The Burke Chair in Strategy, held by Dr. Anthony H. Cordesman, at the Center for Strategic and International Studies released a briefing on Gulf security that will be of great interest to SUSRIS readers. "Threats, Risks and Vulnerabilities in the Gulf: Terrorism and Asymmetric Warfare," authored by Dr. Cordesman and Adam Seitz, provides a comprehensive understanding of the threats in the Gulf that challenge U.S. and Saudi defense and security establishments. We commend it for your review and addition to your Gulf information resource bookmark list. This SUSRIS item provides the introduction and link to the complete report.

Threats, Risks and Vulnerabilities in the Gulf: Terrorism and Asymmetric Warfare
By Anthony H. Cordesman and Adam C. Seitz

Much of the world's attention has focused on Iran's missile developments and possible nuclear capabilities. Yet this is only one of the risks that threaten the flow of petroleum products from the Gulf - a region with some 60% of the world's proven conventional oil reserves and 40% of its natural gas. Far more immediate threats have emerged in terms of asymmetric warfare, terrorism, piracy, non-state actors, and others.

The Burke Chair at CSIS has developed a new briefing that provides an overview of these threats, showing current trends and highlighting the strategic geography involved. This brief looks beyond Gulf waters and examines the problems created by Iran's ties to other states and non-state actors throughout the region. It highlights Iran's capabilities for asymmetric warfare, but it also examines the threat from terrorism and the role it can play in nations like Yemen. It looks at the trends in piracy and in the threat in the Gulf of Aden, Red Sea, and Indian Ocean.

The key issues addressed are:

• Terrorism
• Asymmetric Warfare
• Maritime and Border Security
• Combating Piracy
• Critical facilities and Infrastructure
• Role of Chokepoints
• Role of State and Non-State Actors

Countermeasures include:

• Prepare for all types of threats, and full spectrum of terrorism and asymmetric warfare
• Jointness and inter-ministry cooperation
• Regional and international cooperation
• Focus on both active and passive defense
• Broad, non-compartmented situational awareness with real world operational response - critical value of IS&R and C4I
• Intelligence Cooperation
• Gaming and "red teaming"
• Design civil and commercial facilities and infrastructure for deterrence and defense

This briefing is entitled Threats, Risks and Vulnerabilities: Terrorism and Asymmetric Warfare, and can be found on the CSIS web site at: http://www.csis.org/media/csis/pubs/090522_gulfterrorassym.pdf 

Other Burke Chair studies on Gulf military balance, CENTCOM, Gulf military cooperation, Iraq, and related issue can be found at:

• "Conventional Armed Forces in the Gulf"

• "Security Cooperation in the Gulf: Actions - Rather Than Words and Good Intentions" 

• "Security Challenges and Threats in the Gulf: A Net Assessment"

• "USCENTCOM and the Future: Establishing The Right Strategic Priorities"

• "How Soon Is Safe? Iraqi Force Development and Conditions-Based US Withdrawals"

Related Material

• President Bush's Trip to the Middle East - Briefing by Anthony Cordesman and Jon Alterman of CSIS - SUSRIS IOI - May 14, 2008

• Security Challenges and Threats in the Gulf: A Net Assessment - Anthony Cordesman - SUSRIS IOI - Mar 25, 2008

• The Gulf Arms Sales: A Background Paper - Anthony H. Cordesman - SUSRIS IOI - Feb 5, 2008

• Revisiting Arab-US Strategic Relations: Security Cooperation in the Middle East - Anthony Cordesman - SUSRIS IOI - Nov 27, 2007

• Saudi Military Modernization - A Conversation with Anthony Cordesman - Interview - Nov 23, 2007

• Weapons of Mass Preservation - Anthony H. Cordesman - SUSRIS IOI - Aug 20, 2007

• Iran, Oil, and the Strait of Hormuz - Anthony H. Cordesman - SUSRIS IOI - Mar 27, 2007

• Global Energy Security - Anthony H. Cordesman - SUSRIS IOI - Nov 15, 2006

• The Impact on Saudi Regional Stability - Anthony H. Cordesman - SUSRIS IOI - Aug 2, 2005

• Saudi Arabia and the Struggle Against Terrorism by Dr. Anthony Cordesman - SUSRIS IOI - Apr 11, 2005

• Why Reforge the U.S. and Saudi Relationship? An Interview with Anthony Cordesman - SUSRIS IOI - Sep 28, 2004

• "The Prospects for Stability in 2004 -- The Issue of Political, Economic and Social Reform," by Anthony H. Cordesman,  Saudi US Relations Information Service Item of Interest, Feb. 23, 2004

• The 9/11 Commission Report: Strengths and Weaknesses," by Anthony H. Cordesman, Saudi US Relations Information Service Item of Interest, Jul. 29, 2004

• Developments in Iraq at the End of 2003:  Adapting U.S. Policy to Stay the Course," by Anthony H. Cordesman, GulfWire Perspectives, January 7, 2004

• "Four Wars and Counting: Rethinking the Strategic Meaning of the Iraq War," by Anthony H. Cordesman, GulfWire Perspectives, December 5, 2003

• "Iraq: Too Uncertain to Call," by Anthony H. Cordesman, GulfWire Perspectives, November 18, 2003

• "Saudi Redeployment of the F-15 to Tabuk," by Anthony H. Cordesman, Saudi-US Relations Information Service Item of Interest, November 1, 2003

• "Iranian Security Threats and US Policy:  Finding the Proper Response," by Anthony H. Cordesman, GulfWire Perspectives, October 28, 2003

• "What is Next in Iraq? Military Developments, Military Requirements and Armed Nation Building," by Anthony H. Cordesman, GulfWire Perspectives, August 22, 2003

• "Saudi Government Counterterrorism - Counter Extremism Actions," by Anthony H. Cordesman, Saudi-US Relations Information Service Item of Interest, August 4, 2003

• "Saudi Arabia: Don't Let Bin Laden Win!", by Anthony H. Cordesman, Saudi-American Forum Item of Interest, May 16, 2003

• "Postwar Iraq: The New Old Middle East," by Anthony H. Cordesman, GulfWire Perspectives, April 16, 2003

• "Iraq's Warfighting Strategy," by Anthony H. Cordesman, GulfWire Perspectives, March 11, 2003

• "Reforming the Middle East: President  Bush's Neo-Con Logic Versus Regional Reality," by Anthony H. Cordesman, GulfWire Perspectives, February 27, 2003

• "The Great Iraq Missile Mystery," by Anthony H. Cordesman, GulfWire Perspectives, February 26, 2003

• "Iraq Security Roundtable at  CSFS: A Discussion With Dr. Anthony Cordesman," Center for Strategic and Future Studies, GulfWire Perspectives, January 28, 2003

• "A Coalition of the Unwilling: Arms Control as an Extension of War By Other Means," By Anthony H. Cordesman, GulfWire Perspectives, January 25, 2003

• "Is Iraq In Material Breach? What Hans Blix, Colin Powell, And Jack Straw Actually Said," By Anthony H. Cordesman, GulfWire Perspectives, December 20, 2002

• "Saudi Arabia: Opposition, Islamic Extremism And Terrorism," by Anthony H. Cordesman, GulfWire Perspectives, December 1, 2002

• "Planning For A Self-Inflicted Wound: U.S. Policy To Reshape A Post-Saddam Iraq," by Anthony H. Cordesman, GulfWire Perspectives, November 24, 2002

• "The West And The Arab World - Partnership Or A 'Clash Of Civilizations?'" By Anthony H. Cordesman, GulfWire Perspectives, November 12, 2002

• "Strategy In The Middle East: The Gap Between Strategic Theory And Operational Reality," by Dr. Anthony H. Cordesman, GulfWire Perspectives, October 22, 2002

• "A Firsthand Look At Saudi Arabia Since 9-11," GulfWire's Interview With Dr. Anthony Cordesman In Saudi Arabia, GulfWire Perspectives October 10, 2002

• "Escalating To Nowhere: The Israeli And Palestinian Strategic Failure," By Anthony H. Cordesman, GulfWire Perspectives, April 8, 2002

• "Reforging The U.S. And Saudi Strategic Partnership," by Dr. Anthony H. Cordesman, GulfWire Perspectives, January 28, 2002

Dr. Anthony H. Cordesman holds the Arleigh Burke Chair in Strategy at the Center for Strategic and International Studies and is Co-Director of the Center's Middle East Program. He is also a military analyst for ABC and a Professor of National Security Studies at Georgetown. He directs the assessment of global military balance, strategic energy developments, and CSIS' Dynamic Net Assessment of the Middle East. He is the author of books on the military lessons of the Iran-Iraq war as well as the Arab-Israeli military balance and the peace process, a six-volume net assessment of the Gulf, transnational threats, and military developments in Iran and Iraq. He analyzes U.S. strategy and force plans, counter-proliferation issues, arms transfers, Middle Eastern security, economic, and energy issues. [Click here for more]