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February 9, 2009

Intelligence
Dennis C. Blair, Director of National Intelligence

Retired Adm. Dennis C. Blair, President Obama’s director of national intelligence, is a former commander of the U.S. Pacific Command with long military experience.

Backgrounder by Joanna , Associate Editor Klonsky

April 18, 2024

Palestinian Territories
What Is Hamas?

The Palestinian militant group struggled to govern the Gaza Strip before launching a surprise attack on Israel in 2023. Now facing Israel’s military campaign to destroy it, Hamas’s future is in doubt…

Gun-toting Hamas militants ride a vehicle amid a massive crowd of the group's supporters
Backgrounder by Kali Robinson

February 16, 2024

United Kingdom
Moving Past the Troubles: The Future of Northern Ireland Peace

The Good Friday Agreement has dampened sectarian conflict and brought stability to Northern Ireland, but the peace deal has been challenged by Brexit-related border tensions that have thrown the regi…

A peace mural adorns a building in a loyalist neighborhood of Belfast
Backgrounder by Charles Landow and James McBride

October 14, 2023

Lebanon
What Is Hezbollah?

Military experience gained from fighting in Syria’s civil war and decades of clashes with Israel has strengthened the Iran-backed group, but politically, its clout among Lebanon’s populace may be wan…

A crowd of Hezbollah supporters surrounds a giant model of a fist holding a gun.
Backgrounder by Kali Robinson

January 11, 2023

United States
How Does the U.S. Government Use the Strategic Petroleum Reserve?

The Strategic Petroleum Reserve, the world’s largest stockpile of emergency crude oil, has helped shield the United States from energy supply crunches, but debate persists over its management.

A photo of steel oil pipelines at a refinery.
Backgrounder by Noah Berman

March 3, 2014

Global Governance
The Group of Eight (G8) Industrialized Nations

After more than three decades of existence, the Group of Eight (G8) is struggling to defend its relevance amid criticism of its limited membership and lack of a compliance mechanism.

Backgrounder by Zachary Laub