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
Policy
Dick Cheney Calls Obama's National Security View 'Willfully Blind'
While the former vice president is as hawkish as ever, the Republican consensus is not nearly as unified as it once was. By Emma Roller
Threats
The Case Against Another War in Iraq
The president's developing campaign against the Islamic State is shaking out to be more emotionally reactive than purpose-driven. By David Frum
Ideas
What Obama Needs To Tell the American People About the Islamic State
While limited air strikes in Iraq have slowed the progress of the Islamic State, it’s clear that more must be done. By Rep. Martha Roby
Policy
Islamic State Dominates the Post-Recess Conversation in Congress
Congress is unlikely to vote on authorization for broad war powers in Iraq and Syria ahead of the midterms, but the deepening debate could shape U.S. policy for years to come. By Molly O’Toole
Policy
The Risks and Rewards of Obama's 'No Ground Troops' Pledge
If the president's motive is politics, both hawks and doves have reason to be worried. By Ron Fournier
Policy
Don’t Expect a Pivot To Europe Anytime Soon
Once again, President Obama finds himself reassuring allies while also imploring them to do more. Is NATO listening? By Molly O’Toole
Threats
Pursuing the Islamic State to the Gates of Hell
America’s foreign-policy debate has turned in a way that could cause the Obama administration a great deal of trouble. By Peter Beinart
Business