Ideas
Don’t Box Retired Generals Out of Politics
Gen. Dempsey’s prescription would preclude valuable contributions toward an informed electorate.
Ideas
Keep Your Politics Private, My Fellow Generals and Admirals
We must not compromise our military’s special role in democracy, nor hinder those who come after us.
Ideas
Gold Star Families Deserve Better Than One News Cycle
Hashtag sympathy must be matched by real-world caring.
Ideas
The Dirty Secret of US-Israel Missile Defense Cooperation
We need a way to fund Israel’s missile defenses without undercutting our own.
Ideas
France, ISIS and the Fragile Unity of a Nation Under Attack
With each new terrorist incident in France, the solidarity that accompanied previous ones becomes harder to sustain.
Ideas
Vladimir Putin’s Best Summer Ever
Hacking the Democratic Party’s servers is part of Putin’s plan to prove that democracy doesn’t work.
Ideas
China's Rising Near This Key US War Base. Here's How We Push Back
In Djibouti, where China is building its first overseas naval installation, the US must support democratic processes and hold the government accountable to international law.
Ideas
Trump's NATO-Rattling Interview Has Delayed a Key Evolution in US Nuclear Posture
The Obama administration had been working to reassure nervous allies ahead of renouncing any first use of nuclear weapons. Now that's on hold.
Ideas
Trump's Loose NATO Talk Already Has Endangered Us
Collective security only works when everyone is committed to the common defense.
Policy
How Trump’s Supporters Understand His National Security Views
The Republican nominee's comments to The New York Times are likely to be received very differently by his base than by Washington's elites.
Ideas
Inside the ISIS Enlistment Files: All Jihad is Local
I analyzed over 3,500 leaked ISIS enlistment forms. Here’s what I found.
Ideas
This Time, Post-War Iraq Needs a Real Plan With Real Money
A plan for reconciliation in Iraq should also come out of this week’s counter-ISIS coalition meeting in Washington.
Ideas
Congress Should Demand Wiser, Not More, War Spending
There’s too much slush in the supplemental, as shown by the fourfold jump in spending per deployed servicemember.
Ideas
Following the Failed Coup, Erdogan’s Broken Democratic Promise to Turkey Lives On
No politician in Turkey’s history has managed to master democracy better than President Erdogan, only to hold it hostage for his own political ends.
Ideas
Yesterday’s Bipolar Nuclear Strategy Isn’t Going to Cut It In Asia
In a region with nuclear powers declared, undeclared, and potential, the U.S. needs a strategy to match.
Ideas
The US Air Force Is Short 700 Fighter Pilots. Here’s Our Plan to Fix That.
Busier but smaller than ever, the Air Force needs higher bonuses and more family time to help compete with commercial airlines and the economy.
Ideas
In Iraq, the 'Real Mystery' Is What Comes After ISIS
Even as Iraqi special forces and Shia militias roll back the self-proclaimed Islamic State, Baghdad has done little to address the underlying causes of Sunni militancy, says journalist Ned Parker.
Ideas
After NATO Summit, Transparency Must Accompany the Tanks
The alliance’s comparative advantage lies not only in military capabilities, but also in its ability to drive institutional reform within and beyond its member countries.
Ideas
It's Getting Harder to Define Military Readiness. Here's What to Do About It.
Planners and evaluators must try to anticipate how threats and operating environments will change during a deployment.
Ideas