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“On May 5th, 1866, veterans and residents of Waterloo, New York, placed flowers on the graves at each of the town’s cemeteries to honor the local Soldiers and Sailors who had fallen during the Civil War. Proposed by a local pharmacist, Henry c. Welles’, the act of remembrance centered on his belief that while praising [...]

“Tribe Helps Al-Maliki Win Control Of South” (Washington Times)…Rowan Scarborough, May 23, 2008, pg.1

Of all the tactical moves Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki made in March to wrest control of southern Iraq from Shi’ite extremists, none was more important than his government’s meetings with tribal sheiks.

On his blog, A bit too convenient … Tom Barnett [...]

Despite SecDef Pleas, Pentagon Is Losing The Innovation War (National Defense)…Sandra I. Erwin, June 2008
Defense Secretary Robert Gates briefly grabbed the headlines last month when he challenged the Pentagon to “find more innovative and bold ways to help those whose lives are on the line.” He might just as well have asked for the moon.

Innovation [...]

New National Defense Strategy Emphasizes More Iraq-Like Missions(Inside The Pentagon)…Jason Sherman, May 22, 2008, Pg. 1

Defense Secretary Robert Gates is set to approve a new strategy that calls for greater emphasis on irregular operations, solidifying in a key Pentagon planning document his recent public admonitions that the military services must shift their focus away from [...]

Gates Says Iraq ‘Endgame’ In Sight (Wall Street Journal (wsj.com))…Agence France-Presse, May 21, 2008

U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates said Thursday the “endgame” is now in sight in Iraq but warned of the costly consequences of withdrawing U.S. forces too hastily.
“I fear that frustration over slow progress and dismay over sacrifices already made may result [...]

Petraeus: Diplomacy, Not Force, With Iran(Washington Post)…Karen DeYoung, may 22, 2008, Pg.9
Army Gen. David H. Petraeus, President Bush’s nominee to lead U.S. forces in the Middle East and Central Asia, supports continued U.S. engagement with international and regional partners to find the right mix of diplomatic, economic and military leverage to address the challenges posed [...]

Why U.S. Must Pull Out Of Iraq (Boston Globe)…Sean E. Duggan, May 22, 2008

An unconditional and open-ended military commitment to a dysfunctional and sectarian Iraqi government will not bring about true national reconciliation, which is necessary to capitalize on what temporary security and political gains have been made.
Rather, this commitment forfeits what little leverage the United [...]

To Battle Groupthink, the Army Trains a Skeptics Corps(U.S. News & World Report)…Anna Mulrine, may 26, 2008, pg.30
In the wake of chaos and a lethal insurgency in Iraq, blamed in no small part on poor decisions and a lack of planning at the highest levels, the U.S. Army has had a startling insight that is [...]

Conway: New World Needs Return Of Expeditionary Marine Corps, (Inside The Navy)…Rebekah Gordon, May 19, 2008 Pg. 4
…Citing the work of the Marine Corps’ Strategic Vision Group, which is evaluating how to position the service into 2025 and beyond, Marine Corps Commandant Gen. James Conway painted a future requiring a more agile and littoral-focused corps.
Standard [...]

Defense’s Realist Rebel (Washington Post)…Michael Gerson, May 21, 2008 , Pg. 19
When Gates was nominated in late 2006, conservative suspicions and liberal hopes coincided.
… The Gates Doctrine has helped right a listing Iraq war

Article touches upon the major aspects of strategic leadership which involves leveraging and exercising the elements of national power while balancing the demands between short, mid and [...]