Threats

If Trump Won’t Fight Climate Change, We Must — for the Troops’ Sake

As the Pentagon says, this ‘threat multiplier’ is making the work of our men and women in uniform around the world more difficult.

Ideas

The Danger of Picking Sides in the Qatar Crisis

For better or worse, all the Gulf nations remain vital allies for the U.S. in the fight against terrorism.

Ideas

The US Army Urgently Needs a Modern Air-Defense Control System

It’s got one under development, dubbed IBCS. It’s delayed, over budget — and vital to American security.

Ideas

Why I'm Directing The Air Force to Focus on Space

In the coming months, the US Air Force will grow the space force in numbers and capabilities.

Ideas

After Raqqa, How the US Must Adapt to ISIS

What to do when ISIS goes underground, and other things to worry about after the caliphate falls.

Ideas

Mattis’s Afghanistan War Plan: Be Patient, Convince Everyone

Roll back the Taliban. Tackle ISIS. Win over Washington. Build Afghan forces. Seek support from the American public. Sound familiar?

Ideas

At BALTOPS, It’s Back to Prepping for High-End Warfare

The annual NATO exercise in tight Baltic waters, grown a bit sleepy after the Cold War, has snapped back into serious intensity.

Ideas

Military Omnipresence: A Unifying Concept for America’s 21st-Century Fighting Edge

The Pentagon should converge its technological and doctrinal efforts towards a perpetual, networked presence that enables operations and awareness anywhere in the world.

Ideas

Five Ways President Trump is Making Terrorism Worse

Terrorists are pleased to confront a United States that demonizes Muslims and seeks only its own advantage.

Ideas

Is America Getting Sucked Into More War in Syria?

The Trump administration has quietly escalated against Assad and his allies—and risks sparking regional chaos.

Ideas

The Dark Architecture of National Security

From the mirrored fortress of the NSA headquarters to the new U.S. Embassy in London, the built environment of the security state reflects our national anxieties.

Ideas

Want to Reduce Iran’s and al-Qaeda’s Sway in Yemen? End the War

The US-Saudi-UAE-Yemeni-government plan to double down on a military solution is a recipe for disaster.

Ideas

Don’t Label Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps a Terror Group

The IRGC is key to the ‘US-led’ coalition fighting to oust ISIS from Mosul.

Ideas

Did Trump’s Riyadh Visit Trigger the GCC Flare-up?

Both the United States and the members of the Gulf Cooperation Council have an interest in a quick political resolution to this crisis.

Ideas

The Trouble With How Liberals Talk About Terrorism

So what if falling objects kill more people? It's not just about the death toll.

Ideas

The Right Way to Confront Iran in Syria

A careful diplomatic approach to Russia’s safe-zone plan is less risky, and more promising, than direct action

Ideas

What Xi Jinping Wants

China's leader is determined to turn his country into 'the biggest player in the history of the world.' Can he do it while avoiding a dangerous collision with America?

Ideas

Everything That’s Wrong With That McMaster Op-Ed

In an op-ed, the Trump administration’s 'adults in the room' portray America as selfish, isolated, brutish, domineering, and driven by immediate appetites rather than ideals or even longer-term interests.

Ideas

The Trump Administration Just Missed Its Best Shot at a Military Buildup

In its first year, when big changes are easiest, the White House chose domestic cuts over national security.