Threats

Does Building Ski Resorts Fight Terrorism?

Skiing, like other forms of tourism, offers the potential for developing areas with few other resources. By Oliver Kaplan

Business

Think Tanks' Dream Defense Budgets Defeat China, But Not Politics

In a gaming exercise, Washington’s premier think tanks don’t even try to thwart the biggest threat of all: political gridlock. By Kevin Baron

Threats

The U.S. Dilemma in Egypt

There's a lot of worry in the United States that Egypt is going down a path of persistent instability. By Bernard Gwertzman

Policy

How the Fall of Fallujah Could Be Good For the U.S.

For the first time since U.S. troops left Iraq, Washington has leverage with Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki. By Michael Hirsh

Threats

The Global Conflicts to Watch in 2014

From a cyberattack against the United States to a civil war in Iraq, here are the threats to worry about in 2014. By Uri Friedman

Ideas

Top Seven National Security Books from 2013

You nominated them, so National Journal interviewed the authors of seven must-reads for security junkies. By Sara Sorcher

Ideas

New Year, New Missions: Eight Challenges Awaiting the Pentagon in 2014

The New Year means new challenges for the Pentagon. Here’s a look at what’s ahead for 2014. By Stephanie Gaskell

Ideas

How a Rock Concert Turned Nelson Mandela into a Cold Warrior

In standing for justice, Nelson Mandela helped end 20th-century totalitarianism. His 1988 birthday concert was a shot fired.

Ideas

Why Economics, Not Military Might, Is the Future of Foreign Policy

The story is the same around the world: the prospect of money, and not military power, is driving state-state relations. By David Rohde

Ideas

Here’s What the Army Thinks War Will Look Like in 2030

Top brass gathered in Washington, D.C., recently to review the Army’s latest war games. What does war look like in 2030? (Hint: it’s not that different than today). By Stephanie Gaskell

Ideas

Pipe Dream: Israel-Turkey ‘Peace Pipeline’ Unlikely to Thaw Relations

An undersea natural gas pipeline and all of its riches sounds like a good way to thaw Israeli-Turkish relations -- but it won’t. By Allison Good

Business

Pentagon Outlines Stronger Military Presence in the Arctic

Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said the Pentagon’s new Arctic Strategy will significantly increase U.S. military resources and attention to the polar region. By Kevin Baron

Threats

Just the Beginning: Afghanistan Troop Deal Prelude to Another Half Decade of War

This is not the end. After the security agreement, U.S. involvement in Afghanistan’s conflict is far from over. By Anthony H. Cordesman

Ideas

Five Takeaways from a Decade of War

After Secretary Hagel’s CSIS speech, Generals Cartwright, Chiarelli and Fogleman reveal key lessons of Iraq and Afghanistan the Pentagon should heed for the future. By James Kitfield

Ideas

Hagel’s Plan for the Military in the Post-War Era

As the nation comes off a 'perpetual war footing,' Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel warns against relying too heavily on military might. By Kevin Baron

Ideas

In Defense of the Nuclear Triad

CATO is wrong. Here’s why the U.S. needs submarines, bombers and ICBMs to fulfill its mission: nuclear deterrence. By Peter Huessy

Ideas

Submarines Alone Are Not Enough Nuclear Deterrent

No one leg of the nuclear triad, alone, can be considered an effective deterrence to nuclear war. By Robert Spalding

Threats

Obama Was Wrong When He Said the U.S. Doesn't Do Pinpricks

Ever since Iraq and Afghanistan, the U.S. has mainly only intervened militarily in small, strategic ways. By Lionel Beehner

Policy

We Negotiate With Terrorists, Why Not With Congress?

Perhaps the Obama administration should adopt the same policy it applies to real terrorists: Don't negotiate at all in public, but meanwhile search for every back channel you can. By Michael Hirsh

Ideas

Are IEDs Ever an Ethical Weapon on the Battlefield?

The world’s focus has been on chemical weapons use in Syria – but what about the homemade bombs that kill thousands of civilians across the globe? By David Small