Bush Administration Recalls Cold War, Questions Moscow’s Aggression
Unprecedented Reliance on Private Contractors in War
First Arab Head of State Visits Baghdad
Exit of Georgian Troops from Iraq Opens Border to Iran
North Korea to Remain on List of State Sponsors of Terrorism

Gates Says Fighting Terrorism Military’s Priority for Decades to Come
CIA Confronts Pakistani Intelligence Over Militant Links
Al Qaeda in Iraq Leader Believed to be in Afghanistan
Rand Report Faults “WOT”, Emphasizes role of Law Enforcement over Military
Bush Order Overhaul of Intelligence Aparatus

EPA Warns Warming a Threat to Human Health in Coming Decades
Websites Attracting New Al Qaeda Recruits
Pentagon Expects New GI Bill to Help Recruit Numbers
American Diplomatic Post in Iran Under Consideration

As a Senate staffer from 2002 to 2006, I had the honor of attending funerals at Arlington National Cemetery.  It was emotionally difficult to see such sadness, but I felt privileged to have the opportunity to pay my own respects, to huddle near the grave with friends and families of an American hero, to hear […]

Commentary: Troubled War Powers
Maliki Suggests Timetable for Withdrawal of US Troops
Iran Warns US and Israel Against Attack
Study Finds Gays in the Military Don’t Hurt Ability to Fight
G-8 Proposal to Cut Emissions by 50% by 2050

The release of a new report on War Powers has prompted a lot of media coverage.  In an op-ed in the New York Times (Put War Powers Back Where They Belong), James Baker and Warren Christopher lay out a new model focused on consultation between the President and Congress prior to using force.   Their […]

Disputes Weaken Efforts to Confront Al Qaeda in Pakistan
The Ongoing War in Afghanistan
Military Repairs Could Cost $100 Billion
Commentary: Pakistan as Focus of War on Terror

Commentary: Growing Movement for Nuclear Disarmament
Ethiopian Detainee in Guantanamo to be Charged with War Crimes
Chairman of Senate Armed Services Committee Reports Pentagon Spending Crisis

Secretary of Defense Robert Gates is a pro.  He is sharp, insightful, and decisive.  He has a vision for the U.S. Department of Defense and is not afraid to tackle difficult challenges–or threaten institutional golden-calves–to achieve it.
He is also a strategist, in the purest sense of that word.
In November of last year, Gates gave an […]