A crackdown in Hama and Amnesty International's call for reporting Syria's government to the ICC place new focus on the Assad regime's stability, yet international response has been muted.

Following the G8's tough stand on political repression, the weekend saw increased violence in Libya, Syria, and Yemen along with signals of regime weakening. Some experts say the U.S. should take a tougher line with Libya and Syria.

As some NATO countries move to send advisers to help Libyan rebels, debate remains unsettled on whether charting a path to greater military involvement or a negotiated political solution is the right approach.

Any outcome of the Libyan war will require boots on the ground, say analysts, urging the international community to focus on helping the country rebuild civil, political, and social institutions that serve Libyan national interests.

As troops loyal to Libyan leader Muammar al-Qaddafi stepped up attacks on rebel forces, the United States and NATO moved ahead with discussions of a no-fly zone, though the debate is far from settled.

As Libya seems headed for civil war after three weeks of fighting, the Obama administration and members of Congress are squaring off over the question of imposing a no-fly zone.

As opposition and pro-regime forces stepped up battles in Libya, international pressure mounted on leader Muammar al-Qaddafi. Analysts raised doubts about Libya's leadership prospects should Qaddafi depart.

An effort led by Western nations against Libya's Muammar al-Qaddafi has resulted in UN sanctions and more, while protests across the Arab world show no signs of abating.

Continued unrest in Egypt is stirring tensions between Iran's hardliners and opposition movement and stoking concerns that an Iran-friendly Egyptian regime could upset the regional balance of power.

The Arab world is watching warily as protests in Yemen, Jordan, Algeria, and Syria add to regional unrest. All are rooted in concern over economic mismanagement and repression, but any new cast of leaders would face steep challenges.

The most significant Egyptian political unrest in years spells diplomatic challenges for the Obama administration and could ripple across the Middle East.

The ouster of Tunisian President Ben Ali and some imitation protests in other North African states are leading to questions about whether a "Jasmine Revolution" will affect other authoritarian states in the Arab world.

Weeks of protests against unemployment, repression, and corruption in Tunisia could mean the end of President Ben Ali's government and could affect repressive governments in the Middle East, say experts.

The January 9 referendum on southern Sudan's secession is expected to go smoothly, but some experts caution that disputes over oil and land, and the south's volatility, could mean a violent transition.

This guide provides a range of CFR background and analysis of the foreign policy implications of the 2010 U.S. midterm elections.

Although violence in Afghanistan's parliamentary elections this weekend could be a setback for U.S. efforts, some experts see an opportunity for change if the elections lead to serious conversations about corruption and accountability.

Pakistan's constitutional reforms will strengthen democracy but fail to improve the civil-military balance or check the military's influence on defense and foreign policy.

The decision by the main Afghan presidential challenger to drop out of the runoff contest raises new doubts about incumbent Hamid Karzai's viability as partner in the U.S. effort to counter Taliban forces in increasingly shaky Afghanistan.

Regardless of the victor in this week's Afghan presidential elections, some analysts say Western forces must remain committed to the counterinsurgency effort to strengthen the state against a growing Taliban threat.

The withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraqi cities was a relatively easy benchmark to meet, analysts say. Many are unsure whether the country can withstand a complete U.S. pullout in less than two years.