Outside the Beltway

Western military action in the Syrian civil war now appears likely.

In both Egypt and Syria, it’s damned if we do and damned if we don’t.

As President Obama’s red line has been crossed more brazenly, he continues to sound reluctant to intervene in Syria while positioning forces to do just that.

Walter Russell Mead explains why a well intentioned, carefully crafted and consistently pursued grand strategy failed.

A headline I never thought I’d see: “Yemen Asks U.S. For Drones To Fight Al Qaeda”

Andrew Bacevich argues, persuasively, that “absence of leverage does not preclude options” with respect to Egypt.

Does interest in Egypt make the same sense it did 30 years ago?

The Obama administration has issued a strongly worded statement on this morning’s massacre by the Egyptian government.

Hundreds are dead as Egypt’s military government crack down on supporters of the democratically elected government they ousted.

Some conservatives don’t seem too troubled by Vladimir Putin’s repression.

Bill Clark, who served as National Security Advisor and Interior Secretary under Ronald Reagan, has died at 81.

Al Qaeda may be up to something, so take no chances.

Anti-Assad forces are committing atrocities in Aleppo.

The US backed Egyptian government is massacring supporters of the ousted democratically elected government.

Not surprisingly, the United States is not going to place aid to Egypt’s military in legal jeopardy by calling this month’s events a coup.

Lindsey Graham is playing cynical political games with a dangerous part of the world.

Senators John McCain and Carl Levin have demanded answers from General Martin Dempsey on Syria. Can they handle the truth?

Secretary of State Kerry becomes the latest American official to wade into the Middle East’s longest lasting quagmire.

The United States has far and away the most capable navy on the planet. But it’s not very capable at the moment.

Some thoughts on a decade old video in which Samantha Power speculates on actions to take against an unfolding genocide.

The US Navy is moving transport ships near Egypt. Just in case.

Ostensible allies in the fight against the Assad regime, al Qaeda and the Free Syrian Army are killing each other.