Ideas
The Myth of American Disengagement
For too many in the foreign policy debate, "engagement" is code for unilateral military intervention. Here's a more honest way to measure Obama's record.
Ideas
If Diplomacy Fails, Then What for Syria?
What leverage has a United States that is so reluctant to fight?
Policy
Is There a Hillary Doctrine?
A conversation with Mark Landler about the foreign-policy differences between Obama and his former secretary of state.
Policy
The Detainee With No Country—And the 79 Others Still at Guantanamo
All are men, and most have not been charged with any crimes.
Ideas
The Pentagon's Intel Chief Already Has Some Advice for the Next US President
'The integration of intelligence of the past 15 years is a journey that is not finished,' said Marcel Lettre, undersecretary of Defense for intelligence.
Policy
Soldier Takes Obama to Court Over War on ISIS
A U.S. Army officer stationed in Kuwait argues the president has violated the War Powers Resolution in a case that carries major constitutional implications for the White House.
Ideas
Obama Drops Rhetoric as Assad Drops Barrel Bombs
As long as Syrian civilians are on the bullseye, nothing will be accomplished at peace talks.
Ideas
What’s Wrong with Obama’s National Security Council?
An insider sorts the solid critiques from the amnesiac complaints.
Ideas
There Are No Good Alternatives to the US-Saudi Relationship
Obama’s former Mideast advisor also says the administration did just enough in Syria to perpetuate the conflict without resolving it.
Ideas
Obama's Last Chance To Change the Saudi Arabia Playbook
The U.S. can't be the sole guardian of the Gulf forever. It's time to bring in some more friends.
Ideas
In Increasingly Turbulent Middle East, US-Saudi Partnership Is Indispensable
A former EUCOM deputy commander looks makes the case for even tighter bonds with Riyadh.
Ideas
The Legacy of Obama's 'Worst Mistake'
It's not just in Libya—the last 15 years of U.S. military interventions has revealed a troubling gap in the way America goes to war.
Science & Tech
The Obama Administration Is Struggling to Reform the Security Clearance Process
OPM, ODNI and other agencies are failing to meet their own deadlines on a wide array of measures aimed at sniffing out internal threats.
Ideas
Obama's Record as Commander-in-Chief, By the Numbers
He vowed to end America's wars, but has mostly just changed who’s doing the fighting.
Ideas
The Dangerous Myth of 'America Must Lead'
A world in which the forces of light vie against the forces of darkness, with America charged with ensuring the triumph of good over evil—that isn’t Obama’s world.
Ideas
Why Does Obama Fight Wars He Deems Unwinnable?
The uncertainty he projects about his policies undermine the half-hearted military efforts he undertakes.
Ideas
An Isolationist President, In Love With Drones and Special Forces
Obama’s no realist; history suggests little promise for the path he has chosen for the U.S.
Ideas
The End of the US-Dominated Order in the Middle East
Critics say the Obama doctrine has given Russia the upper hand in the region; the president says Moscow’s welcome to try to use it.
Ideas
The Hidden Costs of Obama's Vision of American Power
Grand strategies are judged by their consequences, not by their intentions, and in the Middle East the consequences are not looking pretty.
Ideas