The Promise and Peril of H.R. McMaster

by William Hartung President Trump’s choice of H.R. McMaster to replace Michael Flynn as his national security advisor has elicited glowing words and sighs of relief among experienced foreign policy hands and mainstream journalists alike, and rightly so. The most… Continue Reading

Trump’s Vision of a Militarized America

by William Hartung At over $600 billion a year and counting, the Pentagon already receives significantly more than its fair share of federal funds.  If President Donald Trump has his way, though, that will prove a sum for pikers and… Continue Reading

Trump for the Defense

by William Hartung As with so much of what Donald Trump has said in recent months, his positions on Pentagon spending are, to be polite, a bundle of contradictions.  Early signs suggest, however, that those contradictions are likely to resolve… Continue Reading

How to Arm a “Volatile” Planet

by William Hartung When American firms dominate a global market worth more than $70 billion a year, you’d expect to hear about it.  Not so with the global arms trade.  It’s good for one or two stories a year in… Continue Reading

Why Is the United States Still Backing Saudi Arabia in Yemen?

by William D. Hartung This month’s White House visit by Saudi Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) underscores the growing influence of the Saudi defense minister, who is the driving force behind the kingdom’s catastrophic war in Yemen. The Obama administration… Continue Reading