Threats

US Strike Against Al-Shabab Leader Reflects Obama’s Counterterrorism Strategy

A targeted U.S. air strike against al-Shabab’s leader in Somalia is exactly how the Pentagon wants it to work in Africa and the Middle East. By Stephanie Gaskell

Threats

Against the 24-Step Plan for Peace in Ukraine

The days when Russia and the U.S. decide 'the fate of other independent countries' are over, a group of more than 100 experts and ambassadors say. By Uri Friedman

Policy

The Summer of Obama's Caution and America's Discontent

Americans don't seem to like a hawkish president, but they definitely don't like a weak one, either. By Ron Fournier

Threats

Islamic State Militant Beheads U.S. Journalist Steven Sotloff in Video, Group Says

As they warned they would, Islamic State fighters beheaded American Steven Sotloff, says intel group. By Kevin Baron

Threats

Why Russia Loves a 'Frozen Conflict'

What's happening in Ukraine has happened before in Abkhazia and South Ossetia. The rest of the world just wasn't paying attention. By Brian Whitmore

Threats

The Invasion of Ukraine in Maps, Satellite Photos and Video

Your guide to what's taking place on the ground in Ukraine. By Jason Karaian and Heather Timmons

Threats

The Fierce Minimalism of Barack Obama

Obama’s critics often claim he doesn’t have a strategy in the greater Middle East. That’s wrong. To understand it, we must go back 7 summers. By Peter Beinart

Threats

Is There a Plan to Attack in Syria or Not?

White House and Pentagon spokesmen spent Friday explaining that the president and the Joint Chiefs have some plans to strike in Syria, but there is no plan. By Kevin Baron

Threats

NATO's Moment of Truth Arrives

NATO's summit in Wales might just be the last, best hope the alliance has to face down Putin. By Stewart M. Patrick and Daniel Chardell

Threats

Does Boko Haram Really Have Control Over a New Caliphate?

With international attention spread thin in recent weeks, it's hard to know whether or not Boko Haram's newly-announced caliphate even really exists. By John Campbell

Threats

Obama Says Still No Ukraine Intervention As More Russians Cross Border

After NATO released imagery showing Russian combat troops fighting inside Ukraine’s border, Obama refused to use the i-word—or offer military assistance to Kiev. By Ben Watson

Threats

Obama: 'We Don’t Have a Strategy Yet'

President Obama said the U.S. is not about to escalate the Islamic State fight because he is still searching for a long-term strategy to defeat the group. By Kevin Baron

Threats

Why the Islamic State Is Mostly a Network of Roads

To say that ISIL controls territory stretching from Aleppo to Falluja and up to Mosul is not to say that it controls all of that territory equally. By Kathy Gilsinan

Threats

The Cease-Fire in Gaza By the Numbers

In the wake of the latest Gaza cease-fire agreement, here's a quick rundown on the damage and duration of Israeli-Hamas fighting this Summer. By Tim Fernholz

Threats

The Terrible Idea of Partnering With Syria's Assad

Why the U.S. teaming up with the Syrian dictator is both an interesting thought experiment and a terrible idea. By Bobby Ghosh

Threats

Mother of Kidnapped Journalist Sotloff Pleads to Baghdadi for Son’s Life

As the fate of kidnapped Americans complicates the U.S. fight against the Islamic State, Shirley Sotloff tells its leader her son is an innocent. By Kevin Baron

Threats

Here's One American-Russian 24-Point Plan to Solve Ukraine

A group of Americans and Russians met in Finland and developed a 24-point agenda for peace in Ukraine. That's right: a 24-point plan. Think it'll work? By Uri Friedman

Threats

Why the Bombing of Tripoli Is a Game-Changer

For Washington, airstrikes by Egyptian and U.A.E. jets on Tripoli fighters signal a promising turn for regional players coordinating their own security. By Bobby Ghosh

Policy

Republicans Recycle ‘Containment’ Line for Obama’s Iraq Strategy

Republicans once again hit Obama for ‘containment’ – painting the president as weak for not doing more to attack the Islamic State. By Molly O’Toole

Threats

The Problem With Bombing the Islamic State in Syria

For all the problems with intervening militarily in Iraq, every one of them pale next to the problems of doing so in Syria. By Peter Beinart