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
A Victory in the Battle Against Mass Destruction
There are still plenty of things to be worried about, but one thing is clear: securing and destroying Syria's known chemical weapons stockpile was a major victory. By Joseph Cirincione and Geoffrey Wilson.
Ideas
Maliki Isn’t The Problem. Oil Is.
Oil states are almost always autocracies and rarely politically inclusive, and it’s easy to understand why. By Nora Bensahel
Science & Tech
The Military Now Has X-Ray Guns
Want a handheld blaster to look through walls? Enjoy. By Patrick Tucker
Ideas
Intimidation, Cronyism, Repression: The Unfortunate Legacy of Iraq's Nouri al-Maliki
Maliki’s personal history shaped his winner-take-all view of Iraqi politics. Years of bloody civil war followed immediately by the Arab Spring have only made matters worse. By Mohamad Bazzi
Ideas
The Difficult and Probably Only Answer to Iraq and Syria's Problems
Former State and Defense Department official Leslie Gelb sees a way to counter the ISIL wedge that's prying Iraq and the region apart at its seams. It's not easy, but it just might be the most realistic way forward. Interview by Bernard Gwertzman
Ideas
The New Map of the Middle East
Seven years ago, I wrote it was time to redraw the post-World War I borders of the Middle East. ISIS is right, that map that has no future. By Jeffrey Goldberg
Ideas
What the U.S. Could Do to Keep Putin Out of Ukraine
Former National Security Adviser Zbigniew Brzezinski's shares his recent take on the best U.S. and NATO options amid the ongoing Ukraine crisis. By Janine Davidson
Ideas
What Bosnia Can Tell Us About Iraq
Like in the Balkans, the U.S. should get Iraq’s warring sides to the table at all costs. By Nick Dowling
Ideas
Why the Persian Gulf Isn’t Ready for Joint Security
Stop pretending, U.S. partners in the Persian Gulf don’t trust each other or agree on Iran. By Bilal Y. Saab
Ideas
The Moral Argument for American Restraint in Iraq -- and Beyond
A new book by MIT professor Barry Posen calls for a radical rethinking of U.S. foreign policy. By Noah Berlatsky
Science & Tech
The Pros and Cons of U.S. Drone Strikes in Iraq
The easiest option against ISIS politically might also be the least effective. By Patrick Tucker
Threats
Gen. Allen: Obama Should Strike Iraq Insurgents With ‘A Hard Blow’
In an exclusive interview, Gen. John Allen, a former top U.S. military commander in Iraq, urges President Obama to strike ISIS with ‘a hard blow.’ By Stephanie Gaskell
Ideas