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Parameters Spring 2024, Usawc Press

The US Army War College Quarterly: Parameters

No abstract provided.

From The Editor In Chief, Antulio J. Echevarria Ii

The US Army War College Quarterly: Parameters

Welcome to the Spring 2024 issue of Parameters. Readers will note a few differences in the formatting for this issue: we are now using endnotes instead of footnotes to facilitate switching from pdf to html via Adobe's Liquid App; also, readers will be able to click on each endnote number to view the full endnote and then switch back to the text to resume reading. Please drop us a note to let us know how you like the changes. More are coming!

International Law, Self-Defense, And The Israel-Hamas Conflict, Eric A. Heinze

The US Army War College Quarterly: Parameters

This article examines the international law of self-defense as it applies to the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict to determine whether the October 2023 attacks by Hamas against Israel can be interpreted under Article 51 of the UN Charter as an “armed attack” that gives Israel the right to use military force in self-defense against non-state actors. It situates the conflict within ongoing legal and political debates, shows how this conflict fits into a changing global reality where the most dangerous security threats do not exclusively emanate from other states and concludes that Israel’s resort to force in the current conflict appears …

Middle Eastern Defense: The Role Of The Abraham Accords, Graciela H Phillipps

Helm's School of Government Conference - American Revival: Citizenship & Virtue

Defense organization in the Middle East North Africa (MENA) region has been historically fraught with instability and conflict, rooted in tensions ranging from centuries-old religious disputes to modern geopolitical power struggles. However, two years ago deep-seated status quos in the area were challenged and successfully overcome through the drafting and signage of agreements in which Arab nations normalized ties with the nation of Israel, popularly known as the Abraham Accords. The Accords emphasized the mutual desire for peace and prosperity in MENA between signees with a pointed reference to maintaining security in the traditionally volatile region. These pivotal feats of …

'Here We Start And In Jerusalem We Meet:' The Motivational And Organizational Influences Of Israel's Statehood Ontransnational Salafi Jihad, Charlotte Armistead

Honors Theses

The Israeli occupation of Palestine and its impact on the proliferation and longevity of transnational Salafi jihad is largely underestimated in current literature. In this thesis, I argue that Palestine, defined as both the nation and physical borders before the Balfour Declaration, largely contributed to the twentieth century revival of transnational Salafi jihad and is used by both Al Qaeda and ISIS as liberation and annihilation movements, respectively. In order to assess the motivational and organizational influences of the Israeli occupation of Palestine on transnational Salafi jihad, I examine the works of Abdullah Azzam, a selection of Osama Bin Laden’s …

Moscow In The Middle East, W. Andrew Terrill

The US Army War College Quarterly: Parameters

No abstract provided.

Nonstate Actors And Anti-Access/Area Denial Strategies: The Coming Challenge, Jean-Loup Samaan Dr.

Monographs, Collaborative Studies, & IRPs

This monograph explores the emerging challenge of nonstate actors’ anti-access and area denial (A2/AD) strategies and their implications for the United States and its allies by looking at two regions, the Middle East and Eastern Europe, with case studies such as Hezbollah in Lebanon, Hamas in the Gaza Strip, the Houthis in Yemen, and separatist groups in Ukraine. The historical monopoly of states over precision-guided munitions has eroded, and this evolution eventually challenges the ability of the most advanced militaries to operate in specific environments. As they gain greater access to advanced military technology, some nonstate actors increasingly lean toward …

A Relentless War: America, Israel, And The Fight Against Terrorism, Elyse Keener

Senior Honors Theses

For Israel, terrorism has plagued the nation since its beginning. Terrorism rears its ugly head in a variety of ways and for a variety of reasons; however, in both the United States and Israel, Islamic extremism has presented itself as the largest threat. Since its birth as a nation, the United States has been involved in numerous conflicts, from the Revolutionary War to World War II and beyond. These wars were fought between nation-states and traditional powers, but since the attacks on 9/11, the United States finds itself in a new kind of conflict against a different kind of enemy. …

Strategic Insights: After The Smoke Clears In Syria: Dilemmas For U.S. Strategy Remain, Christopher J. Bolan

Articles & Editorials

No abstract provided.

Abandoning Counterinsurgency: Reviving Antiterrorism Strategy, Steven Metz

The US Army War College Quarterly: Parameters

No abstract provided.

International Law And The Use Of Lawfare: An Argument For The U.S. To Adopt A Lawfare Doctrine, Trevor Michael Alfred Logan

MSU Graduate Theses

The purpose of this thesis is to develop a comprehensive operational definition of lawfare, analyze historical case studies of states currently implementing lawfare strategies, and to make an argument for why the U.S. should adopt a lawfare doctrine. Chapter 1 will focus on defining the concept of lawfare and drafting an operational definition of lawfare. Chapter 2 focuses on the evolution of the lawfare doctrine established by the People's Republic of China (PRC), identifies the current lawfare operations conducted by the PRC in the fields of maritime, airspace, cyberspace, and outer space, and analyzing the implications of PRC lawfare operations …

Information And Warfare: The Israeli Case, Gideon Avidor, Russell W. Glenn

The US Army War College Quarterly: Parameters

No abstract provided.

Unmas Gaza Emergency Response Report, Mark Frankish

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

From 7 July to 26 August 2014, significant quantities of explosive ordnance were used during hostilities between the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and Gazan armed groups. It is reported that approximately 72,000 items of ordnance were fired and launched during this period. This presented a significant risk for civilians and hampered humanitarian and reconstruction operations. Many unexploded aircraft bombs, tank projectiles, mortar shells and other munitions from both sides of the conflict were reported in civilian areas. Based on a 10 percent fail rate, it was assumed there are approximately 7,200 items of explosive remnants of war (ERW) in Gaza, …

Gaza 2014: Israel's Attrition Vs Hamas' Exhaustion, Eitan Shamir, Eado Hecht

The US Army War College Quarterly: Parameters

No abstract provided.

Gaza 2014: Hamas' Strategic Calculus, Glenn E. Robinson

The US Army War College Quarterly: Parameters

No abstract provided.

The Lebanon-Israel War Of 2006: Global Effects And Its Aftermath, Emmanuel Kotia, Fiifi Edu-Afful

Emmanuel Wekem Kotia

This article examines the demands for global liability for the killings and extensive destruction committed by Israel and Hezbollah in the 2006 war. It explains why, despite strong condemnation globally for the disproportionate force used in that unconventional war, the concrete steps specified by the United Nations Resolution 1701 have failed to address the primary challenges that necessitated the war. Based on the authors experience on the field as peacekeepers, this article adds another dimension to the already exiting narratives on the second Lebanese war by emphasizing the perverse consequence of an irregular warfare between a legitimate state and an …

A Form In The Road: U.S. Foreign Policy And The Path Toward Globalization In The Middle East, 1945-2014, Joshua P. Brotka

History Theses

This thesis examines the history of U.S. foreign policy in the Middle East since 1945. From the start of the Cold War immediately following the conclusion of WWII and up to the present day (2014), U.S. policy has been subject to many revisions and simultaneously, upheld national security measures. As the world heads toward an era where globalization is most prevalent, the United States will have to make drastic decisions regarding its foreign policy in the Middle East. Its alliance with Israel, oil interests, Islamic fundamentalism, an evolving Muslim society, and supporting a national security agenda has forced the United …

Book Review: The Arab Spring, Democracy And Security: Domestic And International Ramifications, Efraim Inbar (Ed), Zenonas Tziarras

Zenonas Tziarras

To oer analysis on an on going political event is always a challenging task. Yet, the “Arab Spring” has given rise to many questions about the past, the present and the future of the Arab world and the Middle East more generally. The Arab Spring, Democracy and Security:Domesc and International Ramifications addresses some of these questions. The chapters of this edited volume have been written by selected Israeli scholars focusing on “issues such as democratization, the role of economic factors in political change and explanations for variations in regime stability in the Middle East.” The relationship between internal and external …

The Lebanon - Israel Conflict Of 2006: The Global Effects And Its Aftermath, Emmanuel Wekem Kotia

Emmanuel Wekem Kotia

A presentation to students of the PhD and Masters Programs in International Conflict Management at Kennesaw State University. Covers the 2006 war between Lebanon and Israel and the global aftereffects.

Understanding The Geopolitics Of The War In Southern Lebanon, Emmanuel Kotia

Emmanuel Wekem Kotia

The Lebanon–Israeli border is the only Arab-Israeli front that has witnessed continuous violence since the late 1960s. The past four decades have seen proliferation of small disputes over territory along the demarcation line between the two countries. In other circumstances, disputes of this nature could be managed or even resolved with ease. Yet, in the absence of a comprehensive peace pact between Syria and Israel, Lebanon remains both an instrument of and a potential trigger for broader regional conflict. Lebanon is not a major actor in Arab politics. Even its most political and militant actor, the Hezbollah, has only a …

Open Source Israeli Capabilities To Strike Iran, Carter Matherly

Carter Matherly PhD

Lately there has been a considerable amount of debate surrounding Israel striking Iran in a preemptive strike against their nuclear facilities. One very important question not being asked; CAN Israel successfully strike and destroy all of the critical nuclear facilities within Iran? Thus far it is almost viewed as a given fact that Israel can do this. But can Israel pull off such a daring raid?

Pakistani Stance On Fmct - An Alternative Approach (Centreline), Shams Uz Zaman Mr.

Mr. Shams uz Zaman

It gives an alternative approach to Pakistan's policy on FMCT.

The Nuclear (And The) Holocaust: Israel, Iran, And The Shadows Of Auschwitz, Shmuel Nili

Journal of Strategic Security

The main thesis of this article is that the Holocaust is indispensable for understanding Israel’s treatment of what it perceives as the greatest current threat to its security - the Iranian nuclear program. The Holocaust’s impact deviates in crucial ways from established teaching regarding balance of power in general and nuclear deterrence in particular. Mutually Assured Destruction, the distinction between capabilities and intentions, and even linkage politics - all of those basic concepts are profoundly altered in the Israeli case by the (often conscious) presence of the Holocaust. The Holocaust’s influence is evident in the Israeli belief that deterring Iran …

Operation Opera: An Ambiguous Success, Joshua Kirschenbaum

Journal of Strategic Security

To assess the efficacy of Israel's strike on Osirak, one must determine Israel's strategic objectives and their material effects on Iraqi capabilities. The capacity of the facilities to produce fissionable material without detection remains in dispute. So, too, does the timeline—and therefore the imminence—of Iraqi acquisition of a nuclear option. The political cost-benefit equation in this case requires a fair dose of subjective judgment. How much did the Israelis delay the program? How much did Iraqi motivation increase post facto? Is military counter-proliferation a viable strategy? Was the potential Iraqi bomb worth risking a bold, unprovoked attack that inevitably drew …

The Rapid Response To Operation Cast Lead, Elena Rice

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

When the United Nations Mine Action Service was asked to assess the need for a mine-action presence in the Gaza Strip following Operation Cast Lead, a 23-day conflict involving the Israeli Defence Forces and Palestinian militias in 2008, it was thrust into one of the world’s most complicated humanitarian operating environments. This article provides a background for the mine-action program in Gaza, summarizing the key challenges and lessons learned during the first four months of operations in this complex environment.

A Battle Of Wills: Examining The Religious Factor In Hizbullah's 2006 Ground Engagements With Israel, Arwa Salah Mahmoud

Archived Theses and Dissertations

[abstract not provided]

Israel, Country Profile

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Again at the heart of Mideast conflict, Israel has received international attention not just because of persistent landmine and unexploded ordnance contamination in the region, but also because of military operations in southern Lebanon. Recent attention has underscored the need to address the threat posed by landmines and other explosive remnants of war; perhaps one important way to address this would be the signing of international agreements prohibiting the use of indiscriminate weapons.

The Aftermath Of War, Cisr Journal

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

The recent conflict between Hezbollah and Israel resulted in many civilian victims and though the fighting has ended, the problems are nowhere near over for the civilians of Lebanon whose country is littered with cluster bomblets. This article explains the effects of the conflict on Lebanese civilians and describes how organizations are trying to eradicate the cluster-submunitions problem and provide aid to affected civilians.

Trends. The United States, Israel, And Parallelism In Counterterrorist Response, Ibpp Editor

International Bulletin of Political Psychology

This Trends article discusses and evaluates United States reactions to terrorist attacks, and US support for Israel in a political psychological context.

Overcoming Political Strife: A Case Study Based On Training Jewish And Arab Educational Counselors, Ibpp Editor

International Bulletin of Political Psychology

About the author. This article was submitted by Dr. Daniela Kramer, counseling psychologist and a senior lecturer at the Oranim School of Education of the Kibbutz Movement in Israel. Dr. Kramer heads the masters’ program in educational counseling as well as the clinical section of the animal-aided therapy program. She is also an experienced family therapist and group facilitator.

The author discusses the 'us' vs. 'them' phenomena, and the training of the Jewish and Arab educational counselors