Ideas
A Pledge for More of the Same at the Pentagon
James Mattis has no new ideas for solving America's most intractable conflicts. Neither does congress.
Ideas
SPECIAL REPORT: The Military Loves the Obama Doctrine. Can It Survive Trump?
Commanders say they’re already fighting ISIS the right way: “by, with, and through” local forces.
Ideas
Obama and Eisenhower, Two Legacies In Arms
On national security, the most illuminating presidential comparison is the one Obama most often made of himself. Barack likes Ike.
Ideas
What the World Might Look Like in 5 Years, According to US Intelligence
Even America's own government analysts see the American Era drawing to a close.
Ideas
Trump Will Inherit the Biggest NATO Buildup in Europe Since the Cold War
Clarity keeps peace; weakness invites conflict. PEOTUS's soft talk invites the Russians to misconstrue what’s happening.
Ideas
Still Fighting, US Troops from Syria to Afghanistan Await Trump Orders
Special operators move ahead with plans for the press to Raqqa, but uncertainty clouds US war plans.
Ideas
Trump vs. the Spies
In this digital age, it is reasonable to ask just what America’s intelligence community still brings to the table. The answer is a lot.
Ideas
How Many Airstrikes Did US Forces Execute in 2016?
Estimates from government releases show Iraqi and Syrian targets got hit the hardest.
Ideas
As Trump's Foreign Policy Emerges, Watch His Temperament in Washington
By what Trump has shown, even where there's policy continuity the world will see Washington as more erratic and less reliable.
Ideas
Weaponized Narrative Is the New Battlespace
And the U.S. is in the unaccustomed position of being seriously behind its adversaries.
Ideas
ISIS Ends Its Separate Peace With Turkey
The politics of the attack and its avowal make the Istanbul massacre much more pivotal than many others.
Ideas
America’s Cyber Security Dilemma — and A Way Out
The network era has changed the rules of arms buildups.
Ideas
The Unraveling of Turkey: A View from Ankara
The country continues to descend into uncertainty following the assassination of the Russian ambassador.
Ideas
Here's a Better Way to Understand Urban Violence in the Middle East
A new book plumbs the region's history to frame the events of today and tomorrow.
Ideas
What Are Turkey and Russia Doing in Syria?
CFR’s Steven Cook offers context and backstory behind the assassination of the Russian ambassador in Ankara.
Ideas
Trump’s Deal-Powered Vision Will, and Won’t, Change US Foreign Policy
'The day of the chess player is over,' the businessman once wrote.
Ideas
Trump Inherits ‘The Good War’
Many Afghans desire a fresh U.S. approach. All must wait to see what policy emerges from the New York businessman’s scattered thoughts.
Ideas
What the US Should Learn from Israel’s Silicon Valley
The world’s hottest cybersecurity market is powered by a unique collaboration of government, industry, finance and academia.
Ideas
The American Leader in the Islamic State
How a military brat from Texas became a devoted jihadist.
Ideas