With hopes high that strategic nuclear arms talks are wrapping up, Russia's position on new UN sanctions on Iran will likely figure prominently in U.S. Secretary of State Clinton's trip to Moscow this week, says CFR's Stephen Sestanovich.

Short description

Sheila A. Smith discusses the opportunities ahead for the United States and Japan before the House Committee on Foreign Affairs' Subcommittee on Asia.

National Strategy

If North Korean leader Kim Jong-Il visits China as reportedly scheduled, he will be urged to return to Six Party Talks. But the U.S. and North Korea are at a standoff, says CFR Korea expert Scott Snyder, with North Korea demanding a peace treaty and the United States insisting on denuclearization.

In Ciudad Juarez, where three people with connections to the U.S. consulate were killed over the weekend, it's local gangs rather than drug cartels that are spreading violence, says CFR's Shannon O'Neil. To fight them, part of what's needed is better law and police enforcement and better education.

Briefing

15 March 2010 -- The world is on track to meet safe drinking-water standards but more work needs to be done to improved sanitation

The idea of nuclear disarmament is gaining traction internationally, but countries supporting it must counter the nuclear proliferation risk created by Iran and North Korea, and make sure disarmament treaties include strong verification mechanisms, says former Secretary of State George P. Shultz.

This interactive guide explores the past, present, and future of nuclear power, focusing on its unique benefits and risks.

A preview of world events in the coming week from CFR.org and Foreign Affairs.

An Israeli announcement of more housing construction in East Jerusalem became the focus of Vice President Biden's Middle East trip, but CFR's Jacob Walles thinks the "proximity talks" starting next week are a practical, low-risk way to restart negotiations.

Vice President Joseph R. Biden, in the Middle East to build support for revived Israeli-Palestinian peace talks, issued a strong denouncement of Israeli plans to build another sixteen hundred housing units in East Jerusalem, which Palestinians see as the capital of a Palestinian state. Commentators included those writing about the bad timing and substance of Israel's announcement; others speculated about Israel's stance on Iran and the readiness of both sides for real compromise.

Speech

Report

Listen to experts breakdown the development of an international framework for geoengineering and the implications of these technologies for U.S. foreign policy.

Listen to experts breakdown the development of an international framework for geoengineering and the implications of these technologies for U.S. foreign policy.

Report

As the international community continues to work toward emissions reductions, some climate scientists are turning to the concept of geoengineering-the deliberate manipulation of the Earth's climate-to offset the effects of climate change. The concept, however, raises scientific, political, and ethical questions. Join M. Granger Morgan and John D. Steinbruner to discuss the development of an international framework for geoengineering and the implications of these technologies for U.S. foreign policy.

Instead of fighting jihad in Somalia by supporting the weak transitional government, the United States would have more success focusing on humanitarian aid and development, says democracy and governance expert Bronwyn Bruton.