The threat of nuclear armageddon is overblown.

The Democratic-led Congress entered the summer recess aiming to force Republicans into accepting a withdrawal timetable from Iraq. But military gains may be prompting a strategy shift. 

The Bush administration wants to replace aging strategic nuclear warheads with a new, more reliable generation. Others see more pressing priorities for U.S. defense dollars.

With wars in Afghanistan and Iraq consuming lives, equipment, and political capital, talk of financial costs may seem petty. But this is budget season, and the way the Bush administration has been paying for the war is about to become a political issue.

Carla Anne Robbins says, "The drone war isn't going away. As the U.S. slashes budgets, the lethality and cost-effectiveness of drone strikes will likely make them an even more attractive option. But that doesn't mean the current policy is wise or even sustainable."

Micah Zenko says, "Military officials increasingly believe that the Obama administration must think through its current practices and policies of targeted killings, and consider how they can be reformed, or risk others following in U.S. footsteps."

With the recent revelation of a United Nations inquiry into U.S. drone strikes policies and practices, Micah Zenko says the UN has actually been investigating U.S. drones for ten years—but to no effect.

Micah Zenko says unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are a different kind of weapon, and one that is quickly proliferating

Micah Zenko says no matter who wins in November, the United States should get ready for ten more years of drones.

American approach to deadly drone strikes in Pakistan proves overly blunt, says journalist and Waziristan native Pir Zubair Shah.

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.

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

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

John Pomfret discusses the test flight of a Chinese military fighter jet--and what it reveals about the Chinese military's view of China's relationship with the United States.

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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A panel of experts discusses U.S. drone policy.

Micah Zenko, CFR's Douglas Dillon fellow in the Center for Preventive Action, discusses U.S. drone strikes and their global implications.

Deputy Secretary of Defense William Lynn discusses the various new strategies used by the Pentagon to identify information technology threats, combat cyber warfare, and protect U.S. infrastructure.