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Afghanistan Lost the Cognitive War Before It Lost the State

Masoud Andarabi

Afghanistan Lost the Cognitive War Before It Lost the State

The collapse of Afghanistan in August 2021 is still widely interpreted as a military or political failure. That interpretation is [...] More

Middle East

The Latest

The Front Line of the AI Race Runs Through Your Company's Chat Logs

David R. Shedd

The Front Line of the AI Race Runs Through Your Company's Chat Logs

Last week, a statement from former White House AI advisor David Sacks stopped Washington cold. "We now have a Chinese open-weight model that is as [...] More

An Outlook for What’s Next in Iran War

Norman T. Roule

An Outlook for What’s Next in Iran War

With tensions rising all week, the U.S. has launched a new round of strikes against Iranian military targets and maritime assets. The strikes follow [...] More

Expert View

The Succession Question Haunting the Kremlin

Mark Kelton

The Succession Question Haunting the Kremlin

The late-June 2026 death of Sergei B. Ivanov - the man once thought the most likely successor to Vladimir Putin - as well as the Russian President’s [...] More

Putin’s Running Out of Scare Tactics and Options

Rob Dannenberg

Putin’s Running Out of Scare Tactics and Options

Russian President Vladimir Putin can no longer conceal the cost of his Ukraine war from the Russian public. There are fuel shortages throughout the [...] More

Russia Europe

Cyber Fraud, Banks, and What America Can Do About It

Kelly Bissell

Cyber Fraud, Banks, and What America Can Do About It

Your phone buzzes with a text from your bank: “Did you authorize a $2,400 transfer? Reply NO to stop it.” You reply, and seconds later a calm “fraud [...] More

Gen. Dunford: Military Leaders Must Advise, Not Advocate

Walter Pincus

Gen. Dunford: Military Leaders Must Advise, Not Advocate

“We [the Joint Chiefs of Staff] often times in the national security decision-making process or White House meetings -- outside of the Pentagon [...] More

Walter Pincus Fine Print

Colombia’s Election Exposes a Country Still Split

David Fitzgerald

Colombia’s Election Exposes a Country Still Split

Colombia stands at a crossroads because of the narrow victory of right‑wing outsider Abelardo de la Espriella over leftist Senator Iván Cepeda. On [...] More

David Fitzgerald

A Tale of Two Africas in Maps, And How It Affects the United States

Dr. Jerry Laurienti

A Tale of Two Africas in Maps, And How It Affects the United States

As an Africa watcher, I have long told the story of two continents, juxtaposing the region’s plight with its opportunities, often arguing that the [...] More

Dr. Jerry Laurienti

The West Needs to Prepare for a Russian Defeat in Ukraine

Joey Gagnard

The West Needs to Prepare for a Russian Defeat in Ukraine

We are good at winning wars and generally bad at what comes after. Far from a partisan observation; this is a pattern with receipts. We removed [...] More

Joey Gagnard

An Intelligence Veteran Reflects on the Impact of Normandy

Dave Pitts

An Intelligence Veteran Reflects on the Impact of Normandy

I recently returned from commemorating the 82nd Anniversary of D-Day in Normandy—a much anticipated trip since I participated in the 80th [...] More

Dave Pitts

What Makes American Patriotism So Different

David Marlowe

What Makes American Patriotism So Different

We are about to close out the 250th year since Tom and the boys stepped brashly onto the world stage and declared with clarity of purpose and [...] More

Russia’s $11 Billion Soft Power Gamble

Glenn Corn

Russia’s $11 Billion Soft Power Gamble

I was sitting in the front seat of a “Yandex Taxi” in Moscow in the summer of 2018, dropping off some friends after we had drinks together at a local [...] More