Outside the Beltway

Another day, another military escalation in the Middle East.

The U.S. and Russia have reached a much-needed deal to avoid inadvertent confrontations over the skies of Syria.

In the wake of failure that could have been easily foreseen, the Obama Administration is ending a program to train so-called “moderate” Syrian rebels.

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.

Turkey has finally joined in the US-led coalition against ISIL. Unfortunately, it’s killing the main ground force fighting ISIL.

David Frum calls for several measures to reduce gun violence.

Turkey’s governing party suffered big setbacks at the ballot box yesterday.

The Holocaust was a very atypical case of genocide.

Unlike most world leaders, Pope Francis is wiling to call a genocide a genocide.

The gang calling itself the Islamic State has destroyed another historical site.

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

As expected, the Senate passed the so-called “Cromnibus,” but not before a self-aggrandizing maneuver by Ted Cruz ended up being exploited by Democrats to pass outstanding nominations.

Public Relations 101: When you have a job in public relations, don’t say stupid things.

Black Friday chaos has crossed the pond.

Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours!

You thought the American combat role in Afghanistan would end on December 31st? Think again.

The latest ISIS video is horrible and barbaric but we should not take the bait they are offering before considering the consequences of our actions going forward.

Yesterday’s apparent terrorist shooting in Ottawa reveals again a phenomenon that seems difficult if not impossible to stop in advance.

Who should own antiquity?

The Turks have entered the conflict in Syria. Unfortunately for the United States, it’s not on the side we would prefer.

So far at least, the air strikes against Islamic State positions in Syria do not seem to be having much of an impact.

A massacre is about to unfold “a stone’s throw” from Turkey’s border.

The TSA is up to its usual shenanigans.

As we head into a new conflict, perhaps we ought to give more thought to fiscal issues than the President is to overall strategy.

Iran and the United States are on the same side in the fight against ISIS, whether they like it or not.

Despite the President’s assurances of an international coalition, the rest of the world doesn’t seem all that interested in joining the fight.

Obama’s current policy—tactical level strikes with no obvious long-term strategic aim—may well be the best we can hope for.

American journalist James Foley has been beheaded by the terrorist network calling itself the Islamic State.

President Obama doesn’t seem to have any idea what he wants to do in Iraq.

A glimmer of hope in Gaza is quickly snuffed out.

Iraq continues to fall apart.

The First World War played an intriguing role in the birth of the radical Islam we are dealing with today.

For some reason, President Obama wants to arm so-called “moderate” Syrian rebels.

A century later, the shots fired in Sarajevo 100 years ago still echo.

Twenty-five years after his seminal “End of History” article, Francis Fukuyama reflects on its legacy.

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

Another civilian government falls in Thailand.

Not surprisingly, Russia’s acquisition of Crimea comes with quite a potential bonanza in natural resources.

Vladimir Putin wants to put the Internet genie back in the bottle.