Threats
'We Are Not Frozen in a Nightmare,' Says Defiant John Kerry
The secretary of state insisted America is more engaged in global conflicts with deeper impact than ever before, in a sweeping speech at the Aspen Ideas Festival.
Ideas
Inside Obama's Syria Choices (A Guide for Dissenting Diplomats)
Here are six ways we in the administration could’ve approached Syria differently – and why we didn’t.
Ideas
America's 'Plan B' for Syria Has a Very Ugly Past
Dividing Middle Easterners along ethno-religious lines has a deeply troubled history. There's little reason to believe similar 'last-ditch' plans for Syria would be any different.
Threats
Washington OKs Controversial F-16 Sale to Pakistan
The Pentagon says new warplanes will help Islamabad fight al Qaeda, but U.S. lawmakers don’t want taxpayers footing the bill.
Science & Tech
US Approves $2B in Bombs for Iraqi F-16s
Five months after Iraq began flying its F-16 fighter jets against ISIS, the Obama administration has approved a $2 billion cache of guided bombs and missiles that will make them far deadlier.
Science & Tech
America’s New Plan to Fight ISIS Online
The State Department will diversify its one-way approach, while other agencies reach out to Silicon Valley.
Science & Tech
State Department Says Hackers May Have Stolen Sensitive Data
The revelation, buried in a new inspector general report, is the first acknowledgment that foreign spies might have grabbed national secrets during a months-long campaign last fall.
Policy
The Benghazi Committee's Missed Chance at Clinton's Real Record
Both sides pledged they wouldn’t. Both went after each other anyway.
Policy
Hillary Clinton: Come Clean or Get Out
If Clinton won't say how and why she hid her State Department emails related to national security, why should the public--much less the FBI--believe her on anything?
Business
State Department Wants To Compile Cybersecurity Playbook
Agency turns to industry for expert advice on both offensive and defensive approaches.
Ideas
Drifting Down The Nile: US, Egypt Prepare to Talk
The upcoming strategic dialogue will seek to expand the relationship beyond security issues—or maybe just get things back on track.
Policy
From ‘No Deal is Better Than A Bad Deal’ to ‘This Deal or War’
Senators bristle at White House warnings, calling them an attempt to force the Iran nuclear agreement down U.S. lawmakers’ throats.
Policy
Obama Names New Envoy to Close Guantanamo
The State Department is bringing in a White House legal veteran with deep Democratic ties as part of its latest push to close its detention facility in Cuba.
Business
US Allies Cleared to Buy Arms Worth $3.5 Billion
The State Department OKs two key missile deals for Pacific Rim nations, a million-plus mortar rounds for Iraqis fighting ISIS, and more.
Threats
Why the Obama Administration Thinks It's Beating ISIS
It will be a 'long, steady, slow-burning campaign,' explains the State Department's Brett McGurk.
Ideas
Why the West Will Ignore Samantha Powers’ Call for UN Peacekeepers
The West may have abandoned peacekeeping operations, but UN blue helmets are going strong amid a quiet global power shift.
Science & Tech
The State Department Has To Rebuild Its Classified Networks After 2014 Hack
The State Department needs to reconstruct its classified computer systems after a 2014 cyber attack on its unclassified networks.
Policy
Kerry Presses Congress for More Power and Money To Fight ISIS
With ‘no military solution’ echoing in Washington, Secretary of State John Kerry tells Congress to put the money where his mouth is: into the non-military efforts to defeat the Islamic State.
Policy
White House Counter-Extremism Summit Shows Hearts And Minds Don’t Come Easy
White House summit shows 'hearts and minds' aren't easily won -- at home or abroad.
Science & Tech