Ideas
Watch What Putin Does, Not What He Says
Nothing in the Russian president’s UN speech suggested he was about to bomb Syria or withdraw from Ukraine. But that’s what he did.
Ideas
US No Longer ‘Allergic’ To Iranian Role in Syrian Solution
A former US ambassador to Syria spies a subtle shift in US thinking about a way forward in the wartorn country.
Threats
U.S., Russia Discussing Deconfliction in Syria — One Day After Russian Strikes Begin
Also: Pentagon officials say Russian strikes didn’t hit ISIS targets as Moscow claims.
Threats
Defense Secretary Ash Carter: US Won't Be Clearing Syria’s Skies for Russia
As Russia launches its first strikes in Syria, defying recent agreements to deconflict with U.S. forces, the Pentagon is rejecting its call to stay out of the way.
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.
Threats
Pentagon Scrambling to Know What U.S. Secrets Iraq Tells Russia
Iraq’s move to share more intelligence with Russia has Pentagon and lawmakers concerned.
Policy
Putin Makes the Case For Dictators With UN Speech
Obama and Putin both want to defeat ISIS. But their visions for how the world should look after its defeat don't match up.
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
We Never Thought Training Syrians Would Be Easy
When it comes to building capable foreign forces, one can have all the will, skill, money, and allies – but no guarantees.
Threats
As Moscow Sends Fighter Jets Into Syria, US and Russian Defense Chiefs Open Talks
Four Russian Flankers have arrived at Moscow’s forward operating base in Syria, Pentagon confirms.
Threats
US Train-and-Equip Program, by the Numbers: 9 Fighting, 18 MIA, 1 Killed
Pentagon updates the tally just days after CENTCOM shocked senators by reporting that only ‘4 or 5’ Syrians remained in the fight.
Ideas
Want To Intervene in Syria? Answer These Questions First
Even as the cries for action rise, the mistakes of past interventions — in Libya, Iraq, and elsewhere — demand forethought.
Threats
Only ‘4 or 5’ US-Trained Syrians Are Still in the Fight Against ISIS
It’s far from the 15,000 envisioned over three years, CENTCOM commander Gen. Austin conceded to lawmakers.
Policy
Russia Is Setting Up A Forward Operating Base in Syria, Pentagon Confirms
Amid a tide of news reports and statements about Russian deployments to Syria, the Defense Department confirms a few details.
Threats
US and Russian Forces in Syria Aren’t Talking to Each Other
CENTCOM says it has “no military-to-military contact” with Russian forces sent to help the embattled Assad regime.
Ideas
The 'War of the Imagination' at the Heart of the Struggle Against ISIS
The true theater of war for the Islamic State is not on earth, but in the heavens, argues popular and controversial scholar of religion, Reza Aslan.
Ideas
In Syria, ‘Containment' Has Produced A Predictable Deluge of Refugees
The West’s governments saw this coming more than two years ago, and have done little to prevent it.
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