Ideas

Is It Time to Reassess Our Long-Term Alliances in the Middle East?

Should conversations between Washington and Tehran be focused on nuclear weapons when there are other economic and geopolitical factors in play? By Fariborz Ghadar

Ideas

Help Veterans by Taking Them Off the Pedestal

Veterans face plenty of challenges after returning from war. Its time to find a more constructive way to help them reintegrate back into civilian life. By Alex Horton

Ideas

Why Taking Sexual Assault Cases Out of the Chain of Command Protects Our Troops

The Military Justice Improvement Act will help victims of sexual assault get a fair chance at justice. By Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand

Ideas

Five Takeaways from a Decade of War

After Secretary Hagel’s CSIS speech, Generals Cartwright, Chiarelli and Fogleman reveal key lessons of Iraq and Afghanistan the Pentagon should heed for the future. By James Kitfield

Ideas

Boring! Brass Worried Less War and Training Lulling Force

Joint Chiefs tell Congress the troops are getting bored as Afghanistan ends and sequester keeps them idle. By Stephanie Gaskell

Business

Pentagon's Kendall: Budget Climate 'Worst I’ve Seen' for Planning

The DOD's top weapons buyer says that uncertainty is threatening the workforce 'and their ability to do their jobs.' By Charles S. Clark

Threats

Why the U.S. Should Try to Reach a Grand Bargain With Iran

The White House won't accomplish anything else in the Middle East unless it gets Tehran on its side. The nuclear issue is the best place to start. By Michael Hirsh

Ideas

Five Ways Obama Can Fix Drones Right Now

Civilian casualties can be prevented with better use of drones. By Sarah Holewinski and Larry Lewis

Business

Poll: Shutdown Skyrockets Public Opinion of Federal Workers

Confidence in federal workers hits five year high in a wave of shutdown sympathy, according to a new GWU poll. By William C. Adams and Donna Lind Infeld

Threats

Is This the Best Option for Syria?

CFR President emeritus Les Gelb argues that the U.S. should pressure moderate rebels to work, at least temporarily, with the Assad regime in defeating the hard-line Islamists—the 'biggest threat' to both sides. By Bernard Gwertzman

Ideas

Hagel’s Plan for the Military in the Post-War Era

As the nation comes off a 'perpetual war footing,' Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel warns against relying too heavily on military might. By Kevin Baron

Science & Tech

Indefinitely Hovering Drone Maker Gets a Boost

iRobot's co-founder lands a surprise big investment for its new company CyPhy. By Christopher Mims

Ideas

Afghanistan: Through the Lens

Stunning images from the war in Afghanistan by Associated Press photographer and Pulitzer Prize winner Anja Niedringhaus.

Ideas

How Obama Can Help Iraq

The Iraq war President Obama never wanted is back. Here’s what he can do to help stop Iraq’s spiral into chaos. By Stephanie Gaskell

Ideas

Crocker: Send More U.S. Counterterrorism Troops to Iraq

Ryan Crocker, the former U.S. ambassador to Iraq, knows what it takes to save Iraq: political will and military muscle that President Obama has been unwilling to use. By James Kitfield

Business

No More Nuclear-Tipped Cruise Missiles

The Pentagon is expected to decide soon whether to spend $30 billion on nuclear-tipped cruise missiles. Bad idea. By Tom Z. Collina

Ideas

Overcoming the Gulf in the Gulf

America’s Gulf partners should reconsider their forceful protests of U.S. Middle East policy. By Colin H. Kahl and Jacob Stokes

Ideas

Is China Building a Trojan Horse into NATO Through Turkey?

Why is Turkey is buying China’s anti-missile system when it already has NATO’s Patriot system? Here’s why Ankara should beware Chinese defense corporations bearing gifts. By Aki Peritz & Mieke Eoyang

Ideas

Congress vs the President: Who Should Make the Calls on NSA?

Are the intel committees upset that the NSA tapped Merkel's phone -- or that they didn't know about it first? By Marc Ambinder

Ideas

Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel to Headline Defense One Summit

Hagel will lead a growing lineup of national security leaders to discuss the future U.S. role in global security. By Kevin Baron