CFR.org - Backgrounder

Reassessing the Jackson-Vanik Amendment

Council on Foreign Relations — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 10:33:01 -0400

Experts say graduating Russia from Cold War-era legislation linked to emigration and trade would be a step toward warming relations with Moscow.

The Six-Party Talks on North Korea's Nuclear Program

Council on Foreign Relations — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 14:26:08 -0400

The Six-Party Talks serve as a forum about North Korea's nuclear weapons program, but the negotiations have been riddled by Pyongyang's belligerence and the differing priorities of the participating nations.

Iran's Revolutionary Guards

Council on Foreign Relations — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 13:01:30 -0400

In the aftermath of the June 2009 presidential election, Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps has become major to the regime's power projection. Some analysts have seen the guard's hand in a creeping militarization of Iran's domestic policy.

Realigning Pakistan's Security Forces

Council on Foreign Relations — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 11:30:05 -0400

Washington is focusing new military aid to Pakistan on strengthening counterinsurgency capabilities. But distrust between the two countries and Islamabad's continued focus on an Indian threat pose challenges, say experts.

Presidential Power in Iran

Council on Foreign Relations — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 10:42:52 -0400

Iran's Supreme Leader remains the regime's ultimate authority but controversy surrounding the country's June 12 presidential election has raised new questions about the role and power of the head of state.

Lebanon's Parliamentary Elections (June 7, 2009)

Council on Foreign Relations — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 09:41:17 -0400

Lebanon's upcoming parliamentary elections, pitting pro-Western political elements against a coalition led by Hezbollah, will test the country's ability to manage political change among many factions.

The ISI and Terrorism: Behind the Accusations

Council on Foreign Relations — Thu, 28 May 2009 11:00:00 -0400

Pakistan's intelligence agency, the ISI, faces persistent accusations of links to terrorism, despite repeated denials.

Armed Islamic Group (Algeria, Islamists)

Council on Foreign Relations — Wed, 27 May 2009 13:00:00 -0400

A profile of the Algerian terrorist organization, Armed Islamic Group (GIA).

Nourishing Afghanistan's Agricultural Sector

Council on Foreign Relations — Tue, 26 May 2009 12:10:20 -0400

International actors are redoubling efforts to restore Afghanistan's agriculture sector and weaken the massive opium trade that helps fund the Taliban. But competing strategies and corruption could stall reforms.

Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (aka Tamil Tigers) (Sri Lanka, separatists)

Council on Foreign Relations — Wed, 20 May 2009 00:00:00 -0400

A profile of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), a separatist terrorist group that seeks an independent state in areas in Sri Lanka inhabited by ethnic Tamils.

The Debate over Greenhouse Gas Cap-and-Trade

Council on Foreign Relations — Tue, 19 May 2009 14:25:32 -0400

Greenhouse-gas trading is now a multibillion dollar international business but there are doubts about how much positive impact it is having on the environment.

Economic Challenges for Climate Change Policy

Council on Foreign Relations — Tue, 19 May 2009 10:57:39 -0400

President Barack Obama says he will seek vigorous climate-change policy. Efforts to curb greenhouse gases pose considerable economic pitfalls, as well as opportunities.

The Sri Lankan Conflict

Council on Foreign Relations — Mon, 18 May 2009 00:00:00 -0400

Sri Lanka's government has scored a string of wins in its long-standing civil war with Tamil militants. But it faces the challenge of integrating its Tamil minority.

Understanding Myanmar

Council on Foreign Relations — Fri, 15 May 2009 15:14:09 -0400

Myanmar's people continue to struggle for freedom despite having achieved independence from colonial rule almost six decades ago.

China’s Internal Migrants

Council on Foreign Relations — Thu, 14 May 2009 13:37:34 -0400

China's rapid economic development has been fueled in large part by a massive migration of rural workers to cities and industrial zones. Young, poorly educated, and highly mobile, these workers continue to face discrimination due to their rural origins and transitory status.

Winning the Information War in Afghanistan and Pakistan

Council on Foreign Relations — Mon, 11 May 2009 08:19:42 -0400

President Obama has made "strategic communications" an essential part of his move to boost the military and nation-building effort in Afghanistan. But experts say countering Taliban messaging will take technology, speed, and demonstrated success in providing security.

Vatican-Israel Relations

Council on Foreign Relations — Fri, 08 May 2009 13:21:46 -0400

Relations between the Vatican and Israel are a complex combination of diplomacy mixed with interfaith discussion.

Stabilizing Pakistan: Boosting its Private Sector

Council on Foreign Relations — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 11:09:09 -0400

Amid a growing insurgency and escalating economic troubles in Pakistan, U.S. President Barack Obama said the United States must "help Pakistan help Pakistanis." Experts say strengthening the country's private sector and boosting trade opportunities could underpin security.

Sharia and Militancy

Council on Foreign Relations — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 10:35:15 -0400

Experts say Islamic law, or sharia, holds wide appeal for Muslim populations in many countries and is beginning to spread via democratic means, but it is also being used as a tool of Islamic militancy and extremism.

Afghanistan’s National Security Forces

Council on Foreign Relations — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 17:08:51 -0400

The growth and continued improvement of Afghanistan's domestic security forces is seen as key to an eventual U.S. exit, but some analysts caution that progress, already slow, will remain strained.

India's Electoral Politics

Council on Foreign Relations — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 10:11:04 -0400

As the world's largest democracy goes to the polls, this Backgrounder looks at the laws, major players, and issues, including economic reform, caste, and religion, that have shaped India's politics.

U.S.-Cuba Relations

Council on Foreign Relations — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 00:00:00 -0400

Despite changes in both U.S. and Cuban leadership since early 2008, experts do not anticipate any normalization of U.S.-Cuba relations in the near to medium term.

Human Rights Reporting and U.S. Foreign Policy

Council on Foreign Relations — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 10:00:23 -0400

The U.S. State Department's annual global rating of human rights performance antagonizes friend and foe alike. Many rights activists embrace the reports while some express doubts about their influence on U.S. policy.

The Fine Print on Defense Spending

Council on Foreign Relations — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 10:49:56 -0400

As the Obama administration finalizes its first defense budget, analysts say near-term growth will be followed by lean spending amid the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression.

Twenty Agendas at G-20

Council on Foreign Relations — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 16:44:25 -0400

A short summary of each of the G-20 member's objectives for the April summit in London.

The Group of 20

Council on Foreign Relations — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 13:27:02 -0400

A profile of the Group of 20 major and emerging world economies.

The Shanghai Cooperation Organization

Council on Foreign Relations — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 16:24:00 -0400

A profile of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, which comprises China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan.

Primer: The Financial Stability Plan

Council on Foreign Relations — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 15:00:32 -0400

A brief look at how the U.S. government plans to use taxpayer funds and other incentives to cleanse the balance sheets of banks and revitalize credit markets.

Islam: Governing Under Sharia

Council on Foreign Relations — Mon, 23 Mar 2009 12:00:00 -0400

Sharia, or Islamic law, is increasingly in the spotlight as its political and economic role expands in the Muslim world and even in the West.

The Troubled Afghan-Pakistani Border

Council on Foreign Relations — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 16:45:52 -0400

The contentious border between Pakistan and Afghanistan remains a site of major conflict, and houses some of the world’s most dangerous militants.