Author Archive
Ideas
‘MAGA’ Republicans Are Dismantling Ronald Reagan’s Legacy
Efforts to draft the U.S. military into culture wars are undoing its Reagan-era rise from post-Vietnam malaise.
Ideas
The Supreme Court Targets Military Readiness
Former senior leaders are cautioning the Court not to scuttle affirmative action, which remains important to the service academies—and national security.
Ideas
Slouching Towards Armageddon
As Cold War-type dangers return, we should restore the things that once pulled the world back from the brink.
Ideas
The Biden-Putin Summit Could Produce Both a Little And a Lot
Moscow’s hybrid-war efforts limit what Wednesday’s meeting can accomplish, but even small agreements would make a big difference.
Ideas
Biden’s First Move on Nuclear Weapons
When Putin calls to congratulate the new U.S. president, Biden should seize the opportunity.
Ideas
America’s Déjà-Vu Withdrawal from Afghanistan
Like Obama in Iraq, Trump wants to stop fighting before the war is done.
Ideas
How James Mattis Tried to Explain Trump to the World
Just as Mattis sought to reassure nervous allies, back home there were numerous reminders that the populist and intemperate impulses of his boss will not be tamed.
Threats
Why the Obama Administration Thinks It's Beating ISIS
It will be a 'long, steady, slow-burning campaign,' explains the State Department's Brett McGurk.
Threats
Keeping Iraq Unified Will Be Nearly Impossible
When the history of the second Iraq civil war is written, the February death of an influential Sunni may prove to have ended the last, best chance for Iraqi reconciliation.
Policy
Did the SEALs on the Bin Laden Raid Break Their Code of Silence for Fame and Fortune?
An interview with former SEAL Team 6 member Matt Bissonnette. By James Kitfield
Threats
Did Western Hubris Create Vladimir Putin?
Where the West saw the spread of democracy, Putin saw encroachment. Now, with hard power and bold lies, Moscow has drawn a new dividing line in the East. By James Kitfield
Featured eBooks
Threats
Why America Should Declare War on the Islamic State
Obama's response to the terrorists of the Islamic State has been reactive and piecemeal so far. That must change. By James Kitfield
Threats
This Is Why Many of Iraq's Forces Dropped Their Weapons
Inside the rapid disintegration of a security force the U.S. spent more than $25 billion to build. By James Kitfield
Policy
Behind Eric Shinseki's Downfall
The VA secretary was undone by an overwhelmed health system and Washington's hyper-partisan health care politics. By James Kitfield
Threats
Inside America's Shadow War on Terror—and Why It Will Never End
As the Afghanistan war winds down, the war against extremists is nowhere near finished. By James Kitfield
Ideas
Dempsey Wants to ‘Rebalance the Use of Military Power'
The U.S. military needs to do less foreign fighting and more foreign training, says Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Martin Dempsey in an exclusive interview. By James Kitfield
Ideas
Odierno: Ukraine Shows Us ‘You Never Know What’s Around the Corner’
In an exclusive interview with Defense One, Army Chief of Staff Gen. Ray Odierno talks about the future of the Army and the threats posed by an unstable world. By James Kitfield
Threats
Iraq’s Elections Setting Up ‘Worst Case Scenario’
The winner of Iraq’s election will likely be al-Maliki or al-Qaeda. Either way, here’s why the U.S. loses. By James Kitfield
Ideas
How Western Bureaucrats Stirred Putin’s Petulance into a Cold War Crisis
From the beginning, all sides have been guilty of faulty assumptions and strategic miscalculation regarding Ukraine – and Putin. By James Kitfield
Ideas