Ideas

Who Gets to Tell the Story of the Afghanistan War?

The Washington Post’s ‘Afghanistan Papers’ is the latest contribution to a growing argument over whether the conflict — or any of the ‘forever wars’ — was worth the cost.

Threats

Eleven US Troops Were Injured in Jan. 8 Iran Missile Strike

The troops were medevaced this week to Germany and Kuwait to be treated for traumatic brain injury after experiencing concussion symptoms.

Ideas

Who’s Next? Trump Crossed a Line with Soleimani’s Assassination

The Iranian was much more than a general. Who else is the U.S. president willing to kill?

Threats

Amid Rising Tensions: A Conversation with Pakistan’s Ambassador

Asad Majeed Khan discusses the U.S. troop pullout in Afghanistan, the worsening situation in Kashmir, and efforts to fight extremism.

Policy

Trump Officials Meet With Libyan Politician Aligned With Opposition ‘Strongman’ In Potential Policy Shift

US support for the UN-recognized Libyan government is in question after a series of quiet meetings with an enterprising presidential hopeful.

Threats

General: Trump Pullout Did Not Affect Baghdadi Raid Timing

“We struck because the time was about right,” said CENTCOM’s Gen. Frank McKenzie, of intelligence and other factors.

Ideas

The Current US Approach to Terror Is a Recipe for Forever War

Defusing terrorist groups requires helping the communities they exploit, not just shooting their leaders.

Ideas

Killing Terrorist Leaders Gets Attention, But It Doesn’t Stop Terrorism

Baghdadi’s death is indeed a turning point in the War on Terror, just as Osama bin Laden’s was in 2011. It’s just not clear what the war is turning to.

Ideas

Syrian Women Helped Find Baghdadi, Beat ISIS, Will Face ‘Tough Time’ Ahead, Leader Says

'We will continue our resistance and our struggle,' says the head of the all-women’s YPJ, in a rare interview.

Ideas

ISIS Lost Its Land. Then It Began to Lose Its Ability to Inspire.

As with Osama bin Laden, the most intriguing fact about Baghdadi’s assassination was its location, deep in what was considered enemy territory.

Threats

ISIS Leader Baghdadi Killed Himself During US Special Ops Raid, Trump Confirms

Trump claims, against the evidence, that killing Baghdadi was administration's "top national security priority."

Threats

Trump Declares Victory in Syria, Claims Credit for It All

“Let someone else fight over this long-bloodstained sand,” the president says, as Congress fumes.

Ideas

'By, With, Through' Was the Best Hope for Syria — And Ending 'Endless Wars'

The U.S. acquiescence to Turkey’s invasion abandons an effective Kurdish partner, but also a creative model that was working.

Threats

Syrian Decision Rekindles Fear of ISIS Prison Breaks

Pentagon and State Department officials have raised alarms for months about the makeshift prisons.

Threats

DHS Is Finally Going After White Supremacists. That Won't Be Simple.

A new strategy prioritizes domestic terrorism, especially of the extreme right. Now the agency has to actually tackle the problem.

Ideas

DHS’s New Counterterrorism Strategy Reflects Professionalism, Not Politics

The counterterrorism experts who oversaw the Obama-Trump policy transition applaud the new strategy’s bold approach to domestic terrorism and guns.

Policy

Do Americans Really Want to End 'Forever Wars?' Survey says...

Some surprises, and unsurprising party lines, are revealed in the latest Chicago Council poll on American foreign policy opinions.

Threats

US Army: No Afghanistan Withdrawal Plans Yet

“We have not received any direction to do anything at this point,” says Acting Army Secretary Ryan McCarthy.

Ideas

Our Efforts to Prevent Nuclear Terror Are Shrinking. The Threat Is Not.

Five ideas to help Congress reinvigorate the crucial pursuit of nuclear security.

Ideas

The Fight Against White Nationalism Is Different

The fight against ISIS offers some lessons—but also a cautionary tale on U.S. failures to combat an ideology.