Ideas
There Is a Peaceful Way Out of the North Korea Crisis
Kim Jong Un’s nuclear and missile programs represent one of the most dangerous challenges since the end of the Cold War. But there are opportunities to stop it.
Ideas
How Trump Could Get China's Help on North Korea
Beijing is not going to pressure Pyongyang just because he tells them to.
Ideas
Normalizing Illegal Action May Be the Only Lasting Effect of Trump’s Syria Strike
A president has broad leeway to send American forces into harm’s way, but Trump has blown past the few constraints that remain.
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Scuttle the Iran Nuke Deal? That Approach Didn’t Stop North Korea
The Trump administration should learn from George W. Bush’s 2002 decision to tear up an intact, if imperfect, nuclear agreement.
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Can Trump’s Defense Department Get More For Less?
If the administration’s version of defense reform is to succeed, it must focus on a few key principles.
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How Should We Treat Our Military Robots?
Increasingly human-like automated weapons demand an honest accounting of our emotional responses to them.
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South Sudan Needs UN Help. Will Trump’s Ambassador Lead the Way?
The magnitude of the war’s human cost now dwarfs nearly every other global conflict, with the exception of Syria.
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Inside NASA's Plan to Protect the Planet from a Massive Asteroid
In 2016, NASA established a new office for working with the Air Force, Defense Department, and FEMA to prevent speeding asteroids from impacting the Earth.
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The Trouble With Brazil's Expanding Arms Trade
With weapons appearing in Yemen and transferring to repressive regimes, Brazil's arms policies are outdated and out of step with its peaceful aims.
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Don't Let Trump Fool You, He's Still No Interventionist
Despite the cruise missiles in Syria and MOAB in Afghanistan, if you’re anticipating another military campaign the size of Libya’s in 2011, prepare to be disappointed.
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Here’s What 71 Years of US Presidential ‘Red Lines’ Have Taught Us
The country has walked to the brink of war or beyond with Iran, North Korea, Iraq, and Syria to prevent or stop them.
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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.
Ideas
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.
Ideas
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.
Ideas
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.
Ideas