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Introduction
Over the last several decades, governments have collectively pledged to slow global warming. But despite intensified diplomacy, the world is already facing the consequences of climate…
Jonathan Masters leads writers and editors who produce wide-ranging content for CFR.org, including Backgrounders, visual stories, and events. He also writes on foreign policy and national security and his work has appeared in Foreign Affairs, the Atlantic, and Bloomberg. Masters has a BA in political science from Emory University and an MA in social theory from the New School. He is a term member of CFR and a member of the Overseas Press Club.
Most Recent
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The quadrennial U.S. presidential nominating conventions often focus on domestic themes. But they have at times been flavored by global economic concerns and national security threats, offering competing Democratic and Republican visions about the United States’ role in the world. In the 2024 race, Republican nominee, former President Donald Trump, and his challenger, Vice President Kamala Harris, are projecting starkly different worldviews.
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The U.S. military has an extensive footprint in the Middle East, but it could surge forces in the region if a broader war erupts.
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French authorities are particularly vigilant of the terrorist threat to the games posed by Islamist extremists, a danger the country has endured for decades.
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Israel has long been the leading recipient of U.S. foreign aid, including military support. That aid has come under heightened scrutiny amid Israel’s monthslong war to eliminate Hamas.
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Russia has renewed its long-stalled push for unification with Belarus, using the country as a launchpad for its war against Ukraine and a hardening bulwark against NATO rivals to the west.
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Will Ukraine’s international backers use billions of dollars in seized Russian assets to support rebuilding the war-ravaged country?
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Russia’s threat to deploy tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus has raised the specter of a new nuclear standoff with the United States and its allies in Europe. It also draws new attention to how such arms are deployed in NATO states.
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Nine charts illustrate the extraordinary level of support the United States has provided Ukraine in its war against Russian invaders.
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NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization)
NATO leaders are gathering in Madrid for their annual summit, and two Nordic states are making their case for membership as Russia’s war in Ukraine grinds on. Here’s what alliance enlargement would mean. -
The nuclear arms race was perhaps the most alarming feature of the Cold War competition between the United States and Soviet Union. Over the decades, the two sides signed various arms control agreements as a means to manage their rivalry and limit the risk of nuclear war. However, deep fissures have reemerged in the U.S.-Russia relationship in recent years, raising once again the specter of a nuclear arms race.
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With brazen terrorist attacks at home and abroad, the Somalia-based Islamist insurgent group has proved resilient despite strategic setbacks in recent years.
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Russia’s extraordinary show of force in and around Ukraine underscores the military imbalance between the two countries.
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NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization)
Russian leaders have watched with mounting resentment as the transatlantic alliance has nearly doubled its membership since the end of the Cold War. President Vladimir Putin has drawn a red line in Ukraine. -
Terrorism and Counterterrorism
The U.S. military detention center at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, has generated intense debate for two decades, raising enduring questions about national security, human rights, and justice. -
The inauguration of President Joe Biden was unlike any U.S. power transition in modern times, providing stark imagery of a country at a crossroads.
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NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization)
The U.S. military is considering some major shifts to its posture in Europe, including a large withdrawal from bases in Germany, that are raising security concerns on the continent. -
Amid protests against racial injustice, can President Trump deploy the military to bring “law and order” to American streets?
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A pending U.S. withdrawal from the Treaty on Open Skies has alarmed some allies in Europe, who fear losing a valuable means of monitoring Russia.
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The coronavirus has cut into few industries more deeply than aviation and aerospace, putting some strategically important companies in dire financial straits.
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State and Local Governments (U.S.)
The coronavirus pandemic is placing enormous budget pressure on state and local governments, threatening deep and potentially lasting cuts to education, infrastructure, and other important investments. -
The coronavirus pandemic is slowing global commerce to a crawl, but many of the world’s largest economies are taking extraordinary actions to propel them through the crisis.
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Ukraine’s Westward drift since independence has been countered by the sometimes violent tug of Russia, felt most recently with Putin’s 2022 invasion.
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The U.S. Navy’s dominance of the world’s oceans has made it an indispensable foreign policy tool and a guarantor of global trade, but a mix of challenges is raising difficult questions about its future.
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The extradition process enables governments to bring fugitives abroad to justice, but it can be fraught with political tension, even when a treaty is in place.
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Nonproliferation, Arms Control, and Disarmament
A collapse of this Cold War–era arms treaty, which many believe has favored the United States, could unleash a new age of nuclear weapons competition. -
NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization)
The military exercises in and around Norway are a significant test of NATO’s collective defenses at a time of rising geopolitical tensions. -
President Trump’s revocation of a former CIA director's security clearance has stirred up a debate about access to government secrets, free speech, and democratic norms.
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If Tesla goes private with significant funding from Saudi Arabia or other foreign investors, it would raise national security and ethical questions.
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In striking Syria without an international law justification, the United States leaves itself open to criticism and may invite similar behavior by other countries.
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The expulsion of Russian diplomats by more than twenty governments is a remarkable show of unity and a deepening of Moscow’s rift with the West.
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A growing list of brazen foreign operations signals that there are few constraints on Russian intelligence under Vladimir Putin’s leadership.
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Charges of foreign power interference in the U.S. presidential election have raised grave national security concerns and touched off multiple federal inquiries that could drag on for months.
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The dismissal of FBI Director James Comey raises concerns about the government’s ability to investigate Russian meddling in U.S. elections, and the broader national security role of the agency.
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The dismissal of FBI Director James Comey raises concerns about the government’s ability to investigate Russian meddling in U.S. elections, and the broader national security role of the agency, says CFR’s Matthew Waxman.
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The Arctic should be a major consideration in discussions of U.S. national security, says Thad Allen, co-chair of CFR’s Independent Task Force on the Arctic.
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The separation of powers has spawned a great deal of debate over the roles of the president and Congress in foreign affairs, as well as over the limits on their respective authorities, explains this Backgrounder.
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The winner of the presidential election this spring will heavily influence how France approaches foreign and domestic issues, including its future with the European Union.
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See where Donald Trump wants to take U.S. foreign policy
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Modern vice presidents can trace much of their political influence to the broad reforms that Jimmy Carter and Walter Mondale made to the second-highest elected office in the late 1970s.
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Modern vice presidents can trace much of their political influence to the broad reforms that Jimmy Carter and Walter Mondale made to the second-highest elected office in the late 1970s.
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Stricter gun laws and new civil society programs are needed to prevent the next mass shooting in the United States, says expert Karen Greenberg.
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The U.S. Supreme Court is set to determine the fate of millions of undocumented immigrants and could influence how future presidents wield power.
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Every four years, U.S. presidential candidates compete in a series of state contests to gain their party’s nomination. The political process is one of the most complex and expensive in the world.
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The Obama administration has other methods to pursue a binding international agreement on climate change in Paris that fall short of a treaty, says CFR’s John B. Bellinger III.
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A U.S. destroyer’s recent operation demonstrates how the United States is protecting its interests in the South China Sea, says Capt. Sean Liedman, CFR’s Navy fellow.
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The Republican presidential candidates are aligned on most foreign policy issues, but they could quarrel over immigration and the Iran nuclear deal in their first debate, says CFR’s James M. Lindsay.
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This regularly updated guide features transcripts from the Republican and Democratic presidential debates as well as select foreign policy speeches, op-eds, and interviews of the candidates.
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The prospect of sanctions relief as part of an Iran nuclear agreement has alarmed some in Congress, but they should see the value of a UN Security Council resolution affirming the deal, says CFR’s John B. Bellinger III.
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For many policymakers, economic sanctions have become the tool of choice to respond to major geopolitical challenges such as terrorism and conflict.
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The terrorist attack on Charlie Hebdo could have a chilling effect on the coverage of Islam in certain countries, says expert Karin Karlekar.
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Military power has reemerged as an important component of Russian foreign policy, which some believe aims to reestablish Russian hegemony in the region.
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It is time for the United States, Canada, and Mexico to take integration to the next level, coordinating more closely on energy, security, and trade policy, says Robert Zoellick, co-chair of a new CFR Independent Task Force Report.
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The 2001 law that authorized the U.S. war against al-Qaeda and its affiliates is not an appropriate justification for the offensive against ISIS and other emerging terrorist groups, says CFR’s John Bellinger.
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Foreign media coverage of the social unrest in Ferguson reinforces damaging global perceptions of the United States, says expert Philip Seib.
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The BNP Paribas case demonstrates the growing rigor of U.S. prosecutions of illicit finance, and will have implications for markets and the global banking industry, says expert Juan C. Zarate.
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An intense international debate over who manages parts of the internet’s technical infrastructure is likely to feed a broader discussion of internet-related public policy.
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Tighter Western sanctions against Russia for its actions in Ukraine may be necessary but could bring unwelcome consequences, explains CFR’s John Bellinger.
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NATO’s response to Russia’s annexation of Crimea may require it to bolster eastern European members with both military and non-military actions, says expert Christopher S. Chivvis.
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The vote by some Crimean citizens to join Russia violates Ukrainian and international law and could come back to haunt Moscow, its primary backer, says CFR’s John Bellinger.
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President Obama’s announced reforms should help restore public confidence in some controversial U.S. surveillance practices, says expert Andrew Weissmann.
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Nations are reexamining their interests and capabilities in the Arctic, as climate change in the region presents new economic opportunities and security challenges.
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The treatment of terrorism suspect Abu Anas al-Libi, who seems destined for trial in U.S. federal court, fits the Obama administration’s new protocol for such captures, says expert Stephen Vladeck.
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The United States is both the world's largest foreign direct investor and the largest beneficiary of foreign direct investment (FDI). But like every sovereign country, it has sought to temper its emb…
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The United States and other Western countries are reevaluating their foreign investment regulations amid an uptick in Chinese interest in strategic sectors.
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Months of relative calm on the U.S. fiscal front are set to end this month as Congress returns from summer recess, staring down the barrel of a possible government shutdown on October 1 (start of FY …
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The Obama administration’s strongest case for intervening in Syria rests on the global security risks posed by the regime’s suspected use of chemical weapons, says CFR’s John B. Bellinger.
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The debate over skyscrapers and their place in the American city has endured for over a century, and New York City has often led the conversation. In 1913, the Equitable Life Assurance Society unveil…
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While the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court has granted U.S. agencies broad legal authority to collect sensitive information, it is hardly a "rubber stamp" for government surveillance requests, says CFR’s Matt Waxman.
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Whether NSA leaker Edward Snowden is extradited to the United States will hinge more on diplomatic relations than international legal considerations, says expert Stephen Vladeck.
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The U.S. government needs to marshal its cybersecurity resources in support of the private sector and build alliances with international partners, says former CIA director Michael Hayden, member of a new CFR independent task force on digital policy.
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President Obama’s counterterrorism speech made strides toward greater transparency but missed opportunities to articulate a vision for moving beyond a perpetual war footing, says CFR’s John Bellinger.
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The Obama administration’s “Joining Forces” initiative hopes to decrease the high rate of unemployment for new (post-9/11) vets.
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U.S. missile defense in the twenty-first century is focused on emerging threats from North Korea and Iran, but critics say these systems are too costly and largely unproven.
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The Boston Marathon bombings illustrate the stresses on domestic intelligence gathering and counterterrorism in a democratic system, says CFR’s Richard Falkenrath.
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What is the Obama administration’s legal justification for targeted killings? CFR national security expert John Bellinger explores this question as well as others with significant implications for U.S. counterterrorism.
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When he took over as San Francisco's interim mayor in January 2011, Ed Lee seemed like just the reluctant warrior the city needed to tackle its fiscal woes. He hadn't run for office since his bid for…
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The United States is witnessing another year of record gun violence, raising domestic and international scrutiny of its comparatively loose gun laws and placing pressure on lawmakers to enact meaningful reforms.
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For communities looking to attract the coveted highly-skilled, highly-paid workforce, there is often little substitute for a locale's livability. Job opportunities, no matter how plum, may fail to lu…
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It's still uncertain whether the White House and Congress can cobble together a compromise that would avert the "fiscal cliff" at year's end. Indeed, some speculate that Washington's proverbial gridl…
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Without timely action from Congress, the United States faces a drastic set of tax hikes and spending cuts at year’s end that could derail the nation’s fragile recovery and spill over into the global …
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The innovations that will drive a knowledge-based economy and employ the next generation of high-skilled workers require a national commitment to research and development, and no nation has made this…
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Having yet to take a finance or economics course, most high-school juniors and seniors could be forgiven for an ignorance of the principle of “return-on-investment” (ROI). However, the concept could …
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In the wake of the recent economic crisis, many state and local governments confront significant fiscal stress that could have national ramifications. The flow of federal stimulus funding is drying u…
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Many states and cities face significant fiscal stress that could impede the U.S. economic recovery and undermine long-term growth, including cuts to education and infrastructure, explains this CFR Backgrounder.
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Post-9/11 U.S. counterterrorism and surrounding civil liberties issues are unlikely to stray far from currently policy no matter who is in the White House in 2013, says CFR’s Matthew Waxman.
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Before the Class of 2012 stepped off the dais and shed their caps and gowns, their prospects for a seamless transition into the American workforce looked poor. According to the Economic Policy Instit…
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Without timely action from Congress, the United States is set to undergo a drastic set of tax hikes and spending cuts at year's end that could derail the nation's fragile economic recovery. The budge…
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It may come as somewhat of a surprise that in a city of roughly 8 million residents--many of whom are already crammed into shoebox apartments--that there's now a competition to bring the walls in eve…
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While congressional action lags, a series of year-end fiscal measures could derail the U.S. recovery.
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A post-Assad Syria will likely create distinct challenges for each of its neighbors, including creating a major loss for Iran, says Michael Young of Lebanon’s Daily Star.
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In just a matter of days, New York City will officially become the most recent U.S. metropolis—joining the likes of Washington, DC (Capital Bikeshare), Denver (Denver B-cycle), Boston (Hubway), and …
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In the face of persistently high unemployment, innovation and entrepreneurship have historically been the primary engine of U.S. job growth. But that engine has been slowing in recent years. In this…
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An end to Syria’s conflict seems unlikely in the near term, as a number of obstacles on and off the battlefield have stymied international diplomatic efforts, explains this Backgrounder.
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Thirty U.S. states projected budget shortfalls for FY 2013, and the options for bridging these gaps without major cuts to services such as education or transportation are dwindling. Dollars from the …
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NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization)
The alliance is bolstering its military deterrent in Europe amid Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and has expanded to include Finland and Sweden. -
Targeted killings are up in Yemen and military trials have resumed in Guantanamo. CFR’s Matthew Waxman assesses the White House’s evolving legal basis for its war on al-Qaeda.
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In the competition to attract and retain global corporate investment, tax policy is often seen as one of the most immediate and potent levers that legislators can pull. This is especially true given …
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The Supreme Court is preparing to hear arguments on Arizona's controversial immigration law, which will have a significant impact on the national debate. Meanwhile, the Obama administration has been …
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Since its founding in 1944, the World Bank has evolved from a lender focused on European reconstruction to the preeminent international institution for economic development and poverty reduction.
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As dozens of towns and cities across the country—from Stockton, CA, to Providence, RI—stare down the precipice of insolvency, some states are taking bold action to protect their prized bond-ratings a…
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The United States has not had a comprehensive overhaul of its tax code since the 1986 Tax Reform Act signed into law by President Reagan. Nearly twenty-six years and over 15,000 special tax provision…
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Declining academic performance at K-12 levels poses a threat to U.S. competitiveness and national security. Greater school choice and support for core national standards should be central to reform, says Joel Klein, co-chair of a new CFR independent task force.
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This morning Apple announced the company would pay a dividend to shareholders and buy back up to $10 billion in stock, revealing the plan for its $97.6 billion cash hoard (WSJ). As iPads and iPhones …
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For the sixth consecutive month, the percentage of U.S. debt held by foreigners rose (Washington Post). While the United States faces short and long term budgetary challenges, uncertainty in Europe h…
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By a 74-22 vote, the U.S. Senate approved a two year, $109 billion transportation bill (TheHill). With unanimous support among Democrats and half of Republicans voting in favor, the bipartisan bill’s…
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The United States, Europe, and Japan challenged China’s export restrictions of rare earth elements at the WTO (WSJ). The complaint alleges that the restrictions give Chinese manufacturers an unfair a…
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The Harvard Business Review proposes a 4-part strategy to shape the U.S. government’s role in promoting the cleantech industry. Recommendations include acting as an angel investor by making small inv…
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The Economist argues that rising manufacturing costs in China—more expensive labor, new environmental and safety regulations, and higher land prices—will not be sufficient to drive manufacturing away…
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A group of European investors is financing, designing, building, and maintaining a freeway leading to the Golden Gate Bridge (NYT). California will pay the developers a set amount upon completion and…
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Rail infrastructure is a critical component of a transportation network capable of helping the United States compete in global markets. Efforts to expand and modernize U.S. rail, particularly investm…
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Wall Street’s bonuses fell nearly 25 percent last year, according to a New York City watchdog agency (Reuters). Though the decrease was smaller than expected, the report predicted it is likely to dea…
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The Wall Street Journal reports that Silicon Valley leaders recently donated hundreds of thousands of dollars to Educators for Fair Consideration (E4FC). E4FC provides scholarships, career advice, an…
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Chinese investment into North American energy is surging (WSJ), with over $17 billion invested since the start of 2010, yet political opposition is quiet even though China's state-owned China Nationa…
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In the past twelve months, the Obama administration issued sixty-one approvals (NYT) for drilling in depths beyond five-hundred feet, compared with sixty-seven in the twelve months before the Deepwat…
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In his testimony to Congress, Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke indicated the Volcker rule (FT) will not be in effect by the July deadline. A signature part of 2010’s Dodd-Frank Wall Street Refor…
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Twenty-six more states, and the District of Columbia, are seeking waivers under the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB), adding to the eleven that have already won this status. States granted a waiver do…
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The Obama administration signed an executive order creating a new agency to monitor and protect U.S. interests in international trade. The newly-minted Interagency Trade Enforcement Center will be ho…
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A new report from the World Bank says China will have to make structural changes to its economy and society in order to prolong growth for the next two decades, writes Keith B. Richburg for the Washi…
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In the Financial Times, former U.S. Treasury Secretary and Director of the National Economic Council Lawrence Summers writes that 2013 is the year the U.S. tax code should undergo a major overhaul. "…
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A new report from the Pew Research Center finds an increase in those who believe government regulation of business "does more harm than good," climbing from 45 percent in March 2011 to 52 percent tod…
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Republican candidate for president Mitt Romney announced his plans for tax reform (The Hill), including a 20 percent across-the-board reduction in individual rates and an end to capital gains taxes f…
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The Obama administration is expected to release its proposal for corporate tax reform today (NYT), including measures that would cut the top statutory rate from 35 to 28 percent, close a host of loop…
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The Obama administration elaborated on its plans for consolidating several government agencies, including the Department of Commerce and the office of the U.S. Trade Representative, stipulating that …
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The Obama administration's 2013 budget "blueprint" has revived debate over the sustainability of U.S. spending and the risks associated with a rising national debt. Long-term budget projections, part…
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The Obama administration’s 2013 budget plan has revived debate over the sustainability of U.S. spending. As the United States emerges from a deep recession, it must maintain a tricky policy balance.
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The United States faces a multi-faceted competitiveness problem, writes Harvard Business School dean Nitin Nohria in the Harvard Business Review (HBR), and while one-off reforms in taxation, educatio…
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In the Wall Street Journal, Republican presidential candidate and former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney writes that China's embrace of state-capitalism and political repression should not become …
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Washington lawmakers reached a tentative deal to extend the payroll tax cut (NYT) currently set to expire at the end of the month. The negotiated settlement would also extend unemployment benefits an…
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The president's 2013 budget, while unlikely to advance legislatively, indicates the Obama administration's priorities and issues they are keen to work on if elected for a second term, writes the Broo…
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U.S. President Barack Obama is sending a new budget to Congress this morning, one that looks to capture some $4 trillion in deficit reduction over the next ten years through a combination of both spe…
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The United States faces renewed calls from other G20 countries to adopt international accounting standards (Reuters), with the intention of providing uniformity and improved transparency for both glo…
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U.S. government officials along with five of the country's largest banks have reached an agreement to help American homeowners (NYT) stricken by falling home values. The deal earmarks some $26 billi…
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U.S. manufacturing doesn't need "special treatment," but a coherent set of policies comparable to what U.S. competitors are providing for their economies, writes Stephen Ezell for the Innovation Poli…
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As the Pentagon attempts to refocus the U.S. military strategy toward Asia, the department is facing major budget constraints. Experts disagree on how to balance the fiscal challenge with the country’s national security priorities.
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Trade accounts for a growing percentage of U.S. economic output, but as a percentage of GDP it is still lower than that of almost every other developed country in the world. While the Obama administr…
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President Obama is expected to sign legislation that will support federal aviation programs (NYT) through 2015, ending five years of stopgap financing. The bill includes about $16 billion a year for …
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Lawmakers are set to negotiate extensions of the payroll tax cut and unemployment benefits in an effort to keep the fragile economic recovery from a self-inflicted stall. The primary bone of contenti…
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The U.S. economy added 243,000 jobs in January, beating expectations for a second consecutive month and bringing the unemployment rate down to 8.3 percent. Analysts say the news might be a promising …
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Small business job creation has continued to be weak throughout 2011, though a slight increase in December has sparked some hope. In congressional testimony, Martin Baily of the Brookings Institute o…
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President Obama is expected to propose a mortgage relief program (WSJ) that would allow homeowners who are current on their payments to refinance into federally backed loans with lower interest rates…
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Some tax experts expect a wave of GOP governors to submit budgets that aim to curtail or abolish state income taxes (AP). Nine states already forgo a state income tax and rely on alternative revenues…
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U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk said that it has become increasingly difficult to sell Americans on the merits of free trade in the current economic climate. "Frankly, more and more Americans of a…
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Major North American industrial firms Caterpillar and Eaton (FT) have strong expectations for market growth in the United States despite recent warnings from the IMF of a global economic slowdown. Ca…
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The White House announced a new strategy to protect the global supply chain of goods that are critical to U.S. national security and economic welfare. Among other things, the plan calls for improving…
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Former Clinton Administration official and public policy expert Robert Reich contends that government, as protector of the public good (CSM), has a responsibility to help the American worker compete …
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As President Obama prepares for his State of the Union tonight, eight budget and public policy experts discuss the most important objectives the president must accomplish with his address (Fiscal Tim…
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Obama SOTU to Focus on Rebuilding Economy President Obama is expected to use his State of the Union speech (FT), the last before the November presidential election, to push for what he called in a w…
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Debt and Deficits Progress in U.S. Household Deleveraging A report from the McKinsey Global Institute examined the deleveraging progress in the United States, the UK, and Spain, and offers a comp…
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U.S. Competitiveness Report Cites Business Fears The Harvard Business School's U.S. Competitiveness Project released a major new report that revealed deep concerns among business leaders about the…
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President Obama requested Congressional approval last Friday to reorganize the federal government, a plan that includes consolidation of six trade and commerce agencies into a single, streamlined dep…
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U.S. manufacturing employment has risen faster than in any other leading developed economy since the start of the recovery, feeding hopes the country is beginning a sustained manufacturing resurgence…
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Debt and Deficits House GOP to Vote on Debt Ceiling Hike House Republicans are set to open the second session of Congress this week by voting on a resolution disapproving of the president's propose…
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Arab states in the throes of political change must embrace economic policies that combat cronyism, spur private sector growth, and ensure safeguards for the poor, says the World Bank’s Manuela Ferro.
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Despite the failure of a supercommittee deficit deal, budget expert Peter Orszag says there will still be opportunity for policies, such as more economic stimulus and cutting healthcare costs, to avert a U.S. fiscal crisis.
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Lawmakers are considering sharp cuts to defense spending as part of mandated deficit-reduction efforts. This Backgrounder discusses the effects of such major cuts and implications for U.S. military strategy.
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Founded as a loose confederation of states in 1945, the Arab League has struggled to overcome dysfunction and disunity among its members.
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The quest by Palestinian officials for statehood recognition could have major repercussions for the Mideast peace process. This Backgrounder outlines the potential impact of the UN vote.
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Within days of the 9/11 attacks, Congress authorized U.S. military and intelligence agencies to kill and detain terrorists. It is time to revise that authority on matters like detentions and drone attacks, says CFR’s John B. Bellinger III.
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The steady theft of U.S. intellectual property by foreign cyberattackers could mean decreased economic growth, reduced competitiveness, and loss of jobs, says McAfee cybersecurity expert Dmitri Alperovitch.
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Britain’s phone-hacking scandal is raising questions about the power and reach of Rupert Murdoch’s media empire. For Columbia University’s Nicholas Lemann, the episode proves the value of expanding public media.
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Defense-spending cuts should be a big part of a deficit reduction deal, says CFR’s Richard Betts, with the Pentagon pursuing a budget that reflects a reduced threat environment and limits the production of expensive, state-of-the-art equipment.
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The Pentagon’s new strategy for operating in cyberspace breaks little ground and offers few specifics, says CFR’s Adam Segal. While the last six months have been busy for U.S. cybersecurity policy, he cautions that "speed is not a measure of efficacy."
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The arrest of IMF chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn on charges of sexual assault could hamper the fund’s short-term ability to help manage the eurozone crisis but is not likely to harm the IMF over the long term, says CFR’s Steven Dunaway.
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Classified military documents leaked by Wikileaks suggest the Obama administration’s changes to Guantanamo policy can’t improve a system that was flawed from the beginning, says international law expert Karen Greenberg, who argues better risk assessments of prisoners are needed.
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President Obama is right to balance U.S. national interests with democracy promotion in dealing with the Middle East, intervening in select cases and standing behind democracy advocates in others, says expert Larry Diamond.
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The U.S. Navy’s maritime strategy, in which humanitarian missions play a prominent role, is based on a debatable assumption that credible enemies have largely disappeared and that competition of the seas is something of the past, says defense expert Seth Cropsey.
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The Muslim community has played an integral role in U.S. counterterrorism efforts, and congressional hearings on radicalization of Muslims risk polarizing a considerable asset for law enforcement, says expert Mark Fallon.
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With his new executive order on Guantanamo, President Obama acknowledges that the controversial detention center will remain open for some time, says CFR’s Matthew Waxman, but provides improved protections and review processes.
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Congress passed a short-term extension for three surveillance provisions of the Patriot Act to allow for more debate, which CFR’s Matthew Waxman says will likely focus on tightening restrictions and oversight.
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Al-Shabaab remains capable of carrying out massive attacks in Somalia and nearby countries despite a long-running African Union offensive against the Islamist terrorist group.
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Terrorism and Counterterrorism
President Obama vowed in January 2009 to close the prison camp at Guantanamo Bay. Two years later, the White House continues to face challenges to that promise, leaving critics to suggest the facility will remain open for the foreseeable future. -
Foreign governments, non-state actors, and criminal networks are targeting the digital networks of the United States with increasing frequency and sophistication. U.S. cybersecurity has made progress, but relies heavily on the private sector to secure infrastructure critical to national security.
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Algerian 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 areas of the Sahara and Sahel.
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Targeted killings, especially those conducted by drone strikes, have become a central component of U.S. counterterrorism operations around the globe.
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Violent acts by homegrown militant extremists in the U.S. have declined, but "lone wolf" attacks are on the rise. The post-9/11 legal and political landscape poses new challenges to law enforcement authorities seeking to prevent such attacks.
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The Mujahedeen-e-Khalq, an exiled Iranian resistance group, continues to stir controversy despite its removal from a U.S. terrorism list.
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Midnight. A fishing trawler lurches violently in a squall off the coast of Marseille. A seemingly lifeless body is spotted adrift off the bow, and fished out of the roiling sea. No identification. No…
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Perhaps the most prized real estate at the annual State of the Union address is the first lady's box, where, for over thirty years, persons of great distinction have been invited to sit and be recogn…
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Later this week the U.S. Department of Commerce will host its inaugural SelectUSA Summit, an annual convention intended to promote overseas investment in the United States. The sold-out, two-day foru…
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This week, for the first time in more than ninety years, both houses of Congress put out their annual budget proposals before the White House, an anomaly that reflects the topsy-turvy world of fiscal…
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While many analysts believe some defense cuts should be part of a comprehensive deficit reduction accord, they fear that the "meat axe" austerity scheduled to hit the Pentagon on Friday would needles…
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The Arab Spring severely weakened the narrative of Islamist extremists but they are now stirring anti-U.S. sentiments in fragile new democracies, says Mideast expert Ali Soufan.