Ideas
Mosul: What the Decade's Largest Battle Says About the Future of War
Here’s how Western-backed Iraqi soldiers helped break the Islamic State’s grip on a city of more than 1 million people — and what we can learn from it.
Ideas
At Trump-Putin Meeting, Start with New START
If the treaty is allowed to disappear, so will the Pentagon’s best tools for divining facts about the Russian nuclear arsenal.
Ideas
North Korea Just Called Trump's Bluff. Here's What the US Can Do
Now that Kim Jong-Un has an ICBM, it's time for 'the least of the bad options.'
Ideas
How Poland Sets Trump Up for Success With Putin
Trump’s Poland visit could give the American president a strong message – and momentum – for his Putin meeting later this week.
Ideas
What Did North Korea's Missile Test Really Change?
When potential death tolls are unthinkably high, it’s like multiplying infinity.
Ideas
Why Trump Should Embrace America's Immigrant Soldiers
Immigrants have been part of the armed forces since the Revolutionary War. The administration is considering ending a program that grants some of them citizenship in exchange for their service.
Ideas
How ISIS Will Go On Without Mosul
Long after the city is back in the hands of the Iraqi government, it will continue to be a prop for the Islamic State—although an altogether different one.
Ideas
How to Adapt Military Risk to an Era of Hypercompetition
DOD needs to change how the defense enterprise describes, identifies, and assesses risk in an age of persistent disruption.
Ideas
Should the US Reassess Its Alliance with South Korea?
Washington's relationship with Seoul makes it a target for the Kim regime.
Ideas
By Hoarding Bugs, the NSA Is Weakening Security for Everyone Else
The NSA hordes exploits and bugs, a policy that imperils cyber security for everyone else.
Ideas
It’s Time for NATO to Look North
The alliance’s six-year old maritime strategy quickly needs updating for the new (and more Russian) age.
Ideas
Why Congress and the Pentagon Should Bypass Trump’s Defense Spending Bill
The NDAA markup is a chance for leaders on Hill and the Pentagon to show they are the badly-needed adults in the room on defense spending.
Ideas
Cherry Picking Intelligence For War in the Middle East? Here We Go Again
Will Trump follow the Bush playbook and start a war with Iran?
Ideas
I Could Kill You with a Consumer Drone
As a former intelligence soldier who now sells drones for a living, I can tell you that this problem is bigger than almost anyone realizes.
Ideas
The FBI’s Role in National Security
The Federal Bureau of Investigation has been reoriented toward counterterrorism in recent years, but continues to face charges of overreach.
Ideas
Educating Afghanistan's Youth Is the Only True Solution to Terrorism
Widespread illiteracy undercuts not only security, but also development projects that could help lift the country out of 16 years of war.
Ideas
The American Military Declares War on Sprawl
For the Pentagon, walkable, bikeable military installations are key to improving the health of troops.
Ideas
America's Military: Overcommitted and Underfunded
The administration wants to expand the armed forces’ commitments, even while contracting spending.
Threats
The Danger of Yemen's Secret Prisons
Black sites in the war-ravaged country help ensure that it will remain fertile ground for terrorists for years to come.
Ideas