Revelations about Osama bin Laden's plans to attack targets in the United States raises questions about his role in al-Qaeda and the impact his death will have on the idea of global jihad.
CFR's Elliott Abrams discusses the implications of Osama bin Laden's death for the future of al-Qaeda and the evolving democracy movements in the Arab world.
Pakistan is bracing for more turbulence in the wake of Osama bin Laden's killing. This Backgrounder looks at how state support for Islamist militants has led to growing religious intolerance in society.
Osama bin Laden's killing by U.S. forces in Pakistan raises questions about the U.S. relationship with Pakistan and the war in Afghanistan. CFR Senior Fellows Stephen Biddle and Daniel Markey discuss the implications of bin Laden's death on U.S. policy and the continued challenges in the region.
Authors: Graeme Blair, C. Christine Fair, Neil Malhotra, and Jacob Shapiro
According to a team of international relations experts, empirical results from Pakistan fail to bear out the conclusion that poverty leads to support for militant groups.
Americans and Pakistanis have good reasons for mutual mistrust, and the killing of bin Laden by U.S. troops on Pakistani soil is likely to exacerbate that rather than lead to increased cooperation, says CFR's Daniel Markey.
Osama bin Laden's death is a real and symbolic blow to al-Qaeda, and its stature in the Middle East is already diminished by the pro-democracy movements in the region, but the group remains lethal. Seven CFR experts discuss.
CFR President Richard N. Haass and Foreign Affairs Editor Gideon Rose discuss what this development means for the war in Afghanistan and how it will affect the United States' relations with the region, and its implications for homeland security.
The death of al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden in a U.S. operation in Pakistan marks a triumph for the United States, although the lasting impact on the U.S.-led "war on terror" is uncertain.
The U.S.-engineered killing of Osama bin Laden sends encouraging signals, but the threat of terrorism, enabled by Pakistan, persists, writes CFR's Richard N. Haass.
In this report by the Institute for the Study of War and AEI's Critical Threats Project, Jeffrey Dressler and Reza Jan look at the expansion of the Haqqani network, Afghanistan's most capable insurgent organization, and argue that the peace accords signed between the Sunnis and Shias lack legitimacy.
This report by the Institute for the Study of War and AEI's Critical Threats Project illustrates the history of the Haqqani Network in Afghanistan and suggests recent developments in Pakistani tribal regions.
Pakistan is unlikely to collapse anytime soon, but the imbalance of power between its civilian and military branches needs to be addressed if it is to become an effective modern state.
It is no longer uncommon to read about attacks on progressive Pakistani intellectuals and politicians. While attacks are tragic, they fit a familiar narrative of liberals versus extremists in Pakistan, reformers versus reactionaries.
The Council on Foreign Relations' David Rockefeller Studies Program—CFR's "think tank"—is home to more than seventy full-time, adjunct, and visiting scholars and practitioners (called "fellows"). Their expertise covers the world's major regions as well as the critical issues shaping today's global agenda. Download the printable CFR Experts Guide.
Special operations play a critical role in how the United States confronts irregular threats, but to have long-term strategic impact, the author argues, numerous shortfalls must be addressed.
The author analyzes the potentially serious consequences, both at home and abroad, of a lightly overseen drone program and makes recommendations for improving its governance.
Two experts argue that despite myriad development strategies, only one can succeed in alleviating poverty in India: the overall growth of the country's economy. More