Business

Barack Obama's Friendly-Fire Problem

Leon Panetta is the latest former aide to criticize the president publicly. This kind of thing didn't always happen. By David Graham

Policy

Meet the Muslim Leader Helping Obama Fight ISIL

Sheikh Abdullah bin Bayyah is part of a broader White House push to understand religion's potential to curb violent extremism. By Kaveh Waddell

Ideas

Obama Should Be Pressuring, Not Legitimizing, Bahrain

After several snubs, letting Bahrain’s tiny Air Force in on the ISIL air strikes is a missed opportunity to change the ways of a shaky ally. By Brian Dooley

Policy

With Eric Holder's Exit, Obama Loses a Key Ally

The attorney general, who announced his departure Thursday, has quarreled with Congress but often addressed issues the president preferred to keep at arm's length. By David A. Graham

Policy

Obama Takes on (Most of) the World

Obama shames Russia, buries the myth of Middle East 'linkage' and promises to lead the fight against barbarism -- in a decidedly different speech at the UN. By Jeffrey Goldberg

Threats

Waging War for Peace at the United Nations

With Wilsonian echoes, a pacifist President Obama tries to rally the world on ISIL, Russia and Ebola. By Ron Fournier

Policy

The Evolution of a War President in Six Speeches

Gone was the talk of moving beyond war and closing Guantanamo. In its place was ISIL and more references to 'terror' than all of his previous UN speeches combined. By George E. Condon, Jr.

Policy

Congress Backs Strikes in Syria, But Emphasizes Allied Support

Congress members largely support air strikes in Syria, but urge President Obama to keep his allies in the fight. By Stephanie Gaskell

Threats

What To Expect from Obama's Plan To Stop Foreign Fighters

Getting the UN Security Council to agree on Obama's plan to curb transnational jihad will be the easy part. What comes after is where the real problems lie. By Stewart M. Patrick and Daniel Chardell

Ideas

Why It’s OK for Obama To Ignore Military Advice

Presidents don’t always listen to their top military leaders when it comes to matters of national defense. And that’s not always a bad thing. By Lawrence Korb

Threats

Obama's ISIL Strategy Includes Reaching Out to Muslims in the US

The Department of Homeland Security says Muslim American communities need to be the 'front lines' against efforts to recruit youths to join the Islamic State. By Charles S. Clark

Policy

Senate Approves Obama's Mission To Train Syrian Rebels

In its last pre-election move, Congress sends the president a bill to arm and train properly vetted members of the Syrian opposition. By Michael Catalini and Sarah Mimms

Policy

Obama’s Dramatic Reversal on Bush’s Laws of War

Obama has launched an indefinite campaign against the Islamic State relying on Bush-era laws he pledged to end. Legal analysts aren’t buying it. By Molly O’Toole

Policy

Obama’s Deadline To Reform NSA’s Spying Powers Is Extended Again

Nine months after the president promised to rein in the NSA’s spying powers, the business of reform is delayed for 90 days -- again. By Dustin Volz

Threats

Is Obama Losing His Battle With Perpetual War?

'This war, like all wars, must end,' Obama declared in May at the National Defense University. This week, the president set aside that goal. By Uri Friedman

Threats

Inviting Arab States To Fight Terrorism is Just Short-Term Gain, Long-Term Pain

Allying with governments and their militaries that populations detest is no way to curb extremism. By Sarah Chayes

Threats

Obama's 'Counterterrorism Campaign' Is a Declaration of War

Obama's address was a striking escalation over his past rhetoric and indicates that the war against the Islamic State group is only just beginning. By George E. Condon, Jr.

Ideas

Obama’s Speech Reflects a Refined Foreign Policy Doctrine

The president’s speech presents a refined American engagement that relies not just on our kinetic capabilities. By Maj. Mike Lyons

Threats

Obama Has a Strategy for the Islamic State But He Better Have a Plan B

President Obama laid out a plan to defeat the Islamic State. But it’s hardly a shock and awe. Is there a Plan B? By Kevin Baron

Ideas

In Obama Speech, Echoes of the Lyndon Johnson Era

President Obama’s speech on the Islamic State was nicely written, if you care about presidential syntax. But it reflected no sense of history. By Philip Seib