Ideas

Obama Should Be Pressuring, Not Legitimizing, Bahrain

After several snubs, letting Bahrain’s tiny Air Force in on the ISIL air strikes is a missed opportunity to change the ways of a shaky ally. By Brian Dooley

Ideas

It’s Time To Rein In Nuclear Spending

As the bill for nuclear weapons grows larger and larger, Congress must scrutinize the commitment to keep last century’s nuclear arsenal. By Angela Canterbury and Kingston Reif

Ideas

If There Is ‘No Military Solution’ in Iraq, Where Is the Non-Military Solution?

Rather than reducing the motivations for joining ISIS, the U.S. military plan seems bound to add to them. By Sarah Chayes

Ideas

A New Plan: Make U.S. Foreign Policy Swifter, Stronger and More Agile

We propose a solution: completely reorganize the structure of how we conduct foreign policy in ‘fragile states’ such as Iraq. By Ronald E. Neumann, Dennis Blair and Eric Olson

Ideas

Why It’s OK for Obama To Ignore Military Advice

Presidents don’t always listen to their top military leaders when it comes to matters of national defense. And that’s not always a bad thing. By Lawrence Korb

Ideas

More Troops, Not Nukes, Will Deter Russia

The nuclear weapons of the Cold War are useless to today’s hot conflicts in Europe. By Rep. Mike Quigley

Ideas

How Retirement Threatens the Pentagon's Future Weapons

Can the Defense Department make the necessary adjustments to backfill its aging cadre of technical experts? By Rear Adm. Michael Moran and Scott O'Neil

Ideas

Africa Needs the US Military To Fight Ebola

It’s up to the international community to change its response behavior and question its own assumptions about disease containment. By Melissa Hersh

Ideas

Why Do We Need ‘Hypersonic’ Strike Weapons, Exactly?

The Pentagon has a bit more explaining to do before the U.S. keeps developing its latest super-fast weapon. By James M. Acton

Ideas

Fight the Islamic State in Iraq? Sure. In Syria? Not So Much

There’s consensus in Washington about fighting the Islamic State in Iraq, but when it comes to Syria, things get messy. By Gayle Tzemach Lemmon

Ideas

Why John Bolton’s Dangerous Call to Nuclear Arms Makes No Sense

John Bolton doesn’t know better than Ronald Reagan and Mikhail Gorbachev. By Joe Cirincione

Ideas

The US Needs a Third Missile Defense Site

It’s time to reverse the decline in spending and start improving our missile defenses to keep pace with growing threats. By Sen. Jim Inhofe

Ideas

NATO Must Boost Its Cyber Defense Capabilities Now

With the threat that comes with NATO’s increased posture in Eastern Europe, NATO cannot afford to take its time beefing up its cyber defense. By Klara Tothova Jordan

Ideas

Obama’s Speech Reflects a Refined Foreign Policy Doctrine

The president’s speech presents a refined American engagement that relies not just on our kinetic capabilities. By Maj. Mike Lyons

Ideas

In Obama Speech, Echoes of the Lyndon Johnson Era

President Obama’s speech on the Islamic State was nicely written, if you care about presidential syntax. But it reflected no sense of history. By Philip Seib

Ideas

‘No Boots on the Ground’ Doesn’t Mean No Combat in Iraq

President Obama is vowing not to send 'boots on the ground' in Iraq but they’re already there. By Gayle Tzemach Lemmon

Ideas

What Obama Needs To Tell the American People About the Islamic State

While limited air strikes in Iraq have slowed the progress of the Islamic State, it’s clear that more must be done. By Rep. Martha Roby

Science & Tech

Social Media’s Very Arab Future

What does the Arab world’s Twitter use reveal about the U.S. challenge of winning hearts and minds online? By Patrick Tucker

Ideas

How the Lessons of Iraq Are Shaping the Fight Against the Islamic State

After 4 years of war in Iraq, the U.S. learned the importance of patience and restraint--lessons that dominate today's strategic fight against the Islamic State. By Col. Steve Liszewski

Ideas

A Case for Edward Snowden's Immunity

Any effort that tries to rebuild the well-behaved aspects of the NSA's surveillance system while ignoring the critical role of whistleblowers is sure to fail. By Yochai Benkler