This module features teaching notes by CFR former senior fellow for transatlantic relations James M. Goldgeier, author of the Council Special Report The Future of NATO, along with other resources to supplement the text. Dr. Goldgeier discusses the relevance of NATO in a post-cold war world, and how the U.S. can benefit from collective security across the atlantic for the successful outcome of military operations in the Middle East.

The Pentagon's plan for an end to U.S. combat operations in Afghanistan by the end of 2013 has drawn familiar battle lines in the public debate over the proper endgame for the war.

Russia's pending membership in the World Trade Organization could alter its global economic standing and boost trading partners. But experts say Moscow must restructure its economy to benefit from joining the club.

New Prime Minister Mario Monti faces the daunting task of reining in Italy's high public debt. Analysts say he will have to tackle fiscal irresponsibility to rebuild market confidence and prevent the eurozone's third largest economy from defaulting.

New Prime Minister Lucas Papademos faces daunting challenges to rescue Greece's economy. A fiscal collapse, analysts say, will also raise questions over the eurozone's ability to manage debt crises in other struggling European economies.

EU leaders are making plans for a Greek exit from the euro, even as Prime Minister George Papandreou scrambles to garner support for the new EU rescue package and tougher austerity measures.

Palestinians' UN bid for statehood recognition has both perils and benefits for the languishing Mideast peace process, experts say. It could escalate regional tensions, but it has added urgency to reopening negotiations.

The bid for Palestinian statehood at the UN sets President Mahmoud Abbas on a collision course with Hamas, the United States, and Israel. It is crucial to get back on track to a negotiated settlement, say experts.

The G20's finance meeting failed to offer concrete steps to mitigate a "currency war," and reports say it highlighted the group's shortcomings as an international arbiter of economic policy.

The nearly $1 trillion EU bailout plan appears to have achieved immediate aims of restoring confidence in markets, but concerns persist about deeper reforms needed to tackle the region's sovereign debt crisis.

Some analysts say the U.S.-China disagreement over tire imports could provoke a damaging trade dispute at a time when the two giant economies are needed to lead global economic growth.

A compilation of resources on the global financial crisis and international institutions.

As the United States adopts a new approach to the war in Afghanistan, NATO's value as a war-fighting partner is being questioned.

A downbeat Davos summit brings warnings of trade protectionism into the limelight. Economists say these concerns should be taken into account as leaders of industrialized nations craft economic stimulus plans.

This weekend's summit of leading world economies won't match the scope of the Bretton Woods conference, to which it has been compared. But it could send important signals at a time of global economic distress.

Lawlessness in eastern Congo has reached a critical juncture. Analysts fear the crisis in the enormous country, which borders nine others, could spread across the region.

As Washington embarks on a strategic review of the mission in Afghanistan, a new Saudi diplomatic initiative has raised the once unthinkable prospect of talks with the Taliban. Meanwhile, pessimism and frustration test the patience of NATO allies.