Outside the Beltway

The Supreme Court is being asked to decided if Congress can overrule a foreign policy position the U.S. has held since 1948.

A bomb blast in Oslo’s government center has killed at least two people and a presumably related shooting spree at a nearby children’s camp are being investigated as terrorist related.

Is NATO prepared for what happens when they win?

The selective application of international law is here to stay.

When everyone can record video at any time and post it for all the world to see, is there such a thing as privacy anymore?

An ex-CIA agent says that someone in the Bush White House tried to use the agency to “discredit” Iraq War critic Juan Cole.

Ousting evil dictators is harder than it looks.

WaPo’s Jackson Diehl asks, “Will the GOP nominate a dove?”

The War Powers Act’s 90 day limit is in sight. Will Congress force the president’s hand?

The United States is pressuring the Netanyahu government to move off its hard line.

It appears that the Syrian military is starting to fracture. Exactly how widespread this is remains to be seen.

American drone strikes in Yemen are intensifying. Is this a new war. or just the same one we’ve been fighting since October 2001?

Some people still think Mitt Romney’s religion is a relevant issue.

Are you better off than you were four years ago?

Sure, there’s a lot of crap out there. But it’s easier to find good information and engage with experts than ever.

I get the impression that a lot of people don’t even know what “the 1967 borders” are or why they tend to be considered the logical point of departure for any type of peace negotiations.

A summary of the status of the “Arab Spring” uprisings with links to news coverage and commentary.

When will the madness end?

The US-Israeli relationship is not one of equals.

President Obama doubled down in his speech before this year’s AIPAC conference. Why he did so only he understands.

Once again, an American President thinks he can bring peace to the Middle East.

Foreign Policy’s David Kenner has a reading list for President Obama to help him get read for his big speech to recast our relationship with the Arab world. Topping the Persian Gulf section is Crossroads Arabia, by our own John Burgess.

Texas Congressman Ron Paul, who will enter the Presidential race tomorrow, says he wouldn’t have tried to have Osama bin Laden killed.

I’ve begun to wonder about the future of U. S. security policy. This isn’t a serious analytical post; it’s just what I call “musing”—committing disorganized thoughts to writing.

Did a deal between the U.S. and Pakistan during the infancy of the war against al Qaeda play a role in the raid against Osama bin Laden?

Pakistan is trying to explain how the world’s most wanted man was able to hide in plain sight for six years, and failing badly.