Outside the Beltway

The Vatican has announced that it will recognize Palestinian statehood, but this is not going to resolve the underlying issues that prevent a Palestinian state from actually coming into existence.

A plan to distribute migrants from the conflicts in the Middle East and North Africa across the entire European Union seems destined to cause political conflict.

Like most Republicans, Jeb Bush either fails or refuses to recognize what an utter, unjustifiable disaster his brother’s decision to invade Iraq actually was.

Jeb Bush told a group of supporters that his brother is his top Middle East policy adviser. This strikes me as being a bad idea.

Saudi Arabia’s new King has shaken up the Royal Family, and that could have interesting results.

Pot, meet kettle.

For months, Ted Cruz said the nomination of Loretta Lynch must be blocked. Then, he failed to show up when the Senate voted on her nomination.

An attack on al Qaeda outposts in January resulted in the death of two hostages, but also resulted in the death of two high value al Qaeda targets.

Conditioning an Iranian nuclear deal on recognition of Israel is foolish, unrealistic, and very bad diplomacy.

Unlike most world leaders, Pope Francis is wiling to call a genocide a genocide.

One freshman Senator seems to think that war with Iran would be easy, just like Republicans used to think that war against Iraq would be easy.

Rand Paul has changed position on several foreign policy issues, but he doesn’t seem to want to talk about it.

Scott Walker’s response to the Iranian nuclear deal is perhaps the most irresponsible so far.

The Iranian nuclear accords are barely 24 hours old and some people have already made up their mind about them.

Talks in Geneva have reached a framework agreement regarding Iran’s nuclear program that, if it’s complied with, appears at first glance to be about the best deal available under the circumstances.

More than ever before, even mild criticism of Israel seems to be verboten among Republicans.

Yet another probable rift between the U.S. and Israel over Iran.

Rand Paul now says he signed the Cotton Letter to strengthen the Administration’s bargaining position.

Ben Carson doesn’t seem to know much about foreign policy or history. And he doesn’t belong on anyone’s list of serious Presidential candidates.

By a wide margin Americans think it was wrong of the GOP to invite Israel’s Prime Minister to speak to Congress.

The intrepid foreign correspondent and editor Arnaud de Borchgrave has died, aged 88, of cancer.

ISIS apparently now has a foothold in Libya, and is making inroads in Yemen.

Most in the international relations community are not amused by the president’s National Security Strategy.

President Obama will ask Congress to authorize a war he started six months ago.

The first installment of my analysis of the National Security Strategy.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is apparently realizing that speaking to Congress may not be a good idea after all.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyhu’s speech to Congress is becoming even more partisan, much to the apparent chagrin of the Israelis.

Some Congressional Democrats are considering skipping a speech by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to a Joint Session Of Congress.

By inviting Prime Minister Netanyahu to address Congress, Republicans are damaging the U.S. relationship with Israel.

The price of oil is continuing to fall, but it won’t last forever.

Well, so much for that “people’s revolt” that brought down a military dictator.

A surprising change at the top of the military’s civilian chain of command.

Our supposed Syrian allies seem to have a different idea of who the enemy in Syria actually is.

The idea that the U.S. does not negotiate with terrorists is simply not historically accurate, so should we be reconsidering the policy of not negotiating with ISIS for the release of Western hostages?

The CIA has always separated its core spying and analysis functions; that may soon change.

The latest ISIS video is horrible and barbaric but we should not take the bait they are offering before considering the consequences of our actions going forward.

Mission creep.

The Supreme Court will decide if Congress can override American foreign policy when it comes to declaring who has dominion over Jerusalem.

Quietly, oil prices have been falling for months now. That’s potentially a very big deal.

Yesterday’s apparent terrorist shooting in Ottawa reveals again a phenomenon that seems difficult if not impossible to stop in advance.

CNN’s effort to bring back a show that had outlived its prime years ago has, predictably, failed.

The Turks have entered the conflict in Syria. Unfortunately for the United States, it’s not on the side we would prefer.

So far at least, the air strikes against Islamic State positions in Syria do not seem to be having much of an impact.