This study evaluates efforts by neoconservatives during the George W. Bush administration to re-orient and perpetuate their foreign policy principles away from the status quo realist stance dominant during the Cold War. It will examine the main principles of neoconservatives, namely the promotion of democracy through the exertion of American power, and demonstrate how these principles have changed America's foreign policy. This study argues that neoconservatives have advocated a forward leaning foreign policy stance by drawing on themes linked to American exceptionalism and democracy...

In the years since the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, a substantial body of scholarship on the subject of terrorism has emerged without a unitary theory and course. What is today described as terrorism is scarcely a phenomenon unique to the 21st century. The roots of modern terrorism instead reside in the political history of the 19th and 20th centuries. This study asserts that modern terrorism begun in late imperial Russia and was perpetrated by early revolutionary groups including the nihilists, populists, and Socialist Revolutionaries. This study explores the motivations that led...

"Don't Ask, Don't Tell" (DADT) prohibited gays from serving openly in the military from December 1993 to September 2011. The present study, conducted over one year after DADT's repeal, utilized a survey of attitudes toward DADT that was previously administered to Marine Corps officers at the Naval Postgraduate School (NPS) in 1999, 2004, and 2010. This survey, re-administered to NPS Marine officers in November 2012, addressed the following areas: policy, cohesion, leadership, tolerance, unit effectiveness, and military readiness. A comparison of results from the four surveys shows a clear...

Gun violence in America must be addressed at the highest levels of society. Newtown, Aurora, and Virginia Tech were attacks on the very fabric of America. School shootings represent attacks on our nations' future. A public health approach to gun violence focuses on prevention. Public safety professionals, educators and community leaders are squandering opportunities to prevent horrific acts of extreme violence. Preparedness is derived by planning, which is critical to mobilizing resources when needed. Rational public policy can work. Sensible gun legislation, which is accessible through a...

There has been a dramatic unconventional warfare (UW) renaissance in recent years. Much of the published material on the subject has been focused on what unconventional warfare is, re-defining it, and attempting to frame the concept of its use as it relates to the current military operational environment. Little work has been produced that examines the more basic question: Why UW? This research begins where the 2009 redefinition of UW left off. Identifying an expanded field of 51 cases of U.S.-sponsored unconventional warfare from 1892 to 2010, the authors select four cases that represent a...

The Arab Spring of 2011 resulted in widespread unrest as Muslims protested against long-standing, oppressive regimes. Tunisia, Egypt, Libya, and Bahrain found themselves at a crossroads between reform and chaos. The Muslim Ummah was ripe for influence from provocative voices such as Al Qaeda. Al Qaeda's rhetoric failed to capitalize on this golden opportunity, however. It issued a number of statements to the people of the Muslim world that demonstrated its inability to find relevance during this time of change. Its narrative of jihad against the "Far Enemy" failed to resonate with Tunisians...

This work assesses drug-treatment quality in the three Afghan provinces of Kabul, Kandahar, and Badakhshan by evaluating the extent to which UNODC and WHO standards of care are met. The assessment is structured to show how recovery capital, institutional development, and community action sway an addict's ability to quit drugs successfully. In contextualizing the case studies, a social-economic and political framework is also developed, finding a linkage between addiction, poverty, and drug trafficking. The most successful drug treatment programs follow the nine UNODC/WHO components, enrich...

Today, with NATO incorporating policy and strategic changes amid the new perceived threat since September 11, 2001, France must again rethink and recalibrate its nuclear policy. At least since the end of World War II, France has wanted to play a larger role within European politics, financial affairs, defense, and, specifically, it has signified that Paris would offer regional nuclear deterrence for Europe. On the one hand, such an enhancement of France's profile within European defense and deterrence would fulfill the fondest Gaullist aspirations for France as a world power and for European...

The effects of Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) continue to be felt throughout the world, and especially in battlefields, such as Afghanistan. The United States currently leads the counter-IED effort through various demand side efforts, such as those led by JIEDDO and Project Global Shield. The purpose of this work was to determine the feasibility of a new supply-side effort to counter IEDs through global export control similar to the multilateral export control regimes of Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) and missile technologies. A comparative method was used that utilized the existing...

United States European Commands (EUCOM) website states that the breadth of responsibility across 51 countries can factor significantly into partnering opportunities and challenges. In order to understand this responsibility, this research analyzes the capabilities of 25 non-governmental organizations in EUCOM's area of responsibility (AOR). Each organization is evaluated in six areas: mission, primary focus, capabilities, religious affiliation, training, and whether or not the organization liaisons with the military. The goal of this project is to develop an analysis to assist EUCOM decision...