2017

commentary

Saudi Arabia and Iran May Be Headed Toward War

America should encourage Tehran and Riyadh to settle their differences, not facilitate aggressive Saudi action. Otherwise, the region will be plunged into an even bigger crisis—without an end in sight.

Alireza Nader

commentary

Saudi Shakeup Gives the U.S. an Opening with Iran

If Saudi Arabia forces a showdown with Iran, the U.S. will find itself in the middle of it. Washington and Tehran need to come to an understanding so as not to further inflame the region. Demonizing Iran for all the ills of the Middle East is counterproductive and will lead to further escalation.

Amir Handjani, Alireza Nader

commentary

Why the EU Single Market Has Still Not Reached Its Full Potential

The EU Single Market aimed to promote intra-European trade, increase competition, create more jobs and make Europe more attractive to foreign direct investment. The economic benefits of the Single Market are clear, but closer integration requires political buy-in from individual member states and the EU.

Marco Hafner

commentary

The Looming Pension Crisis

California leads the nation in pension underfunding. The state government has $464.4 billion in unfunded liabilities — the difference between resources that will be available in the state's pension fund and what will be owed to retiring employees.

Dan Grunfeld

commentary

Sustaining America's Economic Strength in the Asia-Pacific: A Narrowing Window of Opportunity

Ali Wyne urges President Trump to reassure U.S. allies that the United States has both the capacity and the willingness to maintain an enduring presence in the Asia-Pacific. That reassurance must be grounded in credible geo-economic pledges.

Ali Wyne

commentary

Deterring the Unthinkable: NATO's Role Along the Eastern Flank

As NATO defense ministers meet in Brussels to set the stage for the 2018 NATO summit, key issues will include defense burden-sharing and NATO’s role to the south in counterterrorism and refugee management. But strengthening deterrence to the East must remain the top priority for the alliance.

Hans Binnendijk, Anika Binnendijk

article

Why Waiting for Perfect Autonomous Vehicles May Cost Lives

Some people think autonomous vehicles must be flawless before humans take their hands off the wheel. But putting AVs on the road before they're perfect improves the technology more quickly—and could save hundreds of thousands of lives over time.

commentary

What Is the Sahel G5 Force and Why Should the U.S. Support It?

The French Joint Force G-5 Sahel plan offers the possibility of strengthening the Sahel nations' efforts to combat terrorism. Supporting the French initiative is a worthy undertaking, provided, of course, that everyone understands what it is and is not.

Michael Shurkin

commentary

How to Rebuild After This Year's Hurricane Season? Invest in Resilience

Investing in resilience in an informed and systematic way can help a wide range of high-risk communities be better prepared for any future disasters.

Melissa L. Finucane @MelissaFinucane

commentary

Covert Influence Is the New Money Laundering

Anti-money laundering laws provide lessons for combating covert influence operations, such as Russian meddling in the U.S. election. These laws could be adapted for online media models that do not require users to be paid customers.

Cortney Weinbaum @cortney_dc

commentary

The Long-Term Budget Shortfall and National Security: A Problem the United States Should Stop Avoiding

Bold promises and even actions that balance the budget for the short term should not mask the fact that the U.S. government has failed to face its long-term budget problems. Without changes, the ability to pay for many functions — including defense — will rely wholly on borrowed money.

Howard J. Shatz @HowardJShatz

commentary

The Equifax Breach: Yawn, or Yikes?

In cases where personal information is exposed, such as the Equifax data breach, it is critical that consumers take steps to ensure their information is not abused. The simplest and perhaps the most effective way to enhance personal digital security is to protect account credentials using password management software.

Sasha Romanosky

commentary

Why the Fall of the 'Caliphate' in Syria Will Not Ease Western Security Concerns

A Syria and Iraq free of ISIS do not, unfortunately, free the West from the ISIS threat. Instead, ISIS is likely to either disperse, with its followers prepared to carry out a range of further attacks, or attempt to regroup in the fragile states of Africa.

Antonia Ward

commentary

How to Help Syrians — Without Helping Assad

The U.S. and others have a major interest in ending the Syrian civil war, helping the millions of displaced Syrians, and preventing the re-emergence of the Islamic State. But they are naturally reluctant to assist rebuilding a country run by Assad and supported by Russia and Iran. What are their options?

Philip Gordon, James Dobbins @Jim_Dobbins, et al.

commentary

Terrorism Fatigue

By continually staking claim to big and small terrorist attacks, regardless of target selection or casualty count, ISIS has attempted to instill a sense of omnipresent and unpredictable danger. And in the process, terrorism fatigue may be setting in around the world.

Amarnath Amarasingam, Colin P. Clarke