Ideas
America Has Come Full Circle in the Middle East
“We are opening a Pandora’s Box,” Dwight Eisenhower warned when he ordered the first U.S. combat mission in the region. Little did he know how right he would be.
Ideas
To Prove Trump’s Bad Faith, Don’t Argue Policy. Show He Subverted the Process.
On Ukraine, the president dodged processes designed to ensure that U.S. foreign policy serves the public interest.
Threats
As Toll Mounts, Trump Downplays Injuries Suffered in Iranian Attack
The president's dismissive statements about the brain trauma suffered by U.S. troops at Al Assad may reflect a considered attempt to de-escalate – or not.
Ideas
Who Gets to Tell the Story of the Afghanistan War?
The Washington Post’s ‘Afghanistan Papers’ is the latest contribution to a growing argument over whether the conflict — or any of the ‘forever wars’ — was worth the cost.
Policy
A Split-Screen Moment For Trump As Impeachment Trial Begins
The president is speaking at an economic forum as the Senate begins to debate whether to remove him from office.
Ideas
Donald Trump Stumbles Into a Foreign-Policy Triumph
The president, however inadvertently, may be reminding the world of the reality of international relations.
Ideas
Sending Troops Back to the Middle East Won’t Stop Iran
Knee-jerk deployments only distract from the president’s bigger priorities: China and Russia.
Science & Tech
Amazon Will File Injunction to Stop JEDI Work
The latest twist in the Pentagon’s JEDI cloud contract could halt further action.
Policy
Meet the House Republicans Who Want to Rein In Trump On War
After the Soleimani strike, a working group of moderate Republicans and Democrats trying to “clarify” Congress’s war responsibilities hope they can build momentum.
Ideas
The Global Race for Big National-Security Ideas Is On
The United States faces genuinely new challenges—but tries to understand them using outmoded theories from a bygone era.
Ideas
On Iran, It's Time to Return to Containment
Trump has traded Obama-era appeasement for inconsistent confrontation. What's needed is a strategy of containment, backed by clear and credible deterrence.
Ideas
Trump Broke It. Now He Owns It.
The president withdrew from a flawed deal with Iran, but had no realistic alternative. With that choice comes responsibility for what ensued.
Ideas
Iran’s Smart Strategy
The Iranians chose neither to fold nor to fight. It is not clear at this point who was more deterred by whom.
Policy
House Passes War Powers Resolution to Limit War With Iran
The measure is legally toothless, but could still have some political impact.
Ideas
The US, Iran, and the Consequences of Breaking International Law
Some in the U.S. act as if only naked might matters in foreign policy. Yet American policy in Iran and Iraq illustrates something different.
Ideas
Why US Officials Are Revealing More about Cyber Ops
It’s part of a “costly signaling” gambit. Will it deter America’s enemies?
Ideas
Trump’s Threat to Bomb Iran's Cultural Sites Isn’t Just About Art
Throughout history, the destruction of culturally important sites has gone hand-in-hand with violence against civilians.
Ideas
After Years of NATO-Bashing, Trump Asks Allies for Help with Iran
But Britain, Germany, and France believe that everyone's interests are best served by the nuclear deal Trump hates.
Threats