Washington's approach to rebuilding economies devastated by conflicts and natural disasters is flawed.

The situation in Iraq is improving. With the right strategy, the United States will eventually be able to draw down troops without sacrificing stability.

Why should the United States care about rogue regimes or failed states? Simply put, unstable regimes are a threat to U.S. interests. Terror groups and criminal networks find haven in weak or failed states. They exploit porous borders to move people, money, weapons, and drugs. Human security is affected when government institutions are unable to meet basic needs or provide essential services. Poverty, disease, and humanitarian emergencies have transnational implications. Not only are conflict prevention and nation-building investments in U.S. security, they are also consistent with American ideals.

International endorsement of a plan to hand security responsibilities to Afghan forces in 2014 indicates NATO's military commitment is not open-ended. But meeting the deadline amid ongoing Afghan governance issues could prove challenging.

Official optimism runs high amid improved security and a growing role for Iraqi forces, but analysts caution against premature celebrations.

As Afghanistan makes a new pitch to foreign donors, some question whether its government is ready to shoulder a greater share of development.

The Iraq war has confounded and surprised U.S. policymakers over five years, and is expected to remain a challenge for a new administration.

Turkish ground raids into Iraqi Kurdistan could undermine U.S. military efforts and further fragment Iraq’s federal government.

Experts say Afghanistan remains a winnable war, but reports of Iran arming the Taliban and mounting violence have Washington on edge.

As Colombia’s paramilitary scandal deepens, Congress balks at passing a free trade agreement and questions one of the closest U.S. alliances in Latin America.

With the UN mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo set to expire this month, security sector reform is in shambles and the situation in the east remains volatile.

Iran has emerged as Washington’s chief bogeyman in Iraq. But some experts say Iranian influence may be exaggerated.

Much attention surrounded the 2006 inauguration of Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, Africa’s first elected female head of state. After a year in office, there are promising signs of change in Liberia, but many challenges lie ahead.

Saddam Hussein’s death may have little influence on the ongoing insurgency and sectarian violence, but beyond Iraq’s borders it may portend worsening relations between the region’s Shiite and Sunni communities.  

New polls reveal that Afghans increasingly are losing faith in their government and throwing their support behind the Taliban, which has staged a strong comeback in Kandahar.

A resurgent Taliban and a bumper crop of opium poppies are adding to the instability in Afghanistan. With NATO forces set to take the security lead at the end of July, a new campaign seeks to drive out Afghan insurgents.

The rebuilding of Iraq remains mired in bureaucracy, corruption, and security lapses, says Stuart Bowen Jr., the U.S. special inspector general for Iraq reconstruction, but he expects more progress to be made this year.

Iraq's sectarian killings have many convinced the country has slipped into civil war. President Bush says he is not so sure—and sees signs Iraqis have stepped back from the brink.

Gayle Tzemach Lemmon discusses the need for the development community to adopt a comprehensive approach to skills training for entrepreneurs in conflict and post-conflict zones.