Council on Foreign Relations

President Obama has called for tweaks to the way terror suspects are monitored, but some observers wonder whether the changes will be sufficient to prevent a repeat of the Christmas Day terror plot.

Repercussions of the failed Christmas Day bombing continue, with policy debate focused on Yemen as a new al-Qaeda front and possible delays shuttering Guantanamo Bay.

President Obama's decision to transfer Guantanamo inmates to an Illinois prison could speed closure of the facility, but the move has raised both security and civil liberties concerns.

U.S. President Barack Obama's new Afghan strategy is expected to include an influx of more than thirty thousand troops and an exit plan. He faces the challenge of selling this approach to war-weary publics.

The decision by the main Afghan presidential challenger to drop out of the runoff contest raises new doubts about incumbent Hamid Karzai's viability as partner in the U.S. effort to counter Taliban forces in increasingly shaky Afghanistan.

As President Barack Obama ponders his next move in Afghanistan, civilian and military strategists are pushing different approaches on the way forward in a war soon to become America's longest.

Talks in Geneva over Iran's nuclear program ended with Tehran vowing to cooperate with UN inspectors. However, analysts remain divided on how lasting the gains will be.

Amid fresh signs U.S. military leaders are expected to request more troops for the Afghan war, debate continues to mount over Afghanistan's importance to U.S. security.

The Obama administration has agreed to talks with Iran. Analysts are divided on whether dialogue will move the needle on nuclear negotiations, or strengthen calls for tougher action.

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.

The top commander in Afghanistan has called for a new strategy, and possibly more troops. But some analysts wonder whether the nearly eight-year-old war is still worth fighting.

The U.S. attorney general's decision to conduct a preliminary review of past CIA interrogations awakens spirited debate over the scope of the intelligence community's counterterrorism practices.

Regardless of the victor in this week's Afghan presidential elections, some analysts say Western forces must remain committed to the counterinsurgency effort to strengthen the state against a growing Taliban threat.

Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki and President Barack Obama struck a note of cooperation in their latest meeting. But some Western observers worry the Obama administration is not focused enough on Iraq's simmering problems.

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton has sought to advance burgeoning strategic ties with India in a high-profile visit. The most substantive outcome of her trip could be new economic links, say some analysts.

In Moscow, President Barack Obama will focus on improving U.S.-Russia relations, which suffered during the final years of the Bush administration. But analysts say moving beyond rhetoric toward substantive change could be complicated by history and competing interests.

The withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraqi cities was a relatively easy benchmark to meet, analysts say. Many are unsure whether the country can withstand a complete U.S. pullout in less than two years.

A day after U.S. President Barack Obama harshly condemned Iran's leadership for post-election violence, some analysts believe the United States will have no choice but to scale back promised overtures to the Iranian regime

The Iranian government's response to public uproar over the presidential polls is raising questions about its power base and stability. Experts say the turmoil poses tricky questions for U.S. policymakers hoping to engage Iran's government.

A pro-Western coalition appears to have defeated Hezbollah in Lebanon's parliamentary vote, but analysts say the group will likely continue to be a power broker in Lebanese politics.