There are clear indications of direct U.S. talks with the Taliban to end violence in Afghanistan, says expert Steve Coll. But the process is fraught with challenges posed by all parties to the confli…

Steve Radelet, an expert on African developmental issues, considers the long-term impact of President Bush’s policies toward Africa.

A planned satellite launch by North Korea has suspended U.S. food aid. CFR’s Scott Snyder says that Pyongyang is grappling with whether to choose international legitimacy or domestic political consol…

A top national security expert, Robert E. Hunter, says it’s time for the United States to offer Iran security guarantees to win concessions on its nuclear program.

Michael O’Hanlon, an Iraq expert at the Brookings Institution, argues that the U.S. plan to hand over sovereignty to Iraq after a series of caucuses is “unworkable” and ought to be replaced by a syst…