Threats
Report: Mortars Land in Baghdad’s Green Zone
Islamic State fighters are closing in on the Iraqi capital. By Stephanie Gaskell
Ideas
Is the Islamic State a Terrorist Group or an Insurgency?
What’s happening in Iraq and Syria calls for a full-blown counterinsurgency – if the American people can stomach it. By Jerry Meyerle
Ideas
Q&A: Ryan Crocker on Iraq's Role in the Long War Against ISIL
The former ambassador says the Iraqi army is far from finished, but they'll need U.S. special forces with them to help take back provincial capitals like Ramadi. By Bernard Gwertzman
Ideas
Our Best Bet Against ISIL: Kurdish Crude
Make no mistake, the legal battles over Kurdish oil and the military battles over Iraqi territory are part of the same war. By M. Ron Wahid
Science & Tech
The Military Wants to Understand Why You Believe What You Believe
What makes an idea like the Islamic State spread? The Pentagon wants to know. By Patrick Tucker
Ideas
If There Is ‘No Military Solution’ in Iraq, Where Is the Non-Military Solution?
Rather than reducing the motivations for joining ISIS, the U.S. military plan seems bound to add to them. By Sarah Chayes
Threats
Meet the Other Terror Group in Syria That Could Actually Threaten the US
The Khorasan group is collaborating with al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, the Yemeni offshoot known for trying to slip bombs past airport security. By Tim Fernholz
Ideas
A New Plan: Make U.S. Foreign Policy Swifter, Stronger and More Agile
We propose a solution: completely reorganize the structure of how we conduct foreign policy in ‘fragile states’ such as Iraq. By Ronald E. Neumann, Dennis Blair and Eric Olson
Threats
NSA Says Intelligence on the Islamic State Could Have Been 'Stronger'
The nation’s top spies account for faulty intelligence in Iraq and warn that ‘it could get bad.’ By Patrick Tucker
Policy
Rand Paul Is Still Figuring Out His Middle East Policy
In a long speech on the Senate floor, the Kentucky Republican laid out a spotty foreign policy vision while taking swipes at members of his own party. By Rebecca Nelson
Threats
The Constitution Is More Than Just an Obstacle To Fighting ISIL
President Obama doesn't want to ask Congress to declare a war. Congress doesn't seem interested in fighting back. But the law demands otherwise. By Garrett Epps
Threats
Air Power Alone Can't Defeat the Islamic State
Air strikes might defeat the Islamic State, but does the U.S. have the capacity to leave behind stable institutions without a massive deployment of troops and cash? By Tim Fernholz
Threats
GOP Fears That ISIL Fighters Are Entering US Through Mexico Border
Despite some Republican fears, administration officials say ISIL fighters are more likely to enter the U.S. on a flight using Western passports than through Mexico. By Rebecca Nelson and Marina Koren
Threats
Petraeus, Crocker Support Plan To Arm and Train Syrian Rebels
In a letter to Congress, the former ‘dream team’ of the Iraq War is backing a plan to train and equip Syrian rebels. By Ben Watson
Ideas
Fight the Islamic State in Iraq? Sure. In Syria? Not So Much
There’s consensus in Washington about fighting the Islamic State in Iraq, but when it comes to Syria, things get messy. By Gayle Tzemach Lemmon
Policy
Dempsey Says US Ground Forces Possible If Coalition Strategy Fails
Top military advisors give the president their best advice based on the situation on the ground. That may mean ‘no boots on the ground’ complicates things. By Molly O’Toole
Policy
Obama’s Dramatic Reversal on Bush’s Laws of War
Obama has launched an indefinite campaign against the Islamic State relying on Bush-era laws he pledged to end. Legal analysts aren’t buying it. By Molly O’Toole
Threats
Islamic State Releases Video That Appears to Show Execution of British Aid Worker
The militant group had threatened to kill David Cawthorne Haines in a previous video. By Kaveh Waddell
Threats
Here’s What Arab Militaries Bring to the Fight Against the Islamic State
How useful would Gulf Arab contributions be? In purely military terms, not very. Here’s why. By Bobby Ghosh
Science & Tech