since the mid-1990s. The wars in the region have ended, and all of the countries are undertaking political and economic reforms at home and orienting their foreign policies toward Euro-Atlantic institutions. However, difficult challenges remain, including dealing with the impact of Kosovo's independence, fighting organized crime and corruption, bringing war criminals to justice, and reforming ... |
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| The Causes and Dynamics of Conflict in Sub-Saharan Africa |
10-May-2009 |
31 pages |
| Authors:
Arthur T Moe; ARMY WAR COLL CARLISLE BARRACKS PA
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| Pervasive conflict throughout much of Sub-Saharan Africa defies easy resolution due to a unique web of factors. Poor governance, ethnic rivalry, mismanagement of land and natural resources, declining economic conditions, and widespread poverty and famine form a daunting bulwark against stability. In recent centuries, much of the western world rose above these destabilizing factors because of socio-political-economic stability gained from two trends: the spread of constitutional democracy and economic globalization. ... |
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| State and Nonstate Associated Gangs: Credible 'Midwives of New Social Orders' |
May-2009 |
80 pages |
| Authors:
Max G Manwaring; ARMY WAR COLL STRATEGIC STUDIES INST CARLISLE BARRACKS PA
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| This monograph introduces a misunderstood aspect of wars among the people. The author addresses the interesting subject of the multifaceted nature and predominant role of gangs operating as state and nonstate proxies in the modern unbalanced global security environment. In every phase of the process of compelling radical political change, agitator-gangs and popular militias play significant roles in helping their political patrons prepare to take control of a targeted political-social ... |
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| American Nation Building in Afghanistan |
18-Apr-2009 |
33 pages |
| Authors:
Richard L Phillips; ARMY WAR COLL CARLISLE BARRACKS PA
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| Nation building efforts in Afghanistan depend on three pillars, securing the country, building the economy and establishing good governance. Each is dependent on the other. Coordinating the international efforts to achieve each pillar's goals is a daunting task. Coalition countries maintain separate and individual agendas that impede coordinated nation building efforts. Corruption is wide spread and threatens national security and the government legitimacy. Little or no oversight of government activities ... |
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| Central Asia: Regional Developments and Implications for U.S. Interests |
17-Apr-2009 |
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| Authors:
Jim Nichol; LIBRARY OF CONGRESS WASHINGTON DC CONGRESSIONAL RESEARCH SERVICE
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| After the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, the United States recognized the independence of all the former Central Asian republics, supported their admission into Western organizations, and elicited regional support to counter Iranian influence in the region. Congress was at the forefront in urging the formation of coherent U.S. policies for aiding these and other Eurasian states of the former Soviet Union. |
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| A Historical Case Study of U.S. Strategy towards Afghanistan |
14-Apr-2009 |
44 pages |
| Authors:
Mark A Burrough; ARMY WAR COLL CARLISLE BARRACKS PA
|
| This paper is a historical case study of U.S. strategic thinking as it has been applied to Afghanistan from the Cold War to the present. It examines the successes and failures of U.S. strategy and policy as they relate to the changing situations in Afghanistan. The approach taken in this paper has been to divide the discussions into six time segments. The first three segments take place during the Cold ... |
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| Moldova: Background and U.S. Policy |
14-Apr-2009 |
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| Authors:
Steven Woehrel; LIBRARY OF CONGRESS WASHINGTON DC CONGRESSIONAL RESEARCH SERVICE
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| Although a small country, Moldova has been of interest to U.S. policy makers due to its position between NATO and European Union (EU) member Romania and strategic Ukraine. In addition, some experts have expressed concern about alleged Russian efforts to extend its hegemony over Moldova through various methods, including a troop presence, manipulation of Moldova's relationship with its breakaway Transnistria region, and energy supplies and other trading links. Moldova's political ... |
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| Cuba: Issues for 111th Congress |
14-Apr-2009 |
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| Authors:
Mark P Sullivan; LIBRARY OF CONGRESS WASHINGTON DC CONGRESSIONAL RESEARCH SERVICE
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| Cuba, which remains a hard-line communist state with a poor record on human rights, commemorated the 50th anniversary of its revolution on January 1, 2009. Cuba's political succession from the long-ruling Fidel Castro to his brother Raul in 2006 was characterized by a remarkable degree of stability. After Raul Castro officially assumed the presidency in February 2008, his government announced a series of economic changes that included lifting restrictions on ... |
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| Fifth Summit of the America's, Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago, April 2009: Background, Agenda, and Expectations |
09-Apr-2009 |
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| Authors:
Peter J Meyer; LIBRARY OF CONGRESS WASHINGTON DC CONGRESSIONAL RESEARCH SERVICE
|
| The fifth Summit of the Americas in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago, which is scheduled to be held April 17-19, 2009, will be the first hemispheric forum for President Barack Obama to engage with leaders from across Latin America and the Caribbean. The Port of Spain Summit will also be the first meeting of all 34 democratic heads of government from Latin America, the Caribbean, Canada, and the United ... |
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| Israel: Background and Relations with the United States |
02-Apr-2009 |
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| Authors:
Carol Migadalovitz; LIBRARY OF CONGRESS WASHINGTON DC CONGRESSIONAL RESEARCH SERVICE
|
| On May 14, 1948, the State of Israel declared its independence and was immediately engaged in a war with all of its neighbors. Armed conflict has marked every decade of Israel's existence. Despite its unstable regional environment, Israel has developed a vibrant parliamentary democracy, albeit with relatively fragile governments. Early national elections were held on February 10, 2009. Although the Kadima Party placed first, parties holding 65 seats in the ... |
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| Iraq: Post-Saddam Governance and Security |
02-Apr-2009 |
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| Authors:
Kenneth Katzman; LIBRARY OF CONGRESS WASHINGTON DC CONGRESSIONAL RESEARCH SERVICE
|
| The Obama Administration began with a security environment in Iraq vastly improved over that which prevailed during 2005-2007. The turnaround has been widely attributed to the troop surge announced by President Bush on January 10, 2007 (New Way Forward). Recent Defense Department reports assess that overall violence is down about 90% from late 2007 levels, to levels not seen since 2003. On February 27, 2009, President Obama announced that all ... |
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| Egypt: Background and U.S. Relations |
26-Mar-2009 |
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| Authors:
Jeremy M Sharp; LIBRARY OF CONGRESS WASHINGTON DC CONGRESSIONAL RESEARCH SERVICE
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| This report provides an overview of Egyptian politics and current issues in U.S.-Egyptian relations. It briefly provides a political history of modern Egypt, an overview of its political institutions, and a discussion of the prospects for democratization in Egypt. This report will be updated regularly. U.S. policy toward Egypt is aimed at maintaining regional stability, improving bilateral relations, continuing military cooperation, and sustaining the March 1979 Egyptian-Israeli peace treaty. Successive ... |
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| Military Medical Research in Support of National Instruments of Power |
26-Mar-2009 |
32 pages |
| Authors:
Daniel H Jimenez; ARMY WAR COLL CARLISLE BARRACKS PA
|
| At the dawn of this new millennium, there are few threats more menacing to mankind than the global Human ImmunoDeficiency Virus/Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (HIV/AIDS) pandemic. The current national security strategy and national military strategy acknowledge the threat posed by infectious diseases like HIV/AIDS and the potential adverse effects pandemic diseases have to vital U.S. interests. This strategy research project examines how military medical research serves as a soft power ... |
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| Zimbabwe: The Power Sharing Agreement and Implications for U.S. Policy |
25-Mar-2009 |
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| Authors:
Lauren Ploch; LIBRARY OF CONGRESS WASHINGTON DC CONGRESSIONAL RESEARCH SERVICE
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| After almost a year of uncertainty following Zimbabwe's March 2008 elections, opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai was sworn as Prime Minister of a new coalition government on February 11, 2009. The establishment of the new government comes five months after a power-sharing agreement was signed in an effort to resolve the political standoff resulting from the flawed 2008 elections. For the first time since independence, the ruling party has lost its ... |
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| Lebanon's National Security Challenges and the Terrorism Phenomenon |
24-Mar-2009 |
36 pages |
| Authors:
Marwan Azar; ARMY WAR COLL CARLISLE BARRACKS PA
|
| Lebanon is situated in a very sensitive region of the Middle East. It borders Syria and Israel. Lebanon is a functioning democracy and a confessional state that in its modern history has suffered from foreign military interventions and occupations, and from the effects of a disastrous Civil War that lasted fifteen years. Lebanon faces a number of external and domestic national security challenges that threaten both its national sovereignty and ... |
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| Integrating the Religious Dimension into U.S. Military Strategy |
24-Mar-2009 |
32 pages |
| Authors:
Thomas L Solhjem; ARMY WAR COLL CARLISLE BARRACKS PA
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| The United States is embroiled in a historic seventh year of the Global War on Terrorism (GWOT). Military policy and strategy should provide clear understanding of the challenge and a consensus on the way ahead. However, some argue U.S. policy and military strategy do not reflect a genuine understanding of our enemy's motivations, purposes, and methods. Without such understanding, al Qaeda remains a Hydra-like menace, and the U.S. remains beleaguered ... |
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| A System Dynamics Framework for Assessing Nation-Building in the Democratic Republic of the Congo |
23-Mar-2009 |
76 pages |
| Authors:
William E Crane; OLD DOMINION UNIV NORFOLK VA VIRGINIA MODELING ANALYSIS AND SIMULATION CENTER
|
| This paper begins with a history of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It discusses some of the prominent other nation actors and their impact upon the Democratic Republic of the Congo. This paper identifies the key nodes to Nation Building specific to the Democratic Republic of the Congo and it models these nodes using System Dynamics. It uses the Nation Building approach offered by the Beginners Guide to Nation ... |
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| Populism in Latin America |
20-Mar-2009 |
36 pages |
| Authors:
Gustav L Meyerholz; ARMY WAR COLL CARLISLE BARRACKS PA
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| In the last two decades, Latin America has undergone substantial political, social and economic transformation; however, many new democratically-elected governments appear to lack the ability to engender public support, promote social stability, or successfully manage a national economy. This paper will explore the phenomenon of populism in Latin America, taking into account the realities of inequitable wealth distribution, rampant corruption, the rise of indigenous movements, Latin American views on the ... |
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| The Proposed 2009 War Powers Consultation Act |
19-Mar-2009 |
50 pages |
| Authors:
Michael L Smidt; ARMY WAR COLL CARLISLE BARRACKS PA
|
| President Obama and the 111th Congress should repeal the 1973 War Powers Resolution (Resolution) and enact the Proposed 2009 War Powers Consultation Act (Act) in its place. The Act will correct the constitutional issues and policy defects associated with the Resolution. More importantly, the Act will serve to restore the proper balance of power between the President and Congress relating to any decision to commit U.S. Armed Forces to significant ... |
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| U.S. Policy toward the Korean Peninsula Unification: A Cross-Cultural Perspective |
18-Mar-2009 |
28 pages |
| Authors:
Michael H Chung; ARMY WAR COLL CARLISLE BARRACKS PA
|
| Cultural awareness is especially important in a complex, globalized environment. Because each culture has different priorities in its basic values and beliefs, cultural collisions occur with some frequency. This paper uses the Korean unification issue as a case study to identify the cross-cultural awareness gaps between South Korea and the United States. It will discuss current U.S. security policy toward the Korean peninsula's unification by looking at two feasible policy ... |
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| US Policy Options Mitigating Venezuelan Sponsored Security Challenges |
12-Mar-2009 |
44 pages |
| Authors:
Dennis P LeMaster; ARMY WAR COLL CARLISLE BARRACKS PA
|
| Chavez's Bolivarian foreign policy seeks to establish Venezuela as an international heavyweight through a strategy designed to thwart U.S. influence in the global arena, particularly in the Western Hemisphere. Accordingly, Chavez is attempting to establish or renew relationships with China, Iran, and Russia and to expand oil markets and trade, to include nuclear technology. Venezuela also has entered into contentious relations with neighboring countries. These actions and policies may destabilize ... |
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| Georgia [Republic] and NATO Enlargement: Issues and Implications |
06-Mar-2009 |
|
| Authors:
Jim Nichol; LIBRARY OF CONGRESS WASHINGTON DC CONGRESSIONAL RESEARCH SERVICE
|
| Georgia joined NATO's Partnership for Peace (PFP) program in 1994. At the NATO Summit in Prague in November 2002, Georgia declared that it aspired to eventual NATO membership and sought to intensify ties with NATO through an Individual Partnership Action Plan (IPAP) to increase the interoperability and capability of its military forces. After Georgia's rose revolution of late 2003 brought a new reformist government to power, Georgia placed top priority ... |
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| Transforming the Albanian Armed Forces, Overcoming the Challenges |
03-Mar-2009 |
35 pages |
| Authors:
Nazmi Cahani; ARMY WAR COLL CARLISLE BARRACKS PA
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| The Albanian Armed Forces (AAF) are currently undergoing an extensive defense reform process that consists of transformation of its strategic concept, doctrine, organizational structure, personnel management system, military infrastructure, training and education, and systems and equipment. The transformation process, which started with regime change in 1990 and continues today, is not easy. The collapse of the communist regime left Albania with decayed infrastructure, impassable roads, extremely poor communications networks, and ... |
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| Assessing the Potential for Interstate Conflict Between Chile and Peru: A Political Economy Approach |
01-Mar-2009 |
117 pages |
| Authors:
Eric D Trismen; NAVAL POSTGRADUATE SCHOOL MONTEREY CA
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| This thesis argues liberal theories of peace fail to explain the relationship that exists between Chile and Peru. Democratic and Economic Integration theories posit that democratization and economic integration foster cooperation. Yet, these do not accurately reflect the current state of relations. I posit such an explanation must take into account the preferences of actors, and their ability to act on those preferences. I focus on the executive, the military ... |
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| State Capacity and Resistance in Afghanistan |
01-Mar-2009 |
185 pages |
| Authors:
Christopher R Mullins; NAVAL POSTGRADUATE SCHOOL MONTEREY CA
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| This thesis seeks to explain why current attempts to expand the reach of the Afghan government in Kabul are met with heavy resistance. It examines the historical dichotomy between state capacity and the prevalence of solidarity groups' opposition to central rule in four Afghan regimes: the monarchy of Amir Abdur Rahman, the communist regime of the Peoples Democratic Republic of Afghanistan and the Soviet occupation, the Taliban's Islamist theocracy, and ... |
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| On Peace: Peace as a Means of Statecraft |
01-Mar-2009 |
30 pages |
| Authors:
James H Herrera; ARMY WAR COLL CARLISLE BARRACKS PA
|
| Peace is a word that is often used but vaguely understood. Conventional thought considers peace as a condition that shares a dialectical relationship with war, albeit devoid of a separate nature of its own. Upon closer examination peace has a pragmatic quality to it as well as the potential to be a separate element of statecraft, not simply the absence, termination, or continuation of war. This paper examines peace at ... |
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| Judicial Review: State Supreme Judicial Views on Balancing Civil Liberties and Public Safety/Security Measures during the Global War on Terror |
Mar-2009 |
121 pages |
| Authors:
Patty A Fairweather; NAVAL POSTGRADUATE SCHOOL MONTEREY CA
|
| Political responses to terrorism in the United States and the international community have been to place limitations upon and/or to suspend civil liberties. Since constraining civil liberties may lead to the spread of terror, balancing the competing interests of individual civil liberties and public safety/security measures imposed by government in times of national emergency is essential to reducing terrorism and to the pursuit of peace. Constitutional courts both federal and ... |
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| Possible Correlations of Multinational Military Operations and State Stability, and Application to State Building in Iraq |
Mar-2009 |
89 pages |
| Authors:
Nicholas J Buls; NAVAL POSTGRADUATE SCHOOL MONTEREY CA
|
| This thesis explores the possible correlation between participation by emerging states in multinational military coalitions, and increased stability of those emerging states. Level of multinational military participation is regressed against three metrics of stability; level of democracy, occurrence of internal conflict, and occurrence of external conflict. Implications of correlations discovered are discussed with respect to policy relevance toward state building and reconstruction in Iraq. |
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