In March 2012, the government of Mali, one of the most touted symbols of Africa's democratic potential fell in a military-executed coup. At the same time, a 4-decade-old rebellion among Tuaregs seeking autonomy or independence reached new heights, fueled by weapons from Muammar Gadaffi's fallen government and perhaps the belief that the Arab Spring could extend to northern Mali. Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) and their allies were quick to capitalize on the increasing chaos in a territory characterized by lack of government control and poverty and seized the major cities in the north....

The Marshall Plan has been heralded as one of the most important and successful foreign policies of this century. Historians generally agree that it was precisely the right medicine needed to heal wounds and restore confidence on both sides of the Atlantic following the destructive Second World War. It has also been credited with helping contain the spread of communism and providing the foundation for an enduring alliance that has produced years of peace in Europe. The Marshall Plan, however, has also been criticized as a selfish U.S. endeavor and a program that divided Europe. The purpose of...

Terrorism has existed for centuries and governments have struggled to counter the violent extremist threat within their midst. In the immediate days following the unprovoked attacks against the United States on September 11, 2001, President Bush and our collective national leaders stressed the urgent need to go on the immediate offensive against the terrorists, deploy military forces, and promote democracy abroad. Now, going on seven years in the Global War on Terror (GWOT), one can argue we have made credible tactical gains, but have fallen far short in defeating violent extremism as a...

This book analyzes Brazilian grand strategy under President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. During Lula's nearly 8 years in office, he has pursued a multipronged grand strategy aimed at hastening the transition from unipolarity and Western economic hegemony to a multipolar order in which international rules, norms, and institutions are more favorable to Brazilian interests. Lula has done so by emphasizing three diplomatic strategies: soft balancing against the United States, building coalitions to magnify Brazilian negotiating power, and seeking to position Brazil as the leader of a more united...

Since September 11, 2001, the United States has been gripped in an epic struggle against terrorism. The attacks on the United States homeland paralyzed the nation with a sense of vulnerability, but instilled a resolve to retaliate and take the offensive to defeat terrorism. This has manifested itself in the Global War on Terror and led to the U.S. invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq to force regime change upon a terrorist sanctuary and a rogue state respectively. After nearly a decade of pursuing a war on terror, it appears that U.S. efforts are failing to effectively combat terrorism and...

Since the end of the Cold War and the break-up of the Soviet Union, many nations in Russia's Near Abroad have expended time and effort to join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. In recent years the integration of Western European economies with that of Russia, especially in terms of energy dependence, places the West in a position of weakness in the face of a newly resurgent Russia, whose leadership faces a variety of internal challenges of their own. The Russo-Georgian War of 2008, along with comments recently made in several Western European capitals, calls into question the resolution...

Operation Iraqi Freedom was innovative, flexible, and achieved stunningly rapid success, properly setting the stage for conflict termination and resolution. Upon announcing the transition to conflict resolution, U.S. Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld revealed that the U.S.-led coalition was attempting unfamiliar and unique methods to resolve the conflict. U.S. policy in Iraq created a two-track process, security and politics, under the supervision of the U.S. Department of defense (DoD). This Research Project analyzes U.S. Policy in Iraq regarding conflict resolution. As is evident with...

The United States national security and military strategies articulate the need to transform our forces and major defense institutions to meet the challenges of the 21st century. The defense acquisition process and its industrial base comprise a significant economic institution in need of transformation to ensure that research, development, and acquisition efforts remain relevant to current, future, and emergency national security requirements. Transformation, therefore, must include efforts to improve the defense acquisition process that would subsequently enable it to deliver products and...