Ideas
Trump Made His Real Syria Mistakes Months Ago
U.S. involvement should have ended with the recapture of ISIS’ territory and a Kurd-Assad deal.
Ideas
The White House Abused the Classification System
The question now is whether Congress can summon the will to hold the president to account.
Ideas
'By, With, Through' Was the Best Hope for Syria — And Ending 'Endless Wars'
The U.S. acquiescence to Turkey’s invasion abandons an effective Kurdish partner, but also a creative model that was working.
Threats
Anti-ISIS Operations In Syria Cease Amid Turkish Assault
“The SDF is clearly focused on the northern border to protect their forces,” a defense official said.
Ideas
On North Korea, the Chickens Are Coming Home to Roost
One of the downsides of highly personalized diplomacy is that when the person in question is debilitated, the diplomacy suffers.
Policy
Why US Officials Say Trump is Flexing on Foreign Policy
“Trump has been Trump in foreign policy—but the safety nets are gone,” said one senior national security official, of the president’s Syria decision.
Ideas
The Forever War Fought by America’s Allies
The U.S.-backed soldiers who battled ISIS across Syria and Iraq could be locked in the struggle for a very long time.
Science & Tech
Why Open Skies Is An Old Fashioned Treaty Worth Keeping
Since 2002, the agreement has helped 34 countries to keep tabs on each others’ militaries, without divulging key secrets.
Threats
As Assault Begins, Trump Vows to Make Turkey Keep Its Word While Lawmakers Vow Punishment
The president said 'far more than sanctions' awaits Turkey if its assault taking over northern Syria is not 'as humane as possible.'
Ideas
Trump Is Killing a Fatally Flawed Syria Policy
Did the president betray the Kurds or help dismantle a contradictory strategy in Syria? Both.
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