Peace and Security
Risky Business in Ukraine
Thanks to Iraq's latest woes, it's getting pretty hard to pay attention to all that unrest in the former Soviet Union. Remember those poor Ukrainians? All they want is to be independent and left alone. Or at least that's what they claim. In truth, many also want...
Bracing for an Attack by Veterans
From 1776 forward, Americans have opposed having soldiers do police work on our soil. But in recent years, Pentagon chiefs have teamed up with police chiefs to circumvent that prohibition. How? By militarizing police departments. Through the little-known "military...
The NRA’s Accidental Brush with Sanity
Whoa, that was close. The National Rifle Association nearly shot itself in the foot recently with a common-sense editorial it posted online. The group of rootin'-tootin,' bullet-spittin,' doctrinaire, guns-everywhere extremists finally saw something involving firearms...
2,300 Deaths Are Enough
President Barack Obama's recent attempt to define foreign policy failed to accurately reflect how Washington intends to end one of the biggest quagmires of our time: Afghanistan. "You are the first class to graduate since 9/11 who may not be sent into combat in Iraq...
Nixing the Pentagon Slush Fund
The Senate Armed Services Committee has finished its work on the 2015 National Defense Authorization Act, a bill that guides Pentagon policies. The measure authorizes $514 billion in spending for the Pentagon, along with the Energy Department's national security...
Forging a Secret Legacy
Edward Snowden is trying to set the record straight about what exactly he was doing before he blew the whistle on widespread government snooping. Back when he made headlines by sharing his revelations and opting to stay stuck in Russia rather than serving time in a...
Modernizing Memorial Day
Whoever made the decision to open the National September 11 Memorial Museum just a few days before Memorial Day was both bold and intuitive. The theme of remembrance unites both events, but the 9/11 memorial is a departure because it is dedicated to those so often...
As Another North Korean Nuclear Test Looms, What’s Washington’s Response?
South Korea and U.S. intelligence sources believe that North Korea is on the brink of another nuclear test. What is Washington doing to stop it? Very little. Washington hasn't even picked up the phone to call Pyongyang. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel has responded by...
A Loveless Diplomatic Marriage with No Future
Among the would-be therapists of the foreign policy world, the alliance between the United States and Saudi Arabia is a textbook case of a "loveless marriage." Though the values of the two states are at odds, or so the thinking goes, the great democracy and the...
The Diplomatic Dance with Iran
A six-month diplomatic dance with Iran is underway — each step as dainty as a minuet because any misstep is weighted with danger. The issue is Iran's nuclear research program and the UN inspections that are taking place as a result. And while each side has its own...
