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BACKGROUNDERS
Current political and economic issues succinctly explained.
Updated: November 20, 2009
A proposed groundbreaking nuclear deal between the United States and India is raising questions and concern in both countries.
See more in India, Weapons of Mass Destruction
Updated: November 18, 2009
Western Europe's burgeoning Islamic population continues to spark concerns about Muslim assimilation and a cultural divide.
See more in Western Europe, Ethnicity and National Identity, Religion
November 16, 2009
Sizeable trade and currency imbalances between China and the United States have fueled tensions over China's exchange-rate policies vis-à-vis the dollar and intensified debate over the proposed remedies to the problem.
See more in United States, China, Economics
Updated: October 26, 2009
Pakistan has emerged as a terrorist sanctuary for some of the world's most violent groups, including al-Qaeda, the Taliban, and homegrown militants, that threaten the stability of Pakistan as well as the region.
See more in Pakistan, Terrorism, Havens for Terrorism, Terrorist Organizations
October 15, 2009
Despite concerns over Iran's nuclear program, the Obama administration has assessed that Tehran is years from a developing a long-range missile capable of delivering a nuclear weapon. But past Iranian secrecy and testing bombast have led some experts to remain skeptical of Tehran's capabilities and ambitions.
See more in Iran, Weapons of Mass Destruction
October 7, 2009
Pakistan's poor public education system has been exploited by extremist groups and slowed the country's development. Analysts say education reform is an essential element in stabilizing the country.
See more in Pakistan, Education
Updated: September 29, 2009
Myanmar's people continue to struggle for freedom despite having achieved independence from colonial rule almost six decades ago.
See more in Burma/Myanmar, Democracy and Human Rights, Human Rights
September 23, 2009
Decades of economic and diplomatic sanctions have failed to substantively alter the actions of the Iranian regime, especially regarding its nuclear program. But experts say they remain an important tool to isolate and pressure Iran.
See more in Iran, Proliferation
September 23, 2009
Leaders attending the Group of 20 summit in Pittsburgh will seek to forge agreements to buoy a global economic recovery and repair financial imbalances that contributed to the recession.
See more in Economics, Financial Crises, International Organizations
Updated: September 17, 2009
At the 2009 UN General Assembly, the world's deliberative body opens its sixty-fourth annual session. UN reform, the international financial situation, disarmament, and diseases will likely loom large.
See more in International Organizations
Updated: September 17, 2009
The United States has pursued missile defense technologies for six decades, with mixed results. Changes under the Obama administration, including adjustments to planned defenses in Europe, could portend a new direction.
See more in United States, Defense Strategy
Updated: September 17, 2009
The United States has been developing missile defense technologies since the beginning of the Cold War, first with nuclear-tipped interceptors and later with conventional "hit-to-kill" missiles, weapons intended to destroy enemy warheads in flight.
See more in United States, Defense Technology
Updated: September 29, 2009
Iran's nuclear program is believed to have steadily progressed, despite sharply increased concerns over its intentions and sanctions over its lack of transparency.
See more in Iran, Proliferation
September 10, 2009
A broad-sweeping look at international efforts to regulate the global financial system. This is part of the Global Governance Monitor, an interactive feature tracking multilateral approaches to several global challenges.
Updated: September 1, 2009
The African Union succeeded the old Organization for African Unity (OAU) in 2002. Since then, the new institution has struggled to reform governing bodies inherited from the OAU while shouldering challenging new peacekeeping missions.
See more in Africa, International Organizations, International Peace and Security
Updated: August 27, 2009
An overview of Peruvian terrorist groups, Shining Path and Tupac Amaru.
See more in South America, Terrorism, Foreign Aid
Updated: August 31, 2009
Opposition victory in Japan's 2009 parliamentary election served as a watershed moment in the country's electoral politics. Analysts say political change in Tokyo could result in a possible shift in its close relationship with the United States, especially in security matters.
Updated: August 20, 2009
A profile of South America's largest trade bloc.
See more in South America, Trade
Updated: August 20, 2009
As the United States and India move toward cementing their warmest relationship ever, India's rival, Pakistan, is broadening its ties with its own powerful ally: China.
Updated: August 19, 2009
The Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) and the National Liberation Army (ELN) are Colombia's two predominant rebel groups. While both have been depleted in recent years, they remain destabilizing forces.
See more in Colombia, Terrorist Organizations
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Start-Up Nation addresses the trillion-dollar question: How is it that Israel—a country of 7.1 million, only sixty years old, surrounded by enemies— produces more start-up companies than large, peaceful, and stable nations like Japan, China, India, Korea, Canada, and the UK? With the insights of geopolitical experts and investors, the authors examine this nation’s adversity-driven culture to answer this question and offer prescriptions for a global economy on the rebound.
In Forces of Fortune, Vali Nasr presents a paradigm-changing revelation that will transform the understanding of the Muslim world at large. He reveals that there is a vital but unseen rising force in the Islamic world—a new business-minded middle class—that is building a vibrant new Muslim world economy and that holds the key to winning the cold war against Iran and extremists.
In Cuba: What Everyone Needs to Know, Julia E. Sweig presents a remarkably accessible portrait of Cuba's unique place on the world stage over the past fifty years, including its internal politics, its often fraught relationship with the United States, and its shifting relationship with the global community.
Complete list of CFR Books
The report of this bipartisan Task Force of distinguished leaders and experts represents a strong consensus on the importance of repairing America's immigration policy. It makes the case that maintaining America's political and economic leadership depends on attracting talented and hard-working immigrants, and on securing the country's borders in a smart, effective, and humane way.
This report finds that nuclear weapons will remain a fundamental element of U.S. national security in the near term, and makes recommendations on how to ensure the safety, security, and reliability of the U.S. deterrent nuclear force, prevent nuclear terrorism, and strengthen the nuclear nonproliferation regime.
About Independent Task Forces at CFR
Complete list of Task Force reports
Identifying international threats and acting on them may be the most difficult job for U.S. policymakers. This report
provides an actionable road map for managing international threats before they erupt into crises and makes a strong case that preventive action is not a luxury but a necessity.
For more than a decade, the United States has mostly watched from the sidelines as Asian countries organize themselves into an alphabet soup of new multilateral groups. In this report, the authors review the relationship between pan-Asian and trans-Pacific institutions and suggest policy guidelines for a new U.S. approach to this new Asian landscape.
Complete list of Council Special Reports
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