Threats
ISIL and the Lesser Evil of Bashar al-Assad
As ISIL tears through Iraq, Syria's Assad has strengthened his alliances with Baghdad, Iran, Hezbollah, and Russia. Could the U.S. be next? By Dominic Tierney
Threats
Iron Dome—Savior, or Sales Job?
A brief comparison of some of the ways Western media outlets have portrayed Israel's high-profile anti-rocket system. By James Fallows
Science & Tech
Could a Brain Scan Protect U.S. Troops from Insider Attacks?
U.S. forces in Iraq and Afghanistan often don’t know who to trust. Brain scans to the rescue? By Patrick Tucker
Threats
The Russian Double Game Continues in Ukraine
Despite a pubic pledge to help de-escalate tensions, Vladimir Putin's unwillingness or inability to stop Russian weapons from flowing into the hands of separatists is only prolonging an already very deadly crisis. By David Rohde
Threats
Why Hamas Chooses Rockets Over Nation Building
With the prospects for a two-state solution looking hopelessly dim, what does Hamas stand to gain by firing rockets at the civilians of its militarily powerful neighbor? By Jeffery Goldberg
Ideas
The One Thing the U.S. Can't Train the Iraqi Army To Do
The U.S. has trained the Iraqi military for years. But there’s one thing you can’t teach an army to do. By Lt. Gen. Robert Gard
Ideas
Why the Next 'Great War' Won't Happen on China's Doorstep
Today’s rising China is nothing like the threat that rising Germany posed to Europe in 1914. Here's why. By Michael Hunzeker and Mark Christopher
Ideas
A Chance to Drive a Wedge Between Jihadists and Sunnis
ISIL’s overreach into Iraq is Washington’s opportunity to shift Sunni allegiances for good. By Dave Miller
Threats
Despite Pentagon Concerns, Obama Requests No New Military for Border Threat
White House agrees the root causes of the border crisis threaten national security, but says the mission is not the military’s. By Molly O’Toole
Threats
How to Punish the Banks that Fund Terrorists
Terrorist financiers will have a harder time laundering money after France's largest bank agreed to an historic settlement for processing transactions from officials in a number of U.S-sanctioned countries. By Jonathan Masters
Threats
ISIL Is Taking Iraq's Black Gold to the Black Market
The narrative of a ruthlessly managed, financially savvy rebel group just got a new chapter. By Steve LeVine
Threats
When Millennials Intifada: The New Israeli-Palestinian Conflict
Today's young adults see the fighting -- and chance for peace -- much differently than their elders. By Jeff Moskowitz
Threats
Hagel Declares ISIL Clear and 'Imminent Threat’ To U.S.
Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel warns Americans – and skeptical lawmakers – that the extremists carving up Iraq and Syria threaten ‘every stabilized country on Earth.’ By Ben Watson
Threats
'Compromise' May Return Chemical Weapons Facilities Back to Assad
Officials in Washington are nervous over a proposal to return some of Syria's underground chemical weapons facilities back to the Assad regime. By Diane Barnes
Threats
Obama Requests Drone Surge for U.S.-Mexico Border
President Obama has requested an escalation of aerial surveillance along the border with Mexico -- including 16 more drone crews at a cost of nearly $40 million. By Aliya Sternstein
Ideas
NATO Must Stop ISIL Before It’s Too Late
NATO’s road to Iraq runs through Turkey, then Washington—if the alliance really wants to bring an end to ISIL. By Philip Seib
Threats
U.N. Says Syria Found More Chemical Weapons
International authorities confirmed sarin had been found in 'abandoned' containers the Assad regime says were located in rebel-held territory. By Global Security Newswire
Threats
U.S., China Begin Strategic Talks on North Korea Nukes
Secretary of State John Kerry is in Beijing Wednesday for yearly bilateral talks on North Korean nuclear threats. By Global Security Newswire
Policy
Hagel Backs General on U.S. Border Threats
Defense Secretary Hagel supports his top general’s concern that Central American destabilization is fueling the migrant children crisis at the U.S. border. By Molly O’Toole
Threats