Ideas
The US Should Condemn Bahrain, Not Rationalize For Them
As the 10th Manama Dialogue convenes, Bahrain’s monarchy is a human rights nightmare and source of insecurity the United States should be condemning, not celebrating. By Brian Dooley
Policy
Rand Paul Wants To Tie Declaration of War Against ISIS To Defense Bill
Under Sen. Paul's largely symbolic bill, the U.S. would have 12 months to fight ISIS with limited ground troops. By Alex Brown
Threats
Lebanon Says It Detained a Wife and Child of ISIL’s Leader
Security officials from Lebanon say they apprehended the two at the Lebanese-Syrian border 10 days ago. By Bobby Ghosh
Threats
Baghdad, Kurds Put Aside Differences To Secure Oil from Smugglers
Iraq finally closed a deal with the semi-autonomous Kurdistan region to rout oil sales through Baghdad in exchange for finally funding the Peshmerga fighters. By Steve LeVine
Policy
Congress Has Less Than 10 Days To Make All of These National Security Decisions
From Iraq to the budget, Congress has a long way to go and a short time to get there. By Molly O’Toole
Threats
FBI Accuses Two in Minnesota of Trying To Join ISIS
A 20-year-old Somali American is believed to have made it to Syria and his 18-year-old friend was stopped before he could leave the U.S. By Kaveh Waddell
Policy
Boehner Snubs Report, Pushes Forward on Benghazi
After the release of a recent GOP-led report vindicating the Obama administration, the House speaker wants to reappoint his own select inquiry into the 2012 terrorist attacks. By Russell Berman
Policy
A Resurgent GOP Is Fuming Over Extending the Iran Nuclear Talks
The seven-month delay gives Iran and the U.S. more time to nail down terms on Iran’s nuclear program. It also gives Congress ample time to intervene. By Kaveh Waddell
Ideas
NATO’s Campaign in Libya Offers Salient Lessons for the Air War Against ISIL
These five lessons from the 2011 air campaign in Libya are relevant today in the campaign against the Islamic State. By Karl P. Mueller
Threats
The Search for the Plan To Destroy ISIS
In Syria, ISIS is offering a better deal than the U.S. By Gayle Tzemach Lemmon
Policy
What Rand Paul Gets By Declaring War Against ISIS
By declaring war against the Islamic State, he's also picking a legal battle with the White House. By Emma Roller
Threats
What Iran Loses From the Failed Nuclear Talks
Tehran stands to lose billions in oil exports as the days without a deal drag on. By Steve LeVine
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 Many Iranian Obstacles in the Way of a Strong Nuclear Deal
The military option isn't much of an option. But diplomacy could inadvertently pave the way to a nuclear Iran. By Jeffrey Goldberg
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
Threats
Vickers: Boots on the Ground Not Necessary for Intel in Iraq
Defense intelligence collection has reached pivotal point, says the Defense Department’s Undersecretary for Intelligence Michael Vickers. By Patrick Tucker
Threats
UN Ambassador Warns Against Intervention Fatigue
As the U.S. fights global threats from Ebola to the Islamic State, U.N. Ambassador Samantha Power warns against intervention fatigue. By Molly O’Toole
Threats
Dempsey: US Strategy in the Middle East Is Sound, But Expect It To Change
Gen. Dempsey spoke on a range of issues, from the strategy in Iraq and Syria to the budget to the military’s relationship to Congress and the American public. By Gordon Lubold
Threats
The Real Reason ISIS Takes Hostages and Beheads Them
From the outside, the group’s actions look insane. But the brutality is meant to provoke a wider war—a war that ISIS is convinced it will win. By Simon Cottee
Threats