Commentary
ISIS and Al-Qaeda’s Sub-Saharan Affiliates Are Poised for Growth in 2021
A rundown on jihadi groups’ expansion in the Sahel and Nigeria, the Horn of Africa, and the continent’s southeastern Swahili coast.
Four Ways US Naval Forces Should Be More Assertive
Non-aggressive assertiveness can achieve long-term advantages and have strategic effects.
‘Great Power Competition’ Is a Dangerously Simple Frame
To correctly set force posture, the Pentagon needs to look more deeply at the world’s actors, their preferences, and relationships.
What Can the Pentagon Realistically Get from Its Advisory Boards?
A former chair says the boards provide a lot, could do better — and help weed out impractical or oversold ideas.
The Ultimate Symbol of America’s Diminished Soft Power
The Trump administration’s partisan takeover of the United States’ international broadcasters failed. What’s to prevent a future administration from trying again?
The Biden Administration Is Taking Steps to Stay in Iraq Forever
A recent UN briefing reveals expansive goals for the U.S. war effort.
The One Area Where the US COVID-19 Strategy Seems to Be Working
By spending lots of money and not worrying about liability, America is beating Europe in the vaccine race.
The Border Mess That Trump Left Behind
Reversing the previous administration’s cruelties isn’t the same as an unconditional welcome.
The Day Private Willie Mays Threw Out My Dad
Two lives intersect in a story of baseball, military service, and American society in the Korean War era.
Biden Wants to Restore NATO. Macron Is Looking to Move On.
The two leaders appeared to talk past each other at this week’s Munich Security Conference.
The US Puts Its Greatest Vulnerability on Display
Runaway partisanship endangers the United States more than foreign enemies do.
China’s Military-Civil Fusion Strategy: What to Expect in the Next Five Years
Even as the term has all but disappeared from official documents, its tenets are being strengthened and extended.
How to Teach Troops about the Constitution
We can’t assume they know enough about what they’re swearing to support and defend.
Want to Shed Older Weapons? You Need a Solid Plan
To overcome Congressional resistance, the Pentagon needs to work with combatant commanders and industry to ensure that new systems will be ready to take the place of existing ones.
Don’t Downgrade Space
Moves and hints portend a worrying shifting of priorities under the Biden administration.
What the Fear of China Is Doing to American Science
A campaign against Chinese scientists threatens the openness that defines U.S. universities.
Confederate Military Base Names Just Met Their Gettysburg
A Black admiral, a gruff Marine, a never-Trumper, and the maker of a viral video slamming Confederate sympathizers? Say goodbye to “Fort Bragg” and the rest.
The Pentagon Needs Budget Agility to Compete with China
It can take two or more years to shift funding from a failing program. That’s more than a money problem.
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