King Abdullah’s succession plan for Saudi Arabia’s aging leadership may be his most important legacy at a time of multiple crises in the Middle East, says expert Rachel Bronson.

President Obama missed a chance in his annual address to make a case for bipartisan initiatives and failed to present a convincing defense of his foreign policy, says CFR President Richard N. Haass.

Five years after a devastating earthquake, Haiti remains plagued by a weak political system and flawed reconstruction process, says former correspondent Jonathan M. Katz.

Russia’s options for combatting the plunge of the ruble are dwindling, but government intervention is likely to intensify in efforts to avert a full-blown crisis, says CFR’s Robert Kahn.

Any comprehensive deal on Iran’s nuclear program would require intrusive international inspections. Expert Christopher Bidwell surveys the technical and political challenges.