Avatar photoThe Strike on Al Kibar

Haaretz dropped an incredible article with new details about the 2007 Israeli air strike on the nascent Syrian nuclear reactor at Al Kibar. So we thought it would be a good opportunity to interrupt Jeffrey’s working vacation to talk about Al Kibar, the North Korean nuclear connection, and how our understanding of the event has …

Avatar photoA Passive U.S. Approach to the Next India-Pakistan Crisis?

Quote of the week: “Escalation is inherent in war both because the desire to win and the need not to lose.” – V.R. Raghavan, “Limited War and Escalation Control,” Nonproliferation Review, 2001. One common thread among the comings and goings of top national security advisers to President Trump is that none have much experience with …

Avatar photoSteve Coll on the Afghan Quagmire

Quotes of the Week: “The events of September 11, 2001, taught us that weak states, like Afghanistan, can pose as great a danger to our national interests as strong states…The United States will stand beside any nation determined to build a better future by seeking the rewards of liberty for its people.” — George W. …

Avatar photoProliferation Optimism vs. Pessimism, Revisited

Quotes of the week: “When the hegemonic power that helped create the non-proliferation regime declines, so does the regime.” — T.V. Paul, Power vs. Prudence: Why Nations Forgo Nuclear Weapons (2000) “The cold truth is that the alternative to a U.S.-led international order is less international order.” — Richard Haass Optimistic and pessimistic arguments about …