Ideas

What Will Change Now?

After Paris? By now, the war in Syria has become so complicated that 'this doesn't change anything.'

Ideas

Why It Matters That Carter Says Iraq Raid Isn't Combat, Then Says It Is

We may not be a nation at war, but U.S. special operators are fighting. And their raids against ISIS most certainly are combat.

Business

‘I Don’t Know What The Debate Is,’ Army's Top Officer Says of Women

As Defense Secretary Carter orders senior military leaders to quiet down about women in combat decision deadline, Gen. Mark Milley had one more thing to say.

Ideas

Moscow’s Moves in Syria Exploit Limits of Obama's Containment Strategy

Washington wants to shape the conflict from afar, but Russia is now shaping the facts on the ground.

Ideas

In Syria, ‘Containment' Has Produced A Predictable Deluge of Refugees

The West’s governments saw this coming more than two years ago, and have done little to prevent it.

Business

Meet the Women Who Survived Army's Ranger School (Navy SEALs Are Next)

Shortly after two women earned their Army Ranger tabs, the Navy's top admiral said SEALs will give women their shot.

Business

In Swamp Phase, Women Ranger Candidates Blend Right In

Everyone in the last phase of the Army's elite school looks the same: sweat-soaked and exhausted. And the Ranger Association says everyone who graduates can be a member.

Ideas

Where Are Pop Culture’s Women Warriors?

Hollywood leaves female troops off its made-up battlefields — and that matters to audiences and vets themselves.

Business

As Deadline Nears, Special Ops Chiefs Talk Women In Combat

The experience of the all-female Cultural Support Teams looms large as former U.S. Special Operations Command commander Eric Olson and current chief Gen. Joseph Votel talk about the future of women as special operators.

Ideas

Three Women Advance, Inspire at US Army’s Ranger School

As the trio work their way through the Mountain phase, others across the Army watch, wait, and hope for their shot at the elite special operators course.

Ideas

How One Woman Earned Her Way Onto the Special Ops Battlefield

Amber realized she would have to beat dozens of women at the Army Rangers' famed '100 hours of hell' if she wanted to see combat in Afghanistan.

Business

Army Shows Women No Slack at Elite Army Ranger Qualifiers

No debate about it, the Army is making the women trying to qualify for Ranger School meet every male standard – just like they want it.

Ideas

A New Day in US-Afghan Relations, But for How Long?

A dazzling goodwill tour by Afghanistan’s president wins a longer U.S. presence, for now.

Threats

Obama Insiders Divided About Shifting Fight From Assad to ISIS

To save Syria, destroy ISIS? Not Assad? Not everyone in Obama’s administration agrees you can have one without the other.

Ideas

If Only America Cared About Actual Wars as Much as War Movies

America loves 'American Sniper,' but there are consequences when a nation is so disengaged with its own wars. By Gayle Tzemach Lemmon

Ideas

Is Obama’s ‘Iraq First’ Strategy Working Against ISIS?

The Obama administration believes it can tackle problems in Iraq first, then Syria, but will that make things better or worse down the road? By Gayle Tzemach Lemmon and Stephanie Gaskell

Threats

How Afghans Feel About the Direction of Their Country

A poll of more than 9,000 Afghans revealed three-quarters of the population still fear for their lives during routine, everyday travel. By Gayle Tzemach Lemmon

Threats

The Search for the Plan To Destroy ISIS

In Syria, ISIS is offering a better deal than the U.S. By Gayle Tzemach Lemmon

Threats

Promises of Syrian Rebel Train-and-Equip Program Meet the Battlefield’s Realities

It will take months, if not years, to train and equip Syrian rebels. But on the battlefield, the clock is ticking. By Gayle Tzemach Lemmon