Ideas
Congress Will Rethink Combatant Command Boundaries
Reshaping, or even deleting, some of the four-star headquarters that run America’s military operations around the world could be part of broader Defense Department reforms.
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America's 'Plan B' for Syria Has a Very Ugly Past
Dividing Middle Easterners along ethno-religious lines has a deeply troubled history. There's little reason to believe similar 'last-ditch' plans for Syria would be any different.
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Securing Syria Region-by-Region from the Bottom Up
We’re too focused on fighting ISIS and Assad and not enough on finding and uniting the Syrians who will govern after the war.
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Central Americans May Be Ready for Their Own Arab Spring
The spread of gangs, the U.S. narcotics trade, and rampant corruption are major factors contributing to mass migration and alarmingly high levels of violence.
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China is Cruising for a Bruising
The U.S. Navy must get ready for big new Chinese ships that will try to ram Americans who approach their fake islands.
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Bernie Sanders Looks Pretty Darn Establishment on Nuclear Weapons
Sanders is no outside-the-margin liberal on keeping up America’s nuclear arsenal.
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Beyond Syria’s Ceasefire, Activists Nervously Preparing for Post-War Politics
Egypt’s pro-democracy leaders hope Syrians are better prepared for the day after the dictator.
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Everything You Need To Know About NATO
Here’s a guide to the Cold-War alliance that’s under pressure as it transforms itself for 21st century challenges.
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Michael Hayden's Defense of Drone Warfare Doesn't Add Up
Today, drone strikes are a settled policy in Washington circles, but that does not mean Americans should accept everything a former CIA director says about them.
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Look Out, Special Operators in Syria, the Internet Has Spotted You and That's a Problem
It's not only the improvement of an airstrip in Northeast Syria that warrants attention, but how it was discovered.
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Start Preparing for the Collapse of the Saudi Kingdom
Saudi Arabia is no state at all. It's an unstable business so corrupt to resemble a criminal organization and the U.S. should get ready for the day after.
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A Unifying Theory—and Plan—for Defeating ISIS Propaganda
Twitter suspensions are not nearly enough.
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Why a US Army Vet Cast a Muslim-American Woman to Lead His Afghan War Movie
An American paratrooper's experience with an Afghan-American interpreter formed the basis of the upcoming film, 'Day One.'
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Under the Nuclear Shadow: A Short History of the China-North Korea Relationship
While Beijing may be unhappy about Pyongyang’s nuclear games, few expect bold action that could cause sudden collapse.
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Time to Hit Pause on the US Army's Drawdown
The entire plan was built around the idea of an Iraq and Afghanistan 'post-war calm' that never really materialized.
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Dispatch from the Turkish Border: Syrians Waiting in Vain for the World
‘People are waiting for the international community to stop this war.’
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Meet the Guerrilla Fighters of Kurdistan
While the fight against the Islamic State has been devastating for Kurdish communities, many guerrillas convey an optimistic message: When the war ends, the Kurds could finally have an independent state.
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Obama Punts Controversial War Account to Successor
The president, who decried the Pentagon’s 'dishonest' war chest, will leave office with it firmly entrenched.
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Congress Must Stop the Decline of Our Military Readiness
Here's what President Obama's final defense spending request should have included.
Ideas