Council on Foreign Relations

In this NYT op-ed, Air Force Research Institute defense analyst Adam B. Lowther discusses potential benefits to the United States should Iran build a bomb.

Forbes columnist and former Treasure Department economist Bruce Bartlett explains how federal financial planning has evolved over time.

The Economist offers two explanations for the failure of carbon markets to take off. One is that the markets had already priced in the likelihood of seeing neither a deal in Copenhagen nor a cap-and-trade bill on Barack Obama's desk. Another is that their long-term prospects remain reasonable, if humble.

Jeffrey White and Loring White report on three separate war games that provide several insights into why the Iranian nuclear problem is so intractable and how it might develop in the near to mid term.

In this The Guardian op-ed, Aluf Benn talks about the discrepancy between how Israelis view their country and how it is viewed from the outside, offering an explanation for why American efforts to resume the Israeli-Palestinian talks fail to interest Israelis.

In a BBC article, guest columnist Ahmed Rashid says talking to the Taliban could be the only way to end the war in Afghanistan.

Gerald F. Seib views the federal budget deficit as a potential national security threat, emphasizing that budget deficits make America vulnerable to foreign pressures, allow Chinese power to grow as a result, put long-term national-security budgets at risk, and underme the American model before the rest of the world.   

This Washington Post examination of President Obama's budget blueprint for 2010 underscores what agencies will gain or lose from the proposed budget. 

This Belfer Center publication stresses the importance of linking the efforts of governments, the private sector, and nongovernmental organizations to combat climate change.  It provides a concise overview of international initiatives, multilateral groups' efforts, and various partnerships and offers insights on how to move forward. 

Written by Shadi Hamid and Amanda Kadlec, this report explores practical manifestations of political Islam as well as Western diplomatic responses to Islamist movements.

In this Foreign Policy op-ed, Eduardo Gomez looks at President Barack Obama's new vision for tackling global health challenges,  examining how Obama's new initiative differs from the previous administration's approach by focusing on broad-category initiatives. 

Mildrade Cherfils of the Global Post discusses the recent recommendation by French lawmakers to forbid women from wearing head-to-toe Islamic dress in some public spaces, and how this proposed law relates to the question of "French identity," including issues of immigration, integration and religion.

President Barack Obama had his only trade request last year shot down by lawmakers. He may be lucky to get any through Congress this year as well.

As part of the New York Times' "Cyberwar" series examining the growing use of computer power as a weapon, David E. Sanger et al. discuss the U.S. government's failing efforts cyber security.

This Wall Street Journal op-ed examines what President Obama's plan to end proprietary trading at firms with a federal safety net could mean for reform of the financial system. 

In this Afghanistan Index, The Brookings Institution looks at Security, Governance & Rule of Law, Economic & Quality of Life, and Polling & Public Opinion Indicators.   

The return of big government means that policymakers must grapple again with some basic questions. They are now even harder to answer.

In Pakistan's The News, U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert M. Gates reflects on the long-standing friendship between Pakistan and the U.S. and stresses the need for a broader strategic dialogue on security issues.

Karl F. Inderfurth and Chinmaya R. Gharekhan write in a NYT op-ed that to reach the goal of a stable and peaceful Afghanistan, the country must have better relations with its powerful neighbors.

Stanley McChrystal, the commander of Nato forces in Afghanistan, spoke to Matthew Green, the Financial Times Afghanistan and Pakistan correspondent, at his headquarters in Kabul on January 19.