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Arms sales

Presidents Richard Nixon, George W. Bush, Barack Obama, and Donald Trump | Illustration: Eddie Marshall | ChatGPT

Foreign Policy

A Brief, Bloody History of All the Times the U.S. Caused Chaos in the Middle East

The conflict with Iran is the latest in a decadeslong series of regime change operations, long-term entanglements, and all-out wars that always seem to invite more problems.

Matthew Petti | 6.23.2025 2:47 PM

Screenshot of an FPV drone from Ukraine's large-scale drone attack against Russian military bombers in Siberia on June 1, 2025. | EyePress News/EYEPRESS/Newscom

Drones

Ukraine's Drones Just Took Down a Chunk of Russia's Bomber Fleet. What Does That Mean for America?

When anyone can have an air force, superpowers aren't as powerful as they used to be.

Matthew Petti | 6.3.2025 11:00 AM

A U.S. Air Force F-16 Fighting Falcon approaches a U.S. Air Force KC-135 Stratotanker to conduct an aerial refueling operation above the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, April 23, 2020. | U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Daniel Snider

Foreign Policy

Biden Opens the Floodgates on Weapons for the Middle East

The president is reversing a ban on selling offensive weapons to Saudi Arabia and advancing taxpayer-funded military aid to Israel.

Matthew Petti | 8.14.2024 3:19 PM

U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Phan Huy, a weapons team crew chief of the 57th Wing Maintenance Group, loads GBU-39 small diameter bombs onto an A-10C Thunderbolt II, assigned to the 422nd Test and Evaluation Squadron, at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada, Oct. 24, 2023. This aircraft can hold up to 16 GBU-39 bombs on four designated weapons racks or an assortment of other munitions to broaden mission capabilities. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Timothy Perish) | U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Timothy Perish

Israel

Democrats Surprised To Learn Bombs Are Used To Bomb People

Sen. Elizabeth Warren condemned Israel for killing Palestinian civilians with bombs that she had voted to send Israel.

Matthew Petti | 5.29.2024 12:30 PM

Internal Revenue Service logo | Samuel Corum/Sipa USA/Newscom

Taxes

The White House Lied About Its IRS Funding Only Targeting the Rich

Plus: A listener asks the editors for examples of left-leaning thinkers who also hold libertarian ideas.

Matt Welch, Katherine Mangu-Ward, Nick Gillespie, and Peter Suderman | 4.8.2024 4:55 PM

The Best of Reason Magazine logo | Joanna Andreasson

War

The Best of Reason: What if America Runs Out of Bombs?

The U.S. is dispensing munitions to Ukraine and Israel faster than they can be replaced.

Matthew Petti | 4.2.2024 6:33 PM

An illustration of Uncle Sam as a PEZ dispenser, dispensing bombs | Photo: Julian Dufort; Wikimedia

War

What if America Runs Out of Bombs?

The U.S. is dispensing munitions to Ukraine and Israel faster than they can be replaced.

Matthew Petti | 4.1.2024 6:30 AM

Biden giving a speech about yemen | Illustration: Lex Villena; Felton Davis, Joe Sohm | Dreamstime.com

Yemen

Why Aren't We Out of Yemen Yet?

Biden's vague, partial drawdown isn't enough.

Bonnie Kristian | 6.9.2022 11:30 AM

Yemenis inspect houses after an airstrike | Hani Al-Ansi/dpa/picture-alliance/Newscom

Foreign Policy

House Resolution Seeks End to U.S. Military Involvement in Yemen

It signals that many in Congress still condemn America's role in the war and actions from the president that lack proper authorization.

Fiona Harrigan | 6.2.2022 3:05 PM

Hani Al-Ansi/dpa/picture-alliance/Newscom Abaca Press/Lafargue Raphael/Abaca/Sipa USA/Newscom

Foreign Policy

Biden's Hidden War Is Destroying Yemen

Under Obama, Trump, and now Biden, U.S. arms deals with Saudi Arabia have perpetuated a humanitarian crisis.

Fiona Harrigan | 2.17.2022 2:50 PM

culture1-march-2021 | Cynthia Johnson/Getty

Guns

The All-American Arms Dealer

Samuel Cummings built a global weapons empire in Washington, D.C.'s shadow.

Mark Hemingway | 2.27.2021 6:00 AM

108649901_m (1) |  alexlmx

3D Printing

Federal Government Can't Just Allow 3D Gunmaking Software To Proliferate Without a License, Federal Judge Declares

Various states sued to stop the feds from allowing such gun-making files to circulate legally. Now, a federal judge says the decision to not prohibit them was "arbitrary and capricious."

Brian Doherty | 11.13.2019 5:45 PM

Large image on homepages | KEVIN LAMARQUE/REUTERS/Newscom

Justin Amash

Rep. Justin Amash Cosponsors Bill to Halt Saudi Arms Sales Over Missing Journalist

The bill may be new, but Amash's criticism of the Saudi regime is not.

Joe Setyon | 10.17.2018 4:50 PM

Large image on homepages | Arnaud Andrieu/SIPA/Newscom

Reason Roundup

Jamal Khashoggi Disappearance Doesn't Seem to Faze White House: Reason Roundup

Plus: Kavanaugh and Gorsuch differ during immigration case.

Elizabeth Nolan Brown | 10.11.2018 9:30 AM

Large image on homepages | Xinhua/Sipa USA/Newscom

Yemen

American-Backed Saudi Coalition Responsible for a Majority of Child Casualties in Yemen Conflict

If there wasn't enough reason to stop selling arms to the Saudis, a new report found that they were responsible for most of the child casualties in Yemen.

Nikhil Sridhar | 7.3.2018 12:30 PM

Large image on homepages | Joanna Andreasson. Wikimedia.

Economics

The President Shouldn't Act as an Arms Dealer to the Saudis

"The business of buying weapons that takes place in the Pentagon is a corrupt business."

Veronique de Rugy | 6.29.2018 6:00 AM

Large image on homepages | Uli Deck/dpa/picture-alliance/Newscom

Guns

Civilians Around the World Become Better Armed

Will widespread private arms rebalance power between individuals and the state? It looks like we're going to find out.

J.D. Tuccille | 6.26.2018 12:00 AM

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