Steven A. Cook, Senior Fellow for Middle Eastern Studies at the Council on Foreign Relations argues that the national dialogue convened by the Syrian government lacks credibility, and raises question about what steps the Syrian military will take as the regime faces continued popular protests.

The independence of South Sudan is a call for celebration but many difficult issues remain unresolved, says John Campbell, Senior Fellow for Africa Policy Studies at the Council of Foreign Relations. The outstanding delineation of 20 percent of the Sudan-South Sudan border and questions regarding divisions of oil revenues between the two countries must now be addressed.

Duke Energy's Chairman, President, and CEO Jim Rogers discusses the future of energy in the United States with CFR's Senior Fellow for Energy and the Environment, Michael Levi.

Amb. Zalmay Khalilzad, former U.S. ambassador to Afghanistan, Iraq, and the United Nations, discusses democracy promotion in the Middle East following the Arab Spring with Mark Lagon, Adjunct Senior Fellow for Human Rights at the Council on Foreign Relations.

Nicky Oppenheimer, Chairman of De Beers, discusses how businesses can benefit from entering Africa, and contribute to sustainable growth and development in the continent. "Africa, I think, is going to be a hugely important continent in the future," says Oppenheimer, emphasizing that "America is currently a bit behind China. I don't think they should lose or slip back any further."

Lt. Gen. William B. Caldwell, head of NATO training efforts in Afghanistan, says 9 out of 10 Afghan security recruits are illiterate, and emphasizes the education role that has become a major component of NATO training. Caldwell expects NATO and U.S. forces to remain in Afghanistan well after 2014, when Afghan forces are planned to take on security leadership in the country.

Following U.S. envoy Robert King's visit to North Korea to assess the food situation in the country, CFR's Adjunct Senior Fellow for Korea Studies Scott A. Snyder says that any U.S. decision to provide food aid to the country should be accompanied by steps to minimize moral hazard.

European Union Commissioner for Economic and Monetary Affairs Olli Rehn expects negotiations on a new Greek aid plan between the EU, IMF, and Greek government will conclude "in the coming days," ahead of the EU finance ministers' meeting scheduled for June 20.

European Union Commissioner for Economic and Monetary Affairs Olli Rehn says French Finance Minister Christine Lagarde "would make a very good managing director of the IMF for the whole world, not only for Europe." "The European Union and its member states see that Christine Lagarde, the finance minister of France, has very strong professional qualifications and has earned the respect of her peers as the chairperson of the G20," Rehn said.

Escalating fighting in Sudan's disputed border region of Abyei "has the potential, the threat, of growing into something much larger that could in fact endanger the peace agreements between the North and the South," says John Campbell, Senior Fellow for Africa Policy Studies at the Council on Foreign Relations. Campbell argues that a possible solution may be for both sides to remove their troops from Abyei, and increase UN presence in the area.

Isobel Coleman, Director of the Council on Foreign Relations' Civil Society, Markets, and Democracy Initiative, discusses new initiatives announced by President Obama in support of the democratic transitions in Egypt and Tunisia, including trade, investment, debt forgiveness, and loan guarantees.

Sir Michael Barber, head of the Global Education Practice at McKinsey & Company argues that the key to improving educational systems is setting clear, internationally benchmarked standards, and attracting and training good teachers and school leaders.

Anne-Marie Slaughter, Former Director of Policy Planning at the U.S. State Department discusses the actions taken by international actors in Libya, and why the same measures cannot be taken in Syria. Slaughter called the situation in Syria "heartbreaking" and said "it looks like in many ways it looks like this government might get away with the same kind of brutality that we saw 20 years ago." However, she argued that while the U.S. is doing everything in its power diplomatically, it is not in a position to use force in Syria.

Adam Segal, author of "Advantage: How American Innovation Can Overcome the Asian Challenge," discusses the policy changes needed to achieve the Chinese ambition to move from a model of "made in China" to one of "innovated in China."

Fuad Siniora, former prime minister of Lebanon, discusses the implications of Osama bin Laden's death for the Middle East, the Hamas-Fatah agreement, and the U.S. role in supporting the Arab Spring with Mohamad Bazzi, Adjunct Senior Fellow for Middle Eastern Studies at the Council on Foreign Relations.

Ed Husain, Senior Fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations, says that Osama bin Laden is more valuable to al-Qaeda dead than alive. Comparing bin Laden's death to that of Sayyid Qutb, Husain argues bin Laden could now become an even more powerful icon.

Robert Danin, Senior Fellow for Middle East and Africa Studies at the Council on Foreign Relations, says the deal between the secularist Fatah and radical Islamist Hamas factions will effectively put Obama administration efforts to revive Israeli-Palestinian peace talks on hold.

Stephen Biddle, Senior Fellow for Defense Policy at the Council on Foreign Relations, discusses the implications of Osama bin Laden's death for the United States' role in Afghanistan.

Elliott Abrams, Senior Fellow for Middle Eastern Studies at the Council on Foreign Relations, says that bin Laden's death helps the drive for democracy in the Middle East and weakens the influence of al-Qaeda in the Arab world.