Threats

Why North Korea Sanctions Are Unlikely To Be Effective

President Obama's punishment allows him to fulfill his promise to respond to the Sony hack, but probably won't have much effect on the country. By Matt Schiavenza

Ideas

Here’s What To Expect in National Security in 2015

You think 2014 was a busy year for America’s military and national security community? There’s no sign of letting up next year. By Defense One Staff

Policy

Seven Global Summits To Watch in 2015

These global summits will continue to play an indispensable part in governing an unruly world. By Patrick M. Stewart

Threats

How Pope Francis Helped Broker the US-Cuba Deal

The leader of Catholic Church was a crucial figure in brokering the landmark deal between the United States and Cuba. By Adam Chandler

Threats

The Global Conflicts To Watch in 2015

A new survey shows which countries matter more to U.S. policymakers—and which matter less. By Uri Friedman

Ideas

Why Americans Should Care About Foreign Aid

Foreign aid ‘can do as much—over the long term—to prevent conflict as the deterrent effect of a carrier strike group.’ By Mick Crnkovich

Ideas

The National Security Case for Raising the Gas Tax

Lowering the world price of oil may help undercut or prevent dictators that may become our enemies in the near future. By Miles Kimball

Policy

Rand Paul Says War Should Be a ‘Last Resort’

The Republican senator and possible 2016 contender warns that ‘intervention has unintended consequences.’ By Shane Goldmacher

Threats

Tunisia May Be Headed for Another Arab Spring

Tunisia just held its second consecutive peaceful election -- but regional instability means it's still too soon to celebrate a stable democratic transition in Tunis. By Sam Kimball and Nicholas Linn

Threats

The US-Turkey Relationship Is Undergoing Death By a Thousand Slights

Here's what makes Ankara the reluctant and very important U.S. ally it is today. By Steven A. Cook

Ideas

Time for the Exceptional Superpower To Act Like It

The U.S. needs to remind the world of its dominance. Holding the line will not do and will not work. By Robin Shepherd

Ideas

Political Dysfunction Is a Worse Threat Than Putin, Say National Security Workers

The president has no strategy, the Taliban can have Afghanistan and a nuclear Iran isn’t worth a fight, a new Defense One survey says. By Kevin Baron

Policy

Romney: Don't Rule Out Boots on the Ground in Iraq

The former GOP presidential contender gave the president some advice on both foreign and domestic policy. By Rebecca Nelson

Ideas

Does America Really Need To Be the Leader of the Free World?

An MIT professor and a war veteran discuss whether the U.S. should respond to every crisis that pops up across the globe. By Scott Beauchamp

Ideas

Why the US Is Losing Yemen

The challenge of Yemen is far more complicated than finding a favored partner to do Washington’s bidding. By Adam Baron

Policy

How Has President Obama's National Security Council Performed?

A new book from a foreign policy expert grades the administration on everything from its response to the crises in the Middle East, to its policymaking process. By Jeffrey Goldberg

Threats

These 22 Countries Don't Have a Military

More than 20 nations lack standing armies—and it's not always about pacifism. By Kathy Gilsinan

Policy

National Security Professionals Pick Mitt Romney in 2016 Poll

The national security community’s top pick for 2016 isn’t a rising GOP senator or the former secretary of state – it’s Mitt Romney. By Molly O’Toole

Ideas

3 Ways Obama Expanded War Powers Well Beyond George W. Bush

Here are three precedents set by the Obama administration that make it even easier to use lethal force abroad without congressional approval. By Conor Friedersdorf

Policy

Plunging Oil Prices Set Off a Global Chess Game

High oil prices have sustained kleptocracies in places like Russia and Venezuela. Will the fall in prices at the pump also mean more instability around the world? By Norm Ornstein