Michael Shifter, president of the Inter-American Dialogue, discusses the influence of the United States on common and organized crime in Central America, and offers policy recommendations for what the United States could do domestically and internationally to mitigate the violence.

President Obama and Vice President Biden made these remarks about reducing gun violence on January 16, 2013, before the signing of executive orders which strengthen the background check system, support mental health professionals report threats, and help schools hire more officers and develop emergency preparedness plans.

Edward Alden discusses a new assessment from the Government Accountability Office, which concludes that crossing U.S. borders illegally has become far more difficult than the American public realizes.

Max Boot argues that substantial withdrawals of American military personnel from Afghanistan ignore the reality of the situation.

Micah Zenko asks why we aren't asking Chuck Hagel about the stuff the secretary of defense actually does.

Richard N. Haass argues that many of the same issues that we faced in 2012 will continue to be problematic in 2013.

All signs suggest that the United States will not be keeping large numbers of forces in Afghanistan for much longer, says CFR's Stephen Biddle.

Secretary of Defense Panetta held this press conference previewing his final international trip as secretary, on January 14, 2013. His travel will include Portugal, Spain, Italy, and Great Britain.

President Obama and President Karzai held a joint press conference at the White House on January 11, 2013, to discuss the transition in Afghanistan.

Micah Zenko says the nomination of John Brennan to become the next CIA director can be crucial in scrutinizing the U.S. drone program.

Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Martin Dempsey held this press conference on January 10, 2013. They discussed Afghan President Karzai's visit, defense sequestration, and possible chemical weapons in Syria.

Gayle Tzemach Lemmon says that the war in Afghanistan, which has spanned a decade and cost more than 2,000 American lives, has now faded to one key, albeit short-sighted, question: How many U.S. troops will remain after 2014?

Micah Zenko argues that it is time for President Obama to reform U.S. drone policy.

Deputy National Security Advisor for Strategic Communications Ben Rhodes and Deputy Assistant to the President and Coordinator for South Asia Doug Lute held this conference call on January 8, 2013, to preview President Karzai's visit to the White House.

Greg Miller and Scott Wilson discuss how President Obama's nominations of Chuck Hagel and John Brennan signal a shift in the administration's national security policies as the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan draw to a close.

In a review of Stanley McChrystal's My Share of the Task, Max Boot says throughout McChrystal's career, the general was unshakably dedicated to his soldiers, to his wife, and, above all, to the Army and nation.

Max Boot says recent films about the CIA focus on the agency's successful operations, but also highlight a real problem—that it's actually a hypercautious bureaucracy.

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad gave these remarks at the Opera House in Damascus on January 6, 2013.These are

President Obama signed the annual National Defense Authorization Act for FY13 into law on January 2, 2013.