In a March 2012 meeting, President Obama’s nominee for defense secretary explains how the United States is transforming its military and defense strategy in the face of funding cutbacks.

The Hamas-Fatah unity deal reflects Palestinian efforts to find new patrons and new sources of support in the region, says CFR’s Robert M. Danin.

Unrest in the Middle East, brinksmanship in the East China Sea, and instability in Afghanistan and Pakistan top foreign policy experts’ concerns for 2014, says CFR’s Paul Stares.

The humanitarian crisis in Iraq is likely to deepen until leaders in Baghdad can form an inclusive government and defeat jihadist fighters on the battlefield, explains CFR’s Isobel Coleman.

Russian airstrikes in Syria could have an impact on Syria’s internal evolution, the politics of the region, and relations among the great powers, says CFR’s Stephen Sestanovich.