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June 2, 2009
Interview
CFR Middle East expert Steven A. Cook says President Obama's trip to Saudi Arabia and Egypt will attempt to bring new energy to resolving the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, and is likely to deliver a message on democracy in the Muslim world.
See more in Middle East, Diplomacy
May 28, 2009
Interview
Michael Young, opinion editor for Beirut's Daily Star, says the Obama administration has indicated it does not favor a victory for the Hezbollah-led opposition in the 2009 parliamentary elections. Should they win, Lebanon would likely lose economic support from the United States and key Arab states in the region.
See more in Lebanon, Elections
May 27, 2009
Interview
Farideh Farhi, a prominent expert on Iranian politics, says Iran's presidential race highlights very clear differences on how Iran's foreign policy should be conducted and the debate has major implications for U.S.-Iran relations.
See more in United States, Iran, Proliferation
May 25, 2009
Interview
CFR's Northeast Asia expert Sheila A. Smith says it is imperative for the United States to make it clear that it will not accept a nuclear North Korea. The UN's nonproliferation regime is also facing a moment of truth, she says.
See more in United States, North Korea, Proliferation
May 20, 2009
Interview
Thomas W. Lippman, an expert on Gulf security, says the latest Iranian missile test won't have any military impact, because it is just an incremental step forward. But he says the timing of the announcement, made at a campaign stop by President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, was not accidental.
See more in Middle East, Iran
May 19, 2009
Interview
CFR Middle East expert Steven A. Cook says President Obama and Prime Minister Netanyahu wanted to project "a friendly partnership" in their White House meeting, but remain divided on a two-state solution and how to confront Iran.
May 15, 2009
Interview
Syria expert Joshua Landis says both the Syrian government and the Obama administration are looking to improve relations, but the renewal of sanctions by the United States, designating the country as a rogue state, may prove an obstacle.
May 15, 2009
Interview
Martin Indyk, a former U.S. ambassador to Israel, says it's unlikely that the first meeting between President Obama and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will lead to sharp disagreements but notes Netanyahu may have trouble reconciling calls for a two-state solution with opposition from his political base.
See more in Middle East, Diplomacy
May 6, 2009
Interview
Bruce Riedel, who chaired a special interagency committee to develop President Obama's policy for Afghanistan and Pakistan, says "the situation remains dire" in the region and it's crucial that the U.S. Congress expedite legislation on an economic aid package for Pakistan.
See more in Afghanistan, Pakistan, International Peace and Security
May 5, 2009
Interview
Linton F. Brooks, a member of the CFR Task Force on U.S. nuclear weapons policy, says Iran is "probably the most difficult challenge for the nonproliferation regime" and the United States must prioritize the reinstatement of an arms control process with Russia.
See more in United States, Iran, Proliferation
May 1, 2009
Interview
CFR President Richard N. Haass, whose latest book explores President George W. Bush's "war of choice" in Iraq, says he is concerned that President Obama may be turning the Afghanistan war into a "war of choice" too.
See more in Afghanistan, Iraq, Wars and Warfare
April 28, 2009
Interview
CFR's Scott A. Snyder says North Korea's recent moves away from the process to end its nuclear programs could arise from new developments on leadership succession and a desire to change the terms of engagement with Washington.
See more in North Korea
April 23, 2009
Interview
Daniel C. Kurtzer, a former ambassador to Israel and Egypt, says the negotiating atmosphere in the Middle East is looking "pretty dreary," but that he sees signs of hope in the Obama administration's efforts to advance progress.
See more in Middle East, Peacemaking
April 20, 2009
Interview
Shannon K. O'Neil, a Latin America expert, says President Obama's initial exposure to regional leaders in the Americas was positive but no sweeping changes are expected on Cuba or trade policy.
See more in Americas, U.S. Strategy and Politics
April 15, 2009
Interview
CFR's Evan Feigenbaum says the United States should ensure improved relations with India are not paralyzed by domestic Indian politics.
See more in United States, India, Elections
April 6, 2009
Interview
Europe expert Charles A. Kupchan says that President Barack Obama's trip to Europe "went as well as could be expected" in light of some of the policy differences that became clear ahead of his departure.
See more in Europe/Russia, U.S. Strategy and Politics
April 3, 2009
Interview
Defense expert Anthony H. Cordesman says President Obama "has outlined what many people feel is the best available strategy" on Afghanistan but that it will take many months to know how his plans will be executed.
See more in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Wars and Warfare
March 30, 2009
Interview
CFR's Stephen Biddle says President Obama's decision to add four thousand troops to train Afghan troops is "a reasonable first step" but that Obama faces huge challenges in standing up a viable Afghan army.
See more in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Defense Strategy
March 26, 2009
Interview
Jerome A. Cohen, an expert on human rights in China, sees "enormous progress" in economic and social rights but says deep problems--and sometimes harsh reprisals--persist for those seeking political and civil rights.
See more in China, Human Rights
March 24, 2009
Interview
Steven A. Cook, a Middle East expert, examines what a new Israeli government might mean for the country's political leaders and the regional peace process.
See more in Israel
Explore the international finance regime with a new interactive from CFR's program on International Institutions and Global Governance.
Identifying international threats and acting on them may be the most difficult job for U.S. policymakers. This report
provides an actionable road map for managing international threats before they erupt into crises and makes a strong case that preventive action is not a luxury but a necessity.
For more than a decade, the United States has mostly watched from the sidelines as Asian countries organize themselves into an alphabet soup of new multilateral groups. In this report, the authors review the relationship between pan-Asian and trans-Pacific institutions and suggest policy guidelines for a new U.S. approach to this new Asian landscape.
Complete list of Council Special Reports
Start-Up Nation addresses the trillion-dollar question: How is it that Israel—a country of 7.1 million, only sixty years old, surrounded by enemies— produces more start-up companies than large, peaceful, and stable nations like Japan, China, India, Korea, Canada, and the UK? With the insights of geopolitical experts and investors, the authors examine this nation’s adversity-driven culture to answer this question and offer prescriptions for a global economy on the rebound.
In Forces of Fortune, Vali Nasr presents a paradigm-changing revelation that will transform the understanding of the Muslim world at large. He reveals that there is a vital but unseen rising force in the Islamic world—a new business-minded middle class—that is building a vibrant new Muslim world economy and that holds the key to winning the cold war against Iran and extremists.
In Cuba: What Everyone Needs to Know, Julia E. Sweig presents a remarkably accessible portrait of Cuba's unique place on the world stage over the past fifty years, including its internal politics, its often fraught relationship with the United States, and its shifting relationship with the global community.
Complete list of CFR Books
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