Ideas

Ep. 18: Gayle Lemmon on Syria, Afghanistan's future; All about US Army Futures Command and more.

Welcome to our podcast about the news, strategy, tech, and business trends defining the future of national security.

Ideas

Russia Is Co-opting Angry Young Men

Fight clubs, neo-Nazi soccer hooligans, and motorcycle gangs serve as conduits for the Kremlin’s influence operations in Western countries.

Ideas

John McCain, Nuclear Disarmament, and What Might Have Been

If McCain had become president in 2008, the world might have had far fewer nuclear weapons today.

Ideas

Women Rise as Raqqa Rebuilds Without the World’s Help

Local women and local security are reawakening the Syrian city, with few Americans in sight.

Ideas

The Plan to End the Korean War

An adviser to South Korea’s president explains what it might mean to finally declare the conflict over—and why the proposal has now become a sticking point in nuclear talks.

Ideas

No Matter Who Wins the Syrian Civil War, Israel Loses

Assad is Iran’s most important Arab ally; his would-be successors are Sunni militias and jihadists. Netanyahu’s overtures to Putin can’t change that.

Ideas

Nikki Haley Warns That Iran Could Become ‘the Next North Korea’

The UN ambassador offered an explanation for abandoning one nuclear deal while pursuing another.

Ideas

Keep an Eye on Syria’s Idlib Province, Says Former Acting Spy Chief

President Obama’s primary intelligence briefer shares thoughts about U.S. national security, emerging trends, and hotspots.

Ideas

Turkey Made a Bet Against Assad—And Lost

Back in 2011, Erdoğan supported the rebels against the Syrian regime in hopes of gaining influence across the Middle East. Things haven’t gone according to plan.

Ideas

ISIS Is Ready For a Resurgence

The new recording released by the group’s leader suggested he’s looking to the past to chart a course for the group’s ultimate triumph.

Ideas

Toward A Smaller, Smarter Force Posture in the Middle East

The National Defense Strategy’s turn toward Russia and China requires the U.S. military to alter its Gulf assets.

Ideas

Donald Trump Sorrowfully Cancels Another North Korea Meeting

For the first time since his summit with Kim Jong Un, the president acknowledged that nuclear talks aren’t going well.

Ideas

Ep. 17: Why the Afghan war has lasted so long; Rethinking 'militarized policing' and more.

Welcome to our podcast about the news, strategy, tech, and business trends defining the future of national security.

Ideas

What I Learned by Studying Militarized Policing

It doesn’t make the police or public any safer. But figuring that out exposed the dearth of useable data on law-enforcement practices.

Ideas

This Is the Political Moment to Stop Supporting the Saudi War in Yemen

The deadly attack on a school bus with a U.S. laser-guided bomb should, at last, end Washington's backing.

Ideas

A Year On, Pakistan Still the Weak Link in US South Asia Strategy

The Trump administration's strategy has produced no definitive improvements along its pillars. Pakistan remains a safe haven for terrorist groups.

Ideas

Toward a 21st-Century US Navy Mining Force

Standoff weapons and other initiatives promise a renaissance in U.S. naval mine warfare.

Ideas

The Retired Admiral, the President, and the Military Profession

How should a former four-star register his dissent? A Naval War College instructor points to an Aug. 13 memo by Defense Secretary Mattis.

Ideas

Better Wargaming Is Helping the US Military Navigate a Turbulent Era

Two leaders of the Joint Staff’s Studies, Analysis, and Gaming Division evaluate the two-year-old effort to increase, improve, and boost the impact of analytic wargaming.

Ideas

A Message to Pentagon Spokespeople, From Your Former Boss

There’s a difference between campaigning and serving, and people have a right to know what goes on their government.