Alex Ward

No one expects detailed foreign policy agendas this early in the race, but the GOP field could be doing much better.

Dunford’s recent career shows a general who is confident in his abilities and who knows what he wants.

Contrary to Obama's opponents, the administration does have a strategy...it's just not a good one.

Business is booming, but think twice before sending more guns.

The threats facing the American homeland today, mostly of the 'lone wolf' variety, are threats the United States has faced for years.

"Arctic states need to increase their military presence as a show of strength to send Russia a signal that it cannot come into the Arctic unimpeded."

The Westphalian-Plus era calls for a "dynamic stability" strategy.

Returning to business as usual after Saturday's presidential election would be a disaster for Nigeria and the region.

How will the militaries of the world prepare?

So can we use the Spanish example to make a case one way or the other on arming the Ukraine government against Russia? Not exactly. The variables are too disparate to expect a similar outcome for a similar policy choice. In fact, no historical analogy should be used to justify a future policy decision. However, in this case, the Spanish Civil War reminds us that the decision to arm or not has both tactical and strategic implications beyond the act of arming. This is the “dilemma,” as Freedman… Show more

So can we use the Spanish example to make a case one way or the other on arming the Ukraine government against Russia? Not exactly. The variables are too disparate to expect a similar outcome for a similar policy choice. In fact, no historical analogy should be used to justify a future policy decision. However, in this case, the Spanish Civil War reminds us that the decision to arm or not has both tactical and strategic implications beyond the act of arming. This is the “dilemma,” as Freedman put it, that current policymakers must keep in mind when thinking about Ukraine and Russia—and why the Spanish Civil War still proves a useful historical episode for the United States. Show less

Not reconsidering the way the United States acts in this new world will only weaken America

Having a plan on how to lead, while important, still doesn’t demonstrate that you know how to get things done. That’s what this document should have described, and it didn’t. Indeed, this is a description document, not a prescription one — and we sorely needed the latter.

Despite the certainty that these five will try to reform the current acquisition process, massive, wholesale change is highly unlikely for three reasons: Carter will not have a lot of time to focus on defense acquisition; Congress will focus mostly on oversight, not reform, which will lead to incremental change at best; and the current path of reform is already the accepted path.

What worked on the Soviets may not work on the Chinese.

The preconditions for a hegemonic war currently exist in the world, but the U.S. can still prevent one.

A New Strategy Shows the Service's Enduring Value

How will this disaster impact US-Russian relations going forward? Furthermore, should the West sharpen its military and economic tools to curtail Russian aggression against Ukraine?

As his West Point speech reaffirmed, President Obama doesn’t have his own brand of foreign policy.

US interests in Africa deserve as much attention as Obama's highly touted 'pivot to Asia.'

Americans want an aggressive foreign policy without the work.

The debate about the US response to Russian actions has more to do with the US role in the world than the future of Crimea.

Intelligence, as a general rule, is secret state activity to understand or influence an adversary. Further, intelligence can help one state get an edge over another. The world of intelligence, on the whole, helps states achieve their interests. Allies might have common interests, but they do not necessarily share all the same interests, so a state needs to understand its ally’s objectives to better achieve what it wants. It is no wonder, then, that the United States spy on allied governments… Show more

Intelligence, as a general rule, is secret state activity to understand or influence an adversary. Further, intelligence can help one state get an edge over another. The world of intelligence, on the whole, helps states achieve their interests. Allies might have common interests, but they do not necessarily share all the same interests, so a state needs to understand its ally’s objectives to better achieve what it wants. It is no wonder, then, that the United States spy on allied governments and allied governments spy on the United States. Doing so covertly, however, is vital; the secrets states learn are sensitive, hence their secrecy. This helps explain some of the anger we are seeing with these new revelations. That said, states find out others’ secrets all the time, and sometimes it becomes public. That’s part of the game that the intelligence community has played for millennia. Show less

While President Obama clearly wants to do the right thing in Syria, his decision to delay the operation and seek congressional authorization was politically expedient but strategically unwise. Close allies of the United States, already concerned about US defense budget cuts and diminished US resolve, will grow more alarmed. Moreover, the president might feel he has the time to wait for Congress to deliberate—and he does—but so does Assad. Meanwhile, the innocent citizens of Syria do not.

NATO is at an inflection point in its history. The Alliance seeks a new purpose for the twenty-first century as it transitions from a costly decade in Afghanistan and faces a new security landscape in which Europe is neither the world’s geopolitical center of gravity nor United States’ center of attention. NATO must incorporate the “rise of Asia” into its strategic calculus. Being a key part of the security architecture of the Asia-Pacific region is a top priority for NATO policymakers. But… Show more

NATO is at an inflection point in its history. The Alliance seeks a new purpose for the twenty-first century as it transitions from a costly decade in Afghanistan and faces a new security landscape in which Europe is neither the world’s geopolitical center of gravity nor United States’ center of attention. NATO must incorporate the “rise of Asia” into its strategic calculus. Being a key part of the security architecture of the Asia-Pacific region is a top priority for NATO policymakers. But despite its Pacific border, NATO cannot claim to be a major player in what has been called a new “cockpit of geopolitics.” To rectify this, NATO must look north to the new frontier of international politics -- the Arctic -- to assert influence in Asia and reestablish itself as a global player. Show less

Conventional wisdom holds that terrorism in Spain has finally dissipated. However, political and economic trends might intersect with rising separatist extremism in Spain, leading to a return to the terroristic history that has plagued the country for years.

Since conventional arms are the most used weapons of violence, something needs to be done to halt their destructive use. But it hardly seems the ATT will be an adequate solution. Removing weapons sales to popularly supported groups fighting for rights and general welfare removes the hope of the very people the United Nations pledges to protect. And that, ultimately, is the failure.