The U.S. government shutdown raises troubling questions about American predictability and feeds doubts about the ability of Congress to be a partner with the White House on foreign policy, says Richard N. Haass, CFR President and author of Foreign Policy Begins at Home.

Angela Merkel's resounding electoral triumph likely means stability and continuity in Eurozone crisis management and little chance of a larger German role in global security, says CFR's Charles Kupchan.

The White House should seize on Tehran's diplomatic signals to advance a resolution to the nuclear question and potentially Syria, says expert Mohsen M. Milani.

The unexpected convergence of the United States and Russia over Syria's chemical weapons is likely to be strained by delays in the disarmament process, says expert Nicolas Gvosdev.

New Iranian leadership and the UN effort to remove Syrian chemical weapons offer a rare chance for collaboration between Washington and Tehran—and advance nuclear talks, says expert Gary Sick.

Russia is more concerned with guarding its strategic interests in Syria than sustaining the rule of Assad, who eventually may overburden the Kremlin, says expert Michael Young.

The Obama administration's strongest case for intervening in Syria rests on the global security risks posed by the regime's suspected use of chemical weapons, says CFR's John B. Bellinger.

The United States should cripple the Syrian government's ability to kill masses of its own people and openly intensify its support to opposition forces, says expert Frederic C. Hof.

The search for evidence of chemical weapons in Syria is painstaking and hampered by harsh conditions, but could yield decisive findings as debate over military action intensifies, says expert Amy E. Smithson.

The unusual trial of Bo Xilai and China's crackdown on both corruption and press freedom reveal a confused and conflicted leadership, says CFR's Jerome Cohen.

Growing splits between Islamists and secularists in Egypt augur a sustained period of confrontation and unrest, says expert Jon B. Alterman.

Al Jazeera America arrives on the U.S. cable TV scene in a bid to win goodwill and market share through an increasingly rare news-heavy format, says expert William Youmans.

North and South Korea seem likely to reopen the Kaesong industrial complex, despite the economic risks Seoul assumes in dealing with Pyongyang, says expert Marcus Noland.

Japan's decision to participate in Trans-Pacific Partnership negotiations has made the trade agreement "almost irresistible" and poised for expansion, says expert Mireya Solís.

President Obama's cancelled state visit to Moscow next month is another indication that the so-called U.S.-Russia reset has derailed, says CFR's Stephen Sestanovich.

Can Washington and Islamabad build a new strategic relationship? CFR's Daniel Markey says John Kerry and Nawaz Sharif are off to a friendly start, but big obstacles remain on counterterror cooperation.

As Egypt's political crisis deepens, its economy has been stabilized by a cash infusion from the oil-rich Persian Gulf. Economist Farouk Soussa outlines the limited options facing Egypt's interim government.

A clear sign of a new Iranian nuclear posture will be if incoming president Hassan Rowhani pursues bilateral talks with the United States, says former top U.S. arms official Gary Samore.

If France moves in the direction of its Southern European neighbors, the consequences for the entire European Union could be calamitous, says expert Dominique Moïsi.

Recent revelations about U.S. surveillance activities in Latin America have provoked a range of negative responses from regional leaders, but the practical consequences will be marginal, says expert Christopher Sabatini.