Outside the Beltway

Small steps from both sides in the Iranian nuclear negotiations, but too early to say that we’ve reached a solution.

Thanks largely to France, this weekend’s efforts to reach an interim deal on Iran’s nuclear program fell apart.

Signs of some progress in the talks over Iran’s nuclear weapons program.

Will this new Australian oil discovery shake up world politics?

Is Iran really just one month from producing a nuclear weapon?

Relations between the U.S. and Saudi Arabia seem to have soured in recent years.

Jofi Joseph was unmasked as the obnoxious @NatSecWonk and fired by the White House.

The One State, Two State, Red State, Blue State Edition OTB Caption Contest^TM is now over.

President Obama spoke with Iranian President Rouhani today, the first such contact between the nations in 34 years.

Can differences in media coverage of two unrelated filibusters be explained solely by media bias?

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

President Obama’s plans in Syria are as unclear as they were before he spoke last night.

I’ve been up since 3 am and drinking since 6 pm, so my reaction to a presidential war speech at 9 am may not be the definitive word

“No More Baby Steps,” my first piece for Defense News, has posted.

f Assad is eating Cheerios, we’re going to take away his spoon and give him a fork.

Why are chemical weapons a “red line” in a war where so many have been killed?

Bombing Country B to “send a message” to Country A is not a valid argument for bombing Country B.

A proposed Syria authorization being considered in the Senate places several limits on Presidential authority to act, but it’s unclear if those limits can actually work.

Not surprisingly, Congressional leaders on both sides of the aisle are lining up behind the President in the debate over Syria.

Score one for Team Bush?

The president’s public dithering on Syria is drawing jeers from friend and foe alike.

Some questions that the Administration needs to answer before attacking Syria.

Some Members of Congress are calling for a debate before any strikes on Syria. They’re absolutely right.

Persuasion is sometimes an important part of being president.

We’re almost certainly going to launch punitive strikes against Syria. They’ll almost certainly be ineffective.

United States helped Saddam Hussein launch some of the worst chemical attacks in history against Iran.

In both Egypt and Syria, it’s damned if we do and damned if we don’t.

As President Obama’s red line has been crossed more brazenly, he continues to sound reluctant to intervene in Syria while positioning forces to do just that.

Walter Russell Mead explains why a well intentioned, carefully crafted and consistently pursued grand strategy failed.

David C. Jones, who served as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff under Presidents Carter and Reagan, has died.

Lindsey Graham is playing cynical political games with a dangerous part of the world.

North Korea’s nuclear weapons aren’t going anywhere.

Some thoughts on the ongoing situation in Egypt.

Don’t blame “secret courts” for the government’s expanded spying on American citizens and allies.

A decade ago. a certain New York Times columnist was more right than your humble host.

The events of the last week in Egypt raise a whole host of questions.