by Farah Sonde Thousands of employees at the U.S. Health and Human Services Department were abruptly laid off on April Fool’s Day this year. These layoffs, coupled with funding cuts to programs intended to bolster biosecurity, will constitute a devastating blow to the United States’ ability to fight against biological threats, including the potential weaponization […]
What Ukraine’s Drone Attack Means for Nuclear Deterrence
By John Erath The June 1 Ukrainian drone attacks on Russian airfields have a greater significance than the numbers of aircraft destroyed or damaged on the ground. In the context of the ongoing war, the strikes showed clearly that Ukraine is still in the fight and not stuck with “no cards to play.” The broader importance […]
Deterrence can create space for diplomacy, not replace it.
By John Erath On May 6, India retaliated for the killings of Indian tourists in Kashmir by striking what it identified as terrorist-linked facilities in Pakistan and Pakistan-controlled Kashmir. International reaction initially focused on the possibility of nuclear war, an understandable concern when violence between nuclear-armed states worsens. During the following days, both sides have […]
Requiescat in Pace
By John Erath Pope Francis died April 21 after a serious illness, and the world lost one of its best advocates for peace. In recent years, it has become fashionable to criticize the Catholic Church for its institutional shortcomings, but the focus on the problems should not take away from the church’s record as a […]
A South Korean Bomb Would Be No Boon for Burden-Shifting
by Carl Parkin* In its first few months, the second Trump administration has disrupted long standing alliance relationships by questioning existing arrangements. The project to recast the United States’ role in its alliances won’t end with Europe, and if nominations are anything to go by, South Korea may be next on the burden-sharing chopping block. […]
