Issues

Ask CFR Experts

Is using drones against terrorists cheaper than using special forces?

Asked by The Universal Human and Civil Rights Union, from Brooklyn, New York

The Obama administration has increasingly relied on drones in its counterterrorist operations. And, as I explain in a recent CFR report, U.S. special operations forces are doing more things in more places than ever before. The heavy reliance on both drones and unilateral commando raids needs to be reassessed.

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See more in United States, Defense/Homeland Security, Defense Strategy, Defense Technology, Intelligence, National Security and Defense

Must Read

CRS: Changes in the Arctic: Background and Issues for Congress

Author: Ronald O'Rourke

Many observers have noted that the loss of Arctic ice is already leading to stepped-up human activity in the high north, particularly in the form of increasing commercial traffic and development. This trend has brought forth a range of issues on the geopolitical front, from environmental protection to search-and-rescue capabilities to the delineation of national boundaries—which will determine access to natural resources. These concerns are being addressed cooperatively in both bilateral and multilateral fashion, especially under the aegis of the Arctic Council and the U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea.

See more in Arctic, Energy/Environment

Ask CFR Experts

Should the United States push Israel to join the Non Proliferation Treaty?

Asked by Gaurav Moghe, from India

The United States tried to convince Israel to join the Non Proliferation Treaty (NPT) when the treaty was first introduced and before it was widely believed that Israel had nuclear weapons. The NPT's objective is to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons and weapons technology and further the goal of universal disarmament.

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See more in United States, Iran, Israel, Treaties, International Peace and Security, Proliferation, Arms Control and Disarmament

Audio

Evaluating American Values in an Uncertain Time

Speaker: Andrew Kohut
Presider: Irina A. Faskianos

Andrew Kohut, founding director of the Pew Research Center, discusses the themes outlined in his forthcoming CFR Working Paper Resilient American Values: Optimism in an Era of Growing Inequality and Economic Difficulty, as part of CFR's State and Local Officials Conference Call series.

See more in United States, Polls

Op-Ed

The Big One?

Author: Laurie Garrett
Foreign Policy

Laurie Garrett offers a detailed account of how the H7N9 virus emerged and describes the two possible paths it may now follow, by pulling from her own experiences in the SARS epidemic ten years ago and reflecting on parallels between the two.

See more in China, Global Health, Health and Disease, Health