Paul McLeary

Paul McLeary was a staff writer at Foreign Policy from 2015-2018.

Articles by Paul McLeary
EDITORS NOTE: Graphic content / This photo taken on July 17, 2017 shows Afghan security personnel gathered around the body of a suspected Taliban militant after he was killed during a security operation in the Nawa district in Helmand province. Afghan security forces supported by US air power have retaken the center of volatile Nawa district from the Taliban in southern Helmand province, US officials said on July 17. / AFP PHOTO / NOOR MOHAMMAD (Photo credit should read NOOR MOHAMMAD/AFP/Getty Images)
EDITORS NOTE: Graphic content / This photo taken on July 17, 2017 shows Afghan security personnel gathered around the body of a suspected Taliban militant after he was killed during a security operation in the Nawa district in Helmand province. Afghan security forces supported by US air power have retaken the center of volatile Nawa district from the Taliban in southern Helmand province, US officials said on July 17. / AFP PHOTO / NOOR MOHAMMAD (Photo credit should read NOOR MOHAMMAD/AFP/Getty Images)

SitRep: Trump Pushes Forward in Afghanistan, Refuses to Provide Details

The Cable
Paul McLeary
In this photograph taken on September 29, 2016, an Afghan pilot stands next to a line of US-made MD-530 Helicopters in Kabul. Under pressure from the Taliban, Afghanistan's military is increasingly relying on the country's young air force, and, together with Western allies, is speeding up its training of pilots and ground controllers in order to strike the enemy. / AFP / SHAH MARAI (Photo credit should read SHAH MARAI/AFP/Getty Images)
In this photograph taken on September 29, 2016, an Afghan pilot stands next to a line of US-made MD-530 Helicopters in Kabul. Under pressure from the Taliban, Afghanistan's military is increasingly relying on the country's young air force, and, together with Western allies, is speeding up its training of pilots and ground controllers in order to strike the enemy. / AFP / SHAH MARAI (Photo credit should read SHAH MARAI/AFP/Getty Images)

Building the Afghan Air Force Will Take Years

Report
Sharon Weinberger, Paul McLeary
CHANGI NAVAL BASE, SINGAPORE: In this released U.S. Navy handout, damage to the portside is visible as the Guided-missile destroyer USS John S. McCain (DDG 56) steers towards Changi Naval Base, Republic of Singapore, following a collision with the merchant vessel Alnic MC while underway east of the Straits of Malacca and Singapore on Aug. 21. Significant damage to the hull resulted in flooding to nearby compartments, including crew berthing, machinery, and communications rooms. Damage control efforts by the crew halted further flooding. The incident will be investigated. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Joshua Fulton/U.S. Navy via Getty Images)
CHANGI NAVAL BASE, SINGAPORE: In this released U.S. Navy handout, damage to the portside is visible as the Guided-missile destroyer USS John S. McCain (DDG 56) steers towards Changi Naval Base, Republic of Singapore, following a collision with the merchant vessel Alnic MC while underway east of the Straits of Malacca and Singapore on Aug. 21. Significant damage to the hull resulted in flooding to nearby compartments, including crew berthing, machinery, and communications rooms. Damage control efforts by the crew halted further flooding. The incident will be investigated. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Joshua Fulton/U.S. Navy via Getty Images)

U.S. Navy Pauses After Losing Two Guided Missile Destroyers in Pacific

The Cable
Paul McLeary
Afghan National Army (ANA) soldiers patrol on the Kandahar-Uruzgan highway on October 16, 2016. / AFP / JAVED TANVEER (Photo credit should read JAVED TANVEER/AFP/Getty Images)
Afghan National Army (ANA) soldiers patrol on the Kandahar-Uruzgan highway on October 16, 2016. / AFP / JAVED TANVEER (Photo credit should read JAVED TANVEER/AFP/Getty Images)

SitRep: Trump’s War in Afghanistan; USS John S. McCain Limps into Port, 10 Sailors Missing

The Cable
Paul McLeary
WASHINGTON, DC - FEBRUARY 09: U.S. President Donald Trump meets with members of the airline industry at the White House February 9, 2017 in Washington, DC. Trump held a listening session with the group to advance issues relative to the airline industry. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)
WASHINGTON, DC - FEBRUARY 09: U.S. President Donald Trump meets with members of the airline industry at the White House February 9, 2017 in Washington, DC. Trump held a listening session with the group to advance issues relative to the airline industry. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)

Inside Trump’s Tortured Search for a Winning Strategy in Afghanistan

Exclusive
Dan De Luce, Elias Groll, Jenna McLaughlin, Jana Winter, Paul McLeary
US President Donald Trump (C) and US defence minister, James Mattis (3R) meets with officials during a meeting at the European Union Headquarters during a NATO meeting in Brussels on May 25, 2017. / AFP PHOTO / POOL / STEPHANIE LECOCQ (Photo credit should read STEPHANIE LECOCQ/AFP/Getty Images)
US President Donald Trump (C) and US defence minister, James Mattis (3R) meets with officials during a meeting at the European Union Headquarters during a NATO meeting in Brussels on May 25, 2017. / AFP PHOTO / POOL / STEPHANIE LECOCQ (Photo credit should read STEPHANIE LECOCQ/AFP/Getty Images)

SitRep: Afghanistan Strategy Day at Camp David, USS FItzgerald Officers Sacked After Deadly Crash

The Cable
Paul McLeary
ARLINGTON, VA - JULY 20: U.S. President Donald Trump speaks to members of the media as Vice President Mike Pence looks on after a meeting at the Pentagon July 20, 2017 in Arlington, Virginia. President Trump participated in a 'Pol-Mil session' and was briefed on national security issues and the fight against ISIS. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images)
ARLINGTON, VA - JULY 20: U.S. President Donald Trump speaks to members of the media as Vice President Mike Pence looks on after a meeting at the Pentagon July 20, 2017 in Arlington, Virginia. President Trump participated in a 'Pol-Mil session' and was briefed on national security issues and the fight against ISIS. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images)

SitRep: Trump Calls Meeting on Afghanistan Strategy; Bannon Outlines Foreign Policy, Possibly By Mistake

The Cable
Paul McLeary
BAGHDAD, IRAQ - OCTOBER 1: Col. Steve Warren, the new spokesman for the US-led coalition in Iraq, speaks during an introduction of Let. Gen. Sean MacFarland s the new commander General of the US led coalition in Iraq on October 1, 2015 in Baghdad, Iraq. MacFarland is a three-star general in the United States Army. (Photo by Khalid Mohammed-Pool/Getty Images)
BAGHDAD, IRAQ - OCTOBER 1: Col. Steve Warren, the new spokesman for the US-led coalition in Iraq, speaks during an introduction of Let. Gen. Sean MacFarland s the new commander General of the US led coalition in Iraq on October 1, 2015 in Baghdad, Iraq. MacFarland is a three-star general in the United States Army. (Photo by Khalid Mohammed-Pool/Getty Images)

Pentagon Forces Out Popular Press Spokesman

The Cable
Dan De Luce, Paul McLeary
General Fang Fenghui (L), chief of the general staff of the Chinese People's Liberation Army, and General Joseph Dunford, chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, review an honour guard during a welcome ceremony at the Bayi Building in Beijing on August 15, 2017. / AFP PHOTO / POOL / Mark Schiefelbein (Photo credit should read MARK SCHIEFELBEIN/AFP/Getty Images)
General Fang Fenghui (L), chief of the general staff of the Chinese People's Liberation Army, and General Joseph Dunford, chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, review an honour guard during a welcome ceremony at the Bayi Building in Beijing on August 15, 2017. / AFP PHOTO / POOL / Mark Schiefelbein (Photo credit should read MARK SCHIEFELBEIN/AFP/Getty Images)

SitRep: U.S. and China Ink Military Agreements; Mattis And His Troop Talk

The Cable
Paul McLeary
This picture taken and released on July 4, 2017 by North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) shows North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un inspecting the test-fire of intercontinental ballistic missile Hwasong-14 at an undisclosed location. North Korea declared on July 4 it had successfully tested its first intercontinental ballistic missile -- a watershed moment in its push to develop a nuclear weapon capable of hitting the mainland United States. / AFP PHOTO / KCNA VIA KNS / STR / South Korea OUT / REPUBLIC OF KOREA OUT ---EDITORS NOTE--- RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE - MANDATORY CREDIT "AFP PHOTO/KCNA VIA KNS" - NO MARKETING NO ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS - DISTRIBUTED AS A SERVICE TO CLIENTS THIS PICTURE WAS MADE AVAILABLE BY A THIRD PARTY. AFP CAN NOT INDEPENDENTLY VERIFY THE AUTHENTICITY, LOCATION, DATE AND CONTENT OF THIS IMAGE. THIS PHOTO IS DISTRIBUTED EXACTLY AS RECEIVED BY AFP. / (Photo credit should read STR/AFP/Getty Images)
This picture taken and released on July 4, 2017 by North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) shows North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un inspecting the test-fire of intercontinental ballistic missile Hwasong-14 at an undisclosed location. North Korea declared on July 4 it had successfully tested its first intercontinental ballistic missile -- a watershed moment in its push to develop a nuclear weapon capable of hitting the mainland United States. / AFP PHOTO / KCNA VIA KNS / STR / South Korea OUT / REPUBLIC OF KOREA OUT ---EDITORS NOTE--- RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE - MANDATORY CREDIT "AFP PHOTO/KCNA VIA KNS" - NO MARKETING NO ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS - DISTRIBUTED AS A SERVICE TO CLIENTS THIS PICTURE WAS MADE AVAILABLE BY A THIRD PARTY. AFP CAN NOT INDEPENDENTLY VERIFY THE AUTHENTICITY, LOCATION, DATE AND CONTENT OF THIS IMAGE. THIS PHOTO IS DISTRIBUTED EXACTLY AS RECEIVED BY AFP. / (Photo credit should read STR/AFP/Getty Images)

SitRep: North Korea Waiting Game; Mattis on War, Dr. Strangelove, Afghanistan, And More

The Cable
Paul McLeary
US President Donald Trump (R) and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi take part in a bilateral meeting at a hotel in Riyadh on May 21, 2017. / AFP PHOTO / MANDEL NGAN (Photo credit should read MANDEL NGAN/AFP/Getty Images)
US President Donald Trump (R) and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi take part in a bilateral meeting at a hotel in Riyadh on May 21, 2017. / AFP PHOTO / MANDEL NGAN (Photo credit should read MANDEL NGAN/AFP/Getty Images)

With Obama Gone, Trump Pentagon Resumes Major Egyptian War Game

Exclusive
Paul McLeary
SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA - AUGUST 14: U.S. Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Joseph Dunford (L) talks with South Korean Defence Minister Song Young-moo (R) during their meeting at the Defence Ministry on August 14, 2017 in Seoul, South Korea. Dunford is in South Korea to discuss the North Korean nuclear and missile threats with South Korea's defense minister and the military chief. (Photo by Song Kyung-Seok-Pool/Getty Images)
SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA - AUGUST 14: U.S. Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Joseph Dunford (L) talks with South Korean Defence Minister Song Young-moo (R) during their meeting at the Defence Ministry on August 14, 2017 in Seoul, South Korea. Dunford is in South Korea to discuss the North Korean nuclear and missile threats with South Korea's defense minister and the military chief. (Photo by Song Kyung-Seok-Pool/Getty Images)

SitRep: Pentagon, Cabinet Make Ignoring Trump the New Normal

The Cable
Paul McLeary
Screen Shot 2017-08-11 at 4.27.41 PM
Screen Shot 2017-08-11 at 4.27.41 PM

Mapped: U.S. and Allied Missile Defenses Against North Korea

Report
Paul McLeary, C.K. Hickey
US President Donald Trump, with National Security Advisor H. R. McMaster, speaks during a security briefing on August 10, 2017, at his Bedminster National Golf Club in New Jersey. / AFP PHOTO / Nicholas Kamm (Photo credit should read NICHOLAS KAMM/AFP/Getty Images)
US President Donald Trump, with National Security Advisor H. R. McMaster, speaks during a security briefing on August 10, 2017, at his Bedminster National Golf Club in New Jersey. / AFP PHOTO / Nicholas Kamm (Photo credit should read NICHOLAS KAMM/AFP/Getty Images)

SitRep: Trump and Kim Jong Un Reach Tipping Point, White House Disorganized

The Cable
Paul McLeary
People walk past a television screen showing US President Donald Trump at a railway station in Seoul on August 9, 2017. President Donald Trump issued an apocalyptic warning to North Korea on Tuesday, saying it faces "fire and fury" over its missile program, after US media reported Pyongyang has successfully miniaturized a nuclear warhead. / AFP PHOTO / JUNG Yeon-Je (Photo credit should read JUNG YEON-JE/AFP/Getty Images)
People walk past a television screen showing US President Donald Trump at a railway station in Seoul on August 9, 2017. President Donald Trump issued an apocalyptic warning to North Korea on Tuesday, saying it faces "fire and fury" over its missile program, after US media reported Pyongyang has successfully miniaturized a nuclear warhead. / AFP PHOTO / JUNG Yeon-Je (Photo credit should read JUNG YEON-JE/AFP/Getty Images)

Trump Increases Rhetoric on North Korea, As His Aides Fight It Out

The Cable
Paul McLeary
Load more by Paul McLeary Return to staff list

Latest

See All Stories

Trending

  1. 1
    Trump Has No Idea How to Do Diplomacy
  2. 2
    Is Ukraine the Future of Asia?
  3. 3
    China Is Worried About Dollar-Backed Stablecoins
  4. 4
    Can India and the U.S. Repair Their Relationship?
  5. 5
    The Next Israel-Iran War Is Coming