Douglas Dillon Fellow Micah Zenko analyzes the potentially serious consequences, both at home and abroad, of a lightly overseen drone program and makes recommendations for improving its governance.

In this globalized world, countries will need to cooperate on policies that extend across borders to address issues that affect them all, including conflict prevention and peacemaking. The authors of this report assess the strengths and weaknesses of international institutions and provide a set of practical recommendations for how the United States can strengthen the global architecture for preventive action by partnering with those organizations.

Last August, the Republican presidential contender Mitt Romney performed what has become a quadrennial rite of passage in American presidential politics: he delivered a speech to the annual convention of the Veterans of Foreign Wars.

Micah Zenko says regardless of who wins the election in November, there are five core principles of U.S. foreign policy that are widely held on both sides of the aisle. However, these principles also rest on shaky ground and often undermine U.S. national interests.

Micah Zenko examines the public comments of John Brennan, Obama's closest adviser for intelligence and counterterrorism issues, and finds that there are seven half-truths and direct contradictions between stated U.S. policies and actual practices.

Micah Zenko argues that U.S. targeted killings campaign is a short-term tactic, not a long-term solution to enduring political or security challenge.

Michael Cohen and Micah Zenko argue that Mitt Romney's foreign policy speeches both wrongly inflate the threats that America faces and project weakness by having no confidence in America's ability to meet any such challenges.

Micah Zenko and Emma Welch map out the launch pads for Obama's secret wars.

Micah Zenko discusses whether Israel should accept a nuclear ban.

Micah Zenko explains the creation, use, and future of drones.

Micah Zenko discusses preventive priorities the United States will face in 2012.

Micah Zenko offers seven lessons the world's remaining autocrats can learn from Muammar al-Qaddafi's mistakes.

Micah Zenko explains why the United States should withdraw from Iraq this December.

Micah Zenko examines the gender breakdowns of Washington's premier think tanks.

Micah Zenko argues that while the United States should continue to use its military capabilities to support the no-fly zone in Libya, it should also work toward a negotiated end to the civil war.

Micah Zenko and Rebecca R. Friedman argue that rather than create a comprehensive early warning system for preventing conflict, the UN can focus on other reforms to improve its ability to analyze and absorb existing early warning information.

Micah Zenko asks what future leaks of U.S. military documents will reveal.

Andrew Exum, Kori Schake, Ali Ahmad Jalali, and Micah Zenko discuss General Petraeus's replacement of General McChrystal as top commander in Afghanistan.

Micah Zenko discusses President Bush's deferred attack on Khurmal, Iraq, before the 2003 war.

There is no evidence that signature strikes will be reduced or ended based upon anything the Obama administration has recently stated.

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Due to the 9/11 attacks and the continued threat posed by international terrorism, the United States claims it is "currently at war with al-Qaeda and its associated forces," a conflict that extends beyond traditional battlefield settings to any country that is "unwilling or unable" to take action itself. The United States reserves the right to conduct targeted killings, although only against "senior" members of al-Qaeda who "pose an imminent threat the United States of America." Although the U.S. military has a vast array of tools in its arsenal, the primary vehicle for its targeted killings program are drones, which have been used in over 95 percent of the 420—and counting—targeted killings over the last decade.

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Micah Zenko examines the discrete military operations undertaken by the United States over the past twenty years to discern why they were used, if they achieved their objectives, and what determined their success or failure.

Douglas Dillon Fellow Micah Zenko analyzes the potentially serious consequences, both at home and abroad, of a lightly overseen drone program and makes recommendations for improving its governance.