Ideas
Three Lingering Questions For Trump's New Plan to Fight ISIS
If Trump sends more American boots to Syria, who will fight alongside them, and — stiil — what comes next?
Ideas
Want to Win Wars? Fund Soft Power, Trump’s Generals Say
The president’s proposal to boost military spending at the expense of diplomacy and foreign aid won't lead to victory.
Threats
Don’t Blame Trump for the Yemen Raid’s Outcome
There’s more to the story, from special operators who chafed at Obama administration micromanagement to the unexpected well-prepared enemies who lay in wait.
Ideas
No Turning Back? First Woman Makes Army’s Elite 75th Ranger Regiment, Big Step For Women in Combat
One woman just made it that much harder for anyone to argue women don't belong in America's most elite combat positions.
Ideas
Still Fighting, US Troops from Syria to Afghanistan Await Trump Orders
Special operators move ahead with plans for the press to Raqqa, but uncertainty clouds US war plans.
Ideas
As Trump Waits, So Do US War Fighters, Planners
The truth is nobody from the Pentagon to Baghdad knows yet if Trump will escalate or withdraw from America's ongoing fights around the world.
Ideas
Enough, America. Stop Talking About Election Day Revolution.
America's pretend soldiers are threatening to cross the line from dissent to insurrection on Tuesday. America's military is not.
Ideas
There’s a Way Obama’s White House Can Save Syrian Lives, There’s Just No Will
As Aleppo burns, little faith as Obama’s White House again considers military options in Syria.
Ideas
When Allies Become Enemies (Before the War is Over), Obama's ISIS Plan Has Another Problem
The U.S. wanted Turkish and Kurdish fighters to fight, but not fight each other. Now the administration is scrambling to keep local allies with their own interests focused on America's goal: defeating ISIS.
Ideas
Gold Star Families Deserve Better Than One News Cycle
Hashtag sympathy must be matched by real-world caring.
Ideas
What Comes Next After Raqqa and Mosul?
Obama is making U.S. special operators and locals do most of the fighting. When ISIS falls, Iraq and Syria need better leaders to keep this from happening again. So, what’s the plan?
Ideas
The Latest Taliban Leader’s Death Changes What, Exactly?
Ask three people what they make of Mullah Mansoor’s death by drone and you’ll get three answers, none offering a swift end to the war.
Ideas
If Diplomacy Fails, Then What for Syria?
What leverage has a United States that is so reluctant to fight?
Ideas
Petty Officer Keating Died 2 Miles From the Syrian Front. How Far Are You?
The war came to him. What will it take for it to reach the rest of us?
Threats
After Brussels, Will Voters Demand Foreign-Policy Experience?
Trump wants waterboarding, Cruz wants to ‘secure’ Muslim neighborhoods in wake of attacks.
Ideas
Dispatch from the Turkish Border: Syrians Waiting in Vain for the World
‘People are waiting for the international community to stop this war.’
Ideas
Obama's Legacy: Limited Force, Limited Influence, Lingering Questions of What America Should Be
Obama’s long-view for the Middle East stands little chance of playing out as Americans — and events — cry for the U.S. to do more.
Ideas
The Challenge of Selling ‘Stay the Course’
Obama’s Pentagon photo op was meant to talk tough and say nothing new while convincing the public his plan is working.
Ideas
In Town Where Refugees Depart, Trump's Ideas Feel Even More Ludicrous
As Syrian refugee parents fight for food and their children's survival, the policy conversation happening in America could not feel more remote – or more off-base.
Business