Strategic Studies Institute
United States Army War College

Publications Tagged: containment

Added November 01, 2005

Getting Ready for a Nuclear-Ready Iran. Edited by Mr. Henry D. Sokolski, Mr. Patrick Clawson.

This book examines what additional security threats Iran might pose as it becomes increasingly capable of making nuclear weapons, what steps the United States and its friends might take to deter and contain it, and what should be done to assure Iran's neighbors do not follow in Tehran's nuclear footsteps.

Added April 01, 2005

American Grand Strategy After 9/11: An Assessment. Authored by Dr. Stephen D. Biddle.

Three years after 9-11, some of the most important choices for American grand strategy have yet to be made. Heretofore, the costs of pursuing ambitious but ill-defined goals have been high but tolerable; the Iraqi insurgency, however, is raising the costs to the point where choices must be made. The two natural alternatives, rollback and containment, each have strengths. But they also have real drawbacks--and the choice between them rests on some basic, and inherently subjective, value judgments.

Added September 01, 2001

Toward a Strategy of Positive Ends. Authored by Dr. Antulio J. Echevarria, II, Brigadier General (Ret.) Huba Wass de Czege.

Brigadier General (Retired) Huba Wass de Czege and Lieutenant Colonel Antulio J. Echevarria II make a case for a strategy aimed at achieving positive, rather than neutral or negative, ends. They first discuss the dynamic conditions of the new strategic environment, then explore the options the United States has available for dealing with those conditions. The options include (1) preventive defense, (2) neo-isolationism, and (3) a strategy that pursues positive ends.

Added November 01, 1999

Land Power and Dual Containment: Rethinking America's Policy in the Gulf. Authored by Dr. Stephen C. Pelletiere.

In an attempt to regain some control of the strategic commodity, Washington developed special relationships with the two foremost oil procedures, Iran (under the Shah) and Saudi Arabia. Dual Containment, promulgated in 1993, was supposed to constrain the two most powerful area states, Iran and Iraq, by imposing harsh economic sanctions on them. But, the author contends, the policy has only antagonized America's allies.

Added February 01, 1998

Searching for Stable Peace in the Persian Gulf. Authored by Dr. Kenneth Katzman. Edited by Dr. Stephen C. Pelletiere.

Congressional Research Staffer Kenneth Katzman reviews the history of dual containment, and shows how adherence to the policy has eroded. He suggests it is time for Washington to change course in the Gulf, and lays out a course of action the United States should follow to maintain its leadership role in this vital region. Dr. Katzman's monograph deals thoughtfully with this controversial issue.