Columns And Op‑Eds

Technology Advances Prompt Changes in CIA Collection Procedures

by Robert Eatinger

In the final few days of the Obama Administration, CIA Director John Brennan, after consulting with the Director of National Intelligence, brought years of CIA and interagency efforts to a close by...

The More Said, the More Questions Raised in Flynn Firing

by Walter Pincus

White House Chief of Staff Reince Priebus, during three Sunday television interview programs, gave different and sometimes confusing stories about what activities led to President Trump’s firing of...

An Understanding of the Mission: Former Military in Trump’s Cabinet

by Leon E. Panetta

Compared to the rest of his proposed cabinet, President Donald Trump’s pick of retired Marine Corps General James Mattis for Secretary of Defense has been one of his least controversial....

"The End of the Asian Century": Exploring Asia’s Future

by Michael Auslin

Conventional wisdom suggests Asia’s increasing wealthy and educated population will make it the most dynamic region of the world and that it will drive the global economy in the 21st century....

The End of the American Dream?

by Carmen Medina

I’ve been a Puerto Rican all my life. I’ve also been an American citizen all my life. My ethnicity tended to confuse representatives of foreign governments, who didn’t comprehend how a Puerto...

Howard Baker’s Words and the Flynn Controversy

by Walter Pincus

“What did the President know and when did he know it?” For those of us who went through Watergate, that question, first posed by Sen. Howard Baker (R-TN), is the one most relevant today as the...

DHS Secretary Kelly's Border Remedies Differ from Trump

by Walter Pincus

Last Tuesday, days before the current Trump ordered roundup of illegal aliens began, Homeland Security Secretary John F. Kelly went out of his way to urge members of the House Committee on Homeland...

A History of What Works with Iran

by Michael Morell

The Trump Administration is correct that the U.S. should focus on the significant threat posed by Iran’s misbehavior in the Middle East. Luckily, history provides a guide on how we can change that...

Fix What is Broken: Bringing Technocracy to America

by Parag Khanna

On November 8 last year, Donald Trump upended the American political system with his surprising electoral victory over Hillary Clinton. That result has raised many questions about the U.S. political...

Questions Remain Until Trump Makes Russia Intentions Clear

by John Sipher

President Donald Trump has never shown much interest in foreign policy issues.  The few consistent themes he has supported are to defeat ISIS, restructure trade deals, and radically improve...