Briefing Book

The American Pivot to Asia

Why President Obama's turn to the East is easier said than done.

BY KENNETH LIEBERTHAL | DECEMBER 21, 2011

Follow the Money

A simple reform created for stopping terrorist financiers could dramatically strengthen international sanctions, and cut off the flow of funds to some of the world’s worst regimes.

BY STUART LEVEY, CHRISTY CLARK | OCTOBER 3, 2011

Is Pakistan's Army as Islamist as We Think?

New data suggest it may be even more liberal than Pakistani society as a whole.

BY C. CHRISTINE FAIR | SEPTEMBER 15, 2011

Bridges to Somewhere

More austerity won't save the global economy. Building infrastructure just might.

BY JUSTIN YIFU LIN | SEPTEMBER 1, 2011

Slouching Toward 2011

President Obama's Afghanistan withdrawal timetable is running up against a hard reality: Afghan forces are nowhere near ready to take responsibility for their country's security.

BY ANTHONY CORDESMAN | OCTOBER 1, 2010

Nukes Forever

Barack Obama is spending billions to maintain and upgrade America's nuclear weapons. But his opponents say it's not enough. Will they ever be satisfied?

BY PAGE VAN DER LINDEN | AUGUST 13, 2010

How to Safeguard Afghanistan's Mineral Riches

A six-step guide.

BY ASHBY H.B. MONK | AUGUST 3, 2010

Why the Iran Sanctions Matter

It's easy to criticize the U.N. Security Council's new resolution targeting Iran. But it might prove a surprisingly effective tool in tightening the noose on the regime in Tehran.

BY MATTHEW LEVITT | JUNE 11, 2010

Iraq At Eye Level

As the dust settles on Iraq's pivotal election, some of the most prominent Western journalists in the country sound off on what it means for Iraq's future and the U.S. role in the region.

Edited by DAVID KENNER | MARCH 8, 2010

The Definitive Guide to the Iraqi Elections

"The Land of Two Rivers" is also the land of thousands of aspiring political leaders. Foreign Policy takes you inside the diverse parties, coalitions, and sects, from the center of power to its outermost fringes, that make up Iraq's political mosaic.

BY DAVID KENNER, ANDREW SWIFT | MARCH 4, 2010

How to Read the QDR

What the Pentagon’s most highly anticipated planning document says about the gap between its aspirations and reality.

BY TRAVIS SHARP | FEBRUARY 2, 2010

Past the Deadline on Guantánamo

A week after the deadline for closing the detention center, the United States is no closer to a satisfactory outcome.

BY SARAH E. MENDELSON | JANUARY 25, 2010

How to Help Haiti Rebuild

Five experts on nation-building, economic development, and emergency aid weigh in on how best to help devastated Port-au-Prince.

JANUARY 19, 2010

All the President's Leaks

Backed into a corner by events on the ground in Iran and a hawkish Congress that wants to enact a foolish sanctions regime, Barack Obama's administration has played the press masterfully.

BY GARY SICK | JANUARY 3, 2010

How to Whip the Afghan Army Into Shape

Much of President Barack Obama's strategy rests on the creation of a new, more competent Afghan military. Here's what he'll need to know to get the job done.

BY MARK MOYAR | DECEMBER 22, 2009

Addicted to Contractors

The United States is hooked on privatized warfare in Afghanistan. And it's more costly than you think.

BY ALLISON STANGER | DECEMBER 1, 2009

Money Can't Buy America Love

Millions of dollars are being pumped into hearts and minds projects from Kabul to Kandahar. Trouble is, it's not working. And it might even be making things worse.

BY ANDREW WILDER, STUART GORDON | DECEMBER 1, 2009

Five Things Obama Should Do in China

Here's what the U.S. president needs to do to shore up what is fast becoming the most important relationship in the world.

BY JOHN WATKINS, JR. | NOVEMBER 16, 2009

Briefing Book: Iran's Sanctions

What could sanctions against Iran really do?

BY BRIANNA ROSEN, CHARLIE SZROM, MASEH ZARIF | NOVEMBER 10, 2009

Trading With Kim

The way to Kim Jong Il’s heart is through his market.

BY SUSAN SHIRK, JOHN DELURY | OCTOBER 29, 2009

Time for an Afghan Surge

The runoff elections may be the last best chance to come up with a plan for Afghanistan. Trouble is, the Obama administration is looking for answers in all the wrong places.

BY FABRICE POTHIER | OCTOBER 22, 2009

The Case for Humility in Afghanistan

A Taliban victory would have devastating consequences for U.S. interests. But to avoid disaster, America must beware the Soviet Union’s mistakes -- and learn from its own three decades of failure in South Asia.

BY STEVE COLL | OCTOBER 16, 2009

Recipe for Failure

Why Copenhagen will be a bust, and other prophecies from the foreign-policy world's leading predictioneer.

BY BRUCE BUENO DE MESQUITA | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2009

Biohazard

Why U.S. bioterror research is more dangerous than bioterrorism.

BY LYNN C. KLOTZ, EDWARD J. SYLVESTER | OCTOBER 13, 2009

The New Asianism

Since the Democratic Party of Japan won in the country's August national election, Japan watchers have worried the new government might try to upset the status quo and ease away from the United States. The DPJ is implementing a new paradigm -- but not the one people think.

BY DANIEL SNEIDER, RICHARD KATZ | OCTOBER 13, 2009

The Guantanamo Countdown

President Obama promised to close the facility within a year, but eight months later, the path is looking rockier. Here's what the administration needs to do to meet its deadline.

BY SARAH MENDELSON | OCTOBER 1, 2009

More Than Just a Photo-Op

Barack Obama's handshake meeting with Mahmoud Abbas and Benjamin Netanyahu is not getting nearly the credit it deserves. In fact, Obama's Mideast peace strategy is far more sophisticated than most observers realize.

BY DANIEL LEVY | SEPTEMBER 23, 2009

How to Save Lives by Breaking All the Rules

How former U.S. Global AIDS coordinator Mark Dybul ditched the bureaucracy, stopped intergovernmental turf wars, pushed for results, and helped create an anti-poverty machine that actually works.

BY MARK DYBUL | SEPTEMBER 22, 2009

Losing the War of Exhaustion

It's not low troop levels that stand to defeat the United States in Afghanistan. It's plain old public fatigue.

BY MARK T. KIMMITT | SEPTEMBER 21, 2009

How to Engage Iran (If You Must)

Tehran has mastered the dark arts of deception and delay. Here’s how Obama can cut through the diplomatic fog and get results.

BY ILAN BERMAN | SEPTEMBER 8, 2009