Afghan forces are performing well so far amid the pullback of U.S. troops, but this summer's fighting season will offer proof of their capabilities, says CFR's Stephen Biddle.

The Obama administration has increasingly relied on drones in its counterterrorist operations. And, as I explain in a recent CFR report, U.S. special operations forces are doing more things in more places than ever before. The heavy reliance on both drones and unilateral commando raids needs to be reassessed.

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Sultan of Brunei Hassanal Bolkiah gave this statement at the end of the twenty-second Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit, on April 24 to 25, 2013. The theme of the conference was "Our People, Our Future Together."

Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel held a press conference in Abu Dhabi to wrap up his five day trip to Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, and United Arab Emirates. He discussed U.S. intelligence on the use of chemical weapons in Syria.

Many observers have noted that the loss of Arctic ice is already leading to stepped-up human activity in the high north, particularly in the form of increasing commercial traffic and development. This trend has brought forth a range of issues on the geopolitical front, from environmental protection to search-and-rescue capabilities to the delineation of national boundaries—which will determine access to natural resources. These concerns are being addressed cooperatively in both bilateral and multilateral fashion, especially under the aegis of the Arctic Council and the U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea.

Adam Segal, CFR's Maurice R. Greenberg senior fellow for China studies, leads a conversation on U.S.-China relations through the lens of cybersecurity issues, as part of CFR's Academic Conference Call series.

The United States tried to convince Israel to join the Non Proliferation Treaty (NPT) when the treaty was first introduced and before it was widely believed that Israel had nuclear weapons. The NPT's objective is to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons and weapons technology and further the goal of universal disarmament.

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A preview of world events in the coming week from CFR.org: U.S. president Barack Obama visits Mexico and Costa Rica; Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe heads to Russia; and tensions persist over the East China Sea.

The Boston Marathon bombings illustrate the stresses on domestic intelligence gathering and counterterrorism in a democratic system, says CFR's Richard Falkenrath.

Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Martin Dempsey and Chinese General Fang Fenghui held a press conference on April 24, 2013. They discussed the U.S.-China military relationship, especially in regard to addressing North Korean threats, joint military exercises, and cybersecurity.

Andrew Kohut, founding director of the Pew Research Center, discusses the themes outlined in his forthcoming CFR Working Paper Resilient American Values: Optimism in an Era of Growing Inequality and Economic Difficulty, as part of CFR's State and Local Officials Conference Call series.

Ray Takeyh examines examples of foreign policy failures turned success, including "the shift in U.S. containment policy during the early stages of the Truman presidency; the changed U.S. approach to the Vietnam War after Richard Nixon's 1968 election; and George W. Bush's surge in Iraq."

The Atlantic's Charles Mann discusses the possibility that fossil fuels might last longer than we think, presenting unexplored opportunities and risks.

Peter Orszag examines how cities could foster more public-private partnerships in infrastructure construction with revenue-based auctions.

Laurie Garrett offers a detailed account of how the H7N9 virus emerged and describes the two possible paths it may now follow, by pulling from her own experiences in the SARS epidemic ten years ago and reflecting on parallels between the two.

National Security Advisor Tom Donilon spoke at the launch of Columbia University's Center on Global Energy Policy on April 24, 2013. He discussed the effects of U.S energy policy on the economy, environment, international relations, and national security.

Julia Sweig reflects on implications of the Boston Marathon bombings in the midst of debates on gun control and immigration reform.

Isobel Coleman hosts John Campbell, former U.S. ambassador to Nigeria, for a discussion about the political and economic transitions of South Africa and Nigeria as part of a Civil Society, Markets, and Democracy Initiative series on Realizing Democracy: Lessons from Transitioning Countries.

George J. Mitchell discusses his career in government, as part of the HBO History Makers Series.