Berkowitz, Bruce D.; Goodman, Allan E. THE LOGIC OF COVERT ACTION (The National Interest, no. 51, Spring 1998, pp. 38-46)

With the advent of "information warfare" -- the use of, or attacks on, information systems for military or political advantage -- "the issue of covert action may soon become more important than ever," the authors say. Citing the mishandling of covert operations in Iraq and elsewhere, they urge a public debate on the general principles of U.S. covert action in order to avoid a repeat of "the mistakes in oversight, accountability, and effectiveness that have plagued covert action in the past."

Booker, Salih. THINKING REGIONALLY ABOUT AFRICA (Current History, vol. 97, no. 619, May 1998, pp. 200-203)

Booker argues that U.S. engagement with Africa must focus on promoting American interests in all five regions of the continent. Citing a "new, if cautious, optimism about Africa's prospects," the author says the United States must stop emphasizing partnerships with "successfully reforming states," and begin assisting countries with big problems yet big potential for promoting America's interests in economic development, security, and democracy on the continent.

Freedman, Lawrence. INTERNATIONAL SECURITY: CHANGING TARGETS (Foreign Policy, no. 110, Spring 1998, pp. 48-63)

Freedman looks at conflicting views on the study of international security in the post-Cold War world. The focus on NATO's central front and the nuclear balance, he says, has been replaced by a strong interest in how force is being used in Africa, Asia, the Middle East, and post-communist Europe. The current challenge for the United States "is to find a level of engagement in international affairs that prevents small problems from becoming large ones without imposing unacceptable burdens at home."

Joseph, Robert G.; Reichart, John F. THE CASE FOR NUCLEAR DETERRENCE TODAY (Orbis, vol. 42, issue 1, Winter 1998, pp. 7-19)

The authors believe that for the United States and its allies, "deterrence rather than disarmament through denuclearization remains the basis for sound policy" because deterrence has succeeded in saving "countless lives by making the prospect of war horrific." Outlining a rationale for keeping a credible nuclear weapons posture, they cite the need "to provide a hedge -- an insurance policy -- against a reversal in relations with Russia and China." Both nations have shown a tendency for "radical shifts in their political orientation" and also "an enduring commitment to possess nuclear weapons," the authors note.

Karatnycky, Adrian. AS GOOD AS IT GETS (American Spectator, vol. 31, issue 5, May 1998, pp. 54-57)

"We may be in the middle of a period of remarkable human progress," contends the author, who is president of Freedom House. Although there are international threats posed by dangerous tyrants, biological and chemical terrorism, and a "clash of cultures," he says, "the reality is that by every indicator, the globe is becoming increasingly freer in its politics and increasingly more open in its economics." Cautioning that democratic and free market momentum must be encouraged if recent gains are to be sustained, Karatnycky says "such an effort requires greater coordination by the world's expanding community of democracies."

Mann, Paul. PENTAGON CALLED UNPREPARED FOR "POST-MODERN" CONFLICT (Aviation Week & Space Technology, vol. 148, no. 17, April 27, 1998, pp. 54-56)

Some U.S. military theoreticians are making the case that the Defense Department should be preparing for a future in which cyber-states may replace nation states as adversaries, the author says. Mann writes about a new "virtual" borderless enemy that will avoid the battlefield, take no territory, and "seek no victories" in the classic sense, but would try "to inflict social panic" via computer viruses or chemical and biological weapons attacks. A redefinition of national defense might be needed to cope with a 21st century enemy that could rely on non-lethal weapons such as high-power microwaves, robots, lasers, acoustics, or sticky foam to gain strategic advantage, he says.

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