"Suleimani took command of the Quds Force fifteen years ago, and has sought to reshape the Middle East in Iran's favor: assassinating rivals, arming allies, and directing a network of militant groups that killed hundreds of Americans in Iraq. And yet he has remained mostly invisible to the outside world. 'Suleimani is the single most powerful operative in the Middle East today,' a former C.I.A. officer in Iraq, told me, 'and no one's ever heard of him.'"

"The liberals and revolutionaries who are now dancing in the streets must not rest on their laurels, but must begin agitating for a sustained national dialogue to reinterpret the proper role of the armed forces in the life of the country," writes Steven Cook.

Reza Aslan writes about the evolving political changes in Egypt.

Throughout Chuck Hagel's marathon confirmation hearing, America's decade-long war in Afghanistan was noticeably overlooked. But it is curious to see the next secretary of defense receive so few inquiries from senators about the war whose end he will presumably oversee in the coming years, says Gayle Tzemach Lemmon.

The U.S. Senate Committee on Armed Services held this confirmation hearing for Defense Secretary nominee Charles Hagel on January 31, 2013.

In a review of Stanley McChrystal's My Share of the Task, Max Boot says throughout McChrystal's career, the general was unshakably dedicated to his soldiers, to his wife, and, above all, to the Army and nation.

David Ignatius says in looking at a possible nomination of Chuck Hagel for secretary of defense, the issue for the White House "is whether Hagel would be the best manager during an important inflection point in Pentagon history."

Max Boot reviews The Generals by Thomas E. Rick, a book that traces the evolution of prevailing attitudes toward the promotion and relief of generals from the 1940s to present day, seeking to discover how the Army changed so dramatically in the past sixty-plus years and the consequences for the future of American military power.

Max Boot says David Petraeus's intellectualism was crucial to the U.S. military. Now the nation loses his skills.

CFR's James M. Lindsay remembers President Harry Truman's announcement on April 11, 1951, that he had dismissed General Douglas MacArthur as commanding general of U.S. forces in Korea, and discusses the principle of civilian control of the military.

Retired Admiral Thad W. Allen discusses major events, such as Hurricane Katrina, that shaped his experience as admiral of the United States Coast Guard.

This meeting is part of the HBO History Makers series.

Max Boot says that in retiring, Defense Secretary Robert Gates speaks his mind as few Washington officials ever have.

Leslie H. Gelb discusses Leon Panetta and says the new defense secretary has yet to settle into the role of middleman between military demands and the wishes of the White House.

Linda Robinson discusses General David Petraeus's nomination to become director of the Central Intelligence Agency.

Admiral Gary Roughead, chief of U.S. naval operations, discusses the Navy's strategies for being a forward thinking global force that provides international maritime security, as well as humanitarian and disaster relief.

Admiral Gary Roughead, chief of U.S. naval operations, discusses the Navy's strategies for being a forward thinking global force that provides international maritime security, as well as humanitarian and disaster relief.

Max Boot reviews Donald Rumsfeld's Known and Unknown.

Dan Senor and Roman Martinez discuss Donald Rumsfeld's memoir, Known and Unknown.

Leslie H. Gelb discusses Tom Donilon's appointment as the new U.S. national security adviser.

Bob Gates never thought he'd be Barack Obama's defense secretary. Now, in an exclusive interview, the most revolutionary Pentagon leader since Robert McNamara tells FP why he said yes, when he'll get out of Washington, and what legacy he hopes to leave behind.