James F. Miskel, PhD

Dr. Miskel is a consultant to Alidade and editor of the Information Age Warfare Quarterly. He is widely published in the field of national security and has an extensive background in security affairs. He is a former Professor of National Security Affairs and Associate Dean of Academics at the U.S. Naval War College. He continues to teach online courses for the War College and other schools. He has served on the National Security Council under two presidential administrations. For Dr. Miskel’s full curriculum vitae click here. To view Dr. Miskel’s cover letter please. For links to selected articles by Dr. Miskel that are available online click here.

Disaster Response and Relief: What Works, What Doesn't. Praeger Security International, 2006. The nation relies upon a single system for managing the consequences of terrorism and responding to disasters and this system has inherent design features that have contributed to operational failure in a number of major disasters. This book reviews the evolution of the disaster relief/consequence management program with a particular emphasis on the major disasters that were not handled well: Hurricane Agnes in 1972, Three Mile Island in 1979, and Hurricanes Hugo (1989), Andrew (1992) and Katrina (2005). Modest reforms were implemented after these disasters, but have obviously not been sufficient. The book concludes with a series of recommendations for systemic reforms that will better prepare the nation to better respond to the next Hurricane Katrina.

The Fevered Crescent: Security and Insecurity in the Greater Near East University Press of Florida

(co author) The Fevered Crescent: Security and Insecurity in the Greater Near East. University Press of Florida, 2006. This book examines the consequences of demographic and environmental stresses that are developing the arc of mega-cities that stretches from Lagos, Nigeria north to Cairo and then east to Karachi and Jakarta. The rapid urbanization that will take place in these regions will create challenges that many national governments will struggle to meet. The result will be new security threats from under-governed zones in mega-cities and remote provinces. The threats cannot be isolated because the affected regions are linked to the larger global economy. Traditional, military approaches will not be suitable for these threats; yet traditional military forces will still have an important role. The authors recommend new approaches for helping struggling states deal with the problems of rapid urbanization.

Jim Miskel can be reached at (401) 367-0040 ext. 126, or by mail at Alidade Incorporated, 31 Bridge Street, Newport, RI 02840.