Europe

The London attack: context vs. apologia —again

Reactions to the jihadist slaying of a British solider in London are polarized along predictable lines—emphasizing either the context of imperial wars or the threat of political Islam.

The Caucasus

Chechnya war comes to Boston —or not?

Voices on the left seek to play down jihadist involvement in the Chechen struggle, while the neocon right plays it up—ironically in line with Moscow's propaganda.

North Africa

Mali poised for multi-sided war

With French troops fighting on the ground in Mali, jihadist militias advance on the capital, while Tuareg rebels pledge to re-establish a separatist state in the north.

Watching the Shadows

Chuck Hagel: revenge of the paleocons?

Leftists are ironically rallying around Chuck Hagel as Obama's apparent pick for Secretary of Defense—a conservative Republican who is wary of the neocons but close to Big Oil.

Afghanistan

Afghanistan: 20,000 troops to remain?

Gen. John R. Allen, outgoing US commander in Afghanistan, submitted military options to the Pentagon that would keep 6,000 to 20,000 troops in the country after 2014.

Watching the Shadows

2013 NDAA: Feinstein amendment hurts, not helps

Civil and human rights groups are protesting Sen. Dianne Feinstein’s proposed amendment to the 2013 NDAA, saying it paradoxically loans legal cover to indefinite detention.

North Africa

Obama and Romney both fudged facts on Libya

In last night's debate, both Obama and Romney engaged in distortions over the question of when the deadly attack on the consulate in Benghazi was deemed "terrorism."