The Preventive Priorities Survey (PPS) is intended to help inform the U.S. policy community about the relative urgency and importance of competing conflict prevention demands. The Center for Preventive Action asked a targeted group of government ocials, academics, and experts to comment confidentially on a list of contingencies that could plausibly occur in 2012.

Micah Zenko and Emma Welch argue that while the Republican presidential candidates overwhelmingly describe the prospect of an Iranian nuclear weapons capability as "unacceptable" and endorse the use of military force if that were necessary to prevent an Iranian bomb, there is a complete absence of any details on how the use of force could accomplish this ambitious objective.

Micah Zenko says requests for humanitarian intervention by foreign governments and peoples happen all the time, and he examines why some requests are granted while others are ignored.

Micah Zenko argues that Iran's recent downing of a Sentinel drone is neither surprising nor particularly revealing.

The eurozone and Saudi Arabia are elevated threats in 2012 under CFR's new Preventive Priorities Survey, while Afghanistan and Sudan are reduced. CFR's Micah Zenko discusses.

Michah Zenko discusses preventive priorities the United States will face in 2012.

As countries around the world increasingly rely on space, orbital space debris poses a rapidly growing threat to civil, military, and commercial satellites. Micah Zenko argues for an international code to define interstate behavior and promote sustainable conduct in outer space.

Micah Zenko analyzes the unexpected invasion by Kenyan forces into Somalia to defeat the militant group, al-Shabaab.

Micah Zenko argues that the ouster of Muammar al-Qaddafi will motivate other dictators to seek out nuclear weapons.

Micah Zenko argues that overreaching Western eagerness to help Libya's rebels will now make it more difficult to line up meaningful outside support for Syria's opposition.

Micah Zenko says orbital space debris is a growing threat to civil, military, and commercial satellites in space, and mitigating the threat it poses to these satellites and spacecraft will require enhanced international cooperation.

In this globalized world, countries will need to cooperate on policies that extend across borders to address issues that affect them all, including conflct prevention and peacemaking. The authors of this report assess the strengths and weaknesses of international institutions and provide a set of practical recommendations for how the United States can strengthen the global architecture for preventive action by partnering with those organizations.

Which policies have worked and which ones need work ten years after the worst terrorist attacks in U.S. history? CFR experts examine ten issues that have preoccupied U.S. planners.

Drones have become a cost-effective default tactic for dealing with potential terrorist threats since 9/11, but this policy could lead to drone strikes by other countries as well as pushback from targeted states, says CFR's Micah Zenko.

Micah Zenko says Western leaders can take lessons from the ouster of Libyan leader Muammar al-Qaddafi and apply them to Syria.

Micah Zenko offers seven lessons the world's remaining autocrats can learn from Muammar al-Qaddafi's mistakes.

Micah Zenko explains why the United States should withdraw from Iraq this December.

Micah Zenko examines the gender breakdowns of Washington's premier think tanks.

Micah Zenko argues that as the drone war in Yemen intensifies, the division of labor between the Defense Department and the CIA needs to be clarified.

Micah Zenko addresses the question, "Why did it take so long to find bin Laden?"

Micah Zenko argues that while the United States should continue to use its military capabilities to support the no-fly zone in Libya, it should also work toward a negotiated end to the civil war.