As August ended, American troops completed their withdrawal from Afghanistan almost 20 years after they first arrived. On the formal date of withdrawal, however, President Biden insisted that “over-the-horizon capabilities” (airpower and Special Operations forces, for example) would remain available for use anytime. “[W]e can strike terrorists and targets without …

But U.S. Power Faces Threats at Home “Time and momentum are on our side,” declared Chinese President Xi Jinping in January. But developments this year have not borne out Xi’s confidence about China’s inexorable rise. A number of structural weaknesses have been dragging down China’s prospects: a rapidly aging population, …

But AI Can Boost Cyber Defenses, Too It has been a challenging year for U.S. cyberdefense operations. A dramatic surge in ransomware attacks has targeted such critical national infrastructure as the Colonial Pipeline—which was shut down for six days in May, disrupting fuel supplies to 17 states—and halted the operation …

The West Must Respond to Russia With Strength, Not Appeasement Russian President Vladimir Putin has issued a stark ultimatum. In a number of recent statements, he has demanded that the United States make “reliable and firm legal guarantees” that NATO will not expand eastward—or else, his entourage has hinted, Russia …

Le groupe russe Wagner mènerait une bataille de com’ sur les réseaux sociaux, flirtant avec la désinformation. Sur des médias maliens plus traditionnels, l’opération Barkhane y va aussi de ses spots publicitaires… Au Mali, comme dans d’autres pays africains en mal de sécurité, grincent les dents des antennes militaires des …

An onslaught of attacks on Kurdish peshmerga forces and villages in northern Iraq has sparked concerns over the presence of Islamic State cells and whether they have been bulked up by jihadis arriving from Syria. A recent string of attacks targeting Kurdish forces in northern Iraq in areas disputed between …

Foreign Minister Yair Lapid met with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi in another sign of strengthening bilateral ties. Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid met Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi at the Al-Ittihadiya Palace in Cairo Dec. 9. They discussed the Iranian threat, strengthening bilateral ties in various spheres and Egypt-mediated …

Aysel Tugluk, who defended PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan in his trial decades ago, is now suffering from advanced dementia behind bars, despite widespread calls for her release. Aysel Tugluk, a slight brunette with high cheekbones, eagle eyes and long, dark hair, garnered much curiosity during the courtroom trial of Abdullah …

The defeat-IS coalition will continue its advisory mission into next year, despite a declared end to a combat role. Iraq’s national security adviser said today that the US-led military coalition had completed its combat mission in Iraq, but American troops aren’t leaving the country just yet. Qasim al-Araji announced the …

U.S. President Joe Biden has said the United States will not send troops to Ukraine to defend against any potential Russian invasion. Biden spoke to reporters on December 7, a day after he and his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, held a two-hour videoconference. Biden said he had warned Putin that …