Ideas
The Civil Service’s Preference for Hiring Military Vets Comes at a Hidden Cost
The U.S. government has long shown a hiring preference for veterans. But because of the demographics of the U.S. military, this has limited the federal workforce's diversity.
Ideas
The Trump Effect: One Path To A New NATO
The alliance must overcome three hurdles to revitalize trust and the transatlantic relationship, former senior NATO officials write.
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And So It Begins: Trump, Syria, and The Lessons of Iraq
With recent 'warning shot' at Assad, the US is trying to avoid escalation in Syria, not stoke it, sources say.
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There’s Less than Meets the Eye in Trump’s Saudi Arms Deal
It takes a lot of existing offers and future promises to add up to $110 billion.
Ideas
The US Just Bombed Pro-Assad Troops in Syria. What’s Next?
This could be the start of a larger escalation that includes direct military clashes with Iran or Iranian-backed proxies.
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The Government Wants You to Stop the Next Edward Snowden
New rules mean you could lose your security clearance if you don’t Say Something when you See Something.
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What Happens When Intelligence Agencies Lose Faith in the President?
If bureaucrats restrict the information they share with political leaders, the damage could prove deep and lasting.
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The Dangers of Presidential Indiscretions
President Trump had the legal right to declassify information—but by sharing sensitive intelligence with the Russians, he may have jeopardized national security.
Ideas
Foreign Leaders Have Realized Trump Is a Pushover
The president’s reported disclosure of classified information to Russia is only the latest example of the self-proclaimed great negotiator conceding to officials from overseas everything they want.
Ideas
Trump's Disclosures Are Another Win for Russia
Putin has long used the pretext of counterterrorism cooperation to get what he wants from the West. It just paid off again.
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The Terrible Cost of Trump's Disclosures
The consequences of the president’s reported divulgence of top-secret codeword information to the Russians are only beginning.
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A Defense Budget Increase is No More Needed in 2018 than It Was Last Year
A former assistant defense secretary argues the Trump administration’s bump-up was unnecessary, and in fact counterproductive, to national defense.
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The Army Wants to Let Troops off the ‘Digital Leash.’ That’s Easier Said Than Done.
Gen. Mark Milley’s injunction against IT-enabled micromanagement will require leaders at all levels to re-think what it means to be part of the profession of arms.
Ideas
How American Special Operators Gradually Returned to Somalia
A U.S. soldier was killed in the country this month for the first time in more than two decades. What was he doing there?
Ideas
Trump’s Afghanistan Reset Needs a Soft-Power Mission, Too
Reconciliation and peace-building can only occur if there is an open dialogue and people are working towards a shared, communal interest.
Ideas
Don’t Fear Pakistan’s Participation in China’s ‘New Silk Road’
U.S. interests can be served no matter whether the mega-project’s subcontinental branch succeeds or fails.
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Congress, the President, and the Dwindling Oversight of War
Lawmakers’ tacit approval of modern military actions encourages more boundary-stretching.
Ideas
So Trump Is Arming Kurds...Then What?
Trump’s latest decision orders more US military intervention than Obama wanted. The more Americans and allies fight this war, the more they deserve a plan for the peace.
Ideas