Security Brief

As U.S. troops leave Afghanistan, Taliban attacks are on the rise—and peace negotiations are at risk of collapsing.

Who the U.S. president-elect picks to fill lower-level posts in the State Department, the Pentagon, and other agencies will say a lot about his foreign policy.

Left-wing groups want to ensure Biden doesn’t pick Michael Morrell, seen as linked to post-9/11 counterterrorism policies, as CIA director.

While nothing is set in stone, here are some of the experts in the president-elect’s orbit that could take key posts in the administration.

Christopher Miller takes the reins at the Defense Department as the lame-duck White House replaces senior officials with Trump loyalists.

If Biden’s lead holds, the Trump administration could look to box in the next White House and extend its legacy on Middle East policy.

With the president on the campaign trail, administration officials are crossing the region to counter China’s rise—moves that a Biden administration might embrace.

Will presidential promises to bring troops home and give Israel more diplomatic victories be enough to sway voters?

U.S. Defense Secretary Mark Esper warns about Pyongyang’s new missiles, while Secretary of State Mike Pompeo downplays any threat.

Aid groups fear that government inaction will fuel economic malaise, hunger, and disease in the developing world.

The president’s call for the white supremacist group to “stand back and stand by” comes as intelligence agencies have growing concerns about right-wing militias.

Pompeo speaks on China in Wisconsin and Trump’s national security advisor speaks in Iowa in a thinly veiled election ploy.