Outside the Beltway

We’ve handed off operations in Helmand Province to the Afghanistan army.

The Turks have entered the conflict in Syria. Unfortunately for the United States, it’s not on the side we would prefer.

A massacre is about to unfold “a stone’s throw” from Turkey’s border.

Germany’s new defense minister has promised a more robust role but lacks the ability to back her words with action.

U.S. troops will be in Afghanistan for at least the next three years.

It’s all over but the voting in Scotland.

Iran and the United States are on the same side in the fight against ISIS, whether they like it or not.

Despite the President’s assurances of an international coalition, the rest of the world doesn’t seem all that interested in joining the fight.

The Obama Administration’s legal justification for war against ISIS is laughably flimsy.

With just nine days to go, it’s anyone’s guess how the Scottish Independence vote will turn out.

Obama’s current policy—tactical level strikes with no obvious long-term strategic aim—may well be the best we can hope for.

A major escalation.

The chattering class is chattering about the President’s vacation again. It really is quite tiresome.

If recent polling is to be believed, the bid for Scottish independence is going to go down in flames.

The rebels in eastern Ukraine continue to suffer setbacks, and Russia is massing troops on the border again.

End game? Or the potential spark of a wider war?

Viet Xuan Luong pins on a brigadier general’s star today, becoming the first Vietnamese-American officer to achieve that rank.

What the West does in response to Russia’s actions in Ukraine is largely up to Europe, not the United States.

Things are getting serious in eastern Ukraine.

My latest for The National Interest, “Europe’s Free Ride on the American-Defense Gravy Train,” has posted.

A new poll shows that Americans don’t buy into the idea of “American exceptionalism” as much as they used to. That’s a positive development rather than a negative one.

While the world watches Ukraine, Central Asia could also be an area where Russia may seek to expand its territory.

Barring shocking developments, General Joe Dunford will be the 36th Commandant of the Marine Corps.

Yet another autiobiography invites public discussion about her accomplishments.

The President’s second speech to the Corps of Cadets is a vast improvement over the first.

They’ve got a new President, but there’s still much to do.

Is “Finlandization” a viable option for Ukraine?

Could the upcoming House Select Committee on Benghazi actually accomplish something useful?

Provocative words from Vice-President Biden. But, are they realistic?

NATO seems intent on sending a signal to Vladmir Putin that there are limits to his patience.

NATO may be preparing to send Russia a message.

Americans are skeptical about getting involved in the Ukraine crisis. This isn’t a surprise.

Getting nuclear weapons out of Ukraine in 1994 was a good idea, not a mistake.

As everyone anticipated, the Crimean referendum came out in favor of secession from Ukraine and union with Russia. What happens next is another question entirely.