Michael O'Hanlon

War & Military Strategy Mar 1, 2017 Postscript

Trump's $54 Billion Rounding Error

President Donald Trump’s proposed buildups are more than we need. And there is a glaring mismatch between planned increases in spending and available funds.

Michael O'Hanlon

A U.S. soldier shields himself from the rotor wash of a Blackhawk helicopter after being dropped off for a mission with the Afghan police, Afghanistan, December 20, 2014.

Strategy & Conflict September/October 2016 Comment

America’s Awesome Military

The U.S. military is the greatest fighting force in the world, and likely to remain so for some time—worries about a decline are overplayed. But a long-term plan for...

Michael O'Hanlon and David Petraeus

In fighting shape: a U.S. soldier in Laghman Province, Afghanistan, December 2014.

Terrorism & Counterterrorism Sep 12, 2014 Snapshot

Beyond Air Strikes

The most important part of U.S. President Barack Obama’s recent speech about Iraq and Syria wasn’t how many air strikes the United States will conduct and when -- the...

Michael O'Hanlon

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry looks out over Baghdad from a helicopter, September 10, 2014.

War & Military Strategy Aug 12, 2014 Snapshot

How to Win in Iraq

After containing ISIS with air strikes, the United States will need to consider what comes next. And here, Obama must be fair to his critics and avoid suggesting that...

Michael O'Hanlon

Shia volunteers secure the area from ISIS militants in the desert south of Baghdad, July 3, 2014.

Strategy & Conflict July/August 2014 Essay

Keep Hope Alive

The geopolitical rivalry between China and the United States in Asia is heating up. As it does so, both Washington and Beijing need to avoid increasing tensions...

James B. Steinberg and Michael O'Hanlon

Sea power: Chinese naval recruits in Qingdao, December 2013.

Obama Administration May 28, 2014 Snapshot

The Obama Defense

U.S. President Obama -- increasingly accused of having a listless foreign policy that, in the eyes of some, made Russian President Vladimir Putin believe he could get...

Michael O'Hanlon

NATO Apr 17, 2014 Snapshot

NATO After Crimea

Should Russia march into eastern Ukraine, the best way to respond would be to set up a permanent brigade of American light forces in the most vulnerable NATO members,...

Michael O'Hanlon

A Romanian special forces member disembarks from a helicopter.

Strategy & Conflict November/December 2013 Letter

Paywall-Free

A Far Cry From Failure

Michael O'Hanlon

Defense Policy Jul 2, 2013 Snapshot

Land Warriors

The United States has increasingly preferred to base its combat aircraft in the Middle East on aircraft carriers in and near the Persian Gulf. But now it should change...

Michael O'Hanlon and Bruce Riedel

The aircraft carrier USS Enterprise transits the Suez Canal, October 12, 2012.

War & Military Strategy Aug 31, 2011 Postscript

Libya and the Obama Doctrine

The U.S. campaign was a success but a provisional and limited one. Qaddafi is gone, but his ouster will not become a model for future interventions.

Michael O'Hanlon

War & Military Strategy Mar 30, 2011 Snapshot

Winning Ugly in Libya

Although the Libya mission has been effective in averting a humanitarian debacle so far, it has been ugly in some ways. But as Ivo Daalder and I argued about the...

Michael O'Hanlon

U.S. Foreign Policy September/October 2010 Essay

Staying Power

Americans have growing doubts about the U.S. mission in Afghanistan that U.S. President Barack Obama seems to share. But the United States should and will maintain a...

Michael O'Hanlon

WMD & Proliferation Sep 23, 2009 Postscript

Star Wars Retreats?

The Obama administration's cancellation of a missile-defense network in Europe is not a sign of misguided weakness, but rather the result of a prudent reexamination of...

Michael O'Hanlon

Defense Policy November/December 2003 Essay

Clinton's Strong Defense Legacy

Conventional wisdom holds that Bill Clinton presided over a disastrous downsizing of the U.S. military. But this claim is wrong. In fact, Clinton's Pentagon maintained...

Michael O'Hanlon

U.S. Foreign Policy March/April 2001 Comment

Come Partly Home, America: How to Downsize U.S. Deployments Abroad

America should not abdicate its military duties abroad. But careful cuts in the number of U.S. troops overseas could alleviate some current problems -- such as poor...

Michael O'Hanlon

WMD & Proliferation November/December 1999 Essay

Star Wars Strikes Back

Ronald Reagan's dream never died; it only faded slightly. Star Wars is still with us in a scaled-back form. Although theater missile defenses -- popularized by the...

Michael O'Hanlon

Economics July/August 1997 Essay

Making Foreign Aid Work

Decades ago, donors saw aid as a transfer of resources from rich to poor countries. Today they see it more as a means of improving recipient countries - use of...

Carol Graham and Michael O'Hanlon

Michael O'Hanlon

Trump's $54 Billion Rounding Error

America’s Awesome Military

Beyond Air Strikes

How to Win in Iraq

Keep Hope Alive

The Obama Defense

NATO After Crimea

A Far Cry From Failure

Land Warriors

Libya and the Obama Doctrine

Winning Ugly in Libya

Staying Power

Star Wars Retreats?

Clinton's Strong Defense Legacy

Come Partly Home, America: How to Downsize U.S. Deployments Abroad

Star Wars Strikes Back

Making Foreign Aid Work

Global Conflict This Week: Meetings to Watch at UNGA Next Week

Treatment of Terrorists: How Does Gender Affect Justice?

Cyber Week in Review: September 21, 2018

Maldives Election: Weekend Reading

The Link Between Foreign Languages and U.S. National Security

Aung San Suu Kyi’s Major Speech on Rakhine State

Creating a State Department Office for American State and Local Diplomacy

The Global Cost of the Eurozone’s 2012 Fiscal Coordination Failure

Publications

The U.S. Immigration Debate

U.S. Gun Policy: Global Comparisons

The Rohingya Crisis