Topic: Center for Strategic and International Studies
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Afghanistan: 5 areas of concern after the US leaves
The withdrawal of US and NATO forces from Afghanistan will have profound, direct effects on the country's security, economy, and society. Here are five areas that are likely to see an impact.
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What's Ahmadinejad getting out of his Latin America tour?
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s Latin America trip, a whirlwind four-nation tour that began in Venezuela on Jan. 8, is now taking him to the inauguration of Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega. The trip is his fifth visit to the region since 2007 and has prompted alarm in some corners of the United States that Iran is using the region as a staging ground to attack US interests.
However, many who study Iran’s relationship with Latin America, in particular Venezuela, say fear of an Iranian threat in the Americas is overblown, at least at this point. Here are four reasons why:
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Palestinian statehood: why Arabs have turned on Obama
President Obama, who made Israeli-Palestinian peace a priority from the outset of his administration, is now the US leader with incongruously bad relations with the Arab world. Here are three key causes of the deterioration in ties – and three steps that the can be taken to mend US relations with Arabs and Muslims.
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Five ways 9/11 has transformed the US military
The attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, fundamentally transformed the way the United States military wages war, forcing the Pentagon to rethink some of its basic tenets. Here are the Top 5 changes since 9/11.
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Hu Jintao in America: 7 questions about the Chinese president's visit
Hu Jintao, the Chinese president, arrives in the US for a summit with President Obama. Among the issues on the docket for Obama and Hu Jintao: Chinese currency, economic trade, and human rights.
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Syrian rebel infighting could take dangerous turn if Assad falls
If President Bashar al-Assad falls and the disparate Syrian opposition groups lose their common enemy, their ranks will likely fracture – perhaps violently.
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Terrorism & Security
Panel on Benghazi attack heaps blame on State, citing 'systemic failures' (+video)An independent panel investigating the 9/11 attack on the US consulate in Benghazi released a report finding that the State Department failed at securing the compound on multiple fronts.
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Benghazi inquiry cites State Department failures (+video)
A new report faults failures within the U.S. State Department for the September attack in Benghazi which left four dead including Ambassador Chris Stevens. These failures may taint Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's record.
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X-37B: US launches super-secret, orbiting, robotic plane
The X-37B is designed to stay in space as long as nine months and to collect electronic signals of all kinds in a way that other countries can't stop. The Air Force is not commenting on its mission.
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As North Korea celebrates surprise rocket launch, alarm mounts abroad (+video)
North Korea went ahead with a rocket launch despite international pressure to call it off. Critics say the launch masks a weapons development effort and is a clear violation of UN sanctions.
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'Cyber Pearl Harbor': Could future cyberattack really be that devastating?
Cyberattacks on critical infrastructure like the power grid ‘could be a cyber Pearl Harbor,’ Defense Secretary Leon Panetta warned in October. Some others say the concept is overblown.
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Syrian rebels riding momentum to Damascus
The fighting follows a number of gains for opposition forces in the north of Syria, which has sparked optimism among Syrians hoping for the downfall of the Assad regime.
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How China views Obama's trip to Myanmar
China is watching Obama's trip to neighboring Myanmar, Thailand, and Cambodia this weekend with a wary eye. But Myanmar could offer an opportunity for China and the US to work together, say analysts.
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Vietnam's 'tiger' economy losing its roar
Growth next year is expected to drop due, as recent corruption scandals and splinters within the communist government weigh on the economy.
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US cybersecurity report points accusing finger at China
An annual report to Congress says China is the biggest threat to US cybersecurity, spelling out in some detail who might be doing the cyberspying.
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Indonesia responds to Obama's win: He's still our 'Menteng Kid'
Obama, who grew up in Indonesia, is seen as taking a softer approach to bilateral relations than his predecessor. The US 'pivot' to Asia also ensures continued attention, some say.
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MS-13 gang: Why US Treasury is after the gang's assets
MS-13 gang: The US has designated the violent MS-13 gang as a international criminal group on Thursday, an unprecedented crackdown targeting the finances of the US and Central America group.
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Pentagon's Plan X: how it could change cyberwarfare
The Pentagon has always been secretive about its desire and ability to carry out offensive cyberwarfare. Now, Plan X makes it clear that offensive cyberattacks will be in the Pentagon playbook.
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Mitt Romney wants to arm Syrian rebels: What are the risks?
Extremist elements, some affiliated with Al Qaeda, appear to be playing a growing role in the fight against the Assad regime, posing a challenge to proposals, such as Romney's, to arm the Syrian rebels.
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Focus
China and Japan face off: Tiny islands, big dispute (+video)The China and Japan face off over five islands has sunk relations to a 40-year low - the worst since diplomatic relations began. But the sabre rattling is just for show, say analysts.
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Opinion: Beware Russia's hand in elections in Georgia, Ukraine, Lithuania
A top priority of Russian President Vladimir Putin is the reintegration of former Soviet republics – based on tighter economic links and culminating in a political and security pact centered around Russia. Meddling in Eastern European elections is one way to fulfill Putin's regional ambition.
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New world requires new strategies
Democracy and digitalization make urgent demands. How, and how fast, can the US adjust?
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Cybersecurity bill: Why senator is taking his case straight to top CEOs
Amid opposition from business groups to a cybersecurity bill, Sen. Jay Rockefeller is writing CEOs of the nation's top 500 companies for their views 'without the filter of Beltway lobbyists.'
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Afghanistan: Why don't we leave now?
The rise in attacks by Afghan forces against Western troops is threatening US-Afghan military cooperation – a key reason to stay until 2014. The trend could affect the US exit strategy.
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More than a decade after 9-11: Are Americans any safer from terrorists?
Combined military, intelligence, diplomatic, and financial efforts have disabled al-Qaida, pushing the fear of terrorism to the back of most Americans' minds.
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Cybersecurity: Where do Republicans and Democrats stand on threats?
While US defense officials are warning of the increased threat of cyberattack on strategic US targets, cybersecurity experts were underwhelmed by the parties' platforms on the issue.
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With death of Ethiopian leader Meles, US loses an anti-terror ally (+video)
Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi, who died yesterday, was one of the US's closest allies on the continent, particularly when it came to efforts to combat Somali Islamists.
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More telltale signs of cyber spying and cyber attacks arise in Middle East (+video)
A Saudi energy company has lately confirmed that its computer networks were targeted by a cyberattack. But perhaps more important is the discovery of Gauss, malware believed to be related to the Stuxnet worm that attacked Iran's nuclear centrifuges in 2009.
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Terrorism & Security
Aleppo on the verge of full-scale battle as UN vote on Syria loomsThe UN warned that the long-building battle for Aleppo is 'about to start' in earnest. Kofi Annan blasted UN Security Council inaction on Syria as he stepped down as peace envoy yesterday.
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How much cyber security is enough? Companies wary as Senate weighs bill.
The Senate on Monday takes up a cyber security bill affecting companies that own power systems, water facilities, and other critical infrastructure. Though new security standards would not be mandatory, the private sector remains cautious.
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