Ideas
Kabul's Mood Turns Toward Despair
From shopkeepers to university lecturers, the question of whether security is improving in an increasingly independent Afghanistan was met with just one response: Things are actually worse.
Ideas
Obama Needs an ISIS War Czar Before It’s Too Late
Obama’s ISIS fight looks more like Iraq in 2003 than in 2007, when military and civilian leaders were synced hip-to-hip.
Ideas
Want To Intervene in Syria? Answer These Questions First
Even as the cries for action rise, the mistakes of past interventions — in Libya, Iraq, and elsewhere — demand forethought.
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In Syria, ‘Containment' Has Produced A Predictable Deluge of Refugees
The West’s governments saw this coming more than two years ago, and have done little to prevent it.
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‘A Better Iran Deal’ Is Just Wishful Thinking
The probability of sanctions eroding if Congress torpedoes the international agreement is greater than the prospect of tougher sanctions.
Ideas
How To Respond To a State-Sponsored Cyber Attack
The murky nature of network warfare makes it hard to choose a response. Here are some ways to think about it.
Ideas
Who's Leading the World's ‘Counter Violent Extremism’ Efforts? No One
An international institution dedicated to CVE research and evaluation would reduce redundancy and promote buy-in.
Ideas
How JSOC Harnessed Networks To Take on Terrorists
A former SEAL and McChrystal aide outlines the cultural shifts that helped fight AQI — and are needed against ISIS.
Ideas
Pakistan Must Convince the World of its Intentions
Tackling terror, all terror, should be Job No. 1 for Islamabad.
Ideas
The US Military Should Deploy More Troops as UN Peacekeepers
Obama is calling a summit to boost the UN's peacekeeping efforts. His first step should be to lead by example.
Ideas
Top-Down IT Approach Too Slow To Meet Threats
The Defense Department arms itself for cyber at the same plodding pace with which it buys major weapons.
Ideas
It’s Time to Confront Beijing About the South China Sea
To allow China to continue to expand its role and expectations invites future conflict on a larger scale.
Ideas
Why Can’t Obama Get His Defense Secretary To Release This Guantanamo Prisoner?
The Pentagon, not Congress, is blocking the release of 75-pound prisoner Tariq Ba Odah, six years after he was cleared to go. Where is the president?
Ideas
Don’t Let the Iran Deal Become 2016’s Swift Boat
Opponents are attacking the Iran Deal with everything they’ve got—almost all of it entirely fabricated and unsupported by the entire nuclear expert community.
Ideas
Russia And China Have A Cyber Nonaggression Pact
The two powers are advancing a vision of security in cyberspace that is markedly different from Western approaches.
Ideas
The International-Relations Argument Against Killer Robots
AI-assisted weapons could spark an arms race that would increase the likelihood of wars — and the slope of their escalation.
Ideas
Don't Be Led Astray by the Legend of the Surge
Having misunderstood the lessons of the Iraq War, Republicans are taking a dangerously hawkish turn.
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9 Reasons the Iran Deal Makes Sense
Iran’s nuclear ambitions will long remain a cardinal challenge for the United States and its allies. The current agreement puts them in the best position to meet this challenge.
Ideas
America's Allies Want More From the US
The next president has to figure out how to give it to them – more presence, more forces, more aid.
Ideas