I dont know who came up with the term exit strategy, but if he (or she) is still alive he should be taken out and shot. An exit is not a strategy; it is a retreat. There is nothing wrong with cutting losses and running if the situation dictates, but lets call it what it is. However, lets also make sure that the war is lost before we resort to ...Read more >

It is impossible not to notice that elements of the current acrimonious debates over theory, operations, and practice are proxies for larger political differences over the use of force and its relationship to American national interests. So why are these fundamental policy disagreements being expressed through debate over technical points of military ...Read more >

Fighting power is but one of the instruments of grand strategy which should take account of and apply the power of financial pressure, of diplomatic pressure, of commercial pressure and not least of ethical pressure, to weaken the opponents will Unlike strategy, the realm of grand strategy is for the most part terra incognita still awaiting exploration, and ...Read more >

Taliban Warfare has occupied news headlines in the global information expanse for over a decade. It is also a topic of choice for academics and scholars. However, the subject is often viewed and analyzed in a subjective rather than objective manner. It is mostly looked at across the prism of terrorism - atrocities and crimes against humanity committed by a group of non-state, though not stateless, ...Read more >

How does the leading global power sustain primacy, while facing relative decline and fiscal ...Read more >

This report examines how dominant powers, when confronted with an extended period of rising security challenges and stagnant or declining resources, have attempted to sustain their position relative to their military competitors. Its purpose is to identify the most effective elements of their strategies and provide policymakers with insight into how to address the United States’ current ...Read more >

The death of Osama bin Laden presents an important opportunity to reassess U.S. strategy in Afghanistan. Current U.S. thinking centers on two interests. The first is preventing al Qaeda and its Taliban allies from reestablishing a safe haven. The second is preventing the violence in Afghanistan from destabilizing Pakistan, thus putting its nuclear forces at risk and increasing the likelihood of nuclear ...Read more >

Maintaining the U.S. military’s global preeminence is vital to protect American interests and promote American values. Yet, in order to sustain U.S. military pre-eminence in an emerging strategic environment characterized by new threats and constrained resources, the Department of Defense (DOD) will need to organize and operate America’s armed forces in new ways. The reality of constrained defense budgets presents DOD with an opportunity to adopt reforms that will make the U.S. ...Read more >

Tracing its origin to the 1967 Naxalbari movement of West Bengal, forty years down the line Naxalism has come to acquire new dimensions. This led Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to call it the single largest threat to India’s internal security. Today, around 235 districts are affected by Naxalism in varying degrees which has led to innumerable loss of life and resources of the ...Read more >

America confronts a world in transition. The Middle East is quaking from a cascade of revolutions. Iran is inching ever closer to a nuclear bomb. China’s power is rising, prompting countries across the region to both engage with it and hedge against ...Read more >

After a decade of war, the democracies of NATO need a realistic and sustainable strategy which will close the gap between stated goals and achievable ends. The Obama Administration’s discrete ends of defeating al Qaeda have become disjointed with ways and means. Leaders of NATO member states must act now or lose the confidence of their people and watch momentum grow for a “rush to the exits” that could end in a Western defeat, victory for the Taliban and new life for Al ...Read more >

This essay contemplates the strategic geography of the ‘Occupy’ movements and related phenomena in irregular conflict, emphasizing what Mao termed their “objective conditions."1 It offers a common sense angle for appraising certain confrontational actions, perhaps toward winning with or against them, avoiding them, or coursing toward more violent ...Read more >

Maintaining the U.S. military’s global preeminence is vital to protect American interests and promote American values. Yet, in order to sustain U.S. military pre-eminence in an emerging strategic environment characterized by new threats and constrained resources, the Department of Defense (DOD) will need to organize and operate America’s armed forces in new ...Read more >

The United States must recalibrate its strategies to address the sweeping changes across the Middle East. An approach of “strategic adaptation” would focus on the near-term crises that are most salient to U.S. interests, prioritize political reform in the region and address long-term trends while ...Read more >

We must renew the foundation of America’s strength. In the long run, the welfare of the American people will determine America’s strength in the world, particularly at a time when our own economy is inextricably linked to the global economy. Our prosperity serves as a wellspring for our power. It pays for our military, underwrites our diplomacy and development efforts, and serves as a leading source of our influence in the world. The National Security Strategy of the United States, May 2010 On ...Read more >