Ideas
Why ISIS Declared War on Egypt's Christians
The group has been exporting Iraq-style sectarian tactics to the Arab world’s most populous country.
Ideas
The Syria Strike Was International Security Theater
It was designed to look as if it would keep us safer, while actually doing nothing of the sort.
Ideas
Easy There, Blob. With Obama, We Faced A Different Syria
Four years ago, everything was different in Syria. I support these strikes, but two of our worries remain the same: escalation and loss of control.
Threats
In Love and War With Iraq’s Elite Fighters
Born in war, raised in war, Iraq’s young special operations forces fight their turn – they just hope their familes understand.
Threats
The Fight Against the Islamic State Just Got Harder
Initial thoughts on the Trump administration’s new front in the Syrian war.
Science & Tech
The Sarin Gas Attack In Syria Ignited an Information Battle
Victims quickly took to social media to distribute evidence of the use of chemical weapons.
Threats
The US Was Already Fighting in Syria
It has targeted ISIS and other terrorist groups, not the Assad regime—though that might change soon.
Ideas
When the House of Trump Met the House of Saud
The Saudi and Trump families looked cozy in their first state visit, but beneath the gilded surface, don’t expect much to change in U.S.-Saudi relations.
Business
Laptops and Tablets Are Now Banned from Use on 56 Routes to the US
Passengers will be required to pack larger electronics into their checked luggage.
Ideas
At the Oscars: Syrians, White Helmets, and Migrants Lead Picture Nominees
Four films at the Academy Awards might interest you: '4.1 Miles,' 'Watani: My Homeland,' 'The White Helmets,' and 'Fire at Sea.'
Science & Tech
US Air Force to Send F-35 to Fight ISIS … In a Few Years
The plane’s rotation schedule has the JSF making deployments to Europe and the Pacific before heading to the Middle East, a top Air Force general says.
Policy
Trump: I’m Not Being Tough On Russia Because I Want to Make A Deal
The president, who joked about sinking Moscow’s spy ship off the Atlantic coast, didn’t say what kind of deal he wants.
Ideas
Why are US Forces in Yemen at All?
'The truth of the matter is that America is killing people — terrorists and others — because its leaders don’t know what else to do.'
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
SPECIAL REPORT: The Military Loves the Obama Doctrine. Can It Survive Trump?
Commanders say they’re already fighting ISIS the right way: “by, with, and through” local forces.
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
ISIS Ends Its Separate Peace With Turkey
The politics of the attack and its avowal make the Istanbul massacre much more pivotal than many others.
Threats
Made-in-America Weapons, War Crimes, and the Outcry Over Yemen
As the US limits some arms sales to Saudi Arabia, human rights groups present 'overwhelming evidence' pointing back at Washington.
Ideas