The New York Times' Bill Keller discusses why a hawkish position concerning Iran is the most abused foreign policy issue in this presidential campaign year, and why a military option may be the best way to guarantee exactly what we are trying to prevent.

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

John Campbell, CFR’s Ralph Bunche senior fellow for Africa policy studies, discusses the recent escalation of violence by Nigeria’s radical Islamic movement, Boko Haram, and analyzes strategies to undermine the threat. This call was part CFR's Religion and Foreign Policy Conference Call series.

Learn more about CFR's Religion and Foreign Policy Initiative.

A rise in Iraq's violence and sectarian tensions--and the highest U.S. monthly combat deaths since 2008--come amid mounting concerns over the government's role and questions about the U.S. troop presence, says expert Sean Kane.

Iran may hope to capitalize on the Arab Spring, write Dalia Dassa Kaye and Frederic Wehrey, but Tehran will find the region hard to manipulate.

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.

Jeffrey White outlines the different forms foreign military intervention in Libya might take.

Experts examine the stability, security, risks, and quality of governance of the Democratic Republic of Congo since the 2006 elections, as well as the need for continued international engagement.

As violence surges in Indian-administered Kashmir, four experts say confidence-building measures between India and Pakistan are the only way to begin solving the territorial dispute.

Upon their return from Sudan, George Clooney and John Prendergast assess the in-country situation in advance of southern Sudan's independence referendum this January.

Upon their return from Sudan, George Clooney and John Prendergast assess the in-country situation in advance of southern Sudan's independence referendum this January.

Daniel L. Byman, senior fellow for foreign policy at the Brookings Institution's Saban Center for Middle East Policy, discusses his Foreign Affairs article, "How to Handle Hamas: The Perils of Ignoring Gaza's Leadership" with students, as part of CFR's Academic Conference Call series.

Learn more about CFR's Academic Initiative.

President Obama's political objectives for Afghanistan are limited and feasible, says military historian Gian Gentile, but the military's counterinsurgency strategy and "maximalist approach of nation-building" could take a generation to achieve.

This report offers a comprehensive analysis of the Iraq War's impact on the Middle East as it relates to U.S. policy in the region.

George Friedman offers a brief, but thorough analysis of the fractious dynamics between Middle East countries and how it relates to Israel's current position in the wake of the flotilla incident.

An interactive map of the Horn of Africa.

Listen to CFR expert Joshua Kurlantzick assess the latest protests in Thailand and the implications of the unrest for U.S. policy.

Foreign Policy's Barney Jopson reports on the current status of southern Sudan as it gears up for a referendum on southern self-determination due next January, in which the majority of southerners are expected to vote for secession.

Buoyed by high oil prices, Russia finds itself embroiled in a number of disputes with foreign firms looking to tap its underdeveloped oil fields and with its neighbors that grew used to subsidized gas.

Unlike the Israel-Palestine conflict, improving relations between Israel and Syria is a much more feasible task, writes Mohamad Bazzi.