Outside the Beltway

Dr. Alexandros Petersen, a scholar of Eurasian energy and a former colleague at the Atlantic Council, was killed in a bomb blast in Kabul.

Former SecDef Robert Gates is among those who believes that the Iraq War unduly diverted attention from fighting the War On Terror.

A new book by former SecDef Robert Gates is making political waves in Washington power circles, but will it matter to ordinary Americans?

The New York Times Benghazi report raises as many questions as it purports to answer.

The “good war” no more.

Newly disclosed details about the US role in Colombia.

Democracy was nice while it lasted.

The federal government lost $10.5 billion on the GM bailout. Was this a good investment?

A new poll finds the American public far less supportive of the idea of the U.S. as the world’s policeman.

Robert Kagan warns of “a changing world order.” But he’s grasping at rather thin straws.

Phil Carter draws attention to “The Vets We Reject and Ignore.”

A bizarre hit piece in National Journal gives the false impression that our military leaders are considering removing the president.

Relations between the U.S. and Saudi Arabia seem to have soured in recent years.

My review of Andrew Bacevich’s latest book, Breach of Trust: How Americans Failed Their Soldiers and Their Country.

My latest for The National Interest, “The Military and the Shutdown: Assessing the Damage,” is out.

Conservatives gathered on the National Mall today to protest the closure of memorials, but their message seems really intended for Republicans in Congress to not back down.

Tom Clancy, author of dozens of bestselling military thriller novels, has died aged 66.

My latest for Defense One, “The Army’s Misguided Crackdown on Tattoos,” has posted.

Cathy’s husband and Jess’ father, Jer, was killed in the shooting spree at the Navy Yard.

My latest for The Atlantic, “It Isn’t the Military’s Place to Weigh In on the Syria Debate,” has posted.

The world changed significantly twelve years ago today. Will it ever change back even a little bit?

President Obama’s plans in Syria are as unclear as they were before he spoke last night.

I’ve been up since 3 am and drinking since 6 pm, so my reaction to a presidential war speech at 9 am may not be the definitive word

My latest for The National Interest has posted.

Even before the Russian curve ball, the public opposition to military strikes on Syria was mounting.

Opposing interventionism and unnecessary and unwise military engagements is not isolationism.

“No More Baby Steps,” my first piece for Defense News, has posted.

f Assad is eating Cheerios, we’re going to take away his spoon and give him a fork.

Given that the vote count seems to be heading that way, this is a question worth examination.

Some questions that the Administration needs to answer before attacking Syria.

Presidents have gotten away with ignoring Congress when it comes to foreign military adventures for a very long time.

The United States will go to war without UN or NATO approval.

We’re almost certainly going to launch punitive strikes against Syria. They’ll almost certainly be ineffective.

The VA created an incentive system that rewarded fast, half-assed claim processing that denied complicated requests.

Virginia Tech English prof Steven Salaita implores us to “Stop saying ‘support the troops.'”

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.