Outside the Beltway

Another case where the cruelty is the point?

The independent who upended the 1992 Presidential race has passed.

In memos to his superiors, the British Ambassador to the United States had an exceedingly frank, and negative, assessment of the current occupant of the White House.

Whether he knows it or not, Donald Trump is assisting the Russian leader in his goal of undermining the foundational institutions of democracy and freedom.

Just over a year after the United States repudiated the JCPOA, Iran has surpassed a limit on uranium enrichment set by the JCPOA

Realistically, President Trump has very few options when it comes to dealing with Iran and its nuclear program.

Eight months later, the President and his Administration continue to refuse to acknowledge the truth about the murder of Jamal Khashoggi.

The Trump Administration unveiled new sanctions against Iran yesterday. They’re unlikely to accomplish the entirely unrealistic goals the President claims to have in mind.

A possible way forward?

The planes were apparently in the air, and the ships in position, for an American attack on Iran last night. Then the order to pull back came in.

As if the situation in the Persian Gulf weren’t already tense enough, the Iranians shot down an American reconnaissance drone late yesterday

Tensions are increasing in the Persian Gulf as the Iran war hawks seem to be winning the battle for the President’s support.

Expanding on events that have been going on for months, two oil tankers were attacked today near the entrance to the Persian Gulf

Recent comments by the U.S. Ambassador to Israel make it clear that the United States cannot be considered a neutral party In the Middle East peace process.

Thirty years ago, when the veterans of D-Day were still relatively young and still largely with us, President Reagan delivered one of the finest speeches of his Presidency.

Jared Kushner’s long-awaited Middle East peace plan is still awaiting release, but it already appears to be dead on arrival.

Despite appearing to have emerged from April’s election as the winner, Benjamin Netanyahu was unable to form a government. This means that Israel will have to hold new elections in September.

President Trump is in Japan, and while there is is dismissing the seriousness of new North Korean missile tests that threaten Japan.

This could be a very big deal – unless it isn’t.

Sunday’s attacks in Sri Lanka make it clear that the claim that ISIS has been defeated are nowhere close to being true.

In military justice Bizarroland, Rep Duncan Hunter intentionally commits “reverse UCI.”

The Wall Street Journal tries, and fails, to defend President Trump’s indefensible veto of the Congressional resolution regarding the war on Yemen.

Steve King, who has recently come under attack for a long history of racist remarks, is facing a strong challenge for the GOP nomination in 2020.

Can the ICC get him into the dock?

Both major parties have claimed victory but it certainly looks like Likud will hang on.

The Israeli prime minister is engaging in a familiar but dangerous gambit to retain power.

Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu is cutting short his US trip to deal with what his government is calling a Hamas attack.

Because of course he did.

The Saudis tortured an American citizen, but the Trump Administration doesn’t care.

For the second time in a week, reports indicate that the President intervened to get a family member a security clearance.

With criminal charges and an election hanging over his head, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is looking to the political right for support and survival.

President Trump personally overrode the objections of security officials, the White House Counsel, and the Chief of Staff to make sure his son-in-law got a security clearance.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is being charged with three charges of corruption even as he faces an election in just over a month.

After two years of spitting in their faces, President Trump is finding it hard to get America’s European allies to come to his aid.

Steve King isn’t backing down from his history of white supremacy and racism. And he’s also running for re-election.

In a rare display of assertiveness in the foreign policy arena, the House voted yesterday to bar U.S. assistance in Saudi Arabia’s genocidal war on Yemen.

The arguments against withdrawing American forces from Afghanistan are becoming weaker and weaker.

More than any recent President, Donald Trump displays a tremendous amount ignorance about the world. Even worse is the fact that he seems proud of it.

The White House isn’t ruling out the idea of a second government shutdown, but Senate Republicans have other ideas.

The House GOP has moved to rebuke Iowa Congressman for his racist remarks. What took them so long?

Hawaii Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard is the latest Democrat to throw their hat into the Presidential ring.

In a move that is likely to have political and international consequences, the Ukrainian Orthodox Church has officially severed ties with Moscow.

As the shutdown drags on, Republicans are beginning to fear that members in the House and Senate may begin to fall away from supporting the President.

Former Senator and Denocratic Presidential candidate Jim Webb is reportedly being considered for Defense Secretary.

The Pentagon is being ordered to draw up plans to withdraw roughly one-half of the American forces remaining in Afghanistan. It’s about time.

The mystery surrounding a secret proceeding in Robert Mueller’s Russia investigation has at least partly been solved.

Martha McSally and Kyrsten Sinema will end up representing Arizona in the Senate together.

In a small, but meaningful, step, the Senate has rebuked the Administration’s policies toward the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Federal prosecutors are investigating the Trump Inaugural Committee, adding to the long list of the President’s legal troubles.

The evidence against Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in the murder of Jamal Khashoggi continues to mount. Will the Trump Administration care?