Defense and Security | Council on Foreign Relations

Lebanon

What Is Hezbollah?

The Iran-backed Shiite militia was considered the most powerful non-state group in the Middle East, but an Israeli military campaign against Hezbollah in 2024 has considerably weakened it.

Backgrounder by Kali Robinson October 4, 2024
Cybersecurity

Cyber Week in Review: October 4, 2024

Leading Cambodian journalist arrested and charged; Newsom vetoes major AI bill; DOJ indicts Iranians for election interference; Microsoft to pay publishers for some AI content; U.S. hosts Counter Ransomware Summit.

Blog Post by Kat Duffy , Kyle Fendorf and Maya Schmidt October 4, 2024 Net Politics
Middle East and North Africa

U.S. Troops in the Middle East: Mapping the Military Presence

The U.S. military has an extensive footprint in the Middle East, including a collection of permanent bases and various naval assets, such as aircraft carriers and destroyers.

Article by Jonathan Masters and Will Merrow October 1, 2024

Experts in this Topic

Richard K. Betts

Adjunct Senior Fellow for National Security Studies

Stephen Biddle

Adjunct Senior Fellow for Defense Policy

Max Boot

Jeane J. Kirkpatrick Senior Fellow for National Security Studies

Nathan M. Colvin

Military Fellow, U.S. Army

Thomas E. Donilon

Distinguished Fellow

Rush Doshi

C.V. Starr Senior Fellow for Asia Studies and Director of the China Strategy Initiative

Shuxian Luo

Stanton Nuclear Security Fellow

Manjari Chatterjee Miller

Senior Fellow for India, Pakistan, and South Asia

Lori Esposito Murray

Senior Fellow for National Security and Managing Director of CEO Programs

Thomas P. O’Donnell

Military Fellow, U.S. Navy

Daniel B. Poneman

Senior Fellow

Todd E. Randolph

Military Fellow, U.S. Air Force

Wilfred Rivera

Military Fellow, U.S. Marine Corps

Carla Anne Robbins

Senior Fellow

David Sacks

Fellow for Asia Studies

Sheila A. Smith

John E. Merow Senior Fellow for Asia-Pacific Studies

Paul B. Stares

General John W. Vessey Senior Fellow for Conflict Prevention and Director of the Center for Preventive Action

Jacob Ware

Research Fellow

Cybersecurity

Cyber Week in Review: September 27, 2024

X agrees to comply with Brazilian laws; U.S. to restrict Russian and Chinese cars; ODNI releases update on 2024 election; OpenAI will become for-profit company; UN approves Global Digital Compact.

Blog Post by Kat Duffy and Kyle Fendorf September 27, 2024 Net Politics
Ukraine

How Much U.S. Aid Is Going to Ukraine?

Nine charts illustrate the extraordinary level of support the United States has provided Ukraine in its war against Russian invaders.

Article by Jonathan Masters and Will Merrow September 27, 2024
Taiwan

U.S. Military Support for Taiwan in Five Charts

Taiwan has been a top buyer of U.S. military equipment for decades, but the island is waiting on a significant backlog of weapon deliveries that defense experts say are urgently needed to deter China.

Article by Jonathan Masters and Will Merrow September 25, 2024

Colombia

“Total Peace” is Dead. For Petro, Partial Peace is the Best Remaining Option

Gustavo Petro must rethink his talks with armed groups before they fail completely.

Blog Post by Will Freeman and Steven Holmes September 24, 2024 Latin America’s Moment
United States

A Conversation With General CQ Brown, Jr.

Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General CQ Brown, Jr. reflects on his first year as chairman and discusses his vision for the joint forces over the coming years. The David A. Morse Lecture was inaugurated in 1994 and supports an annual meeting with a distinguished speaker. It honors the memory of David A. Morse, an active Council on Foreign Relations member for nearly thirty years.

Virtual Event by CQ Brown, Jr. and Michael Froman September 23, 2024 David A. Morse Lecture
Israel

The $7 Million Question About Ibrahim Aqil

Ibrahim Aqil killed more than 300 Americans decades ago. Did the United States actively try to seize or kill him, or sit back and offer a reward?

Blog Post by Elliott Abrams September 23, 2024 Pressure Points
Cybersecurity

Cyber Week in Review: September 20, 2024

UN releases report on global AI governance; electronics explode across Lebanon; EU Commissioner Thierry Breton resigns; Instagram announces safety overhaul; U.S. seizes Chinese-controlled botnet.

Blog Post by Kat Duffy and Kyle Fendorf September 20, 2024 Net Politics
United Kingdom

The UK Foreign Secretary Makes His First Speech

UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy has just given his first set speech, but it wasn't about foreign policy. He is miscast in his current role.

Blog Post by Elliott Abrams September 19, 2024 Pressure Points
Sudan

Crisis in Sudan: War, Famine, and a Failing Global Response

Photo Essay by Mariel Ferragamo and Sabine Baumgartner September 19, 2024
United States

Reporter’s Notebook—Covering a Dangerous World

Journalists with on-the-ground experience reporting from warzones and conflict areas discuss the lessons they have learned, the risks they face, and the importance of sharing these stories.

Event with Matthieu Aikins, Miriam Elder, Ned Parker and Jacob M. Weisberg September 18, 2024
Russia

The Russia Challenge, With Liana Fix and Thomas Graham (Election 2024, Episode 1)

Liana Fix, a fellow for Europe at CFR, and Thomas Graham, a distinguished fellow at CFR, sit down with James M. Lindsay to discuss the future of U.S. policy toward Russia and the risks posed by heightened tensions between two nuclear powers. This episode is the first in a special TPI series on the U.S. 2024 presidential election and is supported by the Carnegie Corporation of New York.

Podcast with James M. Lindsay , Liana Fix and Thomas Graham September 17, 2024 The President’s Inbox
Cybersecurity

Cyber Week in Review: September 13, 2024

U.S. indicts white supremacists; Predator spyware reappears; EU publishes Draghi report on economic competitiveness; Australian politicians criticize Meta's data scraping; CISA says agency will reduce contact with social media platforms.

Blog Post by Kat Duffy and Kyle Fendorf September 13, 2024 Net Politics