News & Insights

Virtual Discussion with General Amos Gilead, former Director of Policy and Political-Military Affairs at the Israeli Ministry of Defense
BENS hosts General Amos Gilead, former Director of Policy and Political-Military Affairs at the Israeli Ministry of Defense.

Will a Biden Trip to Saudi Arabia Be His “Walk to Canossa”?
In 1076, in a contest of the Holy Roman Empire’s secular power and the Catholic Church’s ecclesiastical power, Pope Gregory VII excommunicated the Holy Roman Emperor, Henry IV. The following…

US Needs to Reset Its Relationships in the Middle East
The Middle East has long been an arena of conflicts and intrigues, driven by tribal feuds, religion, and culture. The region’s abundance of petroleum, and its strategic location at the…

Post-Afghanistan, US Air Force Changes Jolly Green II Helicopter Purchase Plans
The U.S. Air Force wants to cut the total number of new combat rescue helicopters it plans to buy by one-third, a sign of how it is adjusting to a post-Afghanistan threat…

How Iran is Winning, One Attack at a Time.
This week, U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) issued a statement confirming that “U.S. forces at Al Dhafra Air Base, near Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), engaged two inbound…

US Troop Level Reduction in Middle East Likely as Focus Shifts Elsewhere
The U.S. military is likely to reduce the number of troops it keeps in the Middle East and Central Asia while remaining engaged in those regions to counter Iran and…

Between Then and Now, They Did Not Die in Vain
Army Capt. Dan Whitten was a young West Point officer serving in Afghanistan when I met him for the first time. One of his friends noted that he was outgoing…

Evacuating is the Most Demanding Mission of 20 Years in Afghanistan
The images of the last two weeks have been riveting to many Americans, but especially to the nearly 800,000 U.S. veterans and service members who served in Afghanistan. No one…