Ideas

Sanctions Won’t Hurt Iran’s UAV Program

The Biden administration should rethink its approach—and its real goals in the region.

Ideas

Hold the UAE Accountable for Meddling in US Politics

Letting the Emirates go unpunished sends the wrong signal to perpetrators of foreign influence operations.

Policy

US Will End Combat Mission In Iraq, Biden Says

US needs to 'divert more of our body on threats in China and Russia,' says Joint Chiefs Vice Chairman Gen. Hyten

Policy

First Wave of Afghan Interpreters Head to Fort Lee

Arriving families will stay for the moment in barracks or other housing; the State Department will pick up their food and medical costs.

Ideas

Clarity on Afghanistan, Confusion on Iraq

Biden gave us clarity on Afghanistan and it’s time he does the same in Iraq.

Policy

Officials Deny American Troops Are Pulling Out Of Iraq as Strategic Talks Near

Biden will likely discuss the future of the American troop presence in Iraq when the prime minister visits Washington this month.

Policy

Afghans Own Whatever Comes Next, Biden Says

Rejecting critics, President Joe Biden said the United States isn’t responsible for Taliban gains, civilian deaths, or worsening women’s rights after American troops leave.

Policy

Fighter Jets Leave Afghanistan as US Departs Bagram

Withdrawal from the mammoth base comes as officials continue to seek access elsewhere in the region.

Policy

Air Strikes Renew Battle Over War Authorizations

Some lawmakers are using Sunday’s strikes in Iraq and Syria to push for keeping a two-decade-old statute, but law experts say their arguments don’t hold water.

Policy

For Now, ‘Over the Horizon’ Protection for Afghanistan Will Fly From Existing Hubs, Acting Air Force Secretary Says

Service wants $10 billion for South Asia and Middle East operations as Pentagon develops long-term plan for Afghanistan support.

Ideas

The Bloated Pentagon Budget Isn’t Just Wasteful. It’s Racist

In this era of racial reckoning, national security policy and defense budgets cannot be exempt from the scrutiny of their effects on communities of color.

Ideas

No F-35s for UAE, Please

The sale is likely to deepen existing conflicts and further enmesh the U.S. in the region.

Ideas

Focus on Influence, Not Power, in the Middle East

People talk about U.S. power and influence as if they’re the same thing. That's a mistake.

Ideas

America Needs to Take Charge of the ISIS Aftermath

Two years after the fall of the caliphate, the world should not leave this to the SDF.

Threats

In Syria, US Commanders Hold the Line — and Wait for Biden

Troops maintain the status quo amid a counterterrorism success-turned-frozen war.