Addressing U.S. Strategy in Iraq and Afghanistan

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Publisher :
ISBN 13 :
Total Pages : 140 pages
Book Rating : 4.:/5 (319 download)

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Book Synopsis Addressing U.S. Strategy in Iraq and Afghanistan by : United States. Congress. House. Committee on Armed Services

Download or read book Addressing U.S. Strategy in Iraq and Afghanistan written by United States. Congress. House. Committee on Armed Services and published by . This book was released on 2010 with total page 140 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Iraq and Afghanistan: Security, Economic, and Governance Challenges to Rebuilding Efforts Should Be Addressed in U. S. Strategies

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Publisher : DIANE Publishing
ISBN 13 : 1437915140
Total Pages : 27 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (379 download)

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Book Synopsis Iraq and Afghanistan: Security, Economic, and Governance Challenges to Rebuilding Efforts Should Be Addressed in U. S. Strategies by : Jacquelyn Williams-Bridgers

Download or read book Iraq and Afghanistan: Security, Economic, and Governance Challenges to Rebuilding Efforts Should Be Addressed in U. S. Strategies written by Jacquelyn Williams-Bridgers and published by DIANE Publishing. This book was released on 2009-08 with total page 27 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: From fiscal year 2001 through July 2008, Congress provided more than $808 billion to the Department of Defense (DoD) for the Global War on Terrorism, including military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. Moreover, since fiscal year 2003, about $49 billion has been provided to U.S. agencies for reconstruction and stabilization in Iraq and $32 billion for similar efforts in Afghanistan since fiscal year 2002. In February 2009, President Obama announced a new U.S. strategy for Iraq and plans to develop a new comprehensive strategy for Afghanistan. This statement is based on an extensive body of work examining U.S. efforts in Iraq and Afghanistan. Illustrations.

Why We Lost

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Publisher : Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
ISBN 13 : 0544370481
Total Pages : 565 pages
Book Rating : 4.5/5 (443 download)

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Book Synopsis Why We Lost by : Daniel P. Bolger

Download or read book Why We Lost written by Daniel P. Bolger and published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. This book was released on 2014 with total page 565 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A high-ranking general's gripping insider account of the U.S. wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and how it all went wrong. Over a thirty-five-year career, Daniel Bolger rose through the army infantry to become a three-star general, commanding in both theaters of the U.S. campaigns in Iraq and Afghanistan. He participated in meetings with top-level military and civilian players, where strategy was made and managed. At the same time, he regularly carried a rifle alongside rank-and-file soldiers in combat actions, unusual for a general. Now, as a witness to all levels of military command, Bolger offers a unique assessment of these wars, from 9/11 to the final withdrawal from the region. Writing with hard-won experience and unflinching honesty, Bolger makes the firm case that in Iraq and in Afghanistan, we lost -- but we didn't have to. Intelligence was garbled. Key decision makers were blinded by spreadsheets or theories. And, at the root of our failure, we never really understood our enemy. Why We Lost is a timely, forceful, and compulsively readable account of these wars from a fresh and authoritative perspective.

Iraq and Afghanistan: Availability of Forces, Equipment, and Infrastructure Should be Considered in Developing U. S. Strategy and Plans

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Publisher : DIANE Publishing
ISBN 13 : 1437913431
Total Pages : 26 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (379 download)

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Book Synopsis Iraq and Afghanistan: Availability of Forces, Equipment, and Infrastructure Should be Considered in Developing U. S. Strategy and Plans by : Janet St. Laurent

Download or read book Iraq and Afghanistan: Availability of Forces, Equipment, and Infrastructure Should be Considered in Developing U. S. Strategy and Plans written by Janet St. Laurent and published by DIANE Publishing. This book was released on 2009-05 with total page 26 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The U.S. is developing its strategy for operations in Afghanistan, as well as for the drawdown and continued operations of forces in Iraq. As of Dec. 2008, 32,500 U.S. troops were deployed in Afghanistan; an additional 30,000 more troops may be added. Since 2001, the war in Afghanistan changed from a violent struggle against al Qaeda and its Taliban supporters to a counterinsurgency effort. This testimony addresses: (1) observations regarding the dev¿t. of U.S. strategy in Iraq and Afghanistan; (2) factors that should be considered as the U.S. refines its strategy for Iraq and plans to draw down forces; and (3) factors that should be considered as the U.S. develops a strategy for Afghanistan and plans for increasing forces.

Understanding the U.S. Wars in Iraq and Afghanistan

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Publisher : NYU Press
ISBN 13 : 1479836265
Total Pages : 368 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (798 download)

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Book Synopsis Understanding the U.S. Wars in Iraq and Afghanistan by : Beth Bailey

Download or read book Understanding the U.S. Wars in Iraq and Afghanistan written by Beth Bailey and published by NYU Press. This book was released on 2015-12-18 with total page 368 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Choice Outstanding Academic Title of 2016 Investigates the causes, conduct, and consequences of the recent American wars in Iraq and Afghanistan Understanding the United States’ wars in Iraq and Afghanistan is essential to understanding the United States in the first decade of the new millennium and beyond. These wars were pivotal to American foreign policy and international relations. They were expensive: in lives, in treasure, and in reputation. They raised critical ethical and legal questions; they provoked debates over policy, strategy, and war-planning; they helped to shape American domestic politics. And they highlighted a profound division among the American people: While more than two million Americans served in Iraq and Afghanistan, many in multiple deployments, the vast majority of Americans and their families remained untouched by and frequently barely aware of the wars conducted in their name, far from American shores, in regions about which they know little. Understanding the U.S. Wars in Iraq and Afghanistan gives us the first book-length expert historical analysis of these wars. It shows us how they began, what they teach us about the limits of the American military and diplomacy, and who fought them. It examines the lessons and legacies of wars whose outcomes may not be clear for decades. In 1945 few Americans could imagine that the country would be locked in a Cold War with the Soviet Union for decades; fewer could imagine how history would paint the era. Understanding the U.S. Wars in Iraq and Afghanistan begins to come to grips with the period when America became enmeshed in a succession of “low intensity” conflicts in the Middle East.

Iraq and Afghanistan

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Publisher : Createspace Independent Publishing Platform
ISBN 13 : 9781976215315
Total Pages : 28 pages
Book Rating : 4.2/5 (153 download)

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Book Synopsis Iraq and Afghanistan by : Government Accountability Office

Download or read book Iraq and Afghanistan written by Government Accountability Office and published by Createspace Independent Publishing Platform. This book was released on 2017-09-09 with total page 28 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: From fiscal year 2001 through July 2008, Congress provided more than $808 billion to the Department of Defense (DOD) for the Global War on Terrorism, including military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. Moreover, since fiscal year 2003, about $49 billion has been provided to U.S. agencies for reconstruction and stabilization in Iraq and $32 billion for similar efforts in Afghanistan since fiscal year 2002. In February 2009, President Obama announced a new U.S. strategy for Iraq and plans to develop a new comprehensive strategy for Afghanistan. This statement is based on GAO's extensive body of work-more than 150 products since 2003- examining U.S. efforts in Iraq and Afghanistan. Since 2003, GAO has made recommendations to DOD, the Department of State, the U.S. Agency for International Development, and other agencies to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of U.S. efforts in Iraq and Afghanistan. In particular, GAO has recommended that the U.S. government develop detailed and updated strategies and operational

Iraq and Afghanistan

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Publisher :
ISBN 13 :
Total Pages : 22 pages
Book Rating : 4.:/5 (312 download)

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Book Synopsis Iraq and Afghanistan by :

Download or read book Iraq and Afghanistan written by and published by . This book was released on 2009 with total page 22 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The United States is in the process of developing its strategy for operations in Afghanistan, as well as for the drawdown and continued operations of forces in Iraq. As of December 2008, approximately 32,500 U.S. troops were deployed in Afghanistan. Moreover, DOD may add an additional 30,000 troops in Afghanistan. Since 2001, the war in Afghanistan changed from a violent struggle against al Qaeda and its Taliban supporters to a multi-faceted counterinsurgency effort. As of December 2008, U.S. troops in Iraq numbered approximately 148,500. DOD also had about 162,400 contractors in Iraq as of mid-2008. Today's testimony addresses (1) key observations regarding the development of U.S. strategy in Iraq and Afghanistan; (2) factors that should be considered as the United States refines its strategy for Iraq and plans to draw down forces; and (3) factors that should be considered as the United States develops a strategy for Afghanistan and plans for increasing forces. This statement is based on GAO reports and testimonies on Iraq and Afghanistan. Lessons learned from GAO's past work indicate that U.S. strategy for Iraq and Afghanistan should reflect a governmentwide approach and contain a number of key elements, including clear roles, responsibilities, and coordination mechanisms among government agencies, as well as specific goals, performance measures, and time frames that take into account available resources. Given the heavy commitment of U.S. forces to ongoing operations over the past several years, the availability of forces, equipment, and infrastructure will need to be closely examined in developing plans to reposture military forces. Finally, in light of future demands on the federal budget, attention will be needed to ensure that U.S. plans are developed and executed in an efficient and cost-effective manner. Clearly, strong oversight by the Congress and senior decision makers will be needed to minimize past problems such as contract mismanagement and insufficient attention to overseeing contractors. In refining its strategy and plans for the drawdown of forces in Iraq, senior leaders will need to consider several operational factors. For example, DOD will need to develop plans to efficiently and effectively relocate thousands of personnel and billions of dollars worth of equipment out of Iraq; close hundreds of facilities; and determine the role of contractors. Furthermore, the capacity of facilities in Kuwait and other neighboring countries may limit the speed at which equipment and material can be moved out of Iraq. With regard to Afghanistan, DOD will likely face an array of potential challenges related to people, equipment and infrastructure. For example, the availability and training of personnel will be critical considerations as the force is already significantly stressed from ongoing operations and current training capacity has been primarily focused on operations in Iraq. Additionally, the availability of equipment may be limited because the Army and Marine Corps have already deployed much of their equipment to Iraq and much of the prepositioned assets also have been withdrawn to support ongoing operations. Similarly, DOD will need to assess its requirements for intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance capabilities given its current allocation of these assets to support ongoing operations in Iraq. Further, the ability to transport personnel and equipment into Afghanistan will be challenged by the limited infrastructure and topography of Afghanistan. Moreover, the extent to which contractors will be used to support deployed U.S. forces must be considered as well as how oversight of these contractors will be ensured. Given all of these factors, sound planning based on a well-developed strategy is critical to ensure lessons learned over the years from Iraq are incorporated in Afghanistan and that competing resources are prioritized effectively between both operations.

Afghanistan and Iraq

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Publisher :
ISBN 13 :
Total Pages : 72 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (91 download)

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Book Synopsis Afghanistan and Iraq by : United States. Congress. House. Committee on Armed Services. Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee

Download or read book Afghanistan and Iraq written by United States. Congress. House. Committee on Armed Services. Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee and published by . This book was released on 2010 with total page 72 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Balance Sheet

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Publisher : Stanford University Press
ISBN 13 : 9780804772044
Total Pages : 264 pages
Book Rating : 4.7/5 (72 download)

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Book Synopsis Balance Sheet by : John S. Duffield

Download or read book Balance Sheet written by John S. Duffield and published by Stanford University Press. This book was released on 2009-07-06 with total page 264 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The last six years have witnessed a virtually unending debate over U.S. policy toward Iraq, a debate that is likely to continue well into the new administration and perhaps the next, notwithstanding recent improvements on the ground. Too often, however, the debate has been narrowly framed in terms of the situation in Iraq and what steps the United States should take there next, leaving the broader impact of the war on American interests largely overlooked. Ultimately, though, the success and failure of the war will have to be judged in terms of its overall contribution to U.S. national security, including those repercussions that extend far beyond the borders of Iraq. This book addresses this gap by providing a comprehensive evaluation of the consequences of the Iraq war for the national security of the United States. It is aimed at both those who have not yet made up their minds about the merits of the war and those who wish to ground their opinions in a clearer understanding of what effects the war has actually had. Balance Sheet examines both how the war has advanced or retarded the achievement of other important goals of U.S. national security policy and its impact on the ability of the United States to pursue its security interests now and in the future. Individual chapters by expert authors address such key issues as the war on terror, nuclear non-proliferation, stability in the Middle East, the health of the U.S. military, America's standing in the world, and U.S. public opinion. By doing justice to the full range of stakes involved, this book not only reframes the debate over the Iraq war but provides a necessary foundation for future U.S. policymaking toward Iraq and beyond.

Security and Stability in Afghanistan and Iraq

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Publisher :
ISBN 13 :
Total Pages : 88 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (91 download)

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Book Synopsis Security and Stability in Afghanistan and Iraq by : United States. Congress. House. Committee on Armed Services

Download or read book Security and Stability in Afghanistan and Iraq written by United States. Congress. House. Committee on Armed Services and published by . This book was released on 2009 with total page 88 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Planning to Fail

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Publisher : Oxford University Press
ISBN 13 : 0190935332
Total Pages : 240 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (99 download)

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Book Synopsis Planning to Fail by : James H. Lebovic

Download or read book Planning to Fail written by James H. Lebovic and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2019-03-07 with total page 240 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The United States national-security establishment is vast, yet the United States has failed to meet its initial objectives in almost every one of its major, post-World War II conflicts. Of these troubled efforts, the US wars in Vietnam (1965-73), Iraq (2003-11), and Afghanistan (2001-present) stand out for their endurance, resource investment, human cost, and miscalculated decisions. Because overarching policy goals are distant and open to interpretation, policymakers ground their decisions in the immediate world of short-term objectives, salient tasks, policy constraints, and fixed time schedules. As a consequence, they exaggerate the benefits of their preferred policies, ignore the accompanying costs and requirements, and underappreciate the benefits of alternatives. In Planning to Fail, James H. Lebovic argues that a profound myopia helps explain US decision-making failures. In each of the wars explored in this book, he identifies four stages of intervention. First and foremost, policymakers chose unwisely to go to war. After the fighting began, they inadvisably sought to extend or expand the mission. Next, they pursued the mission, in abbreviated form, to suboptimal effect. Finally, they adapted the mission to exit from the conflict. Lebovic argues that US leaders were effectively planning to fail whatever their hopes and thoughts were at the time the intervention began. Decision-makers struggled less than they should have, even when conditions allowed for good choices. Then, when conditions on the ground left them with only bad choices, they struggled furiously and more than could ever matter. Policymakers allowed these wars to sap available capabilities, push US forces to the breaking point, and exhaust public support. They finally settled for terms of departure that they (or their predecessors) would have rejected at the start of these conflicts. Offering a far-ranging and detailed analysis, this book identifies an unmistakable pattern of failure and highlights lessons we can learn from it.

The Mirror Test

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Publisher : Knopf
ISBN 13 : 0385351127
Total Pages : 626 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (853 download)

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Book Synopsis The Mirror Test by : J. Kael Weston

Download or read book The Mirror Test written by J. Kael Weston and published by Knopf. This book was released on 2016 with total page 626 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "In a powerfully written firsthand account of the human costs of conflict, the author challenges Americans to address hard questions about America's wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, "--NoveList.

From Kabul to Baghdad and Back

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Publisher : Naval Institute Press
ISBN 13 : 1612511686
Total Pages : 410 pages
Book Rating : 4.6/5 (125 download)

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Book Synopsis From Kabul to Baghdad and Back by : John R Ballard

Download or read book From Kabul to Baghdad and Back written by John R Ballard and published by Naval Institute Press. This book was released on 2012-10-15 with total page 410 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: From Kabul to Baghdad and Back provides insight into the key strategic decisions of the Afghan and Iraq campaigns as the United States attempted to wage both simultaneously against al-Qaeda and its supporting affiliates. It also evaluates the strategic execution of those military campaigns to identify how well the two operations were conducted in light of their political objectives. The book identifies the elements that made the 2001 military operation to oust the Taliban successful, then with combat operations in Iraq as a standard of comparison, the authors analyze the remainder of the Afghan campaign and the essential problems that plagued that effort, from the decision to go to war with Iraq in 2002, through the ill-fated transition to NATO lead in Afghanistan in 2006, the dismissal of Generals McKiernan and McChrystal, the eventual decision by President Obama to make the Afghan campaign the main effort in the war on extremism, and the final development of drawdown plans following the end of the war in Iraq. No other book successfully compares and contrasts the campaigns in Iraq and Afghanistan from a national strategic perspective, analyzing the impact of fighting the Iraq War on the success of the United States campaign in Afghanistan. It is also the first book to specifically question several key operational decisions in Afghanistan including: the decision to give NATO the lead in Afghanistan, the decisions to fire Generals McKiernan and McChrystal and the decision to conduct an Iraq War-style surge in Afghanistan. It also compares the Afghan campaigns fought by the Soviet Union and the United States, the counterinsurgency campaigns styles in Iraq and Afghanistan and the leadership of senior American officials in both Iraq and Afghanistan. In the final chapter, the key lessons of the two campaigns are outlined, including the importance of effective strategic decision-making, the utility of population focused counterinsurgency practices, the challenges of building partner capacity during combat, and the mindset required to prosecute modern war.

The Strategic Lessons Unlearned from Vietnam, Iraq, and Afghanistan

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Author :
Publisher :
ISBN 13 : 9781584876830
Total Pages : 0 pages
Book Rating : 4.8/5 (768 download)

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Book Synopsis The Strategic Lessons Unlearned from Vietnam, Iraq, and Afghanistan by : M. Chris Mason

Download or read book The Strategic Lessons Unlearned from Vietnam, Iraq, and Afghanistan written by M. Chris Mason and published by . This book was released on 2015 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "The wars in Vietnam, Iraq, and Afghanistan were lost before they began, not on the battlefields, where the United States won every tactical engagement, but at the strategic level of war. In each case, the U.S. Government attempted to create a Western-style democracy in countries which were decades at least away from being nations with the sociopolitical capital necessary to sustain democracy and, most importantly, accept it as a legitimate source of governance. The expensive indigenous armies created in the image of the U.S. Army lacked both the motivation to fight for illegitimate governments in Saigon, Baghdad, and Kabul and a cause that they believed was worth dying for, while their enemies in the field clearly did not. This book examines the Afghan National Security Forces in historical and political contexts, explains why they will fail at the tactical, operational and strategic levels of war, why they cannot and will not succeed in holding the southern half of the country, and what will happen in Afghanistan year-by-year from 2015 to 2019. Finally, it examines what the critical lessons unlearned of these conflicts are for U.S. military leaders, why these fundamental political lessons seem to remain unlearned, and how the strategic mistakes of the past can be avoided in the future"--Publisher's web site.

The Strategic Lessons Unlearned from Vietnam, Iraq, and Afghanistan

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Author :
Publisher : Independently Published
ISBN 13 : 9781098969455
Total Pages : 234 pages
Book Rating : 4.9/5 (694 download)

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Book Synopsis The Strategic Lessons Unlearned from Vietnam, Iraq, and Afghanistan by : Chris Mason

Download or read book The Strategic Lessons Unlearned from Vietnam, Iraq, and Afghanistan written by Chris Mason and published by Independently Published. This book was released on 2019-05-16 with total page 234 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The wars in Vietnam, Iraq, and Afghanistan were lost before they began, not on the battlefields, where the United States won every tactical engagement, but at the strategic level of war. In each case, the U.S. Government attempted to create a Western-style democracy in countries which were decades at least away from being nations with the sociopolitical capital necessary to sustain democracy and, most importantly, accept it as a legitimate source of governance. The expensive indigenous armies created in the image of the U.S. Army lacked both the motivation to fight for illegitimate governments in Saigon, Baghdad, and Kabul and a cause that they believed was worth dying for, while their enemies in the field clearly did not. This book examines the Afghan National Security Forces in historical and political contexts, explains why they will fail at the tactical, operational and strategic levels of war, why they cannot and will not succeed in holding the southern half of the country, and what will happen in Afghanistan year-by-year from 2015 to 2019. Finally, it examines what the critical lessons unlearned of these conflicts are for U.S. military leaders, why these fundamental political lessons seem to remain unlearned, and how the strategic mistakes of the past can be avoided in the future.

Strategic Consequences of the Iraq War

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Author :
Publisher : Strategic Studies Institute U. S. Army War College
ISBN 13 :
Total Pages : 60 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (91 download)

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Book Synopsis Strategic Consequences of the Iraq War by : Elizabeth Wishnick

Download or read book Strategic Consequences of the Iraq War written by Elizabeth Wishnick and published by Strategic Studies Institute U. S. Army War College. This book was released on 2004 with total page 60 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The U.S.-led war in Iraq complicates security cooperation between the United States and Central Asia at a time when other regional powers2especially Russia, China, and India2are competing for influence in the region more overtly. Concerned about the implications of the U.S. interest in [beta]regime change[gamma] for their own rule, Central Asian leaders now have an added incentive to overstate terrorist threats, persecute political opposition, and crack down on peaceful religious activity. The author argues that the United States should do more to address the underlying human security problems in Central Asia, which increase its vulnerability to terrorist movements.

The Iraq Study Group Report

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Author :
Publisher : Vintage
ISBN 13 :
Total Pages : 164 pages
Book Rating : 4.:/5 (319 download)

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Book Synopsis The Iraq Study Group Report by : Iraq Study Group (U.S.)

Download or read book The Iraq Study Group Report written by Iraq Study Group (U.S.) and published by Vintage. This book was released on 2006-12-06 with total page 164 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Presents the findings of the bipartisan Iraq Study Group, which was formed in 2006 to examine the situation in Iraq and offer suggestions for the American military's future involvement in the region.