Ideas
Take It From an Iraq War Supporter—War With Iran Would Be a Disaster
It would mean repeating a mistake, only on a much bigger scale: without allies, without justification, and without any plan at all.
Ideas
The US Should Be Strengthening Deterrence. The Opposite Is Happening.
Instead of debating no-first-use policies and other potential advancements, Trump is undermining an alliance system built over decades.
Ideas
Who Wins When US-Iran Tensions Rise? China
The Sino-Iranian relationship advances Chinese interests — and particularly when Washington tries to turn the screws on Tehran.
Ideas
Trump’s Counter-Iran Moves Are Provocative, But They’re Not War
Truly bad messaging is undermining trust among allies and the American public — and increasing the chance of accidental escalation.
Ideas
The Next ‘South China Sea’ Is Covered in Ice
The State Department will soon have a permanent presence in Greenland for the first time since the 1950s.
Ideas
Russia Has Americans’ Weaknesses All Figured Out
Election interference is one front in Moscow’s larger campaign to undermine the U.S. without prompting a military response.
Ideas
Trump’s ‘Maximum Pressure’ Won’t Make Iran Yield
The one thing Tehran would find more intolerable than the crushing impact of sanctions is raising the white flag because of them.
Ideas
How to Really Honor the Troops
Thousands of soldiers have successfully led combat units without committing atrocities. Pardoning war crimes dishonors them.
Ideas
The Brain of the Pentagon
Andrew Marshall leaves behind an American tradition of strategic thinking that will live well beyond him.
Ideas
Some Cautionary Notes on the New ‘Knife Missile’
Will the blade-wielding Hellfire variant actually reduce civilian casualties? Maybe.
Ideas
Trump’s Bet on Kim Might Not Pay Off
All that’s preventing the collapse of talks is that North Korea’s missiles haven’t flown far enough yet.
Ideas
How Authoritarians Manipulate Elections
From Russia to Venezuela, the strongmen who have destroyed democratic institutions won high office at the ballot box.
Ideas
The Slow Death of the Iran Nuclear Deal
Tehran says it will stop complying with elements of the accord unless the countries that remain live up to their commitments. But those five states are unlikely to stand up to U.S. pressure.
Ideas
Tech Companies Are Deleting Evidence of War Crimes
Algorithms that take down “terrorist” videos could hamstring efforts to bring human-rights abusers to justice.
Ideas
How Much Will It Cost to Protect America's Electrical Grid? Who Will Pay?
The answers are: Likely tens of billions of dollars, and probably us, the electricity customers.
Ideas
Did Israel Have the Right to Bomb Hamas’ Cyber HQ?
The May 5 counterstrike raised questions — and set precedents.
Ideas
How Not to Announce a Ship Deployment
A simple press conference could have avoided 36 hours of confusion and fears of war with Iran.
Ideas
Trump’s Iran Policy Is Counterproductive
It makes no sense to punish allies in Europe while shoring up hardliners in Tehran.
Ideas
A Boom Time for US Sanctions
The explosive growth in their use has prompted questions about how much is too much.
Ideas