Outside the Beltway

We may have entered a new and dangerous phase of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

President Obama explained his position on the Palestinian statehood resolution today, but one wonders if anyone listened.

Rick Perry’s speech criticizing the President’s policies in the Middle East raised more questions than it answered.

Yes, Barack Obama is running for a second term.

Foolishly, the Palestinians are going forward with their effort to get Palestinian statehood recognized by the United Nations.

For a peace envoy, Blair has some nonpeaceful ideas.

The Western fetish for turning cheap, efficient food into expensive, inefficient fuel is threatening the food supply–as is the European superstition against genetically modified foods.

What are the contours of “mainstream” religious thought in today’s America?

There are 164 technically acceptable transliterations of the name of Libya’s soon-to-be-former dictator.

Steve Benen has coined the phrase “Thank America Last” to describe those avoiding praise of President Obama for success in Libya.

After months of fits and starts, it appears anti-Gaddafi forces are on the verge of victory.

Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta gave the strongest signal ever that there will be some U.S. military presence in Iraq after December 31st.

The U.S. and its allies are calling on Bashar Assad to step down, but there’s little we can do when he says no.

Michele Bachmann is promising $2.00 gas. Not surprisingly, she has no idea how to achieve this seemingly impossible goal.

Iraq has become so dependent on Iran for its survival that it is endorsing the brutal tactics of Bashar Assad.

Examining the impact of current events requires stepping back from them just a little bit.

International options with respect to Syria are limited and likely to have little impact on the governments treatment of civilians.

Will the trial of Hosni Mubarak actually change anything?

The world is starting to denounce the crackdown in Syria, but the reaction seems unlikely to go much beyond strongly worded statements.

It is always useful to go inside the numbers.

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.