Kenneth Anderson and Matthew C. Waxman say some view automated technology developments as a crisis for the laws of war. But provided we start now to incorporate ethical and legal norms into weapons design, the incremental movement from automation to genuine machine autonomy already underway might well be made to serve the ends of law on the battlefield.

The quest by Palestinian officials for statehood recognition could have major repercussions for the Mideast peace process. This Backgrounder outlines the potential impact of the UN vote.

Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas gave these remarks to the UN General Assembly on November 29, 2012 following the UNGA's vote to grant Palestine observer status.

UN Ambassador Susan Rice gave this statement explaining the United States' vote on Palestine's non-member observer state status, on November 29, 2012.

UN General Assembly draft resolution A/67/L.28, according Palestine non-member observer state status in the United Nations, passed by a vote of 138 to 9 on November 29, 2012.

Charles A. Kupchan argues that David Cameron's changes to Britain's relationship with the European Union run the risk of a British exit from the union and a weakening of Britain's role as a bridge between the United States and Europe.

Acrimony among European leaders regarding a new EU budget is indicative of larger challenges the union faces in facilitating further economic integration, says CFR's Sebastian Mallaby.

The eurozone crisis has consequences far beyond the continent's economic performance, such as the EU's ability to forge coherent defense and foreign policy.

The Boyuan Foundation, headed by former investment banker He Di, is possibly the most ambitious, radical, and consequential think tank in China, according to Foreign Policy.

Joshua Kurlantzick asseses the current limitations of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and prescribes recommendations for both the United States and ASEAN that will enable ASEAN to firmly establish itself as the essential regional organization in Asia.

Elizabeth C. Economy says corruption and the failure to develop rule of law in China now define much of the country's political and economic life. With Xi Jinping poised to take over, the focus should be on significant political reform.

Jerome A. Cohen says that while Bo Xilai and Chen Kegui "hail from opposite ends of China's political, economic and social hierarchies, they now have much in common, including the determination of the authorities to punish them for political reasons."

International efforts to ease Syria's crisis have been limited by divisions in the UN Security Council and a wariness about a military response, explains this Backgrounder.

Matthew C. Waxman argues that international law still plays a powerful role in justifying or delegitimizing the case for military action. Just like in the Cuban missile crisis, the United States needs to present a plausible case for self-defense in order to strike Iran.

Nancy Brinker, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Susan G. Komen for the Cure interviews Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs Janos Martonyi on the state of the European Union today.

According to a secret legal opinion for European Union finance ministers, a plan to create a single eurozone banking supervisor is illegal.

The EU's Nobel Peace Prize selection comes as the bloc struggles to resolve its debt crisis. Nevertheless, the EU represents one of the great peacemaking accomplishments of the modern era.

Billionaire Bidzina Ivanishvili, whose party won last week's parliamentary elections in Georgia, will forge a foreign policy based on pragmatism, not ideology, says RFE/RL's Elizabeth Fuller.

Ignore the commentariat: Susan Rice isn't to blame for the complicated intelligence process following the Benghazi attack, writes Leslie H. Gelb in Newsweek.

Palestinian Authority president Abbas gave these remarks to the UN General Assembly on September 27, 2012.