Topic: Center for a New American Security
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North Korea abandons armistice: 4 key questions answered
Tensions on the Korean peninsula are ratcheting up. The US has started its annual war games with South Korean forces, and North Korea has used that fact to declare that it is invalidating the armistice agreement that ended the Korean War in 1953. What really has North Korea upset, though, is the tough, new sanctions passed by the United Nations in response to the North's nuclear test last month.Here are the top four questions analysts are wrestling with on the heels of these developments.
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Why no safe zone in Syria, yet? 5 complications
The flood of Syrian refugees entering Turkey – as many as 5,000 a day for the last 10 days – has ratcheted up the pressure for a safe zone’s creation. But a safe zone is complicated and carries many risks.
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Briefing
Defense cuts: three things Americans should know
The US House approved a bill in July that’s likely to spark a showdown on military spending.
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3 questions US forces must answer before declaring victory in Libya
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Five ways 9/11 has transformed the US military
All Content
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Kim Jong-un: Can US trust North Korean leader to act rationally?
Kim Jong-un isn't the first North Korean leader to use threats for political gain. But the West doesn't really know what to make of him because of his youth and the uncertainty that shrouds the country.
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North Korea: What happens if Kim Jong-un acts on his threats?
In the event that the 'bellicose rhetoric' of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un turns into something more serious, the opening hours of conflict could be 'pretty ugly,' defense analysts warn.
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North Korea abandons armistice: 4 key questions answered
Tensions on the Korean peninsula are ratcheting up. The US has started its annual war games with South Korean forces, and North Korea has used that fact to declare that it is invalidating the armistice agreement that ended the Korean War in 1953. What really has North Korea upset, though, is the tough, new sanctions passed by the United Nations in response to the North's nuclear test last month.Here are the top four questions analysts are wrestling with on the heels of these developments.
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Focus How US military plans to carry out Obama's 'pivot to Asia'
A US policy shift toward Asia means a greater role for the Navy. Even pre-'pivot to Asia,' it already stationed half its ships in the region, and it is developing a new 'afloat forward staging base' in the Pacific.
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US 'fully committed' in Afghanistan, Panetta says. But no troops after 2014?
Afghan President Hamid Karzai meets with President Obama Friday in the wake of a 'zero option' being floated for US troops. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta and Mr. Karzai met at the Pentagon Thursday.
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Violence in Iraq spikes. Are US security interests in jeopardy?
A recent rise in civilian deaths and injuries in Iraq is cause for concern, but Pentagon personnel say Iraqi security forces are proving to be 'very capable' in the year since US troops departed.
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Pentagon vs. Al Qaeda: Panetta hints at shifting US tactics
In a little-noticed policy speech, Defense Secretary Leon Panetta says Al Qaeda has been adapting to the US offensive against its leadership, requiring the Pentagon to adopt new tactics.
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Presidential debate 101: Does Romney want extra $2 trillion for Pentagon?
Romney's call for Pentagon spending to be no less than 4 percent of GDP could add $2 trillion to its budget. But Obama's claim that this is money the military doesn't want misses a key issue: civilian control.
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Should military veterans endorse presidential candidates?
A provocative new study examines some potential pitfalls when retired military veterans wade into political campaigning. Endorsements could erode trust in the military, the report finds.
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Terrorism & Security Another insider? Uniformed Afghan suicide bomber kills 14 (+video)
After a heavy weekend of violence, a suicide bomber wearing a police uniform attacked NATO and Afghan forces, killing at least 14 on Monday in the southeastern town of Khost.
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Afghanistan war claims 2,000th US soldier, but pace slowing
The 2,000th US soldier to die may have been the victim of another insider attack. Overall, the conflict has grown less deadly for US troops since 2010.
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Why no safe zone in Syria, yet? 5 complications
The flood of Syrian refugees entering Turkey – as many as 5,000 a day for the last 10 days – has ratcheted up the pressure for a safe zone’s creation. But a safe zone is complicated and carries many risks.
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Opinion: Help wanted: Geek squads for US cybersecurity
The now-dead Cybersecurity Act of 2012 included provisions to beef up a federal workforce of experts to defend against cyberattacks. But it's not too late. Wisely, federal agencies are not waiting for legislation to build their cyber geek squads. Still, more steps must be taken.
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Briefing
Defense cuts: three things Americans should know
The US House approved a bill in July that’s likely to spark a showdown on military spending.
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Opinion: At G20 summit, West must partner with rising democracies in new global order
At the G20 summit in Los Cabos, the agenda will be full of tricky issues. The US and European delegations must look at the bigger picture, one in which the West will need to partner with the rising powers that are today’s global swing states: Brazil, India, Indonesia, and Turkey.
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Backchannels You can't say it enough: Syria is really different from Libya
Syria's war is as violent today as at any point of the over year-long conflict, and a UN peace plan spearheaded by Kofi Annan is in tatters. But that doesn't spell military intervention.
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Soldier's killing spree: Is end of Afghanistan war near? (+video)
Widespread Afghan outrage could force the US to accelerate plans to bring the Afghanistan war to a close. But that hasn't happened yet, and military officials are wary of a quick withdrawal.
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US inching closer to favoring arms for Syria rebels
The US has so far used diplomacy to put pressure on the regime of Syria President Assad. But as the death toll mounts, the Obama administration's opposition to arming Syria rebels may be softening.
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As Syria's Assad pummels Homs, West reluctantly weighs military option
After diplomatic efforts at the UN failed Saturday, there is a growing consensus that supporting the rebel Free Syrian Army may be the only way to break the stalemate between Assad and his opponents.
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Post oil: Pentagon "Green Hawks" see energy security in biofuel (VIDEO)
"Green Hawks" at Pentagon see energy security in biofuel alternatives for a post-oil world.
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3 questions US forces must answer before declaring victory in Libya
Even as fighting in Libya continues, Pentagon officials and US commanders overseeing operations on the ground are wrestling with tough questions about the future of the campaign – and what military forces still need to do before they can consider it a victory. Here are the top three:
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US Embassy attack raises concerns of a shift in Taliban strategy
The US Embassy attack and others around Kabul cause few casualties but may signal the Taliban's desire to engage in a politically and psychologically effective war of attrition.
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Five ways 9/11 has transformed the US military
The attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, fundamentally transformed the way the United States military wages war. With the invasion of Afghanistan and, months later, Iraq on the heels of 9/11, the wars have caused the Pentagon to rethink the way it fights, how it spends money in times of crisis, and what it values in both its highest and lowest-ranking commanders. The Monitor asked experts to weigh in on the Top 5 ways in which 9/11 has changed the US military.
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US military officials in Iraq warn of growing Iranian threat
American military officials say the upcoming US withdrawal has emboldened Iranian-backed militias, which they blame for recent deadly attacks and allege are stockpiling weapons.
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You hack, we shoot: Pentagon discusses armed counterstrikes to cyberattacks
Lawmakers and some Pentagon officials argue that the US should shift cyberdefense from 'How to build the next best firewall' to an offensive message: Those who attack US computers risk 'land-based attack'.
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