Ideas

Obama's Chance to Reinvent the U.S.-Israel Defense Relationship

Despite what you may hear this week, the U.S. and Israel are far closer than many realize, says Obama's former Middle East policy chief at the Pentagon.

Ideas

Syrian Peace Prospects Now Hinge on Long-Time Foes Saudi Arabia and Iran

Fighting in Syria cannot be resolved without some kind of accommodation between Riyadh and Tehran—both of whom have used proxies to prolong the war.

Ideas

Defense One Summit 2015 - The Age of Everything

Miss the 2015 Defense One Summit? Catch the whole thing again, right here.

Ideas

The US Coast Guard Is (Quietly) Building Up Allies in the Arctic

A new forum frees up Canada, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden, the U.S. and Russia to talk formally about security in a way prohibited by the Arctic Council charter.

Ideas

Is There a Sunni Solution to ISIS?

David Ignatius calls for reconciliation among Iraqi Sunnis, Shiites, and Kurds. But this oversimplifies the bargain that needs to be struck.

Ideas

Maintaining the Edge in the Age of Everything

Ash Carter's message to the Defense One Summit: a new commitment to military, academic, business and scientific partnerships.

Ideas

How ISIS Spread in the Middle East

Tracing the roots of the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria—and how to stop it.

Ideas

What It Would Really Take to Knock Out the Power Grid

As our electrical system lifts itself out of the stone age, the defense built around it will require added vigilance.

Ideas

Don’t Call Warlord Territory an ‘Ungoverned Space'

If we are to restore the rule of law to areas held by non-government groups, we must consider the sort of order they provide.

Ideas

The Right Way to Enforce Freedom of Navigation in the South China Sea

Patrols must be clearly seen as reinforcing the norms involved, without bias or prejudice to who is claiming the features.

Ideas

Trick or Treat: A Pleasant Surprise for the Defense Budget

The debate over the defense budget is not really about defense. But this is the best possible deal.

Ideas

The History of No-Fly Zones Doesn’t Bode Well for Syria

Tough-talking presidential candidates want a no-fly zone to save Syrians. But nothing in the historical record shows a NFZ would work this time.

Ideas

How Drones Make War Too Easy

A report from the Council on Foreign Relations explores "several reasons why armed drones are unique in their ability to destabilize relations and intensify conflict."

Ideas

Counterterrorism's False Trade-off Between Security and Freedom

Fighting terrorism across the globe involves a dangerous paradox: the better it works, the less we appreciate the need for it.

Ideas

1.3 Billion People Are the Real Losers of India, Pakistan Extremism

More than 70 years of violence has consistently left the citizens of each nation out to dry.

Ideas

Why Do Top Government Personnel Keep Using Private Email for Official Business?

As government breaches continue, it's hard to argue that 'security' alone is a good enough reason to keep official communication on official servers.

Ideas

Kunduz, War Crimes, and the Real Laws of War

The U.S. should embrace an independent investigation of the tragic Afghanistan hospital strike to shed light—and facts—on the laws of war.

Ideas

Why It Matters That Carter Says Iraq Raid Isn't Combat, Then Says It Is

We may not be a nation at war, but U.S. special operators are fighting. And their raids against ISIS most certainly are combat.

Ideas

As Jihadis Gather in Libya, Tunisia Struggles To Fend Them Off

Libyan militants are aggressively recruiting Tunisians, promising a closer fight than Syria — and threatening a Mideast ‘beacon.’

Ideas

This Is the Only Cyber Security Plan Any 2016 Candidate Has Offered

Jeb Bush is a true hawk when it comes to U.S. cyber defense. But only a modest portion of his proposals could be called new.