Security

'Don't Try to Convince Yourself That You're in Control'

Afghan lessons for arming the Syrian rebels from the CIA's mujahideen point man.

BY JOSHUA E. KEATING | JUNE 14, 2013

Is Doing Something in Syria Better than Nothing?

Why Obama’s small plan to send small arms to the Syrian rebels might fail on all counts.

BY JAMES TRAUB | JUNE 14, 2013

America: Choosing Security Over Liberty Since 1798

Sorry, Edward Snowden -- the United States has a long, dubious history of putting national security before people's freedoms.  

BY HAYES BROWN | JUNE 11, 2013

Oversight Now

Why Congress needs to go big -- and restrict the power of a runaway executive branch.

BY BRUCE ACKERMAN | JUNE 11, 2013

Control+Freedom+Delete

Do Americans realize their privacy rights have been obliterated?

BY DAVID ROTHKOPF | JUNE 10, 2013

'We Face a Very Serious Chinese Military Threat'

Japan's former defense minister talks to FP about cyberattacks, the East China Sea face-off, and whether North Korea's Kim Jong Un is a puppet dictator.

INTERVIEW BY ISAAC STONE FISH | JUNE 10, 2013

How Dangerous Is a Terrorist with a Twitter Handle?

There's an effort afoot in Congress to kick terrorists off Twitter. But the government's spies aren't so sure.

BY JONATHAN SCHANZER | JUNE 8, 2013

Syria Is Now Saudi Arabia's Problem

The battle for a town on the Lebanese border marks the kingdom's first attempt to lead Syria's fractured opposition.

BY HASSAN HASSAN | JUNE 6, 2013

Why the NSA Needs Your Phone Calls…

… and why you (probably) shouldn't worry about it.

BY STEWART BAKER | JUNE 6, 2013

Liberia Leans In

In a country where rape has been used as a weapon of war, reformers are making special efforts to turn women into cops.

BY LAURA BACON | JUNE 3, 2013

They're the Deciders

Why today's presidents have more war-waging power than ever -- and why no Congress will ever stand in their way.

BY AARON DAVID MILLER | MAY 31, 2013

The Wild West in East Africa

What do a handful of South African mercenaries do for an encore in Somalia, once all the pirates are gone?

BY JAMES BRIDGER, JAY BAHADUR | MAY 30, 2013

The Price of Peace

How much is a U.N. blue helmet actually worth?

BY DAVID BOSCO | MAY 29, 2013

Speak No Evil

Why Obama shouldn't have given that big drone speech.

BY AARON DAVID MILLER | MAY 28, 2013

Revenge Landmines of the Arab Spring

In the mountains of Yemen, a strange and deadly face-off between elite soldiers and rebellious villagers could have big international consequences.

BY JOE SHEFFER | MAY 24, 2013

The Indispensable Nation's Indispensable Weapon

Obama can't live without drones, Pakistan can't live with 'em. So the president bowed to the Islamic street.

BY JAMES TRAUB | MAY 24, 2013

The War for the Arab World

Sunni-Shiite hatreds are the least of the Middle East's problems -- it's the struggle within the Sunni world that will define the region for years to come.

BY MARC LYNCH | MAY 23, 2013

Too Fast, Too Soon

Why Obama's embrace of Myanmar is putting the cart before the horse.

BY JOSHUA KURLANTZICK | MAY 21, 2013

The Show Trial State

Why Russia's ludicrous attempt to silence Alexey Navalny is a throwback to the bad old times of Stalin and Khrushchev.

BY NINA KHRUSHCHEVA | MAY 21, 2013

The 'Cold Peace' Between Moscow and Washington Just Got Colder

The arrest of the alleged CIA agent in Moscow looks like a joke. But it actually illustrates just how tense U.S.-Russian relations have become.

BY ANNA NEMTSOVA | MAY 15, 2013

Out With It

Americans deserve to hear the dirty secrets of the CIA’s war on terror. We’ll all be better off with the truth.

BY JAMES TRAUB | MAY 10, 2013

Think Again: Big Data

Why the rise of machines isn't all it's cracked up to be.

BY KATE CRAWFORD | MAY 9, 2013

It's Time for Burma's President to Act

The civil war in Burma goes on. But the government seems powerless to stop it.

BY DAVID SCOTT MATHIESON | MAY 7, 2013

Israel’s Three Gambles

Can Israel get away with its attacks on the Syrian regime?

BY DANIEL BYMAN, NATAN SACHS | MAY 7, 2013

Beirut's Bastille

The free-for-all inside Lebanon's most notorious prison.

BY SULOME ANDERSON | MAY 2, 2013

Battleground State

Photos of the country that was supposed to be the poster child for the war on drugs.

MAY 1, 2013

'The Law of Politics' According to Sergei Lavrov

An exclusive interview with Russia's top diplomat.

INTERVIEW BY SUSAN B. GLASSER | MAY/JUNE 2013

The Driver

An exclusive look inside the mysterious death and life of the world's most dangerous terrorist not named Osama bin Laden.

BY MARK PERRY | MAY/JUNE 2013

Xi's War Drums

China's new leader is using the military to consolidate his power. But has he unleashed forces beyond his control?

BY JOHN GARNAUT | MAY/JUNE 2013

1 Pentagon Weapons System That Was on Time and Under Budget

Look on the bright side: It could have been 0.

BY JOHN REED | APRIL 29, 2013