Ideas
What Is the Future of War?
Facing a new inflection point, 'Future of War' project members sound off with their take on where conflict is headed in the 21st century.
Ideas
Hold Your Fire: The Intelligence Community’s Problem With Privacy Officers
They are routinely called terrorists, but they are the Intelligence Community’s own privacy watchdogs and they deserve respect.
Ideas
Why America's Obsession With Iran’s Centrifuges Could Give Tehran the Bomb
The fixation with Iran’s machines diverts us from the real threat.
Threats
The War Over Vaccines: Terrorism's New Front
Terrorists are withholding vaccines and that’s not just a public health emergency; it’s a threat to global security.
Ideas
Why Size Doesn’t Matter When Judging the Intelligence Community
Instead of criticizing how big the Intelligence Community has grown, let’s get the US to do a better job explaining why.
Business
On Extremism: Stop Talking About Strategy and Start Talking About Execution
The boring truth is we have strategies to fight violent extremism; we’re just not able to execute them.
Ideas
Reform Pentagon Acquisition By Slowing Down the F-35
John McCain and Ash Carter want real acquisition reform? Great, they can start by slowing – or stopping – the F-35.
Ideas
What the Military Compensation Commission Must Do To Succeed
History shows that policymakers listen to blue ribbon defense commissions when they’re done right – like this one was.
Science & Tech
White House Project Will Yield Brain-Based Lie Detectors
How near-future advances in functional brain imaging will make enhanced interrogation an obsolete method of obtaining information.
Ideas
How Reforming Benefits Could Undermine the Pentagon's Future
The Military Compensation and Retirement Modernization Commission's recommendations are appealing to reformers. But here's how they could actually end up doing irreversible harm to the all-volunteer force.
Ideas
The Wrong Move: Adding Nuclear Weapons to the Russia-Ukraine Conflict
Despite the wishes of two key Congressmen, more nuclear weapons in Eastern Europe is a bad idea.
Ideas
The US Intelligence Community Is Bigger Than Ever, But Is It Worth the Cost?
The intelligence community has grown to an enormous size and Americans have no clue what they’re paying for.
Ideas
It’s Time To Arm the Ukrainians
President Obama must change course and give Ukrainians the arms they need to stop Putin.
Ideas
Ash Carter Has One Shot To Keep the Pentagon’s Technology Edge
Carter likely has only one shot to shape the Pentagon budget entirely on his own.
Ideas
Obama’s Trillion Dollar Nuclear Weapons Gamble
Why is the president is proposing a multi-billion dollar nuclear arsenal overhaul that is expensive, dangerous, and does nothing to make the United States safer?
Ideas
Our Overreaction to Terrorist Attacks Like Paris Is Only Making Things Worse
The terrorists’ goal is to spread irrational fear. Our intelligence professionals shouldn’t be helping them. By Michael German
Ideas
This Is America's Best Shot To Fix the Relationship With Saudi Arabia and Fight Terrorism
The U.S. should use the transition in Riyadh to correct course, adjust its relationship with Saudi Arabia and fight extremism. By Sarah Chayes
Ideas
Can Ash Carter Tame the Nuclear Weapons Budget?
Here are three common sense steps for the nuclear weapons budget that would save up to roughly $75 billion over 10 years. Tom Z. Collina
Ideas
Secretive Private Intelligence Contractors Need Better Oversight
The capacity for secrecy gets even deeper in the private sector – too deep. By Michael German
Ideas