Ideas
'It Didn't Have to Be This Way': Just-Retired CENTCOM General
Trump's decision "threatens to undo five years’ worth of fighting against ISIS and will severely damage American credibility and reliability," writes Joseph Votel, who until March led America's forces in the Mideast.
Ideas
Retired Senior Military Officers Unload on Trump
The commander in chief is impulsive, disdains expertise, and gets his intelligence briefings from Fox News. What does this mean for those on the front lines?
Threats
Syrian Decision Rekindles Fear of ISIS Prison Breaks
Pentagon and State Department officials have raised alarms for months about the makeshift prisons.
Ideas
The Syrian Democratic Forces Chief Just Called Me. Here’s What He Said.
“This is going to jeopardize all the achievements we've made with the coalition against ISIS,” said Mazlum Abdi.
Ideas
The US Is Trying to Restore Deterrence in the Gulf. That Won’t be Enough
Iran and Saudi Arabia are locked in a security dilemma. Here are some potential ways out.
Policy
Pentagon’s Top Lawyer to Review All Ukraine-Aid Documents
But a DoD spokesman still won’t say when the department was told about the aid freeze at the heart of the impeachment inquiry.
Ideas
A National-Security Problem Without Parallel in American Democracy
Democrats — candidates and lawmakers alike — should make it clear that they will impose consequences on any country that meddles with voting.
Ideas
The Hidden Damage of Trump’s Secret War in Somalia
Terrorist activity is not discernably declining, even as U.S. military activity and alleged civilian deaths rise.
Ideas
Democrats Should Not Give New Nukes to a President They Want to Impeach
National security concerns about Trump are only the latest reason Sen. Jack Reed should kill the new sub-launched warhead.
Ideas
‘We Shouldn’t Be Buying the Taliban’s Excuse’
The Afghan national security adviser wants his government to take over after a failed year of U.S. negotiations. But now the country has an uncertain election to contend with.
Ideas
Why the Whistle Was Blown
The National Security Council’s procedures are a practical manifestation of values—and Trump’s disregard for NSC rules reflects his rejection of those values.
Ideas
How ‘National Security’ Took Over America
When the two-word phrase became a national obsession, it turned everything from trade rules to dating apps into a potential threat to the United States.
Ideas
The Call Was Coming From Inside the White House
After 2016, Americans focused on the threat of election interference from abroad. What they overlooked was the danger at home.
Policy
Trump’s New Joint Chiefs Chair Is A Savvy Political Operator
The question is: how will Gen. Mark Milley work with the U.S. president?
Ideas
Acting DNI Shows Why Generals and Admirals Should Not Become Top Civilians
Joseph Maguire, a retired three-star, was all too desperate to find a higher civilian authority whose orders to obey.
Ideas
Giuliani: ‘You Should Be Happy for Your Country That I Uncovered This’
As other Trump allies turn on him, President Trump’s personal attorney shouts down questions about his role in the Ukraine scandal.
Threats
Pentagon Caught In The Middle Of Trump's Ukraine Scandal
Some presidential allies want to hang the security-aid freeze on the Defense Department. There’s no evidence for that.
Threats