Experts from the United States, Europe, and the Middle East reflect on the impact and legacy of the Lehman Brothers bankruptcy five years ago.

"When the Security Council blocks action and states get away with gassing their own people or killing them en masse, the rule of law suffers and the authority of the Security Council is diminished."

Russia is more concerned with guarding its strategic interests in Syria than sustaining the rule of Assad, who eventually may overburden the Kremlin, says expert Michael Young.

Writing on Syria, Leslie H. Gelb advises that "the only viable strategy at this point is to help prevent things from getting worse."

A preview of world events in the coming week from CFR.org: Diplomacy intensifies over chemical weapons in Syria; the 20th anniversary of the Oslo Accords is observed; and economies take stock five years after the Lehman Brothers collapse.

According to Steven Cook, "it seems that last week's assassination attempt and yesterday's bombings may represent the opening shot in another low-level insurgency."

CFR Senior Fellow Ray Takeyh leads a conversation on Iran's internal power structure and the country's foreign policy under the new president, as part of CFR's Religion and Foreign Policy Conference Call series.

The story of the tragic and often tormented relationship between the United States and Pakistan, and a call to prepare for the worst, aim for the best, and avoid past mistakes.

Richard N. Haass examines Russia's recent diplomatic success with an eye on the bigger picture.

Secretary of State John Kerry and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov met in Geneva on September 12, 2013, to discuss the possibility of Syria handing over its chemical weapons to the international community. This approach was proposed as an alternative to a military strike as a response to the August 21 chemical weapons attack in Damascus.

Sarin, one of the world's most lethal chemical weapons, has long been stockpiled but is rarely used by states or terrorists. Allegations of attacks on civilians in Syria, if substantiated, would represent a departure from longstanding international practice, this Backgrounder explains.

CFR President Richard N. Haass appeared on NPR to discuss the president's primetime address to the nation on military intervention into Syria.

Edward Alden, CFR's Bernard L. Schwartz senior fellow, leads a conversation with professors and students on U.S. immigration reform, as part of CFR's Academic Conference Call series.

Micah Zenko says the United States should punish those who violate chemical weapons international norms, but also critiques the manner in which President Obama proceeds in this effort in Syria.

Julia Sweig urges Brazilian president Dilma Rousseff to look past the offense of NSA spying revelations and go forward with her planned October state visit to Washington.

Gayle Tzemach Lemmon compares cases for invading Syria today and Iraq in 2003.

The Obama administration's strongest case for intervening in Syria rests on the global security risks posed by the regime's suspected use of chemical weapons, says CFR's John B. Bellinger.

Fred Kaplan contemplates what happens next after President Putin's offer to open negotiations with Syria.

In his testimony before the House Committee on Homeland Security, Stephen Biddle acknowledges that neither the case for nor against using force in Syria is without serious costs and risks. He evaluates the five main goals an attack might be designed to achieve: deterring further CW use and upholding norms against the employment of such weapons; preserving U.S. credibility; enabling a negotiated settlement to the war; toppling Assad and his government; and ending the humanitarian crisis by saving civilian lives.