Al-Qaeda: Splintered, Scattered, but Still Dangerous
A recent report from the RAND Corporation on al-Qaeda’s future says that the terrorist organization remains extremely dangerous and will demand America’s continued attention for… Read More
Nightmare Cinema: A World Under Obama’s Arms Control
In a recent speech to the Conference on Global Zero, Rose Gottemoeller, the Assistant Secretary for Arms Control, Verification and Compliance, told the cheering masses, “New… Read More
Iran Shows How to Rope-a-Dope
Talks between Iran and the U.N. “watchdog” International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) just failed big time. You would never know that talking to Ali Asghar… Read More
Defense Budget: Proper Metrics Required
In a recent Wall Street Journal column, George Will criticizes the GOP for failing to provide a national security policy that Americans would agree upon…. Read More
Reducing Nuclear Arsenal Would Shift U.S. Target Options
President Obama wants to reduce the nuclear arsenal to as little as 300 warheads. While this might seem like a lot, the targeting list is… Read More
A Case Study in How Localities Can Best Respond to Natural Disasters
Last week, a subcommittee of the House of Representatives Committee on Small Business held a hearing on the Disaster Loan Fairness Act (H.R. 3042). Sponsored… Read More
Failure to Protect: Central America’s Worsening Security Crisis
The horrific fire in a Honduran prison that claimed the lives of 358 prisoners highlights a worsening crisis of violence, insecurity, and institutional failure in… Read More
When Is Congress the Most Dangerous?
When it comes to cybersecurity, maybe Americans ought to be happy with a do-nothing Congress. Remember the rush to pass the Stop Online Privacy Act… Read More
Choosing Decline: The Meaning of Obama’s Defense Guidance and Budget
The Defending Defense project—a joint initiative of AEI, the Foreign Policy Initiative, and the Heritage Foundation—brought together Senators Jon Kyl (R–AZ), Kelly Ayotte (R–NH), and… Read More
Underwear Bomber Sentenced to Life in Prison
On Christmas Day 2009, Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab nearly succeeded in murdering almost 300 civilians aboard Northwest Flight 253. As the plane approached its final destination… Read More
Not a Good Time for U.S. Unilateral Reductions
Does the United States need fewer nuclear weapons? The White House thinks so. According to the recent reports, the Administration directed the Pentagon to develop… Read More
Left and Right Argue Terrorism Ups and Downs
Can we be confident that President Obama’s counterterrorism strategy is headed in the right direction? When I posted a chart to suggest that the numbers… Read More
New START: Been There, Threatened That
Yet again, the Russians are working to strengthen their position prior to NATO’s Chicago summit coming up in May. Mikhail Ulyanov, director of the Security… Read More
Cutting the Nuclear Arsenal Even Further
Representative Edward Markey (D–MA) has grave misconceptions regarding contributions that nuclear weapons make to the U.S. and allied national security. On Wednesday, he introduced a… Read More
The Reality of Maritime Cargo Security: 100 Percent Scanning Not the Answer
It sounds like a scene from 24: A terrorist group gets a hold of a nuclear bomb, places it in a cargo container, watches it… Read More
Defense Report Gets Failing Grade
America’s military is witnessing yet another attempt to recast the negative impact of massive defense cuts, this time in a report by the Council on… Read More
No Transparency Regarding Russia’s Strategic Buildup
In the New Strategic Arm Reductions Treaty (New START), the United States agreed to a weak verification regime. An indication of this is that U.S…. Read More
Military Maintenance Critical to a Ready Force
In a recent report titled “A Historical Perspective on ‘Hollow Forces,’” the Congressional Research Service (CRS) surveyed past efforts to keep the military from going… Read More
Are We Leaving Afghanistan Too Soon?
In an interview with the Military Times, Lieutenant Colonel Daniel Davis, a veteran of two tours of duty in Afghanistan, said he believes that U.S…. Read More
Congressional Research Service Misses the Point on Defense Budget
The recently released Congressional Research Service (CRS) report “A Historical Perspective on ‘Hollow Forces’” misses two important points in its analysis of the defense budget,… Read More
Washington Post Terrorism Poll Misses Point
A new Washington Post–ABC News poll finds that “the sharpest edges of President Obama’s counterterrorism policy, including the use of drone aircraft to kill suspected… Read More
How to Grade a “Hollow” Military
The Congressional Research Service (CRS) recently delivered a new report, “A Historical Perspective on ‘Hollow Forces.’” It is cold comfort to those who are really… Read More
Congress Notes Iranian Threat in Latin America
As we have been reporting, Iran is increasingly expanding its presence in Latin America, as evidenced in Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s recent tour to Ecuador,… Read More
Alliance at Work: Philippine Military Kills Southeast Asia Terrorist Leader
According to Associated Press reports today, the Philippine military has killed Southeast Asia’s most-wanted terrorist on Thursday. With U.S. support, two OV-10 aircraft bombed a… Read More
In Negotiating Missile Defense with Russia, Obama Could Learn from Reagan’s Example
In 1987, the United States and the Soviet Union negotiated the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF), which was designed to eliminate their nations’ respective intermediate… Read More
Latest Intelligence Assessment: Iran Poised to Target U.S. Homeland
Appearing before the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence on January 31, Director of National Intelligence (DNI) James R. Clapper warned that the “2011 plot to… Read More
Strengthening the U.S.–Philippines Security Alliance: More Visits, More Exercises
According to press reports, the Philippines and the United States are exploring ways to expand U.S. military presence in the region, including increasing Navy port… Read More
Russia Backs Assad to the Bitter End
In a rare admission of reality, a senior Russia Middle East hand, Duma Foreign Affairs Committee chairman Mikhail Margelov, acknowledged that Russia has “exhausted its… Read More
U.S. Special Forces Will Be Weakened by Defense Budget Cuts
Since the May 2, 2011, Navy SEAL raid on Osama bin Laden’s compound, President Obama has lauded the mission’s success and championed U.S. Special Forces… Read More
Defending Defense: FY 2013 Budget Based on Wishful Thinking, Not Reality
The Department of Defense’s recently released budget is based on a hope that the international environment has structurally changed and that the United States will… Read More
