Ideas
How to Fix the Government's Security Clearance Mess
We need to continuously monitor who has top secret clearance. Here’s how. By Steve Nguyen
Ideas
NATO Must Stop ISIL Before It’s Too Late
NATO’s road to Iraq runs through Turkey, then Washington—if the alliance really wants to bring an end to ISIL. By Philip Seib
Ideas
Everything You Need to Know About the Taliban in Afghanistan
With their summer offensive well under way in southern Helmand province, the Council on Foreign Relations' Zachary Laub retraces the Taliban's evolution over the past two decades. By Zachary Laub
Ideas
The Putin Moment Is Passing
Russia expert Kimberly Marten of Barnard College, Columbia University, parses what course is available to Russian President Vladimir Putin 4 months after his annexation of Crimea. By Bernard Gwertzman
Ideas
‘You Have to Kill Them’ Says Former U.S. Ambassador to Iraq
America can ‘twiddle our thumbs’ no longer, say former U.S. ambassadors in the region. By Gayle Tzemach Lemmon
Science & Tech
A Breakthrough in the Checkered History Of Brain Hacking
A recent military-funded program could up-end the way brain research is conducted. By Patrick Tucker
Ideas
U.S. Power and the Future of Arab Democracy
From the Aspen Ideas Festival, how can we get to a political solution in the Middle East without the credible use of force? By J.J. Gould
Ideas
Taking the Long View on Iraq
Three experts at the Aspen Ideas Festival discuss why it may take decades before the Middle East stabilizes from the current crisis in Iraq. By Uri Friedman
Ideas
Dick Cheney and the Bush Doctrine
The former vice president rejected democracy-promotion in the Middle East. And today's conservatives agree with him. By Peter Beinart
Ideas
How Nonviolent Action Could Thwart ISIL’s Advance in Iraq
ISIL fighters are making gains in Iraq. But this does not mean that their violence is decisive. By Maria J. Stephan
Ideas
The Navy's Floating Prisons
The U.S. Navy has taken on a curious new counterterrorism role. By Marisa Porges
Ideas
A Good Step Toward Ending Landmines
President Obama announced that the United States will no longer make or buy landmines. This is good, but he can do more to end this deadly scourge. By Joe Cirincione
Ideas
Iraq Is Spending $1 Billion To Build a New Parliament
Take a look at the plans for a new parliamentary building in Baghdad, designed by the well-known London-based, Iraqi-born architect Zaha Hadid. By Michael Siverberg
Ideas
Crowd-Sourcing the Future of Iraq
A scenario experiment points to the next phase of the new Mesopotamia. By Jeffrey Itell
Ideas
Obama's Drone Killing Memo: Too Little, Too Late
Help me figure out why this memo justifying killing American Anwar al-Awlaki was kept secret. By Conor Friedersdorf
Ideas
How Karzai's Strongmen Are Jockeying for Afghanistan's Future
Afghan President Hamid Karzai is protected by a few lone wolves with little interest in government institutions -- and they're not going anywhere. By Mujib Mashal
Ideas
Stop Arming the Police Like a Military
Protect and serve? The post-war message to American communities is being received loud and clear: 'You are the enemy.' By Tom Nolan
Ideas
It's Time Obama Lowered the Bar for Success in Iraq
President Obama might be wise to follow a ‘less is more’ strategy in Iraq. By Tara Sonenshine
Ideas
The U.S. Must Deny Russian Influence in Egypt
Washington can hit two birds with one stone by re-engaging Cairo: combat Moscow's influence and fight terrorism. By Melissa Hersh
Ideas