With a new government in place, security concerns will dominate the Iraqi leaders’ agenda. Reforming the country’s decrepit police force will be paramount if Iraq is to end its cycle of violence.

It is unclear if classifying the conflict in Iraq as a civil war will have serious ramifications for U.S. military strategy there or, for that matter, U.S. domestic politics.

The United States has long tried to compel Syria to adjust its behavior, but rarely with any result. This backgrounder examines the current U.S. policy options toward Syria.

Debating global warming policy has moved to the top of agendas worldwide, but some skeptics still question whether action is necessary or possible.