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.
Policy
Obama Administration: Terror-War Authorizations Don't OK Defending US-Trained Syrians Against Assad
Instead, administration officials say, the Constitution gives the president the authority, in certain circumstances, to order action against Assad’s forces.
Ideas
Obama Needs an ISIS War Czar Before It’s Too Late
Obama’s ISIS fight looks more like Iraq in 2003 than in 2007, when military and civilian leaders were synced hip-to-hip.
Ideas
Today’s Terrorists Want To Inspire
How terrorism has—and hasn’t—changed, from the Algerian War to ISIS.
Threats
How ISIS Territory Has Changed Since the US Bombing Campaign Began
An animated depiction of a stalemate.
Ideas
The Islamic State's Recruiting Has Hit Britain Particularly Hard
British Muslims are caught in a pincer movement: with public and government suspicion on one side, and a seductive and supposedly empowering ideology on the other.
Threats
Do Qatar, UAE Airlines Threaten US National Security?
The biggest U.S. airlines say Gulf states’ subsidies could force them to abandon the large planes needed to move troops overseas. One veteran analyst calls this hogwash.
Threats
How Many US Troops Were Killed By Iranian IEDs in Iraq?
Far fewer than Congress thinks, according to newly declassified documents from U.S. Central Command.
Threats
How ISIS Turns the Economy Into A Recruiting Tactic
In ISIS-controlled areas, economic persecution and high unemployment are leaving the desperate with few options.
Ideas
Incirlik Air Strikes Aren’t Changing Any Games Just Yet
Two weeks after U.S. planes started bombing ISIS from Turkish bases, the number of strikes in Syria has declined.
Ideas
Pakistan Must Convince the World of its Intentions
Tackling terror, all terror, should be Job No. 1 for Islamabad.
Policy
Here's How the Supreme Court Could Make Congress Own the War on ISIS
The Court has wisely left it to the political branches to work out their inter-branch conflicts over foreign policy. But decisions over war and peace are special case scenarios.
Policy
One Year into the War That Congress Won't Declare
What if U.S. lawmakers don’t accept their duty to oversee the U.S. campaign in Iraq and Syria?
Policy
Pentagon Pressures Turkey to Strike ISIS, Tighten Border
More than a year into the U.S.-led campaign against Islamic State militants, Defense Secretary Ashton Carter is demanding Ankara do more.
Ideas
ISIS, Syria, and Turkey’s New War on the Kurds
After a decade of improving relations, Ankara has resumed open war on the largest stateless ethnic group in the world.
Threats
A Better Deal With Iran Is Possible
A congressional “no” doesn’t have to mean “no, never.” It can also mean “not now, not this way.” Here’s what a better deal might look like.
Threats
Odierno Wades Into GOP Battle Over Iraq War
If Iraqi soldiers don’t make progress in the coming months, the Pentagon should recommend embedding troops on the battlefield, says Gen. Raymond Odierno, the outgoing Army chief of staff.
Science & Tech
Google Earth Is Helping Syrians Call In US Air Strikes
Kurdish militia fighters are using Android tablets and free Google mapping tools to track battle lines and coordinate close air support with the US military.
Ideas
Drifting Down The Nile: US, Egypt Prepare to Talk
The upcoming strategic dialogue will seek to expand the relationship beyond security issues—or maybe just get things back on track.
Policy