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.

As Washington ponders how long to stay in Iraq, it would do well to remember the limited impact of the United States' withdrawal from Vietnam and Cambodia in the 1970s, Lebanon in the 1980s, and Somalia in the 1990s.

In the past decade, 12,000 Nepalis have died in an increasingly brutal civil war that pits a backward-looking monarchy and an abusive military against fanatical Maoist rebels. To help solve the crisis, the rest of the world must convince both sides that there is a third way.

Lawlessness in eastern Congo has reached a critical juncture. Analysts fear the crisis in the enormous country, which borders nine others, could spread across the region.

Lebanese leaders agreed on steps toward political reconciliation, but experts say the road ahead contains many potholes.

The Bush administration continues to accuse Iran of fueling violence in Iraq, even as some experts disagree on what Tehran’s objectives might be.

A week before President Bush heads to Africa, violence in Kenya and an attempted coup in Chad highlight the shortcomings of conflict resolution efforts.

President Bush inserted the United States firmly into the Israeli-Palestinian conflict as leaders from all sides set a deadline for negotiating an elusive peace treaty. 

India has reacted cautiously to Pakistan’s political crisis but there is concern the nuclear-armed neighbors’ rapprochement could be damaged.

Pakistani air strikes along its Afghan border punctuate recent clashes between militants and the Pakistani army. But some officials worry Pakistan’s aggressive response is too little, too late.

A rise in suicide bombings suggests the “surge” in American forces may be failing. That has military analysts updating their views of how the United States will begin to detach itself from the Iraq War.  

Despite international intervention to protect Somalia’s fledgling government, fighting persists while the humanitarian situation deteriorates. Regional stability is at risk once again.

As violence once again threatens to overtake Lebanon, the clash of Syrian, Iranian, Israeli, and American interests provides a familiar backdrop.

Despite the death of a prominent Taliban leader, the rise in civilian casualties has strained relations between Washington and Kabul.

Compromise among Iraqi factions appears more remote, as a deadlock deepens over a draft oil law and Sunnis threaten to pull out of parliament.

Iran now says it will attend a conference on Iraqi security and has shown a willingness to negotiate on its nuclear program amid growing pressure.

Casualties among Canadian forces in Afghanistan are up, resulting in growing anti-war attitudes north of the border.

Congress voted to begin a troop drawdown from Iraq. The bill faces a presidential veto and it is unclear how long the power struggle will last.

As the one-year anniversary of the Darfur peace agreement approaches, the Sudanese president agrees to a partial deployment of UN troops but many wonder if it just another diplomatic feint.