Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
Washington’s announcement of a massive arms deal with Saudi Arabia has further exacerbated tensions with Iran and has led Tehran to threaten to close the strategically important Straits of Hormuz.
The death of Kim Jong Il marks the beginning of a succession process that may last months or even years, as his son and designated heir Kim Jong Un attempts to consolidate power among the ruling elite.
The situation in Syria is unlikely to improve in the near future. It is increasingly likely that the violent domestic unrest can only be resolved through a regime change.
Any military strike against Iranian nuclear facilities will indefinitely postpone the shelf life of the Iranian regime and therefore be counterproductive.
The challenge set by Iran’s nuclear program is a post-American challenge.
Given the current domestic political situations in Israel and Turkey, improving relations between the two nations will likely require external intervention.
During a visit to Russia, North Korean leader Kim Jong-il said he would be ready to discuss Pyongyang's nuclear production if international six-party talks, which ended in 2008, resume.
The United States needs regional assistance, particular from Pakistan, to resolve the problems and challenges facing Afghanistan.
The realization that both the United States and the Soviet Union shared an interest in preventing the proliferation of nuclear weapons led to a 1968 agreement that existing nuclear weapons states would work toward nuclear zero if other states agreed not to develop nuclear weapons.
Without a continued NATO presence in Afghanistan to facilitate a regional approach to resolving the problems facing the country, the creation of a stable security situation in Afghanistan is impossible.