Military

U.S. Capitol police officers point their guns at a barricaded door that was vandalized in the House Chamber during a joint session of Congress on January 06, 2021 in Washington, D.C. Insurrectionists peek through the window of the door, which is broken.

Tragedy at the Capitol: Four Questions that Demand Answers

How can the U.S. Capitol, surrounded by one of the largest concentrations of law enforcement and national security personnel in the world, be so quickly overrun?

Jan. 9, 2021 Mark Nevitt

Acting Defense Secretary Christopher C. Miller address media at the Pentagon, Washington, D.C. November 17, 2020.

Pentagon Moves Undermine Counterterrorism Strategy

Instead of acquiescing to the whims of a lame-duck president, Acting Defense Secretary Chris Miller should insist upon maintaining sufficient capability to prevent the resurgence…

Jan. 5, 2021 Matt Castelli and Colonel (ret.) Bob Wilson

A soldier stands alone in an empty concrete lot at Camp Pendleton.

Let’s Not “Fight Like Hell” Without a Strategy: At the VA, Put First Principles First

As the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) reels from scandal, President-elect Joe Biden’s nominee for secretary of veterans affairs, Denis McDonough, promises to “fight like…

Dec. 22, 2020 T. Nelson Collier

Gen. Lloyd Austin, commander, U.S. Forces-Iraq receives the command colors from U.S. Marine Gen. Gen. James N. Mattis, commander, U.S. Central Command at the USF-I change of command ceremony in Baghdad, Iraq on Sept. 1, 2010. Other military members stand around them.

Shifting Norms About Secretary of Defense Has Long-Term Consequences: On the Austin Nomination

Even if retired Gen. Lloyd Austin handles the job of defense secretary perfectly, his nomination alone still has long-term consequences, eroding the norm of civilian control by…

Dec. 22, 2020 Jessica Blankshain, Max Margulies and 1 more

U.S. Army (retired) General Lloyd Austin speaks after being formally nominated to be Secretary of the Department of Defense by U.S. President-elect Joe Biden at the Queen Theatre on December 09, 2020 in Wilmington, Delaware. President-elect Biden wears a face mask and sits socially distanced behind General Austin who does not wear a face mask and speaks at a podium. American flags can be seen behind Biden.

Important Context Missing from the Austin Nomination Debate

Civilian control of the military is an essential part of our constitutional fabric, but that doesn’t mean that recently retired officers are inevitably inappropriate defense…

Dec. 17, 2020 Mark Nevitt

Women wait with children in a ward at a malnourishment treatment centre in Yemen's northern Hajjah province on November 22, 2020. The beds the children lie in are covered in netting, and the walkways between beds are very small since the beds are crowded together.

Biden Must Stick to His Pledge to End US Support for the Yemen War

The war in Yemen is a global mark of shame, and the resulting humanitarian disaster threatens the lives of 24 million people.

Dec. 14, 2020 Priyanka Motaparthy and Osamah Alfakih

Representation at the Top: The Importance of Race in the Austin Nomination Debate

The pushback against retired Gen. Lloyd Austin’s nomination as secretary of defense has left little room to celebrate what is also a milestone for Black Americans in and out…

Dec. 11, 2020 Bishop Garrison

Silhouettes of Patrick Zaki, an Egyptian postgraduate student at the University of Bologna, Italy, who has been detained in Egypt since February 7, 2020, sit on every chair placed in the Aula Magna of the University Library of Bologna. The silhouettes are drawn by the artist Gianluca Costantini in action to demand the immediate release of Patrick. July 16, 2020

Biden’s Global Priority No. 1: Turn the Authoritarian Tide

Any other challenge will be exponentially harder to address as long as authoritarian leaders and the militarized systems that support them have free rein.

Dec. 8, 2020 Larry Attree

Iraqi Yazidis attend a candle-lit vigil in the Sharya area, some 15 kilometres from the northern city of Dohuk in the autonomous Iraqi Kurdistan region on August 3, 2020, marking the sixth anniversary of the Islamic State (IS) group's attack on the Yazidi community in the northwestern Sinjar district. Candles are placed on the ground and people hold pictures of those who died.

The Risks of Relying on Counterterrorism Laws to Reduce Wartime Sexual Violence

Proponents risk legitimizing abusive laws and procedures and undermining broader efforts to advance equality and human rights protection for women.

Dec. 7, 2020 Lauren Aarons

A Russian peacekeeper gestures in the yard of the 12th-13th century Orthodox Dadivank Monastery on November 16, 2020, after the monastery was put under Russia's protection as part of the peace agreement between Armenia and Azerbaijan over the breakaway region of Nagorno-Karabakh.

The Armenia-Azerbaijan Ceasefire Terms: A Tenuous Hope for Peace

Is the agreement on Nagorno-Karabakh sufficient to create a bridge to a lasting peace, or will its weaknesses reignite the fighting?

Nov. 27, 2020 Noah Ringler

A road sign entering Fort Bragg going from Connecticut Avenue in Southern Pines, North Carolina, in March 2010. The sign reads, “US Army Fort Bragg Military Reservation – All persons and vehicles entering or departing this installation are subject to search.”

Trump’s Veto Threat Over Confederate-Named Bases Erodes U.S. Security and American Values

Given the historical significance of this moment and the alternatives for commemorating real, heroism, Congress has a moral and practical obligation to act.

Nov. 25, 2020 Bishop Garrison and Cole Blum

Graves of people including children who were killed in the war including airstrikes carried out by warplanes of the Saudi-led coalition, are seen at a cemetery on June 17, 2020 in Sana'a, Yemen.

Defense Policy Negotiations Near Completion in Congress, With Human Rights Provisions in Play

Issues at stake include militarization of law enforcement, civilian casualties, military base renaming, arms transfers, and more.

Nov. 25, 2020 Cole Blum