The growth and strengthening of Afghanistan’s domestic security forces is seen as key to an eventual U.S. exit, but some analysts caution that progress will remain slow.

James L. Jones, a retired Marine commandant, brings extensive military and diplomatic experience to his new post as national security adviser for President Barack Obama.

The history, rationale, and limitations of the National Intelligence Estimate, the U.S. intelligence community’s most authoritative and coordinated written assessment of national security issues.

U.S. presidential nominating conventions often touch on national security and foreign policy, but don’t always signal the direction of a winning candidate’s policy, explains this Backgrounder.