Ideas

Biden Enters Campaign Talking Charlottesville, But Saying Much More

The former vice president declares “a battle for the soul of this nation,” with global leadership easter eggs hidden within.

Ideas

Did Russia Just Concede a Need to Regulate Military AI?

After years of Kremlin efforts to derail international guidelines on militarized artificial intelligence, a national-security leader appeared to signal a new course.

Ideas

A Warlord Rises in Libya, and Trump Is Praising Him

It's Khalifa Haftar, the Libyan general who is leading his forces against the government the U.S. still officially backs.

Ideas

All This ‘Innovation’ Won’t Save the Pentagon

The Defense Department, a hierarchy fixated on technology, is unequipped to confront a world of disruptive challenges.

Ideas

Deter? Detente? NATO Has Lessons for the North Korean Conundrum

The U.S.-ROK alliance needs a strategy that supports best-case outcomes — and hedges against worst-case scenarios.

Ideas

DARPA Seeks Space Robots to Repair Satellites

The robots would service military, government, and commercial spacecraft more than 22,000 miles above the Earth.

Ideas

The French Ambassador Is Retiring. Here’s What He Really Thinks About Washington.

Gérard Araud says that Trump is right about trade. Kushner is “extremely smart” but has “no guts.” And John Bolton’s not so bad, actually.

Ideas

Ukraine’s Election Is an All-Out Disinformation Battle

Ahead of the presidential election, the campaigns themselves have become combatants in the information war. That’s exactly what Russia wants.

Ideas

Protesters in Sudan and Algeria Have Learned From the Arab Spring

The demonstrations have their own local characteristics, but there are several parallels.

Ideas

Recycle Your Batteries, Before China Wins That Race, Too

With global demand rising for critical and rare earth materials in new tech, it's not too late for the U.S. to secure its own sources.

Ideas

What ‘Game of Thrones’ Teaches Us About Intelligence

George R.R. Martin’s maesters are close to Kent’s ideal intelligence professional — with illuminating similarities and differences.

Ideas

Trump’s Border Obsession Is Courting Disaster

The president’s single-minded focus on immigration is shortchanging Homeland Security’s other crucial functions, from election security to emergency response.

Ideas

Brexit Heralds a Decline of Anglo-American Power

The UK’s all-but-inevitable departure from the EU may well scuttle NATO. U.S. officials must be prepared.

Ideas

The Plan to Resurrect the North Korea Nuclear Talks

Trump wants a “big deal” with North Korea. Seoul would like him to settle for something a little smaller.

Ideas

Tyndall and Offutt AFBs Need More Repair Money — and Fast

US Air Force readiness will suffer if Congress doesn’t approve more funds by June.

Ideas

The US Can't Out-China China on 5G. We Need a National Strategy.

A recent report from the Pentagon's Defense Innovation Board should be a wakeup call about today's most important emerging technology.

Ideas

The US Air Force Needs F-35s, Not the F-15EX

Only about 20 percent of USAF fighters are fifth-generation aircraft. Winning tomorrow’s wars depends on growing that share faster, not slower.

Ideas

Ep. 42: Escalating in Somalia

We look into why the U.S. military is escalating its air campaign against al-Shabaab, and what sort of challenges stand in the way of building up a Somali army that can fight Shabaab on its own.

Ideas

America, You're Not Listening to Us

Russia’s ambassador: We’re ready for urgently needed security dialogue — when our U.S. counterparts are ready to engage in good faith.

Ideas

Yemen Cannot Afford to Wait

The scars in the country run deep—and the U.S. shares responsibility.