Defense

Los ataques de Trump en el Caribe son un abuso peligroso e ilegal del poder en tiempos de guerra, y no terminarán ahí

Los ataques mortales que lanzó la administración Trump en el Caribe sin autorización del Congreso nos ponen en un camino peligroso hacia abusos más amplios.

Trump’s Strikes in the Caribbean Are a Dangerous, Illegal Abuse of Wartime Power—It Won’t Stop There

The Trump administration’s deadly strikes in the Caribbean bypass Congress and put us on a dangerous pathway to wider abuses.

Uniformed Disservice: How Trump’s Agenda Harms Veterans and Service Members

Please join the Center for American Progress for the latest installment in a series of virtual events highlighting the impact that DOGE’s cuts are having on the lives of everyday Americans: a discussion about the burdens the Trump administration’s failed policies are placing upon American veterans and service members.

America’s Role in the World: The Value of Leadership and Alliance

Join us for a conversation with Sen. Chris Murphy (D-CT) as part of CAP’s “What’s Next: Conversations on the Path Forward” series.

All the President’s Extremists: How the Trump Administration’s National Security Nominees Threaten Americans’ Safety

These Trump administration nominees for key national security positions have exhibited extremist views that are dangerous for Americans’ safety. Congress should reject their nominations.

Congressional Response to Trump’s National Security Chaos

Congress must pick up the leadership mantle amid grave global and domestic uncertainty.

It’s Time for a Just and Lasting Peace in Israel and Palestine

In an op-ed published by Inkstick, Allison McManus argues why the United States should seize moments of opportunity ahead to propel the West Bank toward a just and lasting peace and outlines the role the country could play in doing so.

Syria’s Transition and the Shadow of the Arab Uprisings

While the Syrian people should ultimately determine their own future, the United States must learn from its mistakes during the Arab uprisings to best facilitate a democratic transition.

Domestic Deployment of the Military: The Past, Present, and Potential Future

Since the founding of the United States, domestic deployment of the military has been a move of last resort; that may be about to change.

Pete Hegseth Is Unfit To Lead the Pentagon

Pete Hegseth lacks the credibility and experience required to lead a body as massive and as critical as the Department of Defense; his confirmation as secretary of defense would be a major risk to Americans’ safety and security.

Project 2025 Will Undermine America’s National Security

The far-right policy proposals in Project 2025 will fundamentally undermine the national and economic security of the United States, benefiting its adversaries and making all Americans less safe.

Shaping NATO’s Future: 5 Key Priorities for Washington to Build on After the 75th NATO Summit

To maximize the impact of the 75th NATO Summit in Washington, D.C., NATO must build on summit outcomes and set a future course for the alliance.

Any Budget Deal Should Preserve Parity

As Congress renegotiates the budget levels for fiscal year 2025, it should match every additional dollar of defense investment with an equal amount of nondefense spending.

Fact Sheet: Recommendations for the White House To Take Further Action on AI

This fact sheet offers recommendations for how the White House, including the Office of Management and Budget and the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, can utilize its authorities to address artificial intelligence (AI).

A Senate Republican Defense Proposal Would Balloon Military Funding by Roughly $6 Trillion

Sen. Wicker’s plan would nearly double defense funding, draining away resources from other U.S. priorities.

Congress Must Provide Funding and Protect Oversight To Meet Global Security and Humanitarian Needs

Recent bipartisan Senate legislation provides security and humanitarian assistance in critical areas—Ukraine, Israel and Palestine, and the Indo-Pacific—but Congress must ensure more oversight so that the funds are used according to U.S. law and policy.

Military action won’t solve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. It’s time for diplomacy.

Former Rep. Andy Levin (D-MI) calls on the United States to change its course immediately in Gaza in an op-ed published in Stars and Stripes.

Response to Horrific Attacks in Israel Must Avoid Collective Punishment for Gaza and Confront Obstacles to Peace

The horrifying Hamas terror attack on Israeli civilians has provoked an understandable imperative to bring the perpetrators to justice, but Israel must avoid collective punishment for Gaza that can bring a loss of moral clarity and reinforce historic grievances.

5 Reasons Why Congress Must Approve Aid to Ukraine Right Away

Immediate assistance to Ukraine is an imperative to counter Russian aggression, address Ukraine's immediate security needs, strengthen European and NATO resolve, check China's regional ambitions, and underscore American global leadership in times of crisis.

Artificial intelligence: Challenges and controversies for U.S. national security

Stephen J. Cimbala and Lawrence J. Korb write about the implications of artificial intelligence for national security.

Ten Defense Budget Questions Biden Must Answer

Lawrence J. Korb discusses the 10 major questions that President Joe Biden should address in the fiscal year 2024 defense budget.

A Trillion-Dollar Defense Budget?

The Biden administration and Congress face eight challenges in calculating the size and distribution of a defense budget that has reached a record size.

The Lessons Learned for U.S. National Security Policy in the 20 Years Since 9/11

There were important gains coming out of America’s post-9/11 foreign policy, but some important successes came at great strategic, material, and human costs.

An Opportunity for Change: President Biden’s First Defense Budget Proposal

President Biden’s proposal is a chance to reshape how U.S. federal agencies handle the country’s top national security issues.

The United States Could Be in the Early Days of a Domestic Insurgency

Trump and his allies have incited an insurrection but the movement may outlast his administration.

The First 100 Days: Toward a More Sustainable and Values-Based National Security Approach

An actionable plan for the next administration’s progressive national security agenda.

Interactive: The First 100 Days

This interactive database features nearly 250 recommendations that the next administration can advance, adopt, and implement within the first 100 days to set the country on a path toward a more progressive national security approach.

The Pentagon’s Fiscal Year 2021 Budget More Than Meets U.S. National Security Needs

The Trump administration can enhance U.S. national security by transferring funds from unnecessary programs in the defense budget to other agencies.

Russian Flags Over an American Base

Trump’s reckless Syria policy makes America less safe and empowers Putin’s Russia.

Caring for U.S. Veterans: A Plan for 2020

Ensuring that future political leaders provide U.S. veterans with the care and benefits they have earned will require legislators to understand how and why the current system has come to be.

Combating the White-Nationalist Terrorist Threat

Six practical steps to defeat white nationalist terrorism.

The Trump Administration’s 10 Most Dangerous Actions Concerning Iran

How the Trump administration has blundered into confrontation with Tehran.

America Adrift

A new study of public attitudes on U.S. foreign policy issues finds that voters desire more government investment at home to remain competitive in the world.

What the FY 2020 Defense Budget Gets Wrong

To successfully promote U.S. national security, the Trump administration’s fiscal year 2020 defense budget needs to consider myriad factors—and set necessary, realistic funding levels.

Confronting the Domestic Right-Wing Terrorist Threat

Far-right violence is a growing threat in the United States. Only by acknowledging the danger, combating the political rhetoric that supports it, and learning how democracies have tackled this menace in the past can we hope to defeat it.

Understanding and Combating Russian and Chinese Influence Operations

Examining similarities and differences between Russian and Chinese malign foreign influence operations is key to developing shared strategies for combating them.

Preventing Endless War Requires Real Congressional Oversight—Not New War Authority

Congress needs to do real oversight about how and whether the current wars should continue before considering any new AUMF.

The Origins of Russia’s Broad Political Assault on the United States

The Russian attack on U.S. democracy began in 2014 and is more wide-ranging and coordinated than previously understood. How the United States responds requires a strategy that both applies pressure on Russia via additional sanctions and improves the United States’ defensive capabilities against further Russian interference.

Securing a Democratic World

The future of U.S. national security and a liberal democratic world depends on America embracing democratic values, locking arms with its democratic allies to stem the rise of authoritarianism, and growing the community of democratic nations.

Seizing the Diplomatic Initiative in Syria

To best advance U.S. interests and values, the United States should launch a renewed diplomatic effort to de-escalate Syria’s civil war.

How Turkey Can Ensure a Successful Energy Transition

Turkey should build upon recent progress investing in renewable energy to transition its energy system and reduce its reliance on imported fossil fuels.

The United States Sticks Its Head in the Sand on Torture in Yemen

Congress must require the U.S. Defense Department to investigate and report on allegations that the United Arab Emirates is torturing Yemeni detainees.

Trump, Pompeo, and Bolton: The Path to War

President Trump’s new war Cabinet picks risk pushing the United States toward devastating wars.

Trump’s Defense Budget

President Trump has proposed an unnecessarily large increase in the defense budget that will actually weaken national security.

5 Ways the Senate GOP Tax Bill Will Undermine America’s Economic and National Security

The Senate tax bill squeezes the middle class, wastes America’s fiscal resources, set up fiscal cliffs, cut off federal revenues needed to support economic and national security priorities, and further concentrates economic and political power.

Trump’s North Korea Tweets Inch the U.S. Closer to Nuclear War

As President Trump continues to send threatening tweets aimed at North Korea’s leader, he jeopardizes the lives of millions of people who fall within the zone of a possible nuclear attack.

A Responsible Approach to North Korea

The United States must take immediate action to de-escalate tensions.

It’s About the Wars and Trump—Not the AUMF

Congress must debate the wars and Trump’s lack of fitness before any consideration of war authority.

Strengthening U.S. Options on Iran

The United States should choose a pragmatic path forward to ensure the strict implementation of the nuclear agreement and counter Iran’s destabilizing policies.

The American People Deserve More Answers on Afghanistan

President Trump owes the American people more direct answers about what his new strategy actually includes, and what it hopes to achieve, before considering sending more young men and women into battle.

Trump’s Proposed Defense Budget Will Not Support U.S. National Security

The president’s fiscal year 2018 defense budget increases funding for the Department of Defense by cutting support for efforts to increase international stability and promote effective governance at the Pentagon.

An Alliance in Crisis: Europe Needs to Act Quickly to Defend Itself

Europe needs to act fast to prepare itself for the possibility of a Russian-instigated crisis in the wake of President Trump's failure to commit America to the NATO alliance.

American Leadership Is on the Line

The upcoming NATO summit tests U.S. credibility.

The Case Against New Nuclear Weapons

The United States should maintain and clarify its policy against development of new nuclear weapons, which presidents of both parties have honored since the end of the Cold War.

Reckless Endangerment: President Trump and the Use of Military Force

President Trump’s impulsive decision-making and reliance on the military as his primary foreign policy tool jeopardizes America’s national security.

Trump Needs to Understand and Respect These 6 Basic Rules of Counterterrorism

President Trump is ignoring cardinal rules of effective counterterrorism to the detriment of American security and the benefit of the nation’s enemies.

5 Ways to Better Manage U.S. Defense Spending

Before the administration and Congress add significant defense funds to the FY 2018 budget, they should take a close look at the Pentagon’s current spending.

5 Things to Watch in President Trump’s Skinny Budget

The impact of President Trump’s budget on working families will depend on the answers to these five questions.

President Trump’s Proposed Budget Is Bad for U.S. National Security

Trump’s hastily prepared budget plan will undermine U.S. national security, erode public health and environmental standards, and cost the American people dearly in the long run.

Designating the Muslim Brotherhood a Terrorist Organization Would Make Americans Less Safe

The Trump administration’s focus on the Muslim Brotherhood is driven by anti-Muslim bigotry rather than any real assessment of whether it’s a terrorist organization.

Diversifying and Strengthening Our National Security Workforce

Federal agencies must sustain the efforts undertaken by President Barack Obama to ensure that the U.S. national security workforce reflects the talent and experience of the entire country.

Process Makes Perfect

Bad process beats good policy, and presidents get the process they deserve. This report provides lessons for the next president from past administrations on mistakes to avoid and best practices to follow in the way national security policy is made.

A Threat to U.S. Democracy: Congress Must Investigate Allegations of Russian Hacks

Congress must act because of Trump’s refusal to even consider Russian involvement in hacks of the 2016 presidential election.

Remembering America’s Veterans in 2016

On Veterans Day, the Center for American Progress offers a statistical snapshot of the nation's veterans and the challenges they face.

Drone Strikes: Key Legal Questions—Part 2

The Obama administration has clarified some of its legal views ahead of the impending release of new information on the drone program.

Are U.S. Drone Strikes Legal?

The Obama administration has promised to release more information about drone strikes. This brief outlines the legal context in which that information should be evaluated.

Setting Priorities for Nuclear Modernization

Setting Priorities for Nuclear Modernization

The current plans to modernize the U.S. nuclear arsenal are unsustainable. Prudent cuts can help deterrence and free up scarce funds for more pressing priorities.

Guantanamo’s Last Year

Despite obstacles, President Obama can close Guantanamo before he leaves office.

Rethinking the Civilian Surge

The United States sent thousands of government civilians to Provincial Reconstruction Teams across Afghanistan to bring security, development, and government to the Afghan people. Identifying what worked and what did not is critical to ensuring better outcomes for the next conflict.

Anti-Muslim Sentiment Is a Serious Threat to American Security

ISIS is following a clear and determined strategy to provoke an anti-Muslim backlash and ignite a clash of civilizations.

Remembering America’s Veterans in 2015

On Veterans Day, the Center for American Progress offers a statistical snapshot of our veterans and the challenges they face.

Congress Must Adopt Changes to the Guantanamo Provisions of the 2016 National Defense Authorization Act

Resolution of budget issues are not enough to ensure passage of the 2016 NDAA after President Obama’s veto.

Why President Obama Should Veto the NDAA

The president should veto the congressional National Defense Authorization Act because it contains several harmful provisions but should insist that Congress retain several beneficial provisions.

Shortchanging National Security

Current congressional appropriations threaten key defense and foreign policy programs to make a political point.

Ensuring that the Nuclear Agreement Effectively Constrains Iran

Congress should measure the deal against the main alternatives and work with the Obama administration to ensure strong and effective implementation using three steps.

Countering Iran’s Destabilizing Actions in the Middle East

After the nuclear deal, the United States needs to work with partners to step up its efforts to counter Iran’s negative behaviors.

Recalibrating the Anti-ISIS Strategy

The U.S.-led coalition needs to better integrate its political and military efforts.

5 Criteria for a Nuclear Agreement with Iran

A deal that meets critical criteria and neutralizes the potential nuclear threat that Iran poses would be a major achievement for U.S. and allied security interests.

An Ounce of Prevention

To save lives and blunt the impact of the terror tactics used by ISIS and other militant groups, the United States and other countries must cooperate to stem the flow of improvised explosive device, or IED, components and reinforce global partnership.

It’s the USA Freedom Act or Nothing

Sen. Mitch McConnell has a simple choice: reform government surveillance or see it expire.

Defense Reform Consensus

The Left and the Right Agree It Is Past Time to Act

Infographic: Fixing the Force: The Path of a Military Career

Every service member experiences a number of key career and personal milestones. This infographic traces an example military career from enlistment through retirement.

Infographic: Fixing the Force: Understanding Military Pay

Basic pay is only about half of military compensation. This infographic provides snapshots of total compensation for military officers and enlisted service members by rank.