Topic: Center for Strategic and International Studies

US expels Syrian envoy: a clear message whose impact is dubious

Joining with its Western allies, the US ordered Syria's top diplomat in Washington to leave the country to protest a massacre of civilians that included executions.

Is State Dept. hacking Al Qaeda? Not quite, but propaganda war is fierce.

Despite early reports, a State Department program to shoot down Al Qaeda propaganda online is not a hack. But the efforts are having an impact, Secretary Clinton says.

NATO summit: Who will foot the bill for long-term Afghanistan security?

A war-weary US faces off with wary NATO allies in Chicago about money and support for Afghanistan after US combat troops withdraw in 2014. Don't expect any "Mission Accomplished" speeches. 

Cybersecurity: How US utilities passed up chance to protect their networks

Cybersecurity needs are not hypothetical, as the recent DHS warning of a cyberattack on the US natural gas industry shows. Why then was a post-9/11 initiative to secure US utilities dropped?

US sends troops to Yemen as Al Qaeda gains ground

Civil unrest in Yemen has enabled Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, which perpetrated the foiled underwear bomb plot, to expand its reach. US troops are arriving to train Yemeni soldiers.

Cybersecurity bill (CISPA): After House passage, what will Senate do?

Sen. John McCain is pushing a voluntary cybersecurity approach, while another CISPA-type bill would require companies like electric utilities to meet federal cybersecurity standards.

Leaning on US, Philippines boldly pushes back on China in sea dispute

The Philippines, a normally quiet claimant in South China Sea disputes, is mounting unusually bold resistance against China as it edges in on Manila’s maritime interests.

Latest cyberattack on Iran targets oil export facilities

Computer servers at the government oil ministry and the National Iranian Oil Co. are the apparent target of a cyberattack via a data-deleting virus, Iranian officials have acknowledged. Previous attacks struck at Iran's nuclear program.

Militaries vie for Arctic edge as ice cap melts

By Arctic standards, the region is already buzzing with military activity, and experts believe that will increase significantly in the years ahead.

Defending Afghanistan: are Afghan forces ready?

An extended occupation and ever-shifting objectives could leave Afghanistan shakier in 2014 than when US-led forces arrived.

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.

Al Qaeda rocked by apparent cyberattack. But who did it?

Al Qaeda's core jihadi websites have all been hit by an apparent cyberattack. For a group in flux, it's a big blow, but the nature of the attack raises questions about who's responsible. 

Korean missile politics overshadow Seoul nuclear terrorism summit

More than 50 world leaders, including President Obama, are set to arrive in Seoul to discuss prevention of nuclear terrorism, but Pyongyang's plans for a new missile test have shifted the discussion.

Afghanistan massacre: How rising tensions could cost Obama politically

The tragic killing of the villagers is likely to complicate US efforts to negotiate future bilateral relations with Afghanistan. It's also a potential stain on Obama's foreign policy record.

Afghan troops keep killing US troops

Two more US soldiers were killed in a gunfight with an Afghan soldier today, bringing the total to six Americans killed in incidents since Qurans were burned at a US base.

'Loopholes' leave America with weak cybersecurity plan, experts say

A cybersecurity bill under consideration by Congress tries deal with private industry concerns, but its 'loopholes' would leave America open to cyberattack, experts said Thursday.

Special Forces in Afghanistan: not just taking out terrorists anymore

As conventional forces withdraw from Afghanistan, US Special Forces will take the lead in training Afghan soldiers and police – a task that takes Special Forces back to their roots. 

Xi Jinping, future Chinese president, faces test on first White House visit (+video)

Xi Jinping, China's president-in-waiting, will be greeted with friendly words of cooperation in his first White House visit. But the underlying US-China tensions will be hard to hide.

Syria: Why international action remains unlikely even as death toll rises

The Arab League asked the United Nations Security Council to send forces to Syria today to stop the bloodshed there. But international military action against Bashar al-Assad's regime remains unlikely.

As cybercrime rises, so does a new – and successful – breed of cybercops

Cybercrime is increasing, but one new study finds that cybercops have become a lot more effective at discovering data breaches and informing the often unaware victims.

As Syria's Assad pummels Homs, West reluctantly weighs military option

After diplomatic efforts at the UN failed Saturday, there is a growing consensus that supporting the rebel Free Syrian Army may be the only way to break the stalemate between Assad and his opponents.

Reports on Afghanistan war too rosy? Army officer, others say yes.

An Army officer sets the Pentagon, Capitol Hill buzzing with a published complaint that US military leaders are not being honest about slow progress in the Afghanistan war. He's not the only doubter.

How Pentagon budget cuts will reshape the Army

The Army has been seen as one of the big losers in the Pentagon budget cuts released Thursday. But Army officials say now is the perfect time for the force to recast itself. 

Daring special forces raid shows Somali pirates are on the run

The SEAL Team Six rescue of an American hostage shows US special forces are tightening the noose on increasingly desperate Somali pirate groups, military analysts say.

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: