Both Republican candidate Mitt Romney and President Obama have had to make tough and at times controversial decisions with regard to homeland security and counterterrorism.

Deterring Iran's nuclear weapons program is a foreign policy priority for the United States. Candidates for the 2012 presidential elections debate the best options, including a military strike.

As the United States winds down its decade-long war in Afghanistan, the two presidential candidates disagree on the pace of the U.S. withdrawal.

This CFR Issue Tracker looks at the United States' relationship with Pakistan and presidential candidates' stances on the issue.

Both presidential candidates vow strong support for Israeli security, with Mitt Romney criticizing the Obama administration for distancing the United States from Israel.

This CFR Issue Tracker looks at the United States' relationship with Russia and presidential candidates' stances on the issue.

With the strategic focus of the U.S. military in flux and the Pentagon's budget under significant scrutiny, this CFR Issue Tracker looks at the 2012 presidential candidates' positions on defense.

The economic climate and border security concerns have thrust the question of immigration reform into the spotlight in the 2012 presidential campaign.

Amid sluggish growth and high unemployment, the economy has emerged as the central issue of the 2012 presidential campaign, as the candidates debate the role of government in jumpstarting the economy and creating jobs.

U.S. President Barack Obama and Republican rival Mitt Romney accuse China of currency manipulation and unfair trade practices and support an expanded U.S. presence in Asia, but Romney dismisses the president's efforts as inadequate.

The presidential candidates generally agree on support for democracy and human rights in Arab states, but have differed on several policy particulars, such as military intervention in Libya and Syria.

President Obama is generally supportive of the UN mission while raising questions about its effectiveness, but GOP candidate Mitt Romney is harshly critical of the organization.

Both presidential candidates have called for expanding U.S. energy production to create jobs, even as they disagree over the role of government subsidies and environmental regulation.

Iran's nuclear ambitions have tended to dominate discussions in the U.S. presidential campaigns over nuclear nonproliferation.

President Obama has expanded sanctions against North Korea over its nuclear ambitions while making attempts to engage with it, but Mitt Romney has criticized the engagement policy as weak.

The growth and strengthening of Afghanistan's domestic security forces is seen as key to an eventual U.S. exit, but some analysts caution that progress will remain slow.

Retired Adm. Dennis C. Blair, President Obama's director of national intelligence, is a former commander of the U.S. Pacific Command with long military experience.

James L. Jones, a retired Marine commandant, brings extensive military and diplomatic experience to his new post as national security adviser for President Barack Obama.

President Barack Obama's attorney general, Eric H. Holder Jr., has criticized some of the Bush administration's counter-terrorism moves, calling for the closure of the Guantanamo Bay detention center and bans on torture.

Robert M. Gates, a Cold War veteran selected to remain as defense secretary, has won bipartisan praise for his pragmatism and handling of the Pentagon amid two wars.