Outside the Beltway

We’re in uncharted waters.

Jacques Chirac, who served two terms as President of France and was a strong opponent of the Iraq War, has died.

A high-level French Court has struck down the ban on the so-called ‘burkini’ adopted by many towns along the French Riviera.

For largely irrational reasons, French police are arresting women on the beach for wearing swimsuits that are compatible with their faith.

Marine Le Pen suffered setbacks in the second round of regional voting on Sunday, but the party still seems likely to become more popular in the coming years.

Europe’s anti-immigrant, xenophobic far right scored major victories in France yesterday.

In office less than a day, Francois Hollande has already been forced to admit he can’t withdraw French forces from Afghanistan by the end of the year.

The New Yorker’s John Cassidy sees “Good and Bad News for Obama” in Nicolas Sarkozy’s defeat.

New head-scratching revelations in the Dominique Strauss-Kahn case.

Obama to Sarkozy on Netanyahu: “You’re sick of him — but I have to deal with him every day!”

The Greek referendum could be a disaster for the global economy. And might be the right thing to do.

European leaders continue to kick the can down the road on a crisis that could bring down the global economy.

President Obama explained his position on the Palestinian statehood resolution today, but one wonders if anyone listened.

Remember Dominique Strauss-Kahn, the arrogant French aristocrat whose career was ended by a courageous chambermaid, shedding light on a corrupt social system? A funny thing happened on the way to the slammer.

Last night, the President basically announced that America’s longest war had entered it’s end game.

Bowing to the inevitable, Dominique Strauss-Kahn resigned overnight as head of the IMF amidst high-level calls for his ouster in wake of a rape scandal.

Some French politicians and intellectuals seem offended that Dominique Strauss-Kahn is being treated like a common criminal.

On Palm Sunday, French Christians stormed a museum and slashed Andres Serrano’s Piss Christ

President Obama has pledged no slaughter and no ground troops for Libya. He may well be forced to pick one.

The “Obama Doctrine,” such as it is, seems to boil down to moral self-certainty combined with a glaring ignorance of reality. That’s a dangerous combination.

As allied involvement in Libya’s civil war increases, there are signs that the rebels may not be able to close the deal.

The uneasy coalition that coalesced around action in Libya will be strained by decisions to come.

The Obama Administration is asking the U.N. Security Council to authorize direct military intervention in Libya. The question is, why now?

Former French president Jacques Chirac is being tried on corruption charges stemming from misconduct as mayor of Paris.

The last thing that Haiti needed was for a former dictator to return, but that’s exactly what has happened.

The two English language newspapers who have been Julian Assange’s accomplices in disseminating stolen secrets defend themselves.

If you think anti-Muslim sentiment in the United States is running high, a look across the Pond will put things in perspective.