RALPH COSSA is President Emeritus and Worldwide Support for Development-Handa Haruhisa Chair in Peace Studies at the Honolulu-based Pacific Forum. He is a senior editor of the Forum’s electronic journal, Comparative Connections and co-author of its Regional Overview. He is a member and former international co-chair of the ASEAN Regional Forum Experts and Eminent Persons Group, and a founding member and former co-chair of the Council for Security Cooperation in the Asia Pacific. He is a political/military affairs and national security specialist with more than 50 years of experience in analyzing U.S. Asia-Pacific security policy. He is a retired USAF military officer who served as a special assistant to two US Pacific Command commanders. He holds a B.A. in international relations from Syracuse University, an M.B.A. from Pepperdine University, an M.S. in strategic studies from the Defense Intelligence College and an honorary Doctorate in International Relations from the University of Cambodia.