Ideas
Ep. 58: Wargames
All about one of the safer, cheaper ways to figure out who’s going to win a war.
Ideas
Pull the Nukes from Turkey — and Then Think Bigger
Removing America’s nuclear weapons from Incirlik Air Base doesn’t have to drive a permanent wedge between Washington and Turkey.
Ideas
Killing Terrorist Leaders Gets Attention, But It Doesn’t Stop Terrorism
Baghdadi’s death is indeed a turning point in the War on Terror, just as Osama bin Laden’s was in 2011. It’s just not clear what the war is turning to.
Ideas
Syrian Women Helped Find Baghdadi, Beat ISIS, Will Face ‘Tough Time’ Ahead, Leader Says
'We will continue our resistance and our struggle,' says the head of the all-women’s YPJ, in a rare interview.
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ISIS Lost Its Land. Then It Began to Lose Its Ability to Inspire.
As with Osama bin Laden, the most intriguing fact about Baghdadi’s assassination was its location, deep in what was considered enemy territory.
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What Was the Point of the Syria ‘Withdrawal’?
Donald Trump, who vowed to get troops out of Syria altogether, incurred all the strategic costs without getting any of the political benefit.
Ideas
The Consequences of Donald Trump Washing His Hands of the Middle East
The short-term costs have been brutal, but the longer-term ones could be far more significant.
Ideas
How Climate Change Will Help China And Russia Wage Hybrid War
Increased refugee flows, weather threats, and declining food security will deepen tensions already being exploited to divide and weaken the U.S. and its allies.
Ideas
The US Has Supported Lebanon’s Corrupt Ruling Class Long Enough
As protestors rage against oligarchs, the United States should end its stability-minded approach and foster political and economic reform.
Ideas
Will America's Next Long-Range Air-to-Air Missile Match Up to China's?
The Air Force says the AIM-260 won't be powered by a ramjet. Does it have another trick up its sleeve?
Ideas
10 Ways America’s Situation in the Middle East Will Get Worse
The Syrian pullout and the Iraqi instability are undermining U.S. national-security interests.
Ideas
How to Protect America After the Syria Withdrawal
Fighting ISIS just got harder—but it’s still possible, and it’s necessary.
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What the US Can Learn From Iranian Warfare
Tehran's approach to proxy wars offers a surprising lesson.
Ideas
10 Hard Realities of America’s Next Syria Policy
The troops are leaving, but the U.S. still has regional and global interests in what happens there.
Ideas
The Intelligence Fallout From Trump’s Withdrawal in Syria
The chaotic withdrawal from Syria will severely weaken U.S. efforts in the country—and could also be a boost for Russia and Iran.
Ideas
Ep. 57: The Future of the U.S. Military in Syria (for now)
Three Middle East experts forecast likely consequences and the longterm costs of the U.S. military withdrawing from northern Syria.
Ideas
Donald Trump Looks More and More Like Oliver North
Iran-Contra was also about a foreign policy run from inside the White House and outside the law.
Ideas
China Has Begun to Shape and Manage the US, Not the Other Way Around
US policymakers long sought to export American values to China. The reverse is happening instead.
Ideas
Trump Is Complicit in Erdoğan’s Violence
Now the war in Syria has a victor. And it’s not the U.S.
Ideas