Recent News & Reports

September 18, 2023:  

President Biden promised that human rights would be a central part of his administration’s foreign policy, yet around the world, the results have fallen short of the rhetoric.

August 22, 2023:  

A plan for the U.S. to correct course and re-engage in the Western Hemisphere in a meaningful way on trade and better utilize existing economic tools.

August 18, 2023:  

As policymakers grapple with how to handle advances in generative AI, fostering continued innovation and being clear-eyed about the national security implications of generative AI will be critical.

August 16, 2023:  

This brief critiques the Biden Administration's approach to Iran and provides recommendations for the next administration to stop Iran's nuclear program and stand with the Iranian people.

August 14, 2023:  

An options paper that evalauates the case for and against tying U.S. foreign assistance to a country’s voting record with the U.S. in the UN General Assembly.

August 10, 2023:  

This brief outlines why a successful, multilateral semiconductor export control regime requires an aligned, global approach across many stakeholders, as well as a nuanced understanding of the Chinese government’s likely response (and a willingness to withstand that response).

July 18, 2023:  

China is cracking down on foreign and foreign-facing companies, launching raids and investigations, freezing acquisitions, and arresting Chinese and foreign nationals. This brief outlines how the U.S. government and American companies operating in China should prepare for ongoing Chinese pressure.

July 10, 2023:  

The world has shifted to a renewed era of great power competition. If America’s great-power adversaries see strategic advantage in assaulting democracy and democratic alliances, the United States should see strategic advantage in defending and advancing freedom around the world.

June 20, 2023:  

As the June 2023 Ukraine Recovery Conference gets underway, FAL’s International Development Working Group has a new brief that outlines five key mechanisms by which the U.S. can promote a Ukrainian victory while maintaining a sustainable level of economic support.

June 9, 2023:  

Russian President Vladimir Putin and forces under his direction have engaged in horrific and senseless crimes in Ukraine. It is imperative that the United States and its allies and partners seek accountability for these heinous acts by bringing Putin and culpable Russian forces to justice, such as through an ad hoc international legal tribunal. This FAL brief outlines why pursuing these goals through the International Criminal Court risks boomeranging against the United States.

June 5, 2023:  

Every Director of National Intelligence (DNI) since the office’s creation in 2004 has been faced with an impossible challenge—leading a community he or she does not own and cannot direct. This FAL brief explores the defining moments that led to the creation of the IC and to the formation of the DNI, the roles and responsibilities of the DNI and its limitations, and how we should be thinking about the future role of the DNI for the decades to come. 

May 17, 2023:  

The outcome of the U.S.-CCP strategic competition will determine the direction of the twenty-first century, and U.S. economic policy will play a decisive role in this contest. To ensure the United States prevails in this competition, policymakers must leverage the broad range of economic policy tools at our disposal in a comprehensive fashion. Read FAL's three-part strategy to give the United States the best possible chance to outcompete the CCP and protect both U.S. economic and national security. 

May 11, 2023:  

The recent leak of highly classified documents revealed information potentially damaging to U.S. national security. FAL's brief will not repost the contents of the documents or comment on their authenticity, but will discuss the consequences of this leak and others before it, and recommend ways to better protect classified information.

April 3, 2023:

Amid the strategic competition with the Chinese Communist Party and the war in Ukraine, the 118th Congress has an opportunity to make the Department of Defense (DoD) more effective at defending the national security of the United States. To win today and tomorrow, FAL provides key areas of reform for Congress to consider as it creates a FY2024 defense budget. 

March 27, 2023:

As the war in Ukraine drags on, the West must also address the looming threat of conflict over Taiwan. America’s most powerful allies in Europe, however, often exhibit a scattershot approach toward Taiwan. As a course correction, the U.S. should launch a serious effort to align Europeans with the goal of deterring a Chinese attack. FAL's plan to correct course and engage European allies in deterring China from an attack on Taiwan.

March 17, 2023:

Scores of intelligence successes over the last 15 years have depended on one section in one law that will expire at the end of this year. Allowing 702 to expire will blind us to threats when our adversaries are ramping up their espionage efforts. Here are some of the core questions about 702 collection, including what it does and does not allow, what safeguards are in place to protect Americans’ privacy, and what happens if it expires.

March 3, 2023:

After Putin’s suspension of New START, the United States should not chase Russia back into compliance. The U.S. should use Russia’s suspension as a wake-up call to get serious at the dawn of the three-way nuclear competition with Russia and China. Here are the steps the United States should take to confront the evolving threat environment following this wake-up call. 

March 1, 2023:

The Chinese spy balloon should be viewed as a tangible example of China’s aggressive intelligence gathering strategy, particularly on how China seeks to collect information on the U.S. military and critical infrastructure. It should also sound the alarm on how America protects the homeland. Read FAL's policy recommendations for U.S. leaders in light of the transit of a Chinese surveillance operation across the continental United States.

February 9, 2023:

The world is in midst of a technological revolution as the United States, its allies, and its adversaries make rapid technological advancement. But the DoD is not doing nearly enough to keep up. Here is a plan of action for the DoD and Congress to begin this necessary twenty-first century DoD transformation. 

November 29, 2022:

Preparing to protect U.S. interests and the American people during the next, inevitable pandemic outbreak is a significant national security imperative. It is impossible to know when and where the next pandemic will arise, but we know COVID-19 will not be the last. Here are four critical domains Congress should address to improve U.S. preparedness for future pandemic threats. 

November 4, 2022:

According to the CDC, 107,000 Americans overdosed in 2021. 70,000 of those died from synthetic opioids, mostly fentanyl. Fentanyl is a gamechanger for the U.S.-Mexico bilateral relationship and it should be treated as such. Here is FAL’s strategy to address this national emergency.

October 24, 2022:

Almost two years into its term, the Biden Administration has finally released its National Security Strategy. But the Biden NSS still does not call for military resources sufficient to meet the threats posed by America’s adversaries nor prioritize a homeland with safe and secure borders. Questions that Congress, the media, and all Americans should be asking Biden Administration officials about its NSS.