Science & Tech
Why the Military Needs Commercial Satellite Technology
The need for commerical satellite technology will only grow as data usage increases and more UAVs take to the air due to the asymmetrical threat environment. By Rick Lober
Ideas
When Will the Media Stop Fueling the Angry Vet Narrative?
After the Navy Yard shooting, many media outlets were quick to point out the shooter’s military service, fueling the dangerous narrative that veterans are more prone to violence. By Alex Horton
Ideas
The Real Reason al-Shabab Attacked a Mall in Kenya
The violence was intended as a punishment for Kenya’s two-year military foray into Somalia, but plays into al Qaeda’s plans for a regional jihad. By Bronwyn Bruton
Ideas
Obama’s 5 Rules for the Middle East
It may not be a strategy but at the United Nations on Tuesday, President Obama outlined his five 'core interests' for the United States in the Middle East and North Africa. By Stephanie Gaskell
Threats
Who Is al-Shabab?
Here's what you need to know about al-Shabab, the terror group behind the deadly attack at a mall in Kenya. By Jonathan Masters
Science & Tech
Vetting Videos of War
Conflict videos from Syria are notoriously unreliable. Here's one company working to authenticate the real ones. By Steve Ercolani
Ideas
In the Tank: Why Putin Failed to Woo the American Public
This week’s best research and commentary on the latest in national security and foreign policy issues from top think tanks around the world. By Kedar Pavgi
Science & Tech
Clean Energy Gets an Unlikely Ally: Military Veterans
A rising chorus of voices from the national security community are united by what is fast becoming a consensus view: investments in clean energy strengthens our national security and gives our service members an edge on the battlefield. By Chris Rey
Ideas
How Photographic Technology Shapes Our Understanding of War
From Polaroids to Instagram, the methods we used to document conflict have drastically changed. So has our understanding of what war really is. By Peter Osnos
Business
Amos' Marines Could Go Even Smaller, to 120,000
All due respect, but Commandant Amos isn’t going deep enough. The Marine Corps can drop to 120,000 using MEUs. Here’s how. By Aaron Haubert
Science & Tech
Can the U.S. and China Get Along in Outer Space?
China is improving and testing its anti-satellite capabilities. The Pentagon is, too. By Michael Krepon
Ideas
In The Tank: This Week’s Best Defense and National Security Think Tank Offerings
The latest in wonk reads on national security, tech, and more. By Kedar Pavgi
Ideas
The Return of Coercive Diplomacy
It is said "the power to hurt is bargaining power." But can the lesson of Obama and Syria be felt in North Korea and Iran? By Sam Brannen
Ideas
Syrian Caves a Window Onto the Conflict
It takes a village, like Maaloula, to understand the complexities of Syria’s conflict, and the challenges it will face to recover and rebuild. By Tara Sonenshine
Ideas
Obama's Wrong, Syria's Chemical Weapons Require Boots on the Ground
There's no way around it. Securing chemical weapons amid a civil war requires troops. By Joshua Foust
Ideas
Does America Need to Give Up Some Security to Fix the NSA?
The agency -- and its director -- may have pushed the edges of the law. It's time that some of its power is drawn down, even if its comes at a cost. By Bruce Schneier
Ideas
The Obama Doctrine
This wasn’t just an address to the nation about Syria, it was a major foreign policy speech that finally spells out the Obama Doctrine. By Stephanie Gaskell
Business
One Veteran’s Battle to Bring His Afghan Interpreter to the United States
It took five years, amid constant death threats from the Taliban, to get one Army unit’s Afghan interpreter and his family to the United States. There has to be a better way. By Matt Zeller
Ideas
Testing the Waters for Normalizing U.S.-Iran Relations
With a newly elected president in Iran, now is the time to use maritime cooperation to try to lessen tensions between Iran and the United States. By Kevin Cosgriff and Ellen Laipson
Business