Outside the Beltway

The American way of war kills a lot of noncombatants.

President Biden was advised to keep troops in Afghanistan . . . for no apparent reason.

Those expecting Bernie Sanders’ agenda are sorely disappointed.

Not another general.

President Erdogan is playing a dangerous game.

A response to one of the most deadly chemical attacks in the Syrian civil war has come, probably from Israel. What’s next?

The British prime minister and outgoing US Secretary of State declared a red line crossed. There’s no reason to think this White House will follow through.

For Donald Trump, it appears that ignorance is bliss.

Another set of revelations shows that the Clinton campaign has yet to put the email story behind it.

President Obama will leave office as the first two term President who presided over eight years of war. It didn’t start with him and it won’t end with him.

My latest for RealClearDefense, “The Forgotten Veterans of Desert Storm,” has posted. The headline belies the argument.

The attack in San Bernardino has seemingly left the Administration’s anti-terror strategy in disarray, so the President is addressing the nation tonight to say, well, something I guess.

The United States and Europe are giving everything the perpetrators of the Paris attacks hoped for.

U.S forces in Afghanistan have been involved in missions that go far beyond the counterterror mission the Obama Administration said they would be limited to.

Pot, meet kettle.

An attack on al Qaeda outposts in January resulted in the death of two hostages, but also resulted in the death of two high value al Qaeda targets.

ISIS apparently now has a foothold in Libya, and is making inroads in Yemen.

Two potential candidates for the Republican nomination in 2016 traded barbs this week over the President’s new policy toward Cuba.

Mission creep.

Kentucky Senator Rand Paul continues to challenge Republican orthodoxy on foreign policy, and that’s a good thing.

While the world pays attention to Syria and Iraq, Yemen is once against lurching into chaos.

The evidence is clear. When it comes to the ability to handle foreign crises, the President has lost the public’s confidence.

Once again, President Obama’s attempt to communicate a foreign policy vision falls short.

Hubris.

Not every tragedy can be resolved with a military response.

If something is going to be done about an out of control National Security State, it’ll be because the American people demand it.

:Like his predecessors, President Obama’s speech last night exaggerated the threat that Syria poses in order to sell his plan to American voters.

A headline I never thought I’d see: “Yemen Asks U.S. For Drones To Fight Al Qaeda”

A Federal Judge wasn’t very pleased when Administration lawyers told her that she doesn’t have jurisdiction to hear a lawsuit over the President’s drone policy.

Contrary to President Obama’s assertion today, the NSA’s operations don’t have proper legislative or judicial oversight.

Targeting terrorist leadership may be counterproductive.

One in eight Americans support drone strikes against Americans on American soil.

Rand Paul’s questions about the nation’s drone war were only the beginning.

Rand Paul’s filibuster is one that all American’s should thank him for that.

Mr. Paul Goes To Washington.

The Obama White House is not ruling out targeted strikes against Americans inside American territory.

American troops may now earn the fourth highest combat medal from the comfort of their desk chair.

MSNBC’s Krystal Ball isn’t being hypocritical in trusting Obama to decide which Americans to kill even though she wouldn’t have trusted Bush. But she’s being short-sighted.

The Obama Administration has given us a peek at its legal arguments for targeted killings and they are troubling to say the least.

Looking at the data? Not very.

Basically, it’s inconsistent with the strategy.

Killing their leaders doesn’t seem to be impacting the ability of jihadi groups to recruit and motivate more terrorists.