Outside the Beltway

Trevor Phillips, chairman of the UK’s Equality and Human Rights Commission, says fundamentalist Christians are a far bigger problem than Muslims. And, no, he’s not anti-religion.

The Netherlands is considering a new animal cruelty law that would effectively ban kosher and halal slaughter practices.

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

Despite one headline to the contrary, former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger did not endorse Jon Huntsman as our next president today.

Ousting evil dictators is harder than it looks.

The ISI appears to have shown a special interest in informants that helped the CIA find bin Laden.

The House GOP and the White House moved one step closer to a constitutional confrontation, but is it much ado about nothing?

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

My latest piece for The Atlantic, “Is the U.S.-European Relationship Really in Decline?” is posted.

The US spends a lot on defense relative to, well, the rest of the world.

Turkey has had elections, and the ruling AKP has retained a majority in parliament. The next major issue appears to be constitutional reform.

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.

Hillary Clinton is actively lobbying to be the next president of the World Bank, Reuters reports.

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.

Despite what appear to be the fond hope of European central bankers that it will just all go away, something needs to be done. But what?

Remember Egypt?

Holland is going to make it harder for tourists to smoke marijuana.

The Navy’s director of warfare integration says China is a “smart and learning enemy.”

Former Serbian commander Ratko Mladic has been arrested for alleged war crimes committed in the 1990s.

While President Obama has had some amusing gaffes on his trip to London, including getting the year wrong in the guest book and an awkward toast to the Queen, his speech to Parliament today hit all the right notes.