Editor’s Note: A few weeks ago, we ran a provocative piece by Stephen Watts and Sean Mann in which they argued that in both its politics and in its development, Afghanistan is doing better than is common...

Using counterterrorism as a lens for seeing the Middle East, as the Obama administration so often does, has helped the United States achieve several important successes against the Al Qaeda core and avoi...

Editor’s Note: Sanctions are increasingly America’s foreign policy instrument of first resort, promising success without the bloodshed that comes with military force. Iran’s willingness to cut a deal ove...

Editor's Note: Last week we looked at how the lack of attention to governance has hindered effective U.S. security sector assistance. This week Gordon Adams of American University and Richard Sokolsky of...

Editor's Note: We’re breaking new ground here at the Foreign Policy Essay—a two-part series. So many of the problems identified in past Foreign Policy Essays and for Lawfare in general revolve directly o...

Editor’s Note: The U.S. Army and the military as a whole seem to have fallen on hard times: polls, studies, and tragedies like suicides and drug abuse all suggest an institution in crisis. Raphael Cohen ...

Editor’s Note: The United States and its allies outsource most of their counterterrorism. Allies like Egypt and Jordan and frenemies like Pakistan do much of the heavy lifting, using their armies and int...

Editor’s Note: The Islamic State’s latest victories in Iraq have been met by teeth-gnashing in Iraq and hand-wringing in Washington. U.S. military officials expressed disgust and disappointment with the ...

Editor’s Note: The United States would like to compartmentalize the Iran nuclear deal, continuing to oppose Iran’s subversion in the Middle East and hostility to Israel while assuring regional allies tha...

Editor’s Note: Drones and their use have long fascinated and frustrated many of us at Lawfare. Part of the fascination stems from the new ground being broken, both technologically and especially at the p...

Editor’s Note: National governments seem to be failing throughout the Middle East. The United States, unfortunately, does not usually have the luxury of waiting until a strong government returns, and bui...