Ideas

Trump Escalates His Assault on Civil-Military Relations

The president’s public disparagement of retired generals compounds the damage he has done.

Policy

Goodbye, Mattis. Goodbye, Syria. Hello, 2019

Dramatic shifts abound as Trump puts US military’s war plans in doubt, Democrats resurge in Congress, and the Pentagon gets a new boss.

Ideas

Meet the New (Acting) US Defense Secretary

With no military experience and just a year and a half in government, the former Boeing executive Patrick Shanahan has yet to develop a foreign-policy vision of his own.

Ideas

What we learned in 2018: Averting war with North Korea

Welcome to our podcast about the news, strategy, tech, and business trends defining the future of national security.

Science & Tech

US Spies Want to Know How to Spot Compromised AI

What if you were training an AI, and an adversary slipped a few altered images into its study set?

Ideas

The Kurds Have Been Betrayed Again by Washington

Time and again, powerful allies on whose support they thought they could rely abandoned them.

Policy

Trump Kicks Mattis Out Early, Names Shanahan Acting Defense Secretary

The abrupt decision comes amid a growing crescendo of criticism of the president’s snap decision to withdraw U.S. troops from Syria.

Ideas

What we learned in 2018: What's ahead for Syria + why ISIS is not defeated yet

Welcome to our podcast about the news, strategy, tech, and business trends defining the future of national security.

Ideas

A Giant Repair Job Awaits the First Post-Trump SecDef

It will be a rebuilding project the likes of which has not been seen since the Vietnam War.

Policy

Hard-Nosed Pentagon Negotiator Removed From Job; Racked Up Huge Travel Costs

Shay Assad also backed a controversial plan to slow payments to defense contractors.

Policy

The ‘Nightmare Scenario’ Has Happened and You’re to Blame

Trump’s withdrawal from from Syria is what military leaders feared — and exactly what he promised.

Ideas

James Mattis’s Final Protest Against the President

The defense secretary, who resigned on Thursday, was one of the last senior officials in the government who could constrain Donald Trump.

Ideas

Congress Must Face the Truth about Trump

Mattis is telling you that the president lacks respect for allies and a clear-eyed view of malign actors and strategic competitors.

Defense Systems

Air Force wraps up third bug bounty program

Hack the Air Force 3.0 uncovered 130 vulnerabilities in public-facing websites and services.

Policy

Mattis Resigns Over Disagreements with Trump

In two-page resignation letter, defense secretary cites need to treat allies with respect, potential adversaries with resolve.

Threats

DOJ Hits Chinese Hackers For Attacking U.S. Navy, Agencies, Companies

Hackers with the Chinese government hit 45 targets in campaign going back years.

Ideas

To Succeed in Syria, Don’t Withdraw — Rebrand

The president’s plan is a disaster. If he wants to claim victory, there’s a better way.