Ideas
What Will Change Now?
After Paris? By now, the war in Syria has become so complicated that 'this doesn't change anything.'
Ideas
America Isn't Losing the War of Ideas to ISIS
In every era, the same alarms bells have sounded. The rise of the Internet, however, could make this one different.
Ideas
The Secret to Defeating the ISIS 'Caliphate' Might Just Be in Islam Itself
Nearly 100 years after the last Ottoman caliph was exiled, the Sunni world has yet to wholly define itself. And if good people don't step in, worse ones—like ISIS—will.
Ideas
Make No Mistake: A Syrian Safe Zone is a Major Intervention
Safe zones can work if great powers and regional actors are united and committed to protecting civilians. These conditions don’t exist in Syria.
Business
US Air Force Might Delay Retiring A-10 Attack Plane
Afghanistan, Africa, Iraq and Syria—all three conflicts might lead the U.S. Air Force to delay retirement of the A-10 'Warthog,' a top general said.
Threats
A Breakaway Taliban Faction Comes Out in Support of Women's Rights
A new splinter group says 'under an Islamic system all rights of human beings—both men and women—need to be implemented 100 percent.'
Ideas
Obama's Chance to Reinvent the U.S.-Israel Defense Relationship
Despite what you may hear this week, the U.S. and Israel are far closer than many realize, says Obama's former Middle East policy chief at the Pentagon.
Threats
Carter: Gulf Allies Need Better Special Operators, Ground Forces More Than 'Fancy' Jets
In an interview, the U.S. defense secretary says America’s Arab allies need fewer high-end fighter jets and more training of ground forces and special-operations troops.
Science & Tech
How The Russian Crash Investigation Could Alter the War On Encryption
If intercepted communications prove an ISIS bomb caused the crash in Egypt, it could be just the boost surveillance state advocates need.
Ideas
Syrian Peace Prospects Now Hinge on Long-Time Foes Saudi Arabia and Iran
Fighting in Syria cannot be resolved without some kind of accommodation between Riyadh and Tehran—both of whom have used proxies to prolong the war.
Threats
US, UK Officials Suggest Bomb Exploded Russian Airliner, But Urge Caution
Likely, possibly, maybe—but British and U.S. officials stop short of confirming a bomb, or ISIS, brought down a Russian airliner over the Sinai.
Policy
Can the US Military Help the White House and Israel Move Beyond Iran?
The Iran-inspired breakdown in relations between Obama and Bibi has meant that Defense Secretary Ash Carter is now point man on maintaining the relationship.
Ideas
How ISIS Spread in the Middle East
Tracing the roots of the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria—and how to stop it.
Ideas
Don’t Call Warlord Territory an ‘Ungoverned Space'
If we are to restore the rule of law to areas held by non-government groups, we must consider the sort of order they provide.
Threats
A Who's Who Guide to the Syrian Civil War
The Syrian war looks different depending on which protagonists you focus on. Here are just a few ways to look at it.
Threats
Iran Joins Syrian Peace Talks as Assad's Profile Rises
Tehran’s foreign minister will join his counterparts from the U.S., Russia and Saudi Arabia to forge a path ahead for Syria’s political future.
Policy
Dunford: US Will Rethink Its Iraq Presence If Russia Goes In
Russia’s actions in the Middle East have U.S. lawmakers launching heated questions at top Pentagon officials. The answers so far have been less than reassuring.
Ideas
The History of No-Fly Zones Doesn’t Bode Well for Syria
Tough-talking presidential candidates want a no-fly zone to save Syrians. But nothing in the historical record shows a NFZ would work this time.
Ideas
1.3 Billion People Are the Real Losers of India, Pakistan Extremism
More than 70 years of violence has consistently left the citizens of each nation out to dry.
Business