Ideas
The Air Force's Kessel Run Is the John Travolta of Defense Acquisitions
Right now, the much-hyped software-development office is doing fine work. Let’s remember that when the inevitable backlash arrives.
Ideas
Trump’s Incriminating Conversation With the Ukrainian President
The White House said a transcript of the call would be exculpatory—but the summary it released only adds to the problems facing Trump.
Ideas
Why America Needs Ukraine
Trump’s push to get Ukraine’s new president to do his political bidding threatens to undermine a key U.S. partnership in countering Russia.
Ideas
America Is Abandoning the International Systems that Made It Great
Though Trump has accelerated its decline, the crisis of multilateralism has much deeper roots.
Ideas
On Iran, Trump Needs UN Help. He May Even Know it.
Maximum pressure isn't working. Tehran isn't backing down. Can the president woo a body that laughed at him last year?
Ideas
The Most Dangerous Moment of the Trump Presidency
The U.S. president has never clarified what he wants from Iran. Now all of his real options are bad.
Ideas
For Saudi Arabia, What Now?
Riyadh has military options for retaliating against Iran. The Trump administration needs to persuade Saudi leaders not to use them.
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