U.S. policymakers tout the death of radical Yemeni cleric Anwar al-Awlaki as a victory for counterterrorism operations, but the episode highlights controversial aspects of the expanding targeted killing policy.

Repercussions of the failed Christmas Day bombing continue, with policy debate focused on Yemen as a new al-Qaeda front and possible delays shuttering Guantanamo Bay.

Micah Zenko and Emma Welch map out the launch pads for Obama's secret wars.

Isobel Coleman reviews Yemen by Victoria Clark and I Am Nujood, Aged 10 and Divorced by Nujood Ali.

Marisa L. Porges argues, "... continued detention may be the best answer for the 'highest-threat' Yemeni detainees. For the rest, the appropriate approach depends on the individual detainee's background and security threat."

CFR Senior Fellow Steven Cook and Foundation for Defense Democracies Research Fellow Tony Badran discuss the increasing violence and political change sweeping the region with Foreign Affairs Editor Gideon Rose. Cook and Badran have authored articles in the recently released eBook New Arab Revolt, published by CFR and Foreign Affairs.

Targeted killings have become a central component of U.S. counterterrorism operations around the globe. Despite pointed criticism over transparency and accountability issues, analysts say the controversial practice seems likely to expand in the future.

Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula has become the most dangerous al-Qaeda affiliate and is attempting to exploit the ongoing political unrest in Yemen. This Backgrounder profiles the group and looks at U.S. counterterrorism operations against its members.

The Christmas bomb attempt on a Detroit-bound plane has raised new concerns about "ungoverned spaces." But CFR's Stewart Patrick argues that the term fails to address the real security concerns presented by nations like Yemen.

In awarding the prize to three women activists, the Nobel committee is honoring the fact that women's full participation in society is essential to peace, says CFR's Isobel Coleman.

A shaky deal to transfer power from Yemen's President Saleh brokered by the six-member Gulf Cooperation Council signals the emergence of the group as an active player in the region, says CFR's Thomas Lippman, even if the deal ultimately fails.

Targeted killings are up in Yemen and military trials have resumed in Guantanamo. CFR's Matthew Waxman assesses the White House's evolving legal basis for its war on al-Qaeda.

As Yemen lurches into increased instability with no clear successor to President Saleh. Yemen expert Bernard Haykel says the best intermediate political solution would be a national unity council until elections can be held.

Yemen could be edging toward civil war, particularly if the military gets involved in both sides of the conflict, says Yemen expert Gregory Johnsen, but the United States has limited ability to influence the outcome in a country that has been an ally in fighting terrorism.

Opposition movements in Bahrain and Yemen are hobbled by societal and sectarian divisions that were finessed in Tunisia and Egypt, says Middle East expert Kristin Smith Diwan.

President Obama says "systemic failures" contributed to the Christmas Day airliner plot, but CFR's Steven Simon says given the huge volume of intelligence analyzed daily, reforms won't come easily.