Ideas

How America’s Drones Can Defeat ISIS

Critics of airstrikes over Iraq and Syria should give credit where it’s due: US sustained drone strikes are doing the job.

Policy

Undoing Netanyahu's Damage to US-Israel Relations

The former Israeli ambassador to the U.S., Michael Oren, argues that it will crucial for Jerusalem's next government to get right with Washington.

Threats

There Is No Global Jihadist ‘Movement’

The world of Islamist fighters is deeply fragmented and constantly shifting.

Policy

The Only Thing the White House and Congress Agree On About the War Against ISIS

Senators and Obama’s top officials agree on one thing on the war against the Islamic State -- Congress is unlikely to authorize it, and it’s unlikely to matter.

Policy

Republicans May Have Undermined Their Own Cause Against Iran

The letter from 47 Republicans to Iran's Ayatollah Khamenei could provide an excuse to blame the U.S. if nuclear negotiations fail.

Policy

Why Obama's ISIS War Powers Request Is Going Nowhere

A month after the White House released a new draft to authorize military force against the Islamic State, the measure hasn't gained support in either chamber or party.

Threats

Why Are Foreign Fighters Joining ISIS?

Foreign fighters participate in some of ISIS' 'worst acts,' but there isn't one clear explanation on why they join the battle in the first place.

Threats

Why Americans Are as Divided About ISIS as They Are About Everything

America is bitterly divided over the threat of Islamic extremism partly because we are now bitterly divided over almost everything.

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.

Threats

John Allen: ISIS Losing, But Iraq Still Isn't Ready To Win

Iraq’s government may not be ready to handle what happens when it defeats ISIS.

Threats

The Tikrit Offensive May in Fact Be Bad News for Iraq's Future

If the Iraqi forces are to defeat ISIS in Tikrit, they need local residents to rise up against the terrorists. But increasing Iranian influence is casting doubt on that outcome.

Threats

Iraqi Security Forces Launch Offensive To Retake Tikrit from ISIS

A battle for the strategic city of Tikrit has begun, with Iranian-backed militias and Iraqi security forces battling Islamic State militants.

Threats

The US, ISIS and the War of Narratives That's Being Lost

It's no secret that countering ISIS messaging requires telling a better story. So why hasn't the U.S. come up with one yet?

Threats

Will Netanyahu's Washington Moment Ruin a Breakthrough on Iran?

The politics of Netanyahu's speech to Congress this week masks another issue: Obama's responsibility to avoid making a bad nuclear deal with Tehran.

Threats

An Anti-ISIS Summit in Mecca

A little-noticed conference in Mecca on 'Islam and Counterterrorism' offers a counterpoint to the Obama administration's narrative on how to defeat ISIS.

Policy

Scott Walker Walks Back Protesters and ISIS Stumble

The Wisconsin governor tries to limit the fallout for 2016 from comparing a fight with Wisconsin protesters to combatting the Islamic State.

Threats

The Damage Netanyahu Is Doing to the US-Israel Relationship

The Israeli prime minister seems willing set relations with Washington on fire in order to save his political career.

Policy

2016 Hopeful Gov. Scott Walker Equates Wisconsin Protesters With ISIS

The governor said as commander in chief, he’d handle militant terrorists as he faced protesters back in Wisconsin.

Policy

Obama’s ISIS War Leaders Unclear on Proposed War Power’s Limits

Obama’s war leaders all have different definitions for his AUMF. But they want lawmakers to pass it anyway.

Threats

Netanyahu Tried To Invite Arab Diplomats To His Speech - and Failed

Meanwhile, the prime minister's national security advisor reportedly advised against the delivery of the speech.