Counterproliferation Strategies: An Analysis by John Collins

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Author’s Background John M. Collins is a retired U.S. Army colonel and a distinguished visiting research fellow at the National Defense University. Colonel Collins culminated his military career as the director of military strategy studies and then as chief of the Strategic Research Group at the National War College. He was subsequently the senior specialist in national defense at the Congressional Research Service for twenty-four years. Thesis and Key Argument In Chapter 11 of his book on Military Strategy - Principles, Practices, And Historical Perspectives, Collins discuses several Counterproliferation strategies. In doing so he first laid down what motivates state and non-state actors to obtain weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) that includes nuclear, biological, chemical and radiological (NBCR) weapons, and the root causes of Counterproliferation. He then lists several courses of action to counter the proliferation of these Weapons of Mass Destruction. Evidence As a scene setter it is important to establish the date of the writing and publishing of his chapter as being 2002. This was prior to the U.S. Invasion of Iraq, which was based primarily under the premise that Iraq had WMDs and was supporting terrorism, both of which were issues of international concern and the British …show more content…

He stated that 10 countries terminated WMD programs during this time, but if a conflict occurred in which they were employed that the hapless victims would ask “why didn’t counterproliferators take positive actions to prevent catastrophes.” [sic] He then comments that this is one of the most formidable problems facing us as a nation and it would behoove the national security policy-makers and planners to improve NBCR deterrent techniques and

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