Ideas
How to Keep a Cyberattack from Turning into Nuclear War? Keep Talking
Trump’s Pentagon declared that "significant non-nuclear strategic attacks" may invite U.S. nuclear use, but does that matter to North Korea?
Ideas
Stan McChrystal: I Threw Away My Robert E. Lee Painting
“It was not a simple decision,” says the retired Afghanistan war commander.
Ideas
A Serial Killing Spree That Threatens Us All
Can John Bolton be stopped before he further undermines U.S. national security?
Ideas
Three Questions from Last Month’s Giant Vostok Exercise
What should American strategists take away from China’s participation in Moscow’s biggest annual wargames?
Ideas
Why the Idlib Deal Matters
Ankara’s U.S. ambassador says the Turkey-Russia buffer agreement can save even more lives — if other governments will help implement it.
Ideas
Nothing About Trashing the INF Treaty Makes the US Safer
From the strategic and diplomatic realms to the budgetary and tactical levels, Trump’s decision makes no sense.
Ideas
How the Joint Staff Calculated a Defense Program’s Return on Investment
As our office computed the utility of its wargaming grants and library, we learned some things that others in DoD may want to copy.
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