Policy
White House Pauses Some Diplomatic Spending
The move could provide a path for OMB to circumvent spending levels spelled out by Congress.
Ideas
Don't Trust the Taliban With Afghanistan’s Cultural Preservation
The group continues to attack sites and antiquities. Here are five ways peace negotiators can ensure that Afghanistan’s past will contribute to its future.
Policy
Warren Vows to Double the Number of Career Diplomats at State
Democratic candidate calls for massive overhaul to the State Department and how it manages its employees.
Threats
Pentagon Official: We Didn’t Link Iran to al-Qaeda In Hill Briefings
“In these briefings, none of the officials mentioned al-Qa'ida or the 2001 Authorization to Use Military Force,” DASD Mick Mulroy said.
Ideas
Ep. 44: Under Secretary Andrea Thompson and Kori Schake, live from the Shangri-La Defense Dialogue
Welcome to our podcast about the news, strategy, tech, and business trends defining the future of national security.
Threats
Staffing Shortages Impede State Department Monitoring of War-Zone Contracts
Watchdog finds several bureaus allowed questionable invoices to go through.
Policy
White House Proposes Loan Fund to Help Allies Buy US Arms
It’s the second try for an idea shelved in 2017 when lawmakers disapproved.
Policy
We’ll Soon Learn Whether You Can Post 3D-Gun Plans Online
A proposed export-rules change has snagged over the question: is publishing such designs a boon to U.S. business or foreign terrorists?
Policy
State Dept. Taps Ex-Fox News Correspondent to Counter Propaganda
Pompeo hails "vision" of long-rumored appointee Lea Gabrielle.
Policy
Diplomats Aren’t Following the State Department’s Social Media Rules, Watchdog Says
At least 20 ambassadors have used their personal Twitter accounts for diplomatic activities.
Policy
State Department Defends Unusual Recall of Furloughed Staffers, With Pay
Management, budget and legal teams approved emergency movement of funds.
Ideas
America’s Foreign Policy in the Middle East is Not What Pompeo Claimed
In Cairo, the secretary touted stronger U.S. engagement in the region, all evidence to the contrary.
Science & Tech
The US Is Buying Phone Hacking Tools for Ghana’s Police
The State Department wants Ghanaian law enforcement to be able to access Android, Windows, and BlackBerry devices used in transnational crime.
Science & Tech
State Department Relaxing Rules on Transfer on Drone, Chip Technology
The rules will pave the way for 5G cellphones — and even drones that talk to each other in midair.
Ideas
US Diplomatic Vacancies Are Straining Alliances
Almost half the top jobs in the State Department are empty. In 18 countries, the White House has yet to designate a U.S. ambassador. That includes Australia, a close ally to America that is beginning to look to China instead.
Policy
The US Just Tore Up a Six-Decade-Old Treaty With Iran
Iran used the 1955 Treaty of Amity to take the U.S. to the International Court of Justice over its decision to leave the nuclear deal.
Ideas
America's Latest About-Face: Refugee Resettlement
Where past administrations have treated resettlement caps as a goal, Pompeo has set strict limits.
Policy
US Enters Its Next Phase in Its Strategy to Pressure Iran
The State Department’s Iran Action Group will mostly focus on “nukes, terrorism, and the detention of American citizens.”
Ideas
Secretary of a State of Confusion
Senators tell Mike Pompeo: We have “serious doubts about this White House and its conduct of American foreign policy,”
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