Saudi Arabia is a major U.S. ally among Arab nations, yet most Americans know little about its modern system of governance or its ruling monarchy. Under reformer King Abdullah, Saudi society is changing.
At the top of Secretary Clinton's agenda during her visit to Russia is a discussion of Iran's nuclear ambitions. Conflicting messages from President Medvedev and Foreign Minister Lavrov leave the outcome of that discussion in doubt.
China has a unique role to play at Copenhagen: it is not a developed country nor is it simply a developing country, but rather somewhere in the middle.
Russia and the United States are not likely to come to agreement on the best way to approach Iran’s nuclear ambitions any time soon. This issue is likely to be at the top of Secretary Clinton’s agenda during her time in Moscow.
President's Obama recent Nobel Peace Prize has resulted in skepticism in some circles. His forthcoming acceptance speech offers him the opportunity to capitalize on the award and take steps toward achieving many of his administration's goals.
In the aftermath of the P5+1 nuclear talks in Geneva, the focus should be on finding a face-saving arrangement in which Iran could enrich uranium, but below the high enrichment levels needed for nuclear weapons.
While China’s military parade may provide a temporary boost of national pride, in the long term, it will be little more than a passing distraction from the intractable problems confronting the regime.
The Iranian nuclear program continues to be a major foreign policy challenge for the Obama administration. Changing the behavior of the regime will most likely require a change in its character.
The passage of a UN Security Council resolution on nonproliferation and disarmament is the first evidence that the Obama administration's strategy of achieving an eventual "world without nuclear weapons" is paying off.
Iran's test-firing of a new, more advanced missile type with the capability to reach Israel, Europe or the Persian Gulf has increased tension over the Iranian nuclear program. The missile test will have a profound affect on the upcoming multilateral nuclear talks.