Ideas

How Obama Can Help Iraq

The Iraq war President Obama never wanted is back. Here’s what he can do to help stop Iraq’s spiral into chaos. By Stephanie Gaskell

Ideas

Crocker: Send More U.S. Counterterrorism Troops to Iraq

Ryan Crocker, the former U.S. ambassador to Iraq, knows what it takes to save Iraq: political will and military muscle that President Obama has been unwilling to use. By James Kitfield

Ideas

Overcoming the Gulf in the Gulf

America’s Gulf partners should reconsider their forceful protests of U.S. Middle East policy. By Colin H. Kahl and Jacob Stokes

Business

Budget Cuts Put Acquisition Reform Back in the Spotlight

While the Defense Department grapples with budget cuts and sequestration, the House Armed Services Committee sets its sights once again on acquisition reform. By Charles S. Clark

Ideas

Congress vs the President: Who Should Make the Calls on NSA?

Are the intel committees upset that the NSA tapped Merkel's phone -- or that they didn't know about it first? By Marc Ambinder

Business

Will Corruption Force U.S. Troops to Abandon Afghanistan?

There’s growing concern that the number of U.S. and NATO troops that remain past 2014 might be too small to oversee billions of aid money to Afghanistan. By Stephanie Gaskell

Policy

NSA, Watergate, Vietnam: What Should Presidents Know?

Presidents have lied about what they knew and knew too much. But there are things that a president really shouldn't know. By George E. Condon, Jr.

Policy

Germany's Real Spying Scandal

German Chancellor Angela Merkel is upset over U.S. spying, but where's the outrage over a recent prank using a drone? By Moisés Naim

Business

Exclusive Interview: DIA Director Flynn on Why Special Ops Will Keep Us From War

DIA's Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn talks about his mission to reform military intelligence and why al-Qaeda is metastasizing. By James Kitfield

Policy

Senate Intel Committee Orders 'Major Review' of U.S. Spying Practices

Sen. Dianne Feinstein is ‘totally opposed’ to spying on allies and has ordered the Senate Intelligence Committee to conduct its own review of U.S. intelligence gathering. By Stephanie Gaskell

Policy

U.S. To Release Its Review of Spying Practices By Year's End

White House spokesman Jay Carney said the results of a review of the way the U.S. gathers intelligence will be released by the end of the year. By Matt Vasilogambros

Policy

Kirsten Gillibrand's Fight to Change the Pentagon

The New York senator has fought relentlessly to fix the military's sexual assault crisis, even as it pits her against leaders in her own party. By Ben Terris

Threats

Al-Qaeda and Our Fear of the Fight

Our fear of al-Qaeda is hurting us more than they actually are. By David Rohde

Threats

Iran's New Nuclear-Fuel Plan Spurs Uncertainty in the West

Iranian nuclear talks seemed promising, but leaked plans to make fuel raise red flags. By Diane Barnes

Policy

House Members to Back Anti-NSA Bill

Key lawmakers are toeing the line for Rep. Jim Sensenbrenner's new anti-secrecy bill. By Dustin Volz

Policy

Kerry Says World Leaders Mocked Him Over Shutdown

Foreign leaders ribbed Secretary of State John Kerry over the shutdown, asking him if he needed money to pay for his meals. By Beth Reinhard

Policy

Now Germany Confronts Obama Over NSA Spying

Germany is the latest ally to confront President Obama over reports of NSA spying. By Matt Berman, Matt Vasilogambros and Brian Resnick

Policy

Pakistan Signed a Secret 'Protocol' Allowing Drones

Officials say Pakistan has a secret agreement with the U.S. that approves many of the drone strikes. By Michael Hirsh

Policy

Are U.S.-Turkey Relations Fraying?

Between Turkey's decision to buy a Chinese missile defense system, and divergence on policy towards Syria, ties between Ankara and Washington are quickly chilling. By Bernard Gwertzman

Ideas

Will the U.S. ‘Rebalance’ Its Contribution to NATO?

Ninety percent of NATO’s budget is paid for by just 6 of its 28 members. The U.S. says it’s time that changed. By Jorge Benitez