The Limits of Force: Back to the Wild West?

by Gordon Adams The Wild West may be coming back. When the West was wild, it was a time of lawlessness. A time when shoot-outs were an unpredictable, regular occurrence. A time when might worked hard to rule over right.… Continue Reading

The Case for Sending Secretary Kerry to Tehran

by Navid Hassibi Although it is unclear what will happen to the Iran nuclear deal (the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, or JCPOA) once President-elect Donald Trump assumes office, President Barack Obama still has a few weeks left to try… Continue Reading

The Price of “Policy by Tweet”

by Robert E. Hunter Every president since Harry S Truman in 1948 has, in one way or another, been bedeviled by the Israeli-Palestinian issue. President-elect Donald J. Trump will be Lucky Number 13. Like Joel Chandler Harris’ tar baby, Trump… Continue Reading

The New Exterminatory Warfare

by Edward Hunt During its final years in office, the Obama administration has devised a new form of warfare with major implications for how the U.S. government confronts its enemies. With the ability to quickly locate and eliminate potential adversaries… Continue Reading

Russian Realism in the Middle East

by Paul R. Pillar We should reflect on the meaning of Russia’s use of a base in Iran for staging airstrikes in Syria, and about what lessons we could learn from the Russians. The significance does not have to do… Continue Reading