The Foreign Service Journal, November 2010

N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 0 / F O R E I G N S E R V I C E J O U R N A L 33 In addition to a brief history of State-Defense rela- tions and the POLAD program, Jones takes a step-by- step approach to identifying the precise roles of these political advisers, how they should be selected, and what kind of training is needed to help them do their job well. This report on the POLAD program is de- tailed and intricate, and is targeted at State and Defense officials thinking about using the program to improve U.S. foreign policy operations. David Jones is a retired career FSO and frequent contributor to the Journal. During a diplomatic career of more than 30 years, Jones concentrated on politico- military issues and served as a POLAD for the Army Chief of Staff. He is also coauthor of Uneasy Neigh- bo(u)rs (Wiley, 2007), a book on U.S.-Canada relations. The monograph is available at no cost to qualified requesters through the State Department’s Bureau of Political-Military Affairs. Building Security in the Persian Gulf Robert E. Hunter, RAND Corporation, 2010, $24, paperback, 202 pages. In this valuable book, retired Ambassador Robert Hunter examines the security dynamics of the Persian Gulf, and the Middle East more gen- erally. As a geostrategic area and hub of the world’s oil resources, the region has repeatedly at- tracted intervention by outside powers. The cumulative effect of this history has left a frag- mented, insecure grouping of states mired in conflict and burdensomely high defense spending. Hunter emphasizes the world’s common interest in ensuring the security of the Middle East. In each chap- ter he discusses different elements underlying regional stability, including conflict resolution, the role of exter- nal actors and arms control. Each chapter also contains recommendations for how U.S. policy should be di- rected. The end goal of U.S. engagement with the Middle East, according to Hunter, is establishment of a collec- tive security system that can help Washington “achieve its goals in the region at less material and human risk and cost than at present.” While the challenges the U.S.