Outside the Beltway

John Bolton is leading a cry for preemptive war against North Korea.

Why does the U.S. continue to pursue the seemingly impossible goal of denuclearization with regard to North Korea? In part, it’s because we’re still locked into thirty-year-old rhetoric.

Expecting North Korea to agree to diplomatic talks that are aimed at getting rid of their nuclear weapons is asking for the impossible, and ensuring there will be no progress on the diplomatic front for the foreseeable future.

Donald Trumps’ tweets are the public statements of the President of the United States. This makes them noteworthy and often important.

Donald Trump’s irrational tweets are once again focused on the leader of North Korea.

POTUS decided to start the New Year by insulting Pakistan over Twitter.

Donald Trump continues to be as astoundingly ignorant about the most powerful weapons the U.S. military possesses as he was as a candidate.

President Trump’s Afghanistan policy sounds awfully familiar, and it’s likely to lead to the same results.

Based on initial reports, Trump’s Afghanistan policy looks a lot like what we’ve seen for the past sixteen years.

President Trump’s speech on Islam was a change of tone. However, as critics noted, it was short on substance and is unlikely to accomplish anything.

Another day in Court for President Trump’s Muslim ban.

The Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals heard argument yesterday in the appeal of an order barring travel from six Muslim countries, and it didn’t appear to go well for the attorneys defending the ban.

America’s longest war is still going on, and President Trump’s advisers want him to continue his predecessor’s policies of continuing to re-expand American forces in a war that has seemingly no end.

Hawaii is the first state to challenge the Trump Administration’s revised Muslim travel ban.

President Trump has issued a revised ban on travel from six predominantly Muslim nations.

The announcement of a new Muslim travel ban Executive Order has been delayed once again.

Another judicial slap at the Trump Administration.

A legal victory, at least for now, for opponents of Donald Trump’s ban on immigration from seven majority Muslim nations.

In a closer than normal vote for the position, Rex Tillerson has been confirmed as Secretary of State.

As expected, Donald Trump yesterday signed Executive Orders targeting Muslims and refugees.

The 117 CIA officers who have died in our service should not be used to score cheap political points.

For Donald Trump, it appears that ignorance is bliss.

As America prepares for a Presidential transition, an old conflict with a history of turning dangerous rears its head.

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.

One down. How many more to go?

A treasure trove of documents from a law firm in Panama could prove problematic for a large group of international leaders.

Should we treat terrorists as trolls?

American forces will be deployed to a combat area in southern Afghanistan, reversing current policy and calling the President’s promised withdrawal date into even further doubt.

The Director of the F.B.i. told Congress today that the San Bernardino shooters were apparently radicalized much earlier than previously believed.

As we deal with the fall out from the attacks in Paris and San Bernardino, we need remember the years after September 11th, 2001 and avoid holding an entire religion responsible for the actions of fanatics.

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 probability that the shootings in San Bernardino were at least inspired by ISIS and/or other Jihadist terror networks is increasing.

The suspects in the San Bernardino shootings are dead, but that’s about all we know so far this morning.

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

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.

President Obama is reportedly considering a plan that would keep up to 5,000 American troops in Afghanistan past the withdrawal date he had already set.

There are mutual embassies in Havana and Washington for the first time in 54 years. It certainly took long enough.

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

Seymour Hersh is out with a conspiracy theory about the death of Osama bin Laden that just doesn’t make sense.

Vaccination has eliminated a disease that used to be a serious threat from the Americas.

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.

For months, Ted Cruz said the nomination of Loretta Lynch must be blocked. Then, he failed to show up when the Senate voted on her nomination.

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.

Rand Paul has changed position on several foreign policy issues, but he doesn’t seem to want to talk about it.

The Atlantic has a fascinating cover story by Graeme Wood titled “What ISIS Really Wants.”

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

Has the legislative branch abdicated its responsibility in US foreign policy?

Reports indicate that Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl is likely to be charged with desertion for leaving his post in 2009, but he’s unlikely to serve time in prison.