Ideas
The Hidden Costs of America's Addiction to Mercenaries
Washington’s reliance on unheralded private military contractors to fight its wars has mutated into a strategic vulnerability.
Ideas
In Today's Complex World, 'We Have No Idea What War Is'
Rosa Brooks discusses her tenure at the Pentagon, and the ever-expanding role of the American military.
Ideas
Military Coups Have Become Less Common, But More Successful
Coup d’etat attempts have been growing less frequent across the world, particularly since the end of the Cold War.
Policy
How Trump’s Supporters Understand His National Security Views
The Republican nominee's comments to The New York Times are likely to be received very differently by his base than by Washington's elites.
Ideas
WATCH: A Conversation with Derek Chollet
Former assistant secretary of defense for international security affairs Derek Chollet discusses his new book "The Long Game" with Defense One Executive Editor Kevin Baron.
Threats
'We Are Not Frozen in a Nightmare,' Says Defiant John Kerry
The secretary of state insisted America is more engaged in global conflicts with deeper impact than ever before, in a sweeping speech at the Aspen Ideas Festival.
Ideas
Revamp the International Officer Training Program Before Inviting Nations Like Myanmar
For 40 years, the U.S. program has helped strengthen ties with partner nations and their rising military stars. More can be done.
Policy
Hillary Clinton Tears Into Trump's 'Bizarre' National Security
The GOP presidential contender's foreign policy views are 'dangerously incoherent. They are not even really ideas, just a series of bizarre rants, personal feuds and outright lies,' she said Thursday in California.
Ideas
The Myth of American Disengagement
For too many in the foreign policy debate, "engagement" is code for unilateral military intervention. Here's a more honest way to measure Obama's record.
Policy
Is There a Hillary Doctrine?
A conversation with Mark Landler about the foreign-policy differences between Obama and his former secretary of state.
Policy
Trump Makes His Own Head Spin Talking Foreign Policy
The Republican front-runner delivered his most scripted address yet laying out what he called his 'consistent' and 'unpredictable' national security ambitions.
Ideas
Genocide, Empty Threats, and a Warning to Obama, Clinton, and Trump
I watched America’s broken promise fuel Radovan Karadzic's terror in Bosnia.
Ideas
Not Just Trump: The Chilling Rise in Global Authoritarianism
Terrorism and drone war are feeding a larger sense of insecurity, driving some to xenophobia and jingoism.
Ideas
The Dangerous Myth of 'America Must Lead'
A world in which the forces of light vie against the forces of darkness, with America charged with ensuring the triumph of good over evil—that isn’t Obama’s world.
Ideas
Why Does Obama Fight Wars He Deems Unwinnable?
The uncertainty he projects about his policies undermine the half-hearted military efforts he undertakes.
Ideas
An Isolationist President, In Love With Drones and Special Forces
Obama’s no realist; history suggests little promise for the path he has chosen for the U.S.
Ideas
The End of the US-Dominated Order in the Middle East
Critics say the Obama doctrine has given Russia the upper hand in the region; the president says Moscow’s welcome to try to use it.
Ideas