Policy
Pompeo's Foreign Policy? Follow Trump's Lead
Pompeo has responded to the Khashoggi affair in lockstep with Trump.
Ideas
The Week That Tied Mideast Experts in Knots
Sanctions are not always bad, engagement is not always good, and transactional policy cuts both ways.
Ideas
How To Get Nuclear-Weapons Treaties Back on Track
The agreements that hold back a strategic arms race are in trouble. But there is a way forward.
Ideas
If Iran Never Leaves Syria, Will America Stay Forever?
If the Trump administration’s containment strategy fails, it could embolden Tehran while miring U.S. troops indefinitely.
Policy
The Khashoggi Affair Will Change the US-Saudi Relationship
Even if the storm largely blows over, U.S. law means some aspects will never be the same.
Ideas
Trump Asks, 'I Mean, What's an Ally?'
In the president's world, there is no higher question than “who’s getting paid?”
Ideas
Human Rights Have Evaporated from America’s Saudi Policy
The administration’s reticence about the disappearance of a Saudi journalist is offensive, but it’s also clarifying.
Ideas
Here’s a 6-Country Defense-Development Effort That Just Might Work
Among its lessons: sometimes, small is better.
Ideas
What Happens to the World When America Stops Standing for What’s Right?
The disappearance of Jamal Khashoggi drives home the consequences of the Trump administration’s refusal to champion democratic values around the globe.
Ideas
Can the Chinese Be Trusted to Lead International Institutions?
The abduction of Interpol’s president shows that Beijing’s officials will be subordinate to the orders of the Communist Party.
Ideas
Is North Korea Denuclearizing? Here’s How We’ll Tell
Kim Jong Un may not be giving up his arsenal now. But that doesn’t mean he can’t get there eventually.
Ideas
How to Fight Russian Infowar in Central Europe
Traditional counter-propaganda techniques are decreasingly effective. The next steps will require focus, engagement, and new thinking.
Ideas
Will America Shape Its Grand Strategy Around China or Russia?
The debate doesn’t just have consequences for U.S. foreign policy—it will define the next decades of domestic affairs as well.
Ideas
Who Will Replace Nikki Haley?
Trump has increasingly sought advisers who are less apt to push back on his disruptive agenda.
Ideas
The White House National Cyber Strategy: Continuity with a Hint of Hyperbole
There seems to be a general consensus that the new cyber strategy is a continuation of existing policy. However, the us-versus-them approach the strategy takes could pose a problem.
Ideas
All the Times Trump Has Invoked ‘National Security’
The president does so a lot — mostly in regard to immigration and trade.
Ideas
How Russia’s Sub-Launched Missiles Threaten NATO’s Wartime Strategy
NATO used to worry that Soviet subs would decimate supply convoys and carrier battle groups. Now Russia can simply wreck ports from afar.
Ideas
Where Is the Arms Control Community on Russia’s Intermediate-Range Cruise Missile?
The kerfuffle over a U.S. diplomat’s words underscores a strange apathy toward a treaty-breaching weapon.
Ideas