A major new war has begun in the Middle East. But the Islamic State movement is prepared, and the precedents are bleak.
Washington's strategy to defeat the Islamic State has the same deep flaws that marked earlier phases of the "war on terror".
Barack Obama's new strategy against the Islamic State commits the United States to further long-term conflict. It involves a great forgetting of the recent war in Iraq.
A new book by Gabrielle Rifkind and Gianni Picco highlights the urgent relevance of conflict resolution in addressing problems around the world, from Ukraine and Iran to the Islamic State.
The west must understand the Islamic State's worldview, and accept its own failings, if it is to meet the challenge.
Israel's military forces have embraced new tactics, weaponry and a network-centric strategy. But the latest conflict in Gaza leaves the country's security problems as intractable as ever.
The United States is increasing support of its Iraqi and Kurdish allies and escalating attacks on its jihadist enemies. Islamic State's long-term plan, though, remains on track.
A military escalation in Iraq depends on Washington's assessment of the Islamic State's power and intentions. But the jihadis are also thinking hard about their next target.
After its four-week bombardment, a three-day ceasefire reveals that the ground has shifted under Israel.
A revived Taliban insurgency and alarming military revelations cast a new shadow over United States strategy in Afghanistan.
The shock to Israel's system from the intense conflict in Gaza is profound.
Israel's conflict with Hamas highlights its close partnership with the United States over missile defence. But it also deepens Washington's regional worries over Syria, Iraq, Hizbollah, and Iran.
