Ideas
Ronald Reagan’s Disarmament Dream
How the former president’s fantasy about space weapons ruined a plan to eliminate the entire U.S. and Soviet nuclear arsenals.
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Fighting While Friending: The Grey War Advantage of ISIS, Russia, and China
Can democracies compete 'where powers can be fighting each other with one hand and shaking hands with the other?'
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Montenegro Will Join NATO — and That Matters
The move shows NATO and Montenegro are denying Russia a veto while progressing towards greater stability in the Balkans.
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What to Watch in 2016
Keep an eye on these nine story lines in warfighting, industry, politics, and technology.
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Pakistan's Race to Build Tiny Nukes Is Going to Backfire
Islamabad’s tactical nuclear weapons don’t look so fun for any Pakistani who thinks through the math.
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Social Movements Are The Next Big Weapon
Governments and non-state actors will increasingly foment citizen protests to topple terrorist states and influence regimes.
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Obama Says His ISIS Strategy Is Working Better Than His Attempts to Explain It
The president blames for messaging for public opposition, but there may be more to the story.
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2016 Predictions: A Look Ahead at the Future of War
New America polled former Navy SEALs, Pentagon officials, technologists, historians — and here’s what they expect.
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Someone Needs to Run the US Effort to Defeat ISIS Online
Lots of government agencies are doing something; the White House needs to coordinate them.
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What Is America Fighting For?
The United States has been at war with ISIS for more than a year. But you cannot beat a surging ideology without a higher sense of purpose.
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Ignoring Guantanamo Won’t Make It Go Away
Fixing the mistakes of Gitmo will require Americans to step up and shoulder the burdens of war.
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The United Nations Must Clamp Down on ISIS Oil Profits
With little power to stop Islamic State administrators from taxing subjugated populations, the world community must focus on limiting petrochemical revenues.
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The US Military Just Lost Its Carbon Exemption, But Don't Expect Big Changes Soon
Under the Paris climate agreement, countries are no longer exempted from cutting military emissions. Here's how that figures into U.S. plans, which are not set to begin for many years.
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The Challenge of Selling ‘Stay the Course’
Obama’s Pentagon photo op was meant to talk tough and say nothing new while convincing the public his plan is working.
Ideas
Watch It Again: CNAS / Defense One National Security Forum
A forum explores global defense trends, the Pentagon's strategic choices, and options for strengthening the All-Volunteer Force.
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America’s Not Ready for Today’s Gray Wars
To defeat terrorists, we need to overhaul our military and other levers of government to tackle complex and shifting threats.
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In Town Where Refugees Depart, Trump's Ideas Feel Even More Ludicrous
As Syrian refugee parents fight for food and their children's survival, the policy conversation happening in America could not feel more remote – or more off-base.
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Drone Strikes Are Creating Hatred Toward America That Will Last for Generations
'The resentment created by American use of unmanned strikes,' said retired four-star Gen. Stanley McChrystal, 'is much greater than the average American appreciates.'
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Access to Talent: Why Shattering the Military's Glass Ceiling Matters
Future wars will be won far more by out-thinking enemies than by out-muscling them, and including women in every part of the U.S. military makes America’s defenses stronger.
Ideas