Jihadists were already finding it hard to operate in North Africa before the Arab Spring of 2011. Since then their problems have become almost insurmountable: they thrive only in countries where Islamists are in prison, not where they are in the ascendant or contesting elections. As for Europe, the last attacks instigated by al-Qaida date back to Madrid in 2004 and London in 2005. Jihadism looks less like a rising phenomenon in the north of Mali than a force in retreat. The French intervention may well give them purpose and greater coherence.

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton testified before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on January 23, 2013, about the September attacks on the U.S. Embassy in Benghazi, Libya and the response of the State Department.

Micah Zenko says, "The Obama administration's lack of a military response in Algeria reflects how sovereign states routinely constrain U.S. intelligence and military activities."

As French forces intervene in Mali to curtail rebel forces in the country's northern region, CFR's John Campbell highlights three things to know about Mali and the escalating conflict.

Richard N. Haass argues that many of the same issues that we faced in 2012 will continue to be problematic in 2013.

Secretary of Defense Panetta held this press conference previewing his final international trip as secretary, on January 14, 2013. His travel will include Portugal, Spain, Italy, and Great Britain.

In the run-up to Kenya's March 2013 elections, the United States can take measures to prevent a repeat of the electoral violence that broke out across the country in 2007.

Sebastian Mallaby argues the lesson from sub-Saharan Africa's economic turnaround is that policies do matter.

The radical Islamist group Boko Haram has contributed to widespread and deadly violence in Nigeria, but the government sercurity services are also at fault, write CFR's John Campbell and Asch Harwood.

The Arab uprisings of 2011, once a great source of hope for democracy enthusiasts, have given way to sectarian clashes and political instability.

It's easy to be pessimistic about the Arab Spring, given the post-revolutionary turmoil the Middle East is now experiencing.

The independent report of the Accountability Review Board examines the circumstances surrounding the September 11-12, 2012, killings of four U.S. government personnel in Benghazi, Libya.

Women in the Arab world have certainly played a prominent role in their countries' transition, writes Isobel Coleman, but cannot take for granted that their activism will translate into political influence or legal gains in the emerging systems.

Rwandan-backed rebels recently withdrew from the eastern Congolese city of Goma, but a comprehensive peace deal with the government remains elusive, says expert Jason Stearns.

The September 11 killing of the U.S. ambassador to Libya, Christopher Stevens, and three other Americans during an attack by an angry mob on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi has concentrated the world's attention on the problems of post-Qaddafi Libya.

CFR fellow Isobel Coleman speaks with two women leaders, Marianne Ibrahim from Egypt and Souad Slaoui from Morocco, as they discuss initiatives in their home countries to empower women and girls, improve inter-faith dialogues, and encourage positive policy changes that support human rights and international development.

Isobel Coleman writes that despite persistent challenges to security and unity, Libya has weathered the year since Qaddafi's death better than many expected.

Max Boot says Obama repeated Bush's mistake, and the power vacuum in Libya has now been filled by jihadists.

The recent violence in Libya will be a major factor in the foreign policy-oriented debate between presidential candidates Barack Obama and Mitt Romney.

The expansion of North Africa's AQIM into Mali and links to attacks against the U.S. consulate in Libya have spurred fears about the group's threat to the region, explains this CFR backgrounder.