Strategy & Conflict

Given that there are few appealing policy options for Syria, it might be tempting to downplay Assad's alleged use of chemical weapons and brush aside earlier rhetoric about red lines. But that would be a mistake: chemical weapons can kill thousands in a single day, their use becomes a national trauma, and their debilitating effects linger for decades.

The Obama administration has bolstered the International Criminal Court in an effort to prevent atrocities worldwide. Still, Congressional opposition and developments in conflicts abroad might make it hard for Washington to continue to cooperate with the court.

Margaret Thatcher re-established the United Kingdom as a major force on the international scene. But she failed to see that the best hope for Europe's future was integration.

Kirby Dick's documentary The Invisible War has brought long-overdue attention to the problem of sexual assault in the armed forces. Unfortunately, however, the film gives short shrift to two of the major groups of victims -- men and women of color -- which reinforces common myths about rape and makes addressing the problem all the more difficult.