Threats
Petraeus, Crocker Support Plan To Arm and Train Syrian Rebels
In a letter to Congress, the former ‘dream team’ of the Iraq War is backing a plan to train and equip Syrian rebels. By Ben Watson
Defense Systems
Body sensors could improve future soldiers’ performance
A panel of researchers working with the Army discusses the importance of monitoring both physical and psychological stressors.
Defense Systems
Army launches $49.5 million anti-IED challenge
Twenty contractor teams will compete in a program to detect and identify explosives planted in culverts.
Ideas
Fight the Islamic State in Iraq? Sure. In Syria? Not So Much
There’s consensus in Washington about fighting the Islamic State in Iraq, but when it comes to Syria, things get messy. By Gayle Tzemach Lemmon
Policy
Dempsey Says US Ground Forces Possible If Coalition Strategy Fails
Top military advisors give the president their best advice based on the situation on the ground. That may mean ‘no boots on the ground’ complicates things. By Molly O’Toole
Science & Tech
Boeing and SpaceX Tapped To Free NASA from Russian Launches
NASA awarded a $4.2 billion contract to Boeing and a $2.6 billion contract to SpaceX to send its astronauts into orbit without help from Russia. By Tim Fernholz
Business
Afghanistan's Reconstruction Future Looks Very Bleak, IG Warns
The IG for Afghanistan reconstruction says the financial and operational burdens of rebuilding that nation are still well beyond anything Kabul can manage by itself. By Charles S. Clark
Policy
NSA Chief: Yes, We Still Have Friends
A confident Adm. Rogers says the NSA remains popular with the people it spied on. By Patrick Tucker
Threats
Governments Line Up To Buy the Drone That Terrorized Gaza
Just weeks after the latest Israel-Hamas cease-fire, defense contractors are itching to sell the IDF's primary weapon in counter-terror operations. By Daniel A. Medina
Threats
Israel's Worst-Kept Secret
Is the silence over Israeli nukes doing more harm than good? By Douglas Birch and R. Jeffrey Smith
Threats
US Could Send As Many As 3,000 Troops to Africa To Fight Ebola
President Obama made the announcement Tuesday as part of a seriously ramped-up plan to combat the Ebola outbreak. By Sophie Novack
Defense Systems
DOD updates DISA's role as the department's cloud broker
Shift reflects a greater openness toward commercial services, while outlining how agencies can procure them.
Policy
House Vote on Syria Expected Wednesday
Lawmakers in the House say they'll vote on authorization to train Syrian rebels along with a spending bill and 2 separate amendments just in time for pre-election recess. By Billy House
Policy
Obama’s Dramatic Reversal on Bush’s Laws of War
Obama has launched an indefinite campaign against the Islamic State relying on Bush-era laws he pledged to end. Legal analysts aren’t buying it. By Molly O’Toole
Ideas
Why John Bolton’s Dangerous Call to Nuclear Arms Makes No Sense
John Bolton doesn’t know better than Ronald Reagan and Mikhail Gorbachev. By Joe Cirincione
Policy
Congress Has 4 Days To Act on Obama's Syria Plan
Congress has plenty to tackle in its last week before recess, including whether or not to include language in its spending bill that would authorize the training of Syrian rebels. By Michael Catalini and Billy House
Policy
America's Stake in the Scottish Referendum
Why a vote for independence would harm U.S. interests. By David Frum
Business
Here's A Chart Showing 30 Years of Military Pay Raises
Civilian federal employees appear headed for a 1 percent pay raise for fiscal year 2015. The fate of military pay, however, is still in limbo. By Eric Katz
Policy
Obama’s Deadline To Reform NSA’s Spying Powers Is Extended Again
Nine months after the president promised to rein in the NSA’s spying powers, the business of reform is delayed for 90 days -- again. By Dustin Volz
Defense Systems