Counter-terrorism: Who will act on evidence in 2018?

by Jordan Street and Murray Ackman The evidence that mainstream counter-terror strategies need a rethink is crystal clear. Will 2018 be the year that decision-makers begin taking it seriously? The failure of current counter-terror strategies—in countries like Afghanistan, Egypt, Somalia,… Continue Reading

Trump’s National Security Strategy: Be Afraid, Be Very Afraid

bu Robert E. Hunter The Trump administration’s recently issued National Security Strategy for 2017 has already sunk from public sight. Judged by its content, that is as it should be. As The New York Times reflected when the NSS was… Continue Reading

Mapping a World From Hell

by Tom Engelhardt He left Air Force Two behind and, unannounced, “shrouded in secrecy,” flew on an unmarked C-17 transport plane into Bagram Air Base, the largest American garrison in Afghanistan. All news of his visit was embargoed until an hour before he was… Continue Reading

What If: An Alternative Strategy for 9/12/2001

by Danny Sjursen “Of all manifestations of power, restraint impresses men most.” — Thucydides You’ve heard the platitude that hindsight is 20/20. It’s true enough and, though I’ve been a regular skeptic about what policymakers used to call the Global… Continue Reading

Donald Trump’s First Year Sets Record for U.S. Special Ops

By Nick Turse “We don’t know exactly where we’re at in the world, militarily, and what we’re doing,” said Senator Lindsey Graham, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, in October. That was in the wake of the combat… Continue Reading