Ideas

America's Allies Want More From the US

The next president has to figure out how to give it to them – more presence, more forces, more aid.

Threats

Climate Scientists Warn That Global Warming Is as Threatening As Nuclear War

Rising global temperatures and sea levels will become an international security issue if left unattended.

Threats

Here’s the Biggest Difference Between US and Chinese Military Policy

What their public strategy documents say about the world’s leading military power and its up-and-coming rival.

Ideas

5 Keys to the New US National Military Strategy

From new nukes to the growing threat of interstate war, the new document is the boldest statement yet of the 'complex and rapidly-changing' global security landscape.

Ideas

Beyond the Military: Why the US Needs More National Service Options

Building a next generation of American foreign policy and national security leaders requires new options for national service.

Business

Dempsey’s Final Instruction to the Pentagon: Prepare for a Long War

In a new National Military Strategy, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff warns the Pentagon to reorganize its global footprint to combat prolonged battles of terrorism and proxy wars.

Threats

Is ‘Whack-A-Mole’ Working Against al Qaeda?

The terror group’s No. 2 was killed in Yemen, reportedly by a U.S. strike. But are such killings bringing the U.S. any closer to “degrading and ultimately defeating” terrorism?

Science & Tech

What the OPM Hack Means for the Future of Warfare

It's not the first time the U.S. government's systems have been breached, and it won't be the last time either.

Threats

It's Nearly Impossible to Understand What Motivates Terrorists

Asking how people join terrorist groups is more worthwhile than asking why.

Threats

This Is How Little the US-Led Air War Against ISIS Has Achieved

The U.S.-led coalition has carried out nearly 3,800 airstrikes since August, but that's led to few gains for an Iraqi military that has a long way to go before it can hold territory.

Threats

How Terrorism Prolongs Conflict But Loses the War

Rebel groups that employ the tactic in civil wars seldom win or gain concessions—but they tend to make ending a conflict much more difficult, a new paper finds.

Ideas

Why the New Arab Military Pact Isn't Worth The Ink It Was Written In

The plan drawn up yesterday by the Arab world’s military chiefs is unlikely to go any farther than the Cairo conference room where it was concocted.

Threats

Carter: The US Military Is Training an Iraqi Army That Doesn't Want To Fight

The main problem with Iraq's battered and depleted military is the same one facing Iraq as a whole—the country effectively no longer exists as a unified state.

Threats

The Biggest Trade Deal Ever Could Undermine American Security in the Asia-Pacific

Our 'pivot to Asia' doesn’t need to be anchored by a new preferential trade agreement with China.

Ideas

The 3 Areas Where the Navy Is Adjusting Its Operating Strategy

Facing threats to its existing operating concept, the Navy is adjusting the way it'll pursue surface warfare in the 21st century.

Science & Tech

How the Islamic State Is Disrupting Online Jihad

The Islamic State group’s use of social media for messaging has drawn plenty of attention. But their use of the web to mount terrorist attacks is just as revolutionary.

Threats

What Have 9 Months of Airstrikes Against ISIS Achieved?

There’s no end in sight for an air campaign that has killed some 8,500 militants and cost more than $2 billion.

Threats

How Kenya’s Counterterrorism Effort Turned Counterproductive

Even the staunchest anti-Shabaab Somali community feels alienated by the security forces’ brutal tactics.

Threats

Europe Requires More than Symbolic Defense

A recent 1,200-mile U.S. Army convoy across European roads was a stirring sight, but it won’t be enough to deter Russian aggression.

Ideas

Tomorrow’s Small Wars Won’t Just Be Land Wars

The naval and coastal aspects of counterinsurgency get dangerously short shrift.