Ideas
Can Afghan Forces Resist the Taliban?
One expert thinks a bevy of complications and a security force that's spreading itself too thin are jeopardizing the country's chances.
Threats
Obama Cancels Syrian Train-and-Equip Program
The Pentagon now plans to focus on training just key Syrian leaders and sending more arms — and air cover — to fighters already on the ground.
Ideas
Don't Chase Putin Out of Syria — Let Him Fail On His Own
Putin is no chess master. He overstretched and misstepped in Syria, and U.S. would be wiser to wait him out than chase him out.
Policy
How Fear Slammed America’s Door on Syrian Refugees
As millions flee from war to uncertainty or death, ‘national security concerns’ have kept US arrivals to a trickle.
Threats
And Yemen Burns With Washington's Blessing
The Saudis keep hitting civilians — a wedding party on Monday, killing 120 — and blaming U.S. intelligence for bad targets.
Ideas
Iran Is Key To Understanding US Future In Mideast
An expert explains Iran's role in the ongoing regional turmoil and says the US will need to brace for some conversations it doesn't want to have.
Threats
US, NATO, Afghan Forces Retake Kunduz — Maybe
Conflicting reports emerge as coalition forces and Taliban battle for control of the city.
Threats
US Airstrikes, Afghan Forces Fail to Reclaim Kunduz
Afghan troops and civilians fled to the airport as the city was captured by the Taliban on Monday.
Ideas
Moscow’s Moves in Syria Exploit Limits of Obama's Containment Strategy
Washington wants to shape the conflict from afar, but Russia is now shaping the facts on the ground.
Policy
Obama Administration: Terror-War Authorizations Don't OK Defending US-Trained Syrians Against Assad
Instead, administration officials say, the Constitution gives the president the authority, in certain circumstances, to order action against Assad’s forces.
Ideas
Obama Needs an ISIS War Czar Before It’s Too Late
Obama’s ISIS fight looks more like Iraq in 2003 than in 2007, when military and civilian leaders were synced hip-to-hip.
Ideas
Today’s Terrorists Want To Inspire
How terrorism has—and hasn’t—changed, from the Algerian War to ISIS.
Threats
How ISIS Territory Has Changed Since the US Bombing Campaign Began
An animated depiction of a stalemate.
Ideas
The Islamic State's Recruiting Has Hit Britain Particularly Hard
British Muslims are caught in a pincer movement: with public and government suspicion on one side, and a seductive and supposedly empowering ideology on the other.
Threats
Do Qatar, UAE Airlines Threaten US National Security?
The biggest U.S. airlines say Gulf states’ subsidies could force them to abandon the large planes needed to move troops overseas. One veteran analyst calls this hogwash.
Threats
How Many US Troops Were Killed By Iranian IEDs in Iraq?
Far fewer than Congress thinks, according to newly declassified documents from U.S. Central Command.
Threats
How ISIS Turns the Economy Into A Recruiting Tactic
In ISIS-controlled areas, economic persecution and high unemployment are leaving the desperate with few options.
Ideas
Incirlik Air Strikes Aren’t Changing Any Games Just Yet
Two weeks after U.S. planes started bombing ISIS from Turkish bases, the number of strikes in Syria has declined.
Ideas
Pakistan Must Convince the World of its Intentions
Tackling terror, all terror, should be Job No. 1 for Islamabad.
Policy