Ideas

Imagine If Obama Had Done This

Republicans have tolerated plenty of foreign-policy moves by Trump that they would never have let his predecessor get away with. Will that continue with Iran?

Ideas

If This Isn’t Impeachable, Nothing Is​​​​​​​

Trump reportedly pressured a foreign government for help against a potential electoral opponent.

Ideas

Time to Harden International Norms on Armed Drones

Progress on widely accepted rules has been as slow as the technological advancement has been fast.

Ideas

DHS’s New Counterterrorism Strategy Reflects Professionalism, Not Politics

The counterterrorism experts who oversaw the Obama-Trump policy transition applaud the new strategy’s bold approach to domestic terrorism and guns.

Ideas

It’s Really Hard to Buy Peace in Afghanistan

Western leaders looking to replace troops with targeted aid may find it counterproductive.

Ideas

Robert O’Brien Should Have to Face Senate Confirmation

Requiring congressional approval would be good for Trump, good for his choice for national security adviser, and good for the country.

Ideas

Some Arms Exports Are Riskier Than Others. Here’s a Tool To Tell Which Ones

The problems with selling weapons to Saudi Arabia and Turkey were hardly unpredictable.

Ideas

The Saudi-Oil Attacks Aren’t Game-Changing. They Show How the Game Has Changed

International norms and laws on proxy warfare encourage bad behavior. It’s time to change that.

Ideas

The US Military is Not, and Can Never Be, Afghanistan’s Police

If we were 'almost a police force' in Afghanistan, we already would have won.

Ideas

Selling F-16s to Taiwan Is Bad Business

The jets will inflame, not stabilize, cross-strait relations.

Ideas

NATO Must Engage in the Arctic

If you thought the alliance was already involved in the High North, you're not alone. But as great power presence turns hotter, it's time to get in the game.

Ideas

America Needs a Whole-of-Society Approach to Cybersecurity. ‘Grand Challenges’ Can Help.

Such contests can bring needed focus to proposals for a “moonshot” effort to protect our networks.

Ideas

So Many Innovation Centers. So Hard to Find the One You Need

It’s still too hard for innovative tech companies and the agencies looking for them to find each other.

Ideas

Speak Up, John Bolton

The national-security professionals who have left this administration owe the American people the truth about the president.

Ideas

Ransomware Has a New Target

A successful attack on an IT services provider can lock up the data of dozens of government and private clients at once.

Ideas

Bolton’s Departure Signals Trump’s Foreign-Policy Pivot

The president is turning away from conflict and toward diplomacy—and that will shape his choice of the next national security adviser.

Ideas

The Problem at the Core of Progressive Foreign Policy

Democratic presidential candidates such as Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren have ambitious plans but seem unwilling to make the trade-offs they would require.

Ideas

Trump OKs Ukraine Aid — But That’s Not the Right Choice

America doesn’t gain anything by escalating an unwinnable war on Russia’s border.

Ideas

Africa, Great Power Competition, and the US Navy

Russia and China want to leverage Africa's people and resources. U.S. Naval Forces Africa aspires to work with African partners to bring about a secure and prosperous continent.

Ideas

A Terrific Deal—For the Taliban

The president should have to answer for the Afghanistan mess in the 2020 election.