Outside the Beltway

Confirming speculation that had already been all but confirmed, we now know that it was a bomb that brought down a Russian passenger jet on October 31st.

France launched its first attacks against ISIS even as the investigation into Friday’s attacks continues, but it’s not clear that the retaliation really accomplished anything.

The initial responses of the Republican candidates for President to the attacks in Paris are about what you’d expect, but it’s far too early to tell what impact the events of the weekend will have on the race for President here in the United States.

The news that at least some of the men who were involved in the terrorist attacks in Paris were among the refugees who have arrived in Europe since the summer is likely to complicate an already complicated situation.

This was not only predictable but predicted.

We are legally, morally, and practically obligated to respond. Let’s not do so stupidly.

A Saturday night debate wasn’t likely to get much attention to begin with. A Saturday night debate in the wake of a major terrorist attack, and a major football game for Iowa’s premier college football team, likely got even less attention. That’s probably good news for Hillary Clinton, and bad news for her two remaining rivals.

The Foundation that holds the copyright on one of the most famous works about the Holocaust is seeking to extend their copyright in Europe by naming Otto Frank co-author of his daughter’s published diary.

France’s President blames ISIS, vows response, as death toll from Paris terror attacks stands at at least 127.

Reports of at least up to sixty dead, a hostage situation, and attacks at multiple locations in Paris.

America’s much touted international coalition against ISIS is, essentially a Coalition In Name Only.

President Obama came to office inheriting the legacy of one unnecessary war, and another that had faded from memory. He will leave office with Iraq and Syria in crisis, Europe uneasy, Yemen and Libya unstable breeding grounds for terrorism, and China doing whatever it is they’re doing.

After an eleven hour day on Capitol Hill, it was Hillary Clinton 1 House Benghazi Committee 0.

With Russia now launching its own airstrikes in Syria, it’s become obvious that U.S. policy in the Syrian Civil War is irrational and contradictory. And Russia’s policy isn’t any better.

The U.S. is set to ramp up its contribution to dealing with the Syrian refugee crisis, but there’s a lot more we can do.

With the exception of Rand Paul, the foreign policy discussion at last night’s debate was about as bad as you’d expect.

Senate Democrats successfully blocked a final vote on the Iran Nuclear Deal, meaning that Congressional debate on the matter is effectively over.

President Obama now has enough votes in the Senate, and probably the House, to ensure that Congress cannot block the nuclear deal with Iran.

Congress is set to debate the Iran nuclear deal next month, but as far as Europe is concerned the debate is already over.

The Iran nuclear deal will probably survive it’s test in Congress in the end, but Chuck Schumer just made the Administration’s job a little more difficult.

Recent polling has shown the American public to be highly skeptical, at beast, of the Iran Nuclear Deal. That may not be enough to kill it in Congress, though.

It’s easy to see what Greece thinks it still needs Europe, it’s more of puzzle why Europe thinks it needs to hang on to Greece.

Depending on who you listen to, it’s either peace in our time or an epic catastrophe.

Greece’s Prime Minister seemed to give in to some of Europe’s demands today, but bankers are continuing to hold to the strict conditions they set last week.

PolitiFact rates President Obama’s claim that other countries don’t have mass shootings at rates comparable to America”Mostly False.”

A black leader is running a billboard campaign to improve his community. Racism ensues.

In a case that took seven months to decide, the Supreme Court ruled in favor of the Presidency’s broad authority in foreign affairs, and inserted itself just a little bit in the thorny politics of the Middle East.

What if this is the new normal?

Fresh off an election victory, British Prime Minister David Cameron is set to propose a series of new measures to crackdown on extremism that raise serious civil liberties concerns.

A plan to distribute migrants from the conflicts in the Middle East and North Africa across the entire European Union seems destined to cause political conflict.

Two men were killed last night before they could carry out what appears to be a planned attack on an anti-Islam event in Texas.

The Iranian nuclear accords are barely 24 hours old and some people have already made up their mind about them.

More than ever before, even mild criticism of Israel seems to be verboten among Republicans.

In a twist fitting for an M Night Shyamalan movie, there is growing evidence that there was malfeasance by the co-pilot that resulted in a deliberate crash of Germanwings flight 9525.

Rand Paul now says he signed the Cotton Letter to strengthen the Administration’s bargaining position.

The intrepid foreign correspondent and editor Arnaud de Borchgrave has died, aged 88, of cancer.

A cease fire deal in Ukraine, but a long term settlement will require compromises from both Moscow and Kiev.

The State Of The Union Address was more of the same, and the same will be true of Washington going forward.

Some are criticizing the President for not going to Paris for yesterday’s rally.

The terrorism wave that began with the massacre at the Charlie Hebdo offices has not ended with the killing of the perpetrators. A follow-on attack has occurred in Germany and there are reports of “sleeper cells” being activated in France.

The men responsible for the Charlie Hebdo massacre are dead, but the problems for France, and the rest of Europe, may just be at the beginning.

At least 11 are dead and 10 wounded in an attack on free expression.

For a year that started out with regaining long-lost territory in Ukraine, 2014 is not ending so well for Vladimir Putin’s Russia.

Black Friday chaos has crossed the pond.

The idea that the U.S. does not negotiate with terrorists is simply not historically accurate, so should we be reconsidering the policy of not negotiating with ISIS for the release of Western hostages?