Colonel Brian M. Killough, USAF, says the Liaoning, China's first aircraft carrier, is a measured step in the long trek toward a globally-capable navy that an emerging superpower needs. While a solid indicator of intent, it's not a threat—yet.

Micah Zenko says leave the "better off" question aside and look at safety, "The reality is that, across a range of criteria, Americans are indeed safer and more secure than four years ago."

The National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2013 (H.R. 4310) passed in the House in May 2012 and awaits decision by the Senate.

Pakistani foreign minister Hina Rabbani Khar discusses U.S.-Pakistan relations, focusing on the bilateral relationship beyond national security concerns.

The UN General Assembly will likely address two "lightning rod" issues: ending the bloodshed in Syria and curbing Iran's nuclear development, says CFR's Stewart Patrick.

The U.S. defense budget has grown to inordinate levels, and the American public isn't happy about it. Scott Rasmussen sets out proposals on how to create a leaner military spending strategy that is more efficient and satisfies the desires of the voters.

Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta gave these remarks to the PLA Engineering Academy of Armored Forces in Beijing, China on September 19, 2012.

Mitt Romney's response to the recent anti-American protests are passed off as foolish, simple political rhetoric, writes David Horsey.

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.

Harold Koh, Legal Advisor at the U.S. Department of State, gave these remarks at the USCYBERCOM Inter-Agency Legal Conference in Maryland on September 18, 2012.

Examining the decline of violence in Iraq at the end of 2007, Stephen Biddle, Jeffrey A. Friedman, and Jacob Shapiro argue, "A synergistic interaction between the surge and the [Sunni] Awakening was required for violence to drop as quickly and widely as it did: both were necessary; neither was sufficient."

For two decades, the United States has dominated the global arms trade, reaping a broad range of economic and geopolitical benefits in the process.

Joshua Foust highlights the apprehensiveness of both presidential candidates to address the ongoing war in Afghanistan and what it means for raising public or political pressure to find a lasting solution.

President Obama gave these remarks at the Pentagon Memorial Service in remembrance of 9/11, on September 11, 2012.

Post-9/11 U.S. counterterrorism and surrounding civil liberties issues are unlikely to stray far from currently policy no matter who is in the White House in 2013, says CFR's Matthew Waxman.

Republican vice presidential candidate Paul Ryan gave these remarks on September 11, 2012.

Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney gave this statement on September 11, 2012.

The Department of Defense released this strategy document, "Capstone Concept for Joint Operations: Joint Force 2020" on September 10, 2012.

Richard M. Thompson II assesses the use of drones under the Fourth Amendment right to be free from unreasonable searches and seizures.

Will Marshall writes in Foreign Policy that even though President Obama has been able to neutralize the Republican Party's traditional advantage on national security, with the upcoming presidential election, now is the time to return to the liberal principle of defense of freedom at home and abroad.