Ideas

The Shia Power Brokers of the New Iraq

As the embattled country wages war on ISIS in the north, its future may be decided by clerics in the south.

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Why Clinton Gets My Vote, by Former Defense Secretary William Perry

The veteran of GOP and Democratic administrations says Trump is unfit for the presidency.

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The Syrian Kurds Try DIY Nation-Building in a Wartorn Land

The American military's radical, unlikely, democratic experiment in northern Syria now teeters on a knife’s edge.

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To Decode Duterte’s Doubletalk, Think ‘Expedience'

The Philippines president flew to China and signed billions in deals, said he would separate ties with the U.S., then took it all back.

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The Next President’s Headaches, According to America’s Top Spy

Director of National Intelligence James Clapper discusses emerging challenges in U.S.-Russian relations, cybersecurity, and how his office views North Korea’s nuclear program.

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Washington is Quietly Reinforcing Europe’s Northern Flank

Much is being done to counter Russian ambitions in the High North, and yet much more remains to be done.

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Get Ready to Walk Away from Incirlik

As U.S.-Turkey relations cool, retaining access to the air base will require ending our dependence on it.

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In Aleppo, Echoes of Guernica and Global Disorder

Nearly 80 years ago, a shattered town rang a death knell for international order. We must not let it happen again.

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Donald Trump Is the First Demagogue of the Terrorism-and-Climate Change Era

Here’s why he won't be the last.

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The World Needs the American Military

It’s fiction to pretend that the most powerful nation can ever be truly “neutral” in foreign conflicts.

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What the Next US President Needs to Know About Rising India-Pakistan Tensions

Pakistan, in particular, finds itself once again at the center of the tussle between China, Russia, and the United States.

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War Goes Viral

How social media is being weaponized across the world.

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Geography Allows America To Choose Its Global Role. Only One Candidate is Choosing Wisely

Because of its location, America can choose whether it wants to be a gatekeeper or a global policeman.

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How to Survive a Siege: We Made It Through Sarajevo. Here's How We're Keeping Connected In Aleppo

In Bosnia and in Syria, the tactic has been used to destroy bodies—but it’s really an attempt to annihilate the spirit.

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The Pentagon's Mapmakers Want to Offer Customers an Amazon-Like Experience

A National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency directorate is seeking better ways to custom-tailor geospatial information products.

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Getting Past Grudging Precautions: How the Next President Should Address Climate Change

The U.S. Navy’s former weatherman-in-chief says gradual progress must turn into serious high-level action.

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The US Accused Russia of Hacking. What Happens Next Will Set a Cyber War Precedent

After blaming Russia for trying to tamper with the presidential election, the White House will want to choose its next move carefully.

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'What President Trump Meant to Say'

I would have been fired on the spot if I spoke like Donald Trump.

Ideas

The US Should Stand with Saudi Arabia in Yemen

Facing Iran and Hezbollah on their border, Saudis have no choice to see this war to its end – with or without American weapons and support.

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Unemployment Is Driving Males to ISIS, Not Poverty, Illiteracy

The Islamic State group’s foreign fighters are surprisingly well-educated, a myth-busting new study from the World Bank has found.