Politico.com: on War & Peace

Augustus Invictus: Our foreign policies are interventionist

Bob Corker: Countries must pony up for NATO; alliance is important

David French: Engage jihadists and roll back ISIS's most dramatic gains

On Middle East troops
• "Make no mistake, I'm pleased that we're engaging jihadists and at least making plans to roll back ISIS's most dramatic gains, but by continuing to minimize the threat even as he escalates his military response, he is leaving the American people unprepared for the long struggle to come and leaving his successor to fight the truly big battles. Obama isn't the peace president. He's the man who squandered victory in Iraq &left a legacy of broader conflict & greater human misery. Hope and change indeed."--May 13
• "The next president will face extraordinary national security challenges. Too bad neither major-party nominee appears up for the job."--May 6

Donald Trump: Disallow North Korea from developing nuclear delivery system

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said during his annual New Year's address that preparations for launching an intercontinental ballistic missile have "reached the final stage." The development came after the country claims it tested its first hydrogen bomb last year.

North Korea, which has been at odds with the United States since the start of the Korean War in 1950, first tested a nuclear weapon in 2006. A nuclear test was conducted last year on Jan. 6.

Donald Trump: Syria pullout: Let Turks & Kurds fight, then pull them apart

Trump said, "It was good to let Turkey attack the Kurds, longtime U.S. allies in the fight against ISIS, Trump said, because "sometimes you have to let them fight like two kids. Then you pull them apart."

Ed Gillespie: Keep troops in Afghanistan; military on table with Iran

On keeping troops in Afghanistan, [the debate moderator] asked whether Gillespie is closer to Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) or Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY). He did not directly answer, but he sounded a lot closer to the McCain view in arguing that troops should be there "as long as they're serving our national security interests."

Warner said he thinks Colin Powell was right when he said "you break it, you own it."

"Pottery Barn," Gillespie interjected.

Gary Peters: Undecided on military intervention in Syria

The email asks supporters to sign a petition urging her undecided Democratic rival, Rep. Gary Peters, to join her and vote "no."

Peters has kept his options open as he studies the issue. "As a former naval officer, I take the decision to use military force very seriously," he said in an earlier statement. "In the days ahead, I will review classified intelligence, speak with experts, and listen to the people I represent in Michigan before making a decision and casting my vote."

Hillary Clinton: Invested in Israel: negotiate a ceasefire in Gaza

Clinton has long paid heed to her standing among Jewish supporters, and she was clear in public comments in the last several months she remains "skeptical" about Iran's commitment to a true nuclear freeze deal.

The many sections on Israel--and on her role in negotiating a ceasefire in Gaza--serve a political purpose. But they also reflect the significance of Israel for any secretary of State, especially as the Arab Spring protests were unfolding.

John Bolton: Military force in Syria is counterproductive

Bolton said the Syrian opposition contains factions that are deeply hostile to the U.S., and there's no indication that propping them up would be any better for American interests. The U.S. would be better off focusing on threats emanating from Iran, he said. "If you use massive military force against Assad, then that will tip the balance, which I think would be a mistake," Bolton said, acknowledging that the situation is complicated. "If you use minimal force, you won't make the point about deterrence."

Mark Warner: Keep military action on the table against Iran

On keeping troops in Afghanistan, [the debate moderator]asked whether Gillespie is closer to Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) or Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY). He did not directly answer, but he sounded a lot closer to the McCain view in arguing that troops should be there "as long as they're serving our national security interests."

Warner said he thinks Colin Powell was right when he said "you break it, you own it."

"Pottery Barn," Gillespie interjected.

Michael McCaul: Keep US troops in Iraq; it's still home to terror groups

Republicans who opposed repealing the 2002 authorization said that like with the 2001 measure, it should be replaced because Iraq is still home to terror groups that threaten the U.S. "I think we have the same goal in mind, we just have a different way of getting there," Rep. Michael McCaul of Texas, the committee's top Republican, said of the effort to scrap the 2002 authorization.

McCaul called for consultations with executive branch officials and the Iraqi government first in order to craft a replacement. "Real AUMF reform requires Congress and the administration working together on actual text to replace the aging 2001 and 2002 AUMFs to provide authorities needed to keep the American people, and, most importantly, our deployed troops, safe from terrorists," McCaul said. [See details of HR256/SJR10/HR3261]

Mike Pompeo: OpEd: Supported Iraq war then & supports Iran war now

Paul serves on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, where the GOP enjoys just a one-seat advantage. With Paul opposed, Pompeo could receive an unfavorable committee verdict, which would be a serious black mark on Pompeo's nomination.

Pompeo's previous pushes for regime change in Iran and his hawkish world view are also at odds with Trump and therefore he should not be given the job, Paul argued. "I'm perplexed by the nomination of people who love the Iraq War so much that they would advocate for a war with Iran next," Paul said. "it goes against most of the things Pres. Trump campaigned on, that the unintended consequences of regime change in Iraq led to instability in the Middle East."

Rand Paul: Assist Iraqi government against ISIS, but not Syrian rebels

I support continuing our assistance to the government of Iraq, which include armaments and intelligence. I support using advanced technology to prevent ISIS from becoming a threat. I also want to stop sending U.S. aid and arms to Islamic rebels in Syria who are allied with ISIS, something Perry doesn't even address. I would argue that if anything, my ideas for this crisis are both stronger, and not rooted simply in bluster.

If the governor continues to insist that these proposals mean I'm somehow "ignoring ISIS," I'll make it my personal policy to ignore Rick Perry's opinions.

Rand Paul: No US troops in Iraq, even against ISIS

Unlike Perry, I oppose sending American troops back into Iraq. After a decade of the United States training the Iraq's military, when confronted by the enemy, the Iraqis dropped their weapons, shed their uniforms and hid. Our soldiers' hard work and sacrifice should be worth more than that. Our military is too good for that.

Rand Paul: Create & arm a Kurdish state as support against ISIL

Paul's support for the Kurds includes giving them more weapons, but he doesn't feel the same about Syrian rebels for reasons that include fear the arms would land in the hands of extremists. He also insists the Obama administration was wrong to intervene in Libya.

Rand Paul: War only when all other measures are exhausted

Terri Lynn Land: No military intervention in Syria

The email asks supporters to sign a petition urging her undecided Democratic rival, Rep. Gary Peters, to join her and vote "no." At the end is a red "DONATE NOW!" button.

The Land campaign downplayed the request for money. "It was an email asking people to sign a petition urging Gary Peters to vote no on the war in Syria and happened to have a donation link like other emails we send to our email list," said a Land spokesperson. Land had reportedly avoided taking a firm position on Syria until Thursday, when she posted a note on her Facebook wall and created a splash page on her otherwise bare-bones web site.

Chris Christie: Trump not backing Ukraine makes him Putin's puppet

That Trump wouldn't back Ukraine "was the most stunning moment in the debate," Christie said. "If you don't say that you think Ukraine should win the war, I don't know where you stand with Putin."

Don Blankenship: Obama administration hid the truth about Benghazi, Libya

"In 2012, four Americans were killed by terrorists in Benghazi, Libya. Many say the Obama administration hid the Benghazi truth," a deep-voiced narrator says. "The truth about more killed Americans has also been hidden. In 2010, 29 Americans were killed. None were ambassadors, none were CIA agents, none were killed by terrorists. They were American coal miners killed when the U.S. government reduced their mine's air flow. President Trump must be told the truth about Obama's deadliest cover-up."

Another ad features a miner who worked for Massey telling viewers: "the people will decide whether they believe Barack Obama's prosecutors and judges or the coal miners who were there."

The coal miners who were there are dead, but their families are still alive. One of them told a local TV station: "Everything [Blankenship] says is a lie."