Julia Sweig explains the significance of Brazilian president Dilma Rousseff's first visit to the United States.

Bonnie Glaser of the Center for Strategic and International Studies discusses the significant risk of conflict in the South China Sea and how the United States can prevent becoming involved in an armed clash.

In outlining the changed landscape in the Middle East, Benoit Challand points out that potential crises, such as in Syria or Iran, could give regional governments an excuse to halt an already slow process of democratization.

During the Brazilian president's visit to the Unied Sates, Brazil and America should find a common ground to confront China over financial and economic policies that harm Brazilian and American companies, says Ted Piccone, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution.

Syria is trapped on a crumbling precipice, and however it might fall will entail significant risks for the United States and for the Syrian people, says this memo written by experts on Middle East at Brookings.

Jorge G. Castañeda, former foreign minister of Mexico and a professor of politics and Latin American studies, says Cuba and drugs will be the main topics of discussion at the upcoming Summit of the Americas.

Stephen Zunes, Professor of Politics and Chair of Mid-Eastern Studies at the University of San Francisco, says rather than military intervention, nonviolent resistance combined with targeted international sanctions will force the Syrian government to negotiate with the opposition for a transfer of power to a democratic majority.

Robert M. Danin and Eugene Rogan with Gideon Rose assess the American interventions in countries like Libya, Tunisia, and Egypt. They say the American response was a 'reactive' one while Europe remained 'confused.'

There are no good solutions to the mess in Syria, says James Traub, a fellow of the Center on International Cooperation.

The emerging BRICS economies agree that the West should hold less sway in the global economy. But their leaders, despite regular summits, have failed to articulate a coherent vision because of divergent interests, says journalist Martin Wolf.

Catherine Bertini discusses the current state of global food security and offers recommendations.

Ned Parker discusses his Foreign Affairs article from the March/April 2012 issue, "The Iraq We Left Behind--Welcome to the World's Next Failed State," and provides insights from on-the-ground experience in Iraq.

UN Security Council Resolution 2041 regarding extension of the mandate of the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) until March 23, 2013 was adopted by the UN Security Council on March 22, 2012.

The government of the brittle, one-party state remains dug in against a determined but fractured opposition. Expert Joshua Landis discusses the fault lines in the Syria uprising.

Hu Xijin, editor-in-chief of the Global Times, a Chinese newspaper, says that Mitt Romney's aggressive harangues about China don't trouble Chinese people. Hu asks: Does he really want to pick a fight with a nation of 1.3 billion people?

Max Boot says military action in Syria needs to be carefully thought through, but the Obama administration should not allow itself to be paralyzed by the Pentagon's reluctance to intervene in Syria.

President Obama and Prime Minister Cameron gave this press conference on the relationship between the United States and the United Kingdom on March 14, 2012.

Foreign Policy's David Rothkopf debates whether Obama's cool diplomatic demeanor is an impediment or an asset.

Leslie H. Gelb says foreign policy experts should be made to answer questions about the consequences and risks of their recommendations to engage the United States in wars with Syria and Iran.

Jonathan Tepperman says a decision by the United States to intervene militarily in Syria must be made with hard facts and an honest decision about what standing up for U.S. interests and values will entail.