Ideas

Trump, Putin, and the Art of Appeasement

The famed deal maker seems intent on giving away American leverage for nothing.

Ideas

Trump, Taiwan, and The Fantasy of a Phone Call

China will fight back. Taiwan’s backers should never forget that.

Ideas

Washington's Dangerous Drums of War on North Korea

Bombing North Korea’s missile sites would be a ‘monumental act of folly.’

Ideas

Russia and the Threat to Liberal Democracy

Nothing will more profoundly shape our world than how the Trump administration responds to the challenge.

Ideas

Want to Hurt the Taliban? Legalize Opium in Afghanistan

Economics explains how anti-drug operations have undermined the war on terror.

Ideas

A Dictator Among the Ruins: What Comes Next in Syria

Putin and Assad’s victory in Aleppo will usher in a new phase of the conflict, rather than its end.

Ideas

‘Trump Has Already Created Lots of Chaos’

A Chinese scholar argues that the U.S. shouldn’t touch Taiwan—just like China wouldn’t back separatists in Texas or Hawaii.

Ideas

ISIS in the Caribbean

The spread of Salafi Islam and a government’s blind eye toward recruiting has helped lead more Trinidadians to fight for ISIS than any other country in the Western hemisphere.

Ideas

Will Obama’s Mattis Be Trump’s Mattis?

In General Mattis, Trump picked an insider warrior-diplomat who worked with the Obama administration, respected Hillary Clinton, and knows the Middle East better than most.

Ideas

The Jihadi Thinker Who Ushered in the Era of ‘Anything Goes’ Warfare

Abu Abdullah al-Muhajir died in a recent airstrike, but his ideas will shape Islamic State and al-Qaeda tactics for years to come.

Ideas

The 'Civilian Control of the Military' Fallacy

Retired officers like James Mattis who are nominated for civilian posts should be judged on their merits—not disqualified on the basis of their past service.

Ideas

How Trump Can Heal US-Gulf Rifts

The president-elect has an opportunity, and an obligation, to reengage with Gulf Cooperation Council members.

Ideas

The Coming War on ‘Radical Islam’

How President-elect Trump’s government could change America’s approach to terrorism.

Ideas

The US Military Has a Pretty Good Plan to Keep Its Advantage. Trump Shouldn’t Mess With It

The Third Offset needs help, not replacement, to secure the long-term competitive advantage of the U.S. armed forces.

Ideas

Trump Should Halt US Missile-Defense Plans in Europe

The new president seems determined to woo Russia. Here’s one way he can serve American and NATO security goals as well.

Ideas

Trump's Big Test in the Middle East

The president-elect will encounter a region convulsed by change.

Ideas

Breaking Down US-Russian Distrust With Time, Talk, and Meals

A recent session of the long-running Dartmouth Conference shows how non-governmental dialogue can ease tense relations.

Ideas

As Trump Waits, So Do US War Fighters, Planners

The truth is nobody from the Pentagon to Baghdad knows yet if Trump will escalate or withdraw from America's ongoing fights around the world.

Ideas

Why Trump Is Wrong About His Conflicts of Interest

A conversation with Norman Eisen, former White House ethics czar, about the legal challenges facing the president-elect.