Threats

Hagel Says ‘Indispensable’ U.S. Still Not the World’s Police

President Obama says the U.S. is ‘indispensable’ to global security, but for Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel that doesn’t mean it’s the world’s police. By Kevin Baron

Threats

Obama Wants a New $5 Billion Fund for the Global War on Terror

With the war in Afghanistan ending, the Overseas Contingency Operations budget won't cut it anymore, so Obama is proposing a new $5 billion fund to pay for the global war on terrorism. By Global Security Newswire

Policy

Despite Critics, Obama’s Defense Policy Is Popular With the Public

The defense policy President Obama detailed at West Point will be pummeled by politicians and pundits, but it's popular where it counts -- with the American people. By Joe Cirincione

Policy

Obama and the Lessons of Eisenhower

After his West Point speech, Obama's model is clear: End costly, unwinnable wars, don’t start new ones, and rebuild the economic foundation of American power. There will be opposition. By Peter Beinart

Threats

The Gap Between Supply and Demand for Spy Planes Just Got Bigger

President Obama’s foreign policy speech is asking the Pentagon’s intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance planners to do more with less. By Sam Brannen

Business

Why Did It Take So Long for the VA Scandal to Go Public?

Despite passage of the Whistleblower Protection Enhancement Act, its effects are not being felt in government offices. By Alesh Houdek

Policy

Is America Still a Global Power?

President Obama's speech at West Point reveals a slippery approach to the future of U.S. foreign policy. By David Frum

Ideas

Conditions on the Ground, Not Deadlines, Should Dictate Afghan Withdrawal

President Obama may want to end the war in Afghanistan, but ignoring the conditions on the ground while he’s packing up is a mistake. By Gayle Tzemach Lemmon

Policy

Obama Wants Allies To Take More Responsibility Off His Shoulders

The president lays out a multilateral approach to global problem-solving that could be plagued by America's inability to get friends to do heavy lifting. By James Oliphant

Policy

Full Text: President Obama’s 2014 West Point Commencement Address

A complete transcript of President Obama's foreign policy speech at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point on Wednesday.

Ideas

Obama’s Foreign Policy Balancing Act

In the post-war era, the U.S. will have to strike a delicate balance between interventionism and isolationism, President Obama said in a major foreign policy speech Wednesday. By Stephanie Gaskell

Policy

Obama Draws a Roadmap for Foreign Engagement

Using all of America’s assets—beyond just military prowess—makes sense. By Tara Sonenshine

Policy

This Is How Wars End in the 21st Century

The new normal is a lot like the old normal. By Major Garrett

Threats

Obama Wants All U.S. Troops Out of Afghanistan by 2017

President Obama wants to keep 9,800 troops in Afghanistan next year, then shrink to a ‘normal embassy presence’ by 2017. By Stephanie Gaskell

Policy

Obama Puts Shinseki On Notice

The VA secretary got a reprieve but not a full pardon, as Obama promises "consequences" if allegations prove true. By George E. Condon, Jr.

Policy

Fixing the VA Is (Finally) Obama’s Problem

By shielding VA Secretary Shinseki, President Obama just took ownership of the problem. Now he has to prove that his administration can finally fix it. By Stephanie Gaskell

Business

Is Obama to Blame for Failures at the VA?

Obama, Bush, Congress, and presidents going back to JFK all bear some of the responsibility. By Jordain Carney and Stacy Kaper

Policy

VA Scandal Could Be Worse for Democrats Than Benghazi

Anger over VA wait lists could revive accusations that Obama does not demand accountability in his government. By George E. Condon, Jr.

Business

Why Obama Is Just the Latest President Unable to Fix the VA

Wars, technology, and red tape trump campaign promises when it comes to VA trouble. By Jordain Carney and Stacy Kaper

Policy

Obama: ‘We Do Not Have a Blanket No-Spy Agreement With Any Country’

During a much-anticipated visit with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, the two leaders admitted there are still ‘difficulties yet to overcome.’ By Dustin Volz