Ideas
Pentagon Misses the Target When It Comes to Its Workforce
Defense officials can’t tell you how many contractors they employ or at what cost. Finding out is critical to personnel reform.
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The Case Against Trump Selling Planes to Nigeria for War with Boko Haram
Some in Washington say that the sign of ‘goodwill’ between the two governments is really a vanity project for Nigeria.
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A Soldier's Dilemma
In 2016, Captain Nathan Smith sued President Obama for issuing an order to engage in the battle against ISIS without congressional approval. Can his case clarify the debate over President Trump’s strikes in Syria?
Ideas
What's Really at Stake for America in Yemen's Conflict
As the Trump administration navigates the risks of escalation, there’s a real danger it will get the calculus wrong.
Ideas
In Lithuania, NATO Troops Set Up Near A Potentially Hostile Border
Just two years ago, it would have been nearly unthinkable for the Western alliance to set up a battalion here, some two hours' drive from Russia.
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Trump Blew It at His China Summit
The U.S. president’s performance last week suggested to his Chinese counterpart that he is all talk, and can be pushed around with subtlety and patience.
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How Will Trump Get Us From Tomahawks to the Peace Table?
Trump called for an end to Syrian bloodshed. Tillerson was unprepared in Moscow to say how. But all roads still lead through Geneva.
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Iran Expected an Economic Boost from the Nuclear Deal. It’s Not Happening
Sluggish growth is putting pressure on Tehran, where hardliners who opposed the deal may be looking to strike back.
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Trump's Unlawful Attack in Syria
Trump launched an attack on Bashar al-Assad’s government without the legal authority to do so.
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Why ISIS Declared War on Egypt's Christians
The group has been exporting Iraq-style sectarian tactics to the Arab world’s most populous country.
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In Syria, Russia Falls Victim to Its Own Success
Moscow’s rogue client has destroyed the country’s ability to present itself as an indispensable arbiter in the conflict.
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Seven Dubious Arguments for Not Fighting Assad
Intervention may not be the right choice. But we should at least be clear about what we are—and aren’t—debating.
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The Syria Strike Was International Security Theater
It was designed to look as if it would keep us safer, while actually doing nothing of the sort.
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Easy There, Blob. With Obama, We Faced A Different Syria
Four years ago, everything was different in Syria. I support these strikes, but two of our worries remain the same: escalation and loss of control.
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Seven Disturbing Implications of Trump's Syria Strike
The attack raises a series of questions about the president’s approach to America’s political processes and institutions.
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Counterpoint: Trump’s Syria Strike Was Unconstitutional and Unwise
The military intervention solved nothing, while bypassing Congress, betraying the president’s non-interventionist supporters, and highlighting his hypocrisy.
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The Obama Doctrine, R.I.P.
Under pressure to respond to Assad’s use of chemical weapons, Trump reached for the same playbook that his predecessor resisted opening.
Ideas
America Should Have Hit Assad Four Years Ago
When dealing with mass killing, deterrence is more effective than disarmament.
Ideas