Outside the Beltway

CNN has a lengthy, deeply reported piece on Trump’s phone calls to other heads of state.

The President should have known about the plot. There’s a good chance he didn’t.

As scary as the Cold War was, it did reduce the silliness in American politics.

The Administration has done nothing about intelligence reports of a grave escalation from Moscow.

The Army’s in a bind, because it’s way behind, and willing to make a deal.

The former NSC staffer who testified against Trump is at a career crossroads.

The line between “hero” and “victim” is blurry and rendered meaningless when the former is over-used

My latest for Defense One has published.

My latest at War on the Rocks.

How to translate understandable frustration at injustice into tangible reform?

Yet again, this administration puts Trump’s political fortunes ahead of the national interest.

The President has reportedly invoked the Insurrection Act.

A stroll down memory lane.

Are those who die in our wars more deserving than those who die in our stores?

A look at the employment records of one of the men involved in the Ahmaud Arbery shooting.

A hero of the Afghan War has succumbed to cancer, aged 41.

Some global comparisons.

The founder of Small Wars Journal passed Saturday.

No. Just no.

Thomas Modly, the acting Secretary of the Navy, has embarrassed himself and must go.

A series of Friday night firings.

A public health crisis turns into a public relations crisis.

We’re passing grim milestones on a daily basis.

Despite our poor showing against COVID-19, we have the best infrastructure in place.

Dueling Washington Post op-eds are sowing confusion.

Whocouldanode?

A proportional response.

If a global pandemic and economic crisis weren’t enough excitement . . . .

As if the country needed more turmoil.

Another milestone has been reached.

It’s not clear what has been achieved.

Because you needed one more thing to worry about.

Moscow helped Trump in 2016. Do they want him back?

Speaking of xenophobia.

Our intelligence professionals are issuing a familiar warning.

A book out today makes an odd case.

Tweets aren’t policy, unless they are.

Nobody even agrees on what baselines to use.

A smaller staff is arguably a good idea. But not this way.

Claims by the President and Defense Department about the Iranian response to the Soleimani raid were untrue.

More on presidential nonsense with a brief diversion into blogging philosophy.

A bold new plan for security in the Middle East.

The 2016 frontrunners at this stage won their nominations easily. But that’s often not the case.

President Trump is making ridiculous threats against the regime in Iraq that are likely to draw it closer to Iran.

President Trump’s threat to attack Iranian cultural sites would most likely constitute a war crime if he actually carried it out.

In response to the American assassination of a top General, Iran has announced the end of yet more restrictions imposed by the 2015 nuclear deal.

The assassination of a top Iranian official on a visit to Baghdad is having the expected negative impact on our relationship with Iraq and the fight against ISIS.

Despite Pompeo’s assurances, we are already seeing consequences for the Suleimani killing.