Foreign Policy Blogs

Defense & Security

On Turkey, NATO and Needing New Allies

On Turkey, NATO and Needing New Allies

After almost a century of marching in lockstep with the secular ideas of Ataturk and the Kemalists, Erdogan is taking a hammer to the entire edifice.

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Nuclear Weapons Proliferation and Missile Defense

Nuclear Weapons Proliferation and Missile Defense

Pyongyang wants to develop a nuclear capable ICBM, capable of hitting the United States’ west coast. This could become a reality as early as this year.

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The Global Security Benefits of TPP’s Death

The Global Security Benefits of TPP’s Death

The TPP raised security issues, offering many loopholes in user safety, digital privacy, preservation of intellectual property, and government surveillance.

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Of Drones and Overseas Military Bases: The New Face of the War on Terror

Of Drones and Overseas Military Bases: The New Face of the War on Terror

In the summer of 2016, thousands of German citizens stood outside of Ramstein Air Base to protest U.S. drone strikes conducted from there.

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The Rocky Road to Stability: Mali 4 Years after the French Intervention

The Rocky Road to Stability: Mali 4 Years after the French Intervention

The French intervention and the African-led multilateral force have saved Mali from a total collapse. At the same time, the country is far from long-term stability.

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How Hawkish is Gen. James Mattis?

How Hawkish is Gen. James Mattis?

Trump praised him as “a general’s general” and the point person for a muscular U.S. foreign policy. Does Gen. Mattis’ own rhetoric fit Trump’s casting call?

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Defending Space: Preserving U.S. Superiority in the Skies

Defending Space: Preserving U.S. Superiority in the Skies

Striving to maintain American superiority in space does not just protect the U.S., but considering the alternatives, also makes the world a safer place.

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Obama, Trump and Drones

Obama, Trump and Drones

Will the Obama administration’s recent report on the use of military force influence the Trump’s administration conduct of foreign policy?

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From Russia With (No) Love: A Hard Heart Works Best For Russia

From Russia With (No) Love: A Hard Heart Works Best For Russia

U.S. relations with Russia can only improve through a more transactional, pragmatic approach based on shared interests, not values.

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Bubble Trouble: Russia’s A2/AD Capabilities

Bubble Trouble: Russia’s A2/AD Capabilities

Russia’s A2/AD “bubbles” around the Baltics, the Black Sea, the Eastern Mediterranean and the Arctic could dramatically constrain NATO’s freedom of movement.

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NATO Post-Warsaw: Challenges to Alliance Cohesion

NATO Post-Warsaw: Challenges to Alliance Cohesion

Alliance cohesion—a crucial requirement to successfully implement the Warsaw Summit commitments and tackle current security threats—is increasingly being tested.

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The Snowball Effect of Continued U.S.-Russia Strategic Mistrust

The Snowball Effect of Continued U.S.-Russia Strategic Mistrust

The unthinkable has happened as rising U.S.-Russia tensions in Syria have started to undermine global security through a key nuclear deal cancellation.

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NATO’s Strategic ‘Six-Pack’

NATO’s Strategic ‘Six-Pack’

The transatlantic community faces threats on multiple fronts, rendering NATO as essential to its security as it has ever been.

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The Fall of North Korea: A Wikistrat Crowdsourced Simulation

The Fall of North Korea: A Wikistrat Crowdsourced Simulation

Drawing from the opinions of 70 analysts, the simulation “gamed out” the various pathways to collapse and the response of major actors in the region.

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GailForce: Aspen Security Forum—Final Thoughts

GailForce:  Aspen Security Forum—Final Thoughts

“I’ve been, in one capacity or another, in the intel business for 52 years and I don’t remember a time when we had been beset by more crises and challenges around the world” -James Clapper

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