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 Afghan president is isolated and distrusted, and even if he is re-elected this month, that's not likely to change.

With the reelection of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad now formalized, Iranian expert Farideh Farhi says there is now "the possibility of increased radicalism among the population."

The Iranian protests unsettled not only the hard-liners in Tehran but also the Obama administration, which has to make policy for a situation that changes as frequently as a Twitter feed.

A report detailing the structure of the Kurdistan Regional Government, its major political parties, and the dynamics of the upcoming election.

In reviewing three books about Iran, Rosemary Righter provides a thorough and comprehensive analysis of both the country's current political situation, and the historical events leading up to its recent controversial elections.

Lydia Khalil argues, "Reformers hope to fulfill the work they began 30 years ago."

CFR President Richard N. Haass says in the aftermath of the Iranian regime's crackdown on post-election protesters, the Obama administration will need to revive efforts to negotiate an end to Tehran's nuclear program.

Following the 2009 disputed Iran presidential election, CFR's Isobel Coleman, a leading expert on women's issues, says that if Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's victory stands, "you'll see a much more restricted Iran." This will "fall heavily on women, but it won't stop them," she says.

This article and interactive timeline highlights the events that made 1979 a seminal year in world history with reverberations still felt, from Iran's Islamic revolution to the Soviet Union's invasion of Afghanistan.

Farideh Farhi, an Iran expert, says powerful forces are arrayed on both sides of Iran's electoral dispute and that a resounding victory by either side is unlikely.

Following massive protests over Iran's presidential election results, Karim Sadjadpour, an Iran expert, says Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei may have to sacrifice President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to save himself.

Daniel Senor and Christian Whiton argue that the 2004 Orange Revolution in Ukraine can serve as a model for democratic reform in Iran.

In this opinion piece Ramin Jahanbegloo, an Iranian dissident living in exile, characterizes the post-election dissent in Iran as a turning point in its history that highlights the generation gap evident in its society.

Arang Keshavarzian, an expert on Iranian politics at New York University, says the decision by the Iranian leadership to peremptorily announce President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's election victory has alienated many Iranians and will greatly complicate U.S. plans to engage the Iranian government.