November 25, 2019
ChinaMore than a million Muslims have been arbitrarily detained in China’s Xinjiang Province. The reeducation camps are just one part of the government’s crackdown on Uighurs.
July 15, 2015
Iran Nuclear AgreementU.S. and international sanctions have battered the Iranian economy and brought Tehran to negotiate over its nuclear program. Lifting them is central to a deal but will be a complex process.
March 27, 2015
Al-QaedaAlgerian and Western counterterrorism efforts, along with an African-led peacekeeping force in Mali, have shifted the North African al-Qaeda franchise’s criminal and terrorist activities to remote ar…
August 23, 2012
United StatesU.S. presidential nominating conventions often touch on national security and foreign policy, but don’t always signal the direction of a winning candidate’s policy, explains this Backgrounder.
November 7, 2008
IndiaIndia’s primary espionage agency and Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) have long been at odds in a long-standing battle for influence.
April 20, 2011
PakistanPakistan is bracing for more turbulence in the wake of Osama bin Laden’s killing. This Backgrounder looks at how state support for Islamist militants has led to growing religious intolerance in socie…
February 1, 2010
Terrorism and CounterterrorismFinancial pressures have weakened al-Qaeda’s tactical abilities, but analysts say affiliated networks are finding new ways to raise and spend money, complicating efforts to squeeze a savvy foe.
March 11, 2009
Race and EthnicityBeset by increased terror attacks and political infighting, Pakistan’s viability as a state is a matter of increasing concern. Experts call for reforming weak civil institutions, resolving ethnic dis…
June 26, 2008
Defense and SecurityPakistan is key to success in U.S.-led counterterrorism efforts, with its tribal areas serving as terrorist havens. But covert U.S. military actions inside Pakistan put the future of the U.S.-Pakist…
September 1, 2009
Sub-Saharan AfricaThe African Union succeeded the old Organization for African Unity (OAU) in 2002. Since then, the new institution has struggled to reform governing bodies inherited from the OAU while shouldering cha…