Topic: Foreign Policy Magazine

Sticking a fork in Tunisia's Ben Ali

Obama team plans for 2011 – and for 2012

Obama and his senior staff are hard at work on the size and shape of his White House team as they prepare for the 2012 elections. He hopes to spend more time outside of Washington.

Diplomat Richard Holbrooke passes away

Accomplished diplomat and Nobel Peace Prize nominee, Richard Holbrooke, passed away Monday, after a lifetime of service.

Yemen orders troops to 'forcibly arrest' Al Qaeda cleric Anwar al-Awlaki

Amid US pressure, Yemen on Saturday ordered troops to 'forcibly arrest' fiery cleric Anwar al-Awlaki, who is thought to be a senior figure in Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP).

An Afghan governor dies and Hamid Karzai cries. Is that a problem?

Bob Woodward's recent book amplified US whispers that Afghan President Hamid Karzai is unstable. There is a problem, but it isn't his brief show of emotion today.

Why would Defense Secretary Robert Gates want to retire?

Robert Gates indicated in an interview published Monday that he plans to leave his job next year. Here are three things that might be factors in his decision.

Robert Gates to retire from defense post next year

Robert Gates has been US Secretary of Defense for over three years. Robert Gates has overseen both the Iraq and Afghanistan theaters of military operation.

Opinion: Syrian secularism: a model for the Middle East

Westerners don't see that Syria's embrace of diversity is a crucial bulwark against extremism.

Turkey is critical to a more moderate Islam

Turkey is a successful example of a non-Arab land where Islam and democracy coexist and the economy prospers.

Turkey’s emergence as a center power in the Middle East is a game changer

Turkish journalist Soli Ozel says the nature of Turkish-Israeli relations are changed forever, not just because of the deadly flotilla incident.

Why Iran smiles on Jerusalem clashes

The Jerusalem clashes between Israeli police and Palestinians that injured more than 100 today, together with an unfolding crisis between the US and Israel, give beleaguered Iran an opportunity to boost its clout.

No 'failed states'

A Christian Science perspective.

Christmas Day attack: How tough is Obama on terrorism?

Conservatives say President Obama is not aggressive enough against terrorism. Liberals say he's little different from Bush. How he handles the fallout from the Christmas Day attack could show who is right.

Al Qaeda ties of Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab: How deep do they go?

Investigations into where alleged Northwest Airlines bomber Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab got his explosives point toward Yemen and its local Al Qaeda offshoot. Foreign Policy Magazine's latest Failed State Index named Yemen as particularly troubling.

Al Qaeda haven? Yemen fights concerns with strikes, 10-point plan.

Yemen reportedly killed 34 Al Qaeda suspects today. Such steps, together with a new 10-point plan for reform, aim to reverse the Arab nation’s downward trajectory.

Sarah Palin urges Israel settlement expansion, attacks Barack Obama

Sarah Palin calls for an expansion of Israel settlements – challenging 40 years of US policy – in an interview with Barbara Walters. Palin also criticizes Barack Obama for urging an Israeli halt.

At heart of Yemen's conflicts: water crisis

A recent report shows that 70 to 80 percent of rural conflicts are over water shortages in Yemen, already on the brink of becoming a failed state.

Why Pakistanis would reject $7.5 billion in US aid

New poll indicates that the Kerry-Lugar bill, already confronting opposition from Pakistan's political and military establishment, faces a wave of popular distrust of the US as well.

Is US strategy in Afghanistan working?

The debate over sending more US troops frames a larger clash over counterinsurgency strategy as the new template for war.

Ten countries on the brink of failure

Somalia, still No. 1, proved so lawless that even Al Qaeda complained.

Iran's mass arrests: Broadest since 1979 Islamic revolution

Eight Iranian employees of the British embassy in Tehran were arrested Sunday and stood accused of inciting unrest over the June 12 presidential election, reports the government-linked Fars news agency.

Schwarzenegger tweets about swine flu. So does everyone else.

Twitter is spreading important information as well as rumors about the outbreak, raising questions about whether the social networking site is helpful.

US troop buildup in Afghanistan could be a defining moment

Obama's order to send 17,000 more troops comes before US has set a clear strategy.

Islamic insurgents target foreign aid workers in Somalia

As the violence escalates, observers warn of famine and the worst humanitarian crisis on the African continent.

Tainted Chinese imports spur calls to protect consumer

Toxic blood thinner may have killed as many as 81 people, US says.