Policy
Robert Gates, Unlikely Gay Rights Hero
The former defense secretary has gone further than many politicians in promoting gay rights in the military and private sphere.
Policy
Pentagon Doesn’t Know If It’s Allowed to Defend Syrian Fighters or Turkish ‘Safe Zone’
That’s an odd situation to be in as the U.S. puts the first of its trained-and-equipped opposition fighters into Syria and finalizes an agreement with Turkey to back a “safe zone” on the Syrian border.
Policy
What the UN Can Do To Fix Its Peacekeeping Mission
UN peacekeeping missions are 'not suited to engage in military counterterror operations,' according to the first independent report on UN peacekeeping operations since 2000.
Policy
There’s One Big Problem with the White House Plan to Close Guantanamo
The Obama administration says some prisoners will have to be transferred to U.S. soil. But current law bars any such move — and by some readings, it forbids even looking at options.
Policy
Turkey's ISIS Escalation Just Bought a Brutal Regime More Time
Ankara’s decision to attack ISIS and the recent Iranian nuclear deal both benefit the flagging efforts of Bashar al-Assad's army in Syria.
Policy
From ‘No Deal is Better Than A Bad Deal’ to ‘This Deal or War’
Senators bristle at White House warnings, calling them an attempt to force the Iran nuclear agreement down U.S. lawmakers’ throats.
Policy
White House In ‘Final Stages’ of Plan to Close Guantanamo
The Obama administration will submit the plan to Congress shortly, but warned lawmakers: We’re not bluffing on our veto threat.
Policy
Meet John Kasich, the Fiscal-Defense Hawk You Don’t Remember
The two-term Ohio governor and 16th presidential candidate had a center seat at the table of power in Washington for nearly two decades more than a decade ago.
Policy
After Obama Snub, Nigerian President Brings Security Wish List to Washington
Some critics questioned President Obama’s omission of Nigeria on his upcoming trip to Africa. President Buhari's visit to Washington this week may help bridge that gap.
Policy
Kerry Defends UN Vote on Iran Deal, Says Bought Congress Time
Members of Congress wanted a vote on the Iran agreement before the U.N. had its say, but the Obama administration says it fought and won them a 90-day window.
Policy
Closing Guantanamo Tops Havana’s To-Do List
The U.S.-Cuba relationship may be thawing, but Congress may be the only one who can melt the iceberg that is the U.S. military prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.
Policy
The Tiny, Cash-Strapped Agency at the Heart of the Iran Deal
Enforcing the agreement is the job of the IAEA, an organization that has a budget the size of San Diego's police department.
Policy
How Congress Can Improve the Iran Nuclear Deal
Blocking the agreement poses risks, but legislators can use their role to extract commitments that address key concerns.
Policy
Iran Deal Trips Up Hillary Clinton’s Delicate Dance
The nuclear agreement is forcing the Clinton campaign to figure out how to tout her tenure as Obama’s first secretary of state while keeping the president’s mixed national-security record at arm’s length.
Policy
What the Next President Should Do With the Iran Deal
The next commander in chief will have fewer and worse options, yet still room to tweak and improve the deal.
Policy
Obama Offers a Forceful Defense of the Iran Deal
Rejecting the deal 'defies logic,' the president said at a Wednesday news conference.
Policy
Biden Pitches Skeptical House Democrats on Iran Deal
Whether or not it moved votes is another question.
Policy
‘Hard Sell’ Ahead for Iran Deal, But Congress Has No Real Kill Switch
President Obama on Tuesday announced a deal with Iran to curb its nuclear program, saying it is “not built on trust.” He could’ve been talking to Congress.
Policy
Russia, Not ISIS, Greatest Threat to US, General Says
Some senators seemed surprised when Gen. Paul Selva called the nuclear-armed former superpower a bigger threat than Islamic State militants who drive captured Humvees.
Policy