Outside the Beltway

President Obama is keeping the conflict in Syria at arms length. That’s a good idea.

The argument that the United States should start assisting the rebellion in Syria has many flaws.

Mitt Romney’s speech at VMI today was billed as a major foreign policy address, but it was incredibly light on substance.

The Afghanistan War is officially eleven years old today.

Iran’s currency has collapsed and there are riot police in the streets of Teheran. It appears the sanctions may just be working after all.

Where’s the beef?

Because some things are worth reinforcing.

The Administration’s decision to stick with the meme that the Benghazi attack was about a movie becomes more puzzling.

My latest for The National Interest, “Insanity on the Iran Question,” posted last evening.

Romney supporters seem to want to paint Obama as Carter. This is unlikely to help.

Mitt Romney’s foreign policy weaknesses are starting to become apparent.

In another sign that things may not be going so well between Washington and Jerusalem, President Obama will not be meeting with Prime Minister Netanyahu when he’s in the United States.

Jimmy Carter’s ex-presidency has lasted the equivalent of 26 Iranian hostage crises.

An attack on Iran’s nuclear program would be far more complicated than a one-off attack.

Do fiscal conservatives realize they’re being sold a bill of goods?

General Martin Dempsey, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, sent a message to Israel last week.

The Obama campaign clearly does not want Americans to consider whether they are better off now than they were four years ago.

A new IAEA report may make an Israeli strike on Iran in the near future more likely than it has ever been.

Mitt Romney’s speech last night was the best he’s ever given, but it’s impact may have been undercut but several odd production decisions that preceded it.

The GOP claims to be a party that favors limited government, but its foreign policy positions reveal this to be little more than a lie.

Condoleeza Rice’s first trip onto the political stage was very successful last night. Where will she go from here?

Left with a choice between their hawkish foreign policy and their supposed commitment to fiscal conservatives, Republicans will, without fail, spend the nation into debt.

Today’s convention activities will include the opening salvos of an attack on the President’s foreign policy. This strikes me as a mistake.

President Obama issued a warning to Syria today over its chemical weapons stockpiles.

Some troubling, sad, and downright puzzling stories

For the first time in 80 years, there are no veterans on the major party Presidential tickets.

The war in Afghanistan has not been a topic of discussion in the Presidential campaign, but that’s largely because there’s not much left to talk about.

According to a new report, the CIA considers Israel to be an espionage threat.

Disseting the Romney visit to the UK and musing about the state of GOP foreign policy views.

The US government has an odd and unproductive view on the concept of talks.

It would be nice if people who make authoritative decisions had some idea what they are talking about.

Are the Stuxnet and Flame attacks the opening shots in a dangerous new era of secret war?

Gas prices are falling nationwide but that’s mostly because the economy kind of stinks.

The stage is set for a showdown between the Executive and Legislative Branches.

Rand Paul calls Mitt Romney out over his comments about Presidential War Powers.