Ash Carter: “I think it is fair to say we are late to the recognition of that, but I do think that we have the recognition.”

We need Congress to come together around providing normal, stable, responsible budgets, because the lack of stability represents one of the single biggest strategic risks to our enterprise at DOD.

What he's trying to do is exactly what you're calling attention to, namely to end the humanitarian disaster occasioned by the civil war in Syria.

The international community, United Nations Security Council and especially the other six-party powers must hold North Korea accountable for this latest act and heighten the pressure on North Korea.

"Up-or-out" isn't broken--in fact, it's an essential and highly successful system--but it's also not perfect.