Ideas

What the West Can Learn from the Ukraine Crisis

The Ukraine crisis has potentially damaged the West’s influence and credibility in the region. Here are five lessons to keep in mind. By Andrew Wilson

Ideas

US Strategic Leaders Need to Think Bigger – Much Bigger

The entire international system is in flux. It’s time U.S. leaders figure out America’s core interests and start fresh. By Hanna Samir Kassab

Ideas

The Navy Has No Strategy? A Response to Randy Forbes

The Navy is far from rudderless. In fact, it’s a victim of it’s own overwhelming success. By Jerry Hendrix

Business

Army’s Doctrine Chief: Expect the Unexpected

Gen. David Perkins stresses rapid innovation for a 'chaotic' future for the Army and warns that 'war is a series of temporary conditions, and you lose during the transition.' By Charles S. Clark

Threats

The Campaign Against ISIL Could Cost $1.5B a Month

Key questions remain concerning targets, transitions and how to fund a sustained campaign against ISIL. By Janine Davidson and Emerson Brooking

Ideas

If There Is ‘No Military Solution’ in Iraq, Where Is the Non-Military Solution?

Rather than reducing the motivations for joining ISIS, the U.S. military plan seems bound to add to them. By Sarah Chayes

Ideas

Why It’s OK for Obama To Ignore Military Advice

Presidents don’t always listen to their top military leaders when it comes to matters of national defense. And that’s not always a bad thing. By Lawrence Korb

Ideas

How the Lessons of Iraq Are Shaping the Fight Against the Islamic State

After 4 years of war in Iraq, the U.S. learned the importance of patience and restraint--lessons that dominate today's strategic fight against the Islamic State. By Col. Steve Liszewski

Ideas

It’s Time to Sink the Littoral Combat Ship

Things that seem too good to be true usually are, and so it is with the LCS. By Jacob Marx and William D. Hartung

Threats

Top Six Strategic Threats to Worry About in Today's Global Headlines

Forget the Cold War, in the new era of strategic deterrence how do you solve a problem like non-state extremists, nuclear neophytes and attacks in space? By Elaine M. Grossman

Threats

In Search of America's 'Organizing Principle'

Sometimes an ad-hoc foreign policy gets the best results. By Noah Gordon

Threats

Mission Creep? U.S. Has Nearly 1,000 Troops in Iraq Now

The Pentagon just added nearly 130 new advisors to northern Iraq, elevating the exposure of U.S. troops to the risks of violence on Iraq’s new battleground. By Ben Watson

Threats

Navy Chief Says the Future of War Lies in 'Information Dominance'

Cyber threats and capabilities are the dominant considerations for a service entering a new era in naval warfare. By Bob Brewin

Policy

The 'It's About Oil' Theory in Iraq Is Still Inaccurate

The idea that the U.S. is only in the Middle East for oil may seem like a seductive idea -- but it's a deeply misguided one as well. By Steve LeVine

Ideas

What’s Next for the U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit?

Fewer and less intense wars in Africa present the U.S. with an opportunity to increase accountability for human rights violations and the rule of law. But is America up to the task? By Amelia M. Wolf

Ideas

4 Rules of War from Al-Qaeda

The terrorist group lays out several lessons of warfare, captured in letters exchanged by two senior al-Aqeda leaders. Here's four of them. By Janine Davidson

Ideas

The Gulf of Tonkin and Lessons for the Global War on Terror

The 50th anniversary of the Gulf of Tonkin incident should give pause to those advocating for aggressive, immediate action to meet today’s challenges. By Lawrence J. Korb

Policy

The Trouble With Cease-Fire Agreements in War

The Israeli-Gaza conflict is testing the limits of the concept of a ‘cease-fire’ as a departure from hostilities. If we can’t 'hear' the total silence from the guns of August, is there any way out of the cycle of violence? By Tara Sonenshine

Business

Air Force Secretary Doubles Down on Nuclear Mission

Air Force leaders want the world to know their June decision save the embattled nuclear corps from forced cutbacks was an absolute necessity. By Rachel Oswald

Ideas

Don't Worry, the Next World War Is Not Upon Us...Yet

Why U.S. military power and America's relationship to China today rule out any sane comparisons with August 1914. By Graham Allison