The controversy surrounding private U.S. security firm Blackwater's operations in Iraq has highlighted the use of civilians for what appears to be combat or near-combat missions in Iraq.

French President Nicolas Sarkozy believes European Central Bank policies are undermining his vision for France.

The secret that is being kept about the Israeli warplane that the Syrians claim penetrated their airspace is not trivial.

Russia's actions are understandable considering Russia's place in its historical cycle.

The Russians are prepared to let the United States have a free hand against Iran and not pose any challenges while U.S. forces are tied down in Iraq. But there is a price and it will be high.

Had al Qaeda periodically attacked the United States after 9/11, the ongoing sense of crisis would not have dissipated. But since no attack occurred, the actions and policies that appeared reasonable and proportionate in 2001 began to appear paranoid and excessive.

Beyond its ability to exert itself on small things, the Israel lobby is powerful in influencing Washington to do only what it is going to do anyway.

Statements by Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and U.S. President George W. Bush on Aug. 28 show how rapidly the thinking in Tehran is evolving in response to Iranian perceptions of a pending U.S. withdrawal from Iraq -- and how the Bush administration is shifting its focus from the Sunni threat to both the Sunni and Shiite threats.

For a long time, we have seen U.S.-Iranian negotiations on Iraq as a viable and even likely endgame. We no longer believe that to be the case.

In the international context, the power of a lame duck president depends on the options he has militarily. Foreign powers do not mess with American presidents, no matter how lame one might be, as long as the president retains military options.