Ideas
The End of the Cold War Between the US and Iran Could Be Near
Three decades of animosity between Washington and Tehran may be transitioning to something new: a working bilateral relationship.
Threats
Is Iran a Totalitarian State?
The answer has consequences for U.S. strategy in nuclear talks with Tehran.
Threats
The Reckless Man's Case for Bombing Iran
John Bolton's newest proposal for yet another war in the Middle East was assessed as a bad idea by former Defense Secretary Robert Gates three years ago.
Policy
Stop Using the Phrase 'Muscular Foreign Policy'
Calling the GOP foreign policy 'muscular' means only one thing: a broader use of military force
Threats
The Larger Truth of 'Violent Extremism'
Recent history reveals the president's deliberate choice of wording could be read as a statement about the nature of terrorism itself.
Policy
What Democrats Lose By Disowning Jimmy Carter
The 39th president's name has become an epithet in Washington for weak and naive foreign policy. That could not be any farther from the truth.
Threats
Hagel's Rise and Fall Had Nothing To Do With Foreign Policy
The defense secretary's role is not to set a course, but to execute it. Hagel never did that well. By Peter Beinart
Policy
Rand Paul and the Myth of American Isolationism
Over the last year, Sen. Paul has developed an approach patterned on the internationalist thinking that influenced foreign policy elites during the Cold War. By Peter Beinart
Policy
Leon Panetta and Hillary Clinton Aren't As Cozy As You May Have Heard
While the media focuses on how the former defense secretary's memoir praises her and criticizes the president, the book itself tells a different story. By Peter Beinart
Policy
How Long Do US Troops Need To Stay in Afghanistan?
The debate over post-2014 troop levels is getting almost no attention in the media. That's a big problem for America. By Peter Beinart
Policy
How to Defeat the Islamic State, According to Ted Cruz
The senator’s brand of national security is more steeped in dangerous, pandering rhetoric than actual military advice. By Peter Beinart
Threats
How Much of a Threat to the Homeland Is the Islamic State?
Lots of things 'could' threaten the U.S. In the case of the Islamic State, does that danger justify another military campaign in the Middle East? By Peter Beinart
Threats
Pursuing the Islamic State to the Gates of Hell
America’s foreign-policy debate has turned in a way that could cause the Obama administration a great deal of trouble. By Peter Beinart
Threats
The Fierce Minimalism of Barack Obama
Obama’s critics often claim he doesn’t have a strategy in the greater Middle East. That’s wrong. To understand it, we must go back 7 summers. By Peter Beinart
Threats
The Problem With Bombing the Islamic State in Syria
For all the problems with intervening militarily in Iraq, every one of them pale next to the problems of doing so in Syria. By Peter Beinart
Policy
Why No Democrat Wants to Run Against Hillary
Given the Clintons' reputation for retaliating for betrayals, this Democratic front-runner looks poised to remain unchallenged all the way to 2016. By Peter Beinart
Ideas
How Money Warps U.S. Foreign Policy
America's foreign policy is more elitist and insulated from public opinion than it has been in decades. And that’s a real problem for American democracy. By Peter Beinart
Threats
America's Moral Obligations in Iraq
‘An entire religion is being exterminated from the face of the earth,’ one Iraqi lawmaker warns. By Peter Beinart
Policy
What Would Reagan Do In Iraq?
Rand Paul and Rick Perry each claim to be the Gipper’s heir in the Middle East. Who's right? By Peter Beinart
Ideas
Dick Cheney and the Bush Doctrine
The former vice president rejected democracy-promotion in the Middle East. And today's conservatives agree with him. By Peter Beinart
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