Conflict Avoidance

Simons Center Interagency Journal – “Out of Sync” – U.S. Africa Command and Recent Interagency Challenges – Summer 2016

http://thesimonscenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/IAJ-7-2-Summer2016-34-43.pdf The most recent edition of the Simons Center Interagency Journal examines US Africa Command’s innovative interagency structure. It highlights some recent challenges, particularly between DoD and State coordination in regional policy and security cooperation. The authors conclude that despite these challenges AFRICOM is equipped to counter these challenges by…



MWI – Cyberwarfare a Double-edged Sword for Authoritarian States – 1 August 2016

MWI Contributor Robert Potter argues that authoritarian states are more vulnerable to the impacts of cyberwarfare than democracies in today’s War Council Blog. http://mwi.usma.edu/cyberwarfare-double-edged-sword-authoritarian-states/ For more on cyberwar, see: https://global.oup.com/academic/product/cyber-war-9780198717492?lang=en&cc=us  



The Intercept – Leaked Data Reveals How the U.S. Trains Vast Numbers of Foreign Soldiers and Police With Little Oversight – 13 July 2016

https://theintercept.com/2016/07/13/training/ And see, e.g., Weapons Given to Iraq Are Missing By Glenn Kessler Washington Post Staff Writer Monday, August 6, 2007 http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/08/05/AR2007080501299.html And see: Stabilizing Iraq: DOD Cannot Ensure That U.S.-Funded Equipment Has Reached Iraqi Security Forces GAO-07-711, Published: Jul 31, 2007. Publicly Released: Jul 31, 2007. http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-07-711 But see:…


MWI – To Study Modern War There is No Substitute For Going – 27 July 2016

http://warontherocks.com/2016/07/to-study-modern-war-there-is-no-substitute-for-going/ Our Nation’s future leaders are fortunate indeed to have seasoned, sage leader-mentors at West Point, especially the Modern War Institute! Generations of commissioned officers have done what is known as the “staff ride” with the goal of studying and learning from war. First Printed in 1987, most recently reprinted…


South China Sea – Territorial Dispute

The links provided are a partial, work-in-progress webliography of recent media coverage and strategic thought regarding maritime territorial disputes in East Asia, particularly the South China Sea: http://www.economist.com/news/china/21702069-region-and-america-will-now-anxiously-await-chinas-response-un-appointed-tribunal?frsc=dg%7Cc http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-pacific-13748349 http://opiniojuris.org/2016/07/12/will-todays-blockbuster-award-save-or-destroy-unclos-dispute-settlement/ http://opiniojuris.org/2016/07/12/will-todays-blockbuster-award-save-or-destroy-unclos-dispute-settlement/ http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-china-36545565 https://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/row/R42784.pdf https://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/row/R44072.pdf https://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/row/R42930.pdf


Modern War Institute (MWI) – War on the Rocks: A Military Guide to Accessing Research on Fragile States – 22 June 2016

A Military Guide to Accessing Research on Fragile States see also: http://fsi.fundforpeace.org/ The Fund for Peace is an independent, nonpartisan, 501(c)(3) non-profit research and educational organization that works to prevent violent conflict and promote sustainable security. The twelfth annual Fragile States Index (FSI) focuses on the indicators of risk and…


The Report of the Iraq Inquiry (Chilcot Report) – 6 July 2016.

http://www.iraqinquiry.org.uk and see: http://www.nytimes.com/2016/07/07/world/europe/chilcot-report.html?smprod=nytcore-iphone&smid=nytcore-iphone-share and see: Govern, Kevin H., Rethinking Rule of Law Efforts in Iraq (2007). JURIST Forum (http://jurist.law.pitt.edu), February 26, 2007. Available at SSRN: http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2093497  


Select Committee on Benghazi Releases Proposed Report – 27 June 2016

http://benghazi.house.gov/NewInfo And see http://www.cnn.com/2016/06/27/politics/benghazi-report-hillary-clinton/index.html?sr=fbCNN062716benghazi-report-hillary-clinton0516PMStoryLink&linkId=25961333 “Democrats on Monday (27 June 2016)pre-empted the upcoming release of a Republican-led House Select Committee report on Benghazi by issuing their own version of a probe into the 2012 terror attack that killed four Americans on Hillary Clinton’s watch as secretary of state.” http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2016/images/06/27/report_of_the_benghazi_select_committee_democratic_members-honoring_cour….pdf And see…