Experts analyze how changes in defense spending would affect U.S. military strategy.

Experts analyze how changes in defense spending would affect U.S. military strategy.

Secretary John Kerry and Canadian Foreign Minister John Baird gave these remarks on February 8, 2013. They discussed the U.S.-Canadian trade, travel, and security initiative laid out by President Obama and Prime Minister Harper in 2011, and how the two countries collaborate on energy and global foreign policy issues.

Ed Husain hosts Bernard Haykel in a discussion of the convergences and divergences in Gulf governments' policies toward the Arab Spring, both domestically and regionally.

Moving away from fossil fuels could be devastating for some of the world's poorest countries, says Michael A. Levi.

What sort of foreign policy agenda will President Obama's second term pursue? Asia, trade, and Mideast crisis management must all be in the forefront, say four global experts.

Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta and Joint Chief of Staff General Martin E. Dempsey testified before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on February 7, 2013, about the September attacks on the U.S. Embassy in Benghazi, Libya and the response of the Defense Department. Panetta's and Dempsey's prepared remarks and video of the hearing are available on the Committee's website.

The U.S. Senate Select Committee on Intelligence held this confirmation hearing for CIA director nominee John Brennan on February 7, 2013. The Committee posted Brennan's responses to their questionnaire for presidential nominees and additional prehearing questions, and CSPAN provided video of the hearing.

Germany's Bundesbank remains an influential actor in eurozone policymaking, and its recent disagreements with the ECB raise concerns about managing the zone's debt crisis. This Backgrounder explains.

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei made these remarks at a meeting with Iran's air force on February 7, 2013, responding to U.S. Vice President Joe Biden's offer of direct talks about Iran's nuclear program.

Michael A. Levi and Daniel P. Ahn say, "If lawmakers decide to go ahead with further deficit reduction, they would be remiss not to take a hard look at higher oil taxes as part of the deal."

A preview of world events in the coming week from CFR.org: Barack Obama delivers his fourth State of the Union Address; European Central Bank head Mario Draghi speaks before the Spanish Parliament; and Bahrain leadership and opposition meet for possible negotiations.

Ed Husain leads a wide-ranging discussion with AbdulMawgoud Dardery of the political challenges facing Egypt and the Freedom and Justice Party's vision for the country's future.

In this Energy Brief, Daniel Ahn and Michael Levi model the potential consequences of substituting taxes on oil consumption for either higher nonoil taxes or reduced government spending as part of a larger deficit reduction package, and argue that oil taxes can improve economic performance while reducing oil consumption if done right.

CFR Senior Fellows Robert M. Danin and Ed Husain lead a conversation on the current situation in Syria and discuss the challenges that lie ahead for the country and the international community.

A leaked government document has recharged the controversy over the use of lethal force against U.S. citizens. CFR's Matthew C. Waxman highlights three legal considerations.

"Flows of migrants and refugees influence and change the social, economic and political dynamics of their destinations -- and the places they have left behind," writes the Inter Press Service on human migration. In the United States, politicians are saying they are committed to reform of the U.S. immigration system. Immigration Research Links provides resources for news, legislation, statistics, organizations, and reports on immigration.

Peter Orszag finds good news about health care costs in the latest budgetary and economic projections released by the CBO, but he cautions that the outlook for unemployment and federal spending is still gloomy.

Micah Zenko says, "Most analysts and journalists have focused on President Obama's expanded scope, intensity, and institutionalization of targeted killings against suspected terrorists and militants. However, perhaps the enduring legacy of the Obama administration will be its sustained, rigorous effort to shape and define-down the idea of war."

Christopher J.L. Murray and Jennifer Kates discuss disease from the perspective of shaping U.S. policy, spending priorities, and potential action.