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BACKGROUND ON THE NEWS On March 29, Zimbabweans voted in presidential and parliamentary elections. More than a month later, the government of Robert Mugabe released results of a "recount," showing a narrow opposition victory that fell short of the 50 percent required to avoid a runoff. The opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) claims that it won an outright majority and that the government had ample time to distort the election results. ISSUE PREVIEW The era of U.S. hegemony is coming to an end and other powers are rising. In this issue of Foreign Affairs, Fareed Zakaria contrasts America's dwindling power with the decline of the British Empire while CFR President Richard Haass examines the consequences of a nonpolar world. The United States can continue to lead, they argue, but only if the "rise of the rest" is managed properly. BACKGROUND ON THE NEWS Sebastian Mallaby's Foreign Affairs article defending hedge funds appeared in January 2007, before the onslaught of credit market turmoil. More than a year later, hedge funds still appear to need allies wherever they can get them. BACKGROUND ON THE NEWS On March 14, anti-Chinese riots erupted in Lhasa, Tibet. Chinese security forces suppressed crowds with teargas and bullets in what has become the most violent confrontation there in two decades. The Tibetan government-in-exile claimed Chinese forces killed over 100 people, while Beijing claims only 19 have died. Tibet's exiled leader, the Dalai Lama, urged his followers and the Chinese to refrain from violence while the Chinese government blamed him directly for fomenting the unrest. BACKGROUND ON THE NEWS Kosovo's unilateral declaration of independence on February 17 was welcomed in Washington and many European capitals, but it drew protests in Moscow and Belgrade. ISSUE PREVIEW The scourge of ethnic nationalism has never afflicted the United States, but it remains a powerful force throughout the world. In his essay, "Us and Them," Jerry Muller argues that when ethnic nationalism does take hold of a society, partition can often be the least destructive solution. BACKGROUND ON THE NEWS Last week Abu Laith al-Libi, a senior al Qaeda leader responsible for military operations inside Afghanistan, was killed by a U.S. missile strike in the Pakistan-Afghanistan border region. BACKGROUND ON THE NEWS As Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf tours Europe, violence along the border with Afghanistan continues and many observers doubt whether the elections scheduled for February 18 will be free and fair. BACKGROUND ON THE NEWS Violence has engulfed Kenya in the wake of a disputed December 27 election, calling into question the country's reputation as an island of stability and prosperity in an otherwise unstable region. ISSUE PREVIEW China is changing rapidly, and its rise has led to widespread fears in western capitals. But Beijing's rapid economic growth and increasing political clout will not spell the demise of the liberal international order. BACKGROUND ON THE NEWS On November 28, General Pervez Musharraf gave up his military uniform and began to govern as a civilian. BACKGROUND ON THE NEWS On November 7, Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili—the hero of Georgia's 2003 Rose Revolution and a darling of the West—declared a state of emergency and sent riot police into the streets of Tbilisi. BACKGROUND ON THE NEWS Despite soaring oil prices, Hugo Chávez's "Bolivarian revolution" in Venezuela appears to be encountering some turbulence. Oil production is declining and crime, corruption, and inflation are on the rise. ISSUE PREVIEW In the third part of the Campaign 2008 series, presidential candidates Hillary Rodham Clinton and John McCain put forth their visions for U.S. foreign policy. Clinton calls for withdrawal from Iraq, a foreign policy guided by multilateralism, and a concerted effort to combat global warming. McCain insists that the United States can — and must — succeed in Iraq, advocates an expansion of the U.S. military, and argues for a stronger response to the atrocities in Darfur. Both candidates call for a tough stance toward Iran. BACKGROUND ON THE NEWS Last week, the House Foreign Affairs committee voted 27-21 to characterize the deaths of more than one million Armenians during World War I as "genocide." The resolution has sent Turks to the streets in protest and prompted Ankara to warn that passage of the resolution by the House at large would severely damage U.S.-Turkish relations. This is not the first debate over what should be called "genocide," and won't be the last. BACKGROUND ON THE NEWS The private security firm Blackwater has come under intense scrutiny after a September 16 shootout that left at least 11 Iraqi civilians dead. Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki has demanded that Blackwater cease operating in Iraq and Congress is raising questions about the accountability of the 160,000 private military contractors working in Iraq, a force that exceeds the number of uniformed soldiers in the country. BACKGROUND ON THE NEWS Pakistan has seen its share of crises over the past four months, from the storming of Islamabad's Red Mosque to clashes with militants along Afghanistan's border, the dismissal and reinstatement of Pakistan's chief justice, and the recent deportation of former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. BACKGROUND ON THE NEWS The debate on Iraq is reaching a crucial juncture as the nation prepares for next week's congressional testimony by General David Petraeus and Ambassador Ryan Crocker and the possibility of troop reductions looms on the horizon. ISSUE PREVIEW In the second part of the Campaign 2008 series, presidential candidates Rudolph Giuliani and John Edwards outline their foreign policy platforms. Giuliani argues for staying the course in Iraq, increased defense spending, and aggressive pursuit of Al Qaeda and other terrorist groups. Edwards advocates a withdrawal from Iraq, diplomatic engagement to repair damaged alliances, and the restoration of America's moral leadership. BACKGROUND ON THE NEWS Last week, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) celebrated its fortieth anniversary. Critics have argued that the organization is becoming increasingly irrelevant due to its ironclad commitment to national sovereignty and a longstanding policy of noninterference. But ASEAN is reinventing itself, argues Bristol University Professor Amitav Acharya, and it will continue to play an influential role in the region. BACKGROUND ON THE NEWS This past weekend Japan's Liberal Democratic Party suffered a crushing defeat in elections for the upper house of Japan's Diet. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has resisted calls for his resignation, but it seems only a matter of time before he is forced out regardless. How did he fall so far so fast, and what lies ahead for Japanese domestic politics and foreign policy? BACKGROUND ON THE NEWS Gordon Brown's arrival at 10 Downing Street has led to speculation that the very special relationship between George W. Bush's United States and Tony Blair's United Kingdom may be coming to an end. BACKGROUND ON THE NEWS With Hamas firmly in power in the Gaza Strip and Palestinian Fatah in control of the West Bank, the two-headed Palestinian entity spawned by last week's violence in Gaza threatens to complicate efforts to build a durable Israeli-Palestinian peace settlement. ISSUE PREVIEW In the first in a special series of articles leading up to the 2008 U.S. presidential election, Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama and Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney share the foreign policies they would pursue as president. BACKGROUND ON THE NEWS Despite wide bipartisan support, comprehensive immigration reform has just been derailed in the Senate. BACKGROUND ON THE NEWS In the first in a special series of articles leading up to the 2008 U.S. presidential election, Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama and Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney share the foreign policies they would pursue as president. BACKGROUND ON THE NEWS French president-elect Nicolas Sarkozy brings the promise of reform and renewal to a country often described as the new sick man of Europe. But he faces a profound challenge in reconciling France's strong tradition of Gaullist independence with the imperatives of globalization. BACKGROUND ON THE NEWS The passing of Boris Yeltsin last week renewed debates about his tenure as Russia's first post-Soviet leader and the impact that his presidency — for better or worse — continues to have on Russia today. ISSUE PREVIEW Al Qaeda is trying to lure the United States into a war with its other mortal enemy, Iran, writes Bruce Riedel, a recently retired veteran of a 29-year career in the highest echelons of the U.S. intelligence and national security establishment. Riedel argues that the group has established bases in the Pakistan-Afghanistan border region and Iraq and a support base in Europe and is now poised to expand its reach across the Middle East, Africa, and South Asia. Al Qaeda has more bases, more partners, and more followers today than it did on the eve of 9/11. Riedel urges Washington to target the al Qaeda leadership — and gird itself for a long twilight struggle. BACKGROUND ON THE NEWS Paul Wolfowitz's current travails are hardly the only difficulties he has had to face since becoming president of the World Bank in March 2005. BACKGROUND ON THE NEWS Public anguish over Iraq is spilling into other areas of U.S. foreign policy, according to the latest results from the Confidence in U.S. Foreign Policy Index. Specifically, the vast majority of the U.S. public now rejects a military response to the problems posed by Iran. BACKGROUND ON THE NEWS As the Democrats approach their 100th day in control of Congress, one thing has already set them apart from their Republican predecessors: the large number of oversight hearings on issues relating to foreign and national security policy. BACKGROUND ON THE NEWS During his Latin American tour this week, President George W. Bush will be championing the United States' long-held belief that liberal democracy and market economics are the keys to improving the lot of the region's poor masses. But he will find himself on the defensive on a continent where many question the merits of Washington's pro-market logic and Venezuelan-style economic populism is gaining ground. ISSUE PREVIEW The Iraqi civil war has already begun and the United States' best option is to let the fighting rage on, writes Stanford University political scientist and civil war expert James Fearon. Washington's long-run objective for Iraq is a stable power-sharing arrangement between the warring sectarian groups. But such an outcome is only possible, says Fearon, once the opposing sides fight enough to realize that they have no more to gain from armed conflict. BACKGROUND ON THE NEWS Only time will tell whether last week's nuclear deal with North Korea represents an ephemeral diplomatic victory or a real breakthrough on the Cold War's last frontier. Some critics of the agreement have assailed the Bush administration for giving Pyongyang too little, too late, and at too great a cost; others have accused it of rewarding the Kim Jong Il regime's misdeeds with an accord full of loopholes. BACKGROUND ON THE NEWS In the past month, Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez has announced the nationalization of his country's electricity and telecommunication industries, seized control of the central bank, barred the renewal of the license of the nation's oldest independent television station, and assumed the power to rule by presidential decree. BACKGROUND ON THE NEWS President Bush's announcement of the deployment of more troops to Iraq has come under fire from several quarters. Nevertheless, the White House is confident that the troop "surge" together with new generals and a new strategy can help quell the violence in Iraq and buy time for political progress to be made. BACKGROUND ON THE NEWS Laurie Garrett's article "The Challenge of Global Health" argued that the money flowing toward the world's poor and sick might produce fewer benefits than people expect because aid is often directed at narrow, disease-specific problems rather than public health in general. In this special Web exclusive, Foreign Affairs has convened some of the world's top experts — Jeffrey Sachs, Paul Farmer, Alex de Waal, Roger Bate & Kathryn Boateng, and Garrett herself — to debate her thesis and suggest where global public health efforts should go next. BACKGROUND ON THE NEWS In December, President George W. Bush signed a law that allows the United States to trade civilian nuclear material and technology with India, reversing decades of U.S. protestations over India's flouting of the global nonproliferation regime in a bid for a new strategic partnership. BACKGROUND ON THE NEWS As violence escalated last week among factions competing for power in the Gaza Strip, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas suddenly announced early elections. Whether Abbas' Fatah party can unseat the radical Hamas remains unclear, as does the future of the Israeli-Palestinian peace process. ISSUE PREVIEW A flood of public and private money has started to flow to the developing world, funding a vast array of efforts to combat AIDS, TB, malaria, and other killer diseases. Unfortunately, writes Laurie Garrett, Senior Fellow for Global Health at the Council on Foreign Relations, much of that "is leaking away without result," doing little to improve basic public health on the ground. BACKGROUND ON THE NEWS The Baker-Hamilton commission yesterday released the much-awaited Iraq Study Group Report, an argument for a new U.S. policy in Iraq. In this special Web exclusive, Foreign Affairs asks four experts — Stephen Biddle, Larry Diamond, James Dobbins, and Leslie Gelb — to assess the report's findings and debate what Washington should do next. BACKGROUND ON THE NEWS China has just overtaken Japan as the world's second-largest spender on research and development, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development reports — and its efforts are furrowing brows abroad. Yet spending alone might not be enough to overcome China's deep structural problems in this area. BACKGROUND ON THE NEWS This has been a good month for Vietnam: on November 7, after a decade of negotiations, it finally secured a seat at the World Trade Organization, and this past weekend it hosted the annual APEC summit and earned lavish praise from U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. In fact, the country has had a good year in general: with an annual growth rate hovering at 8 percent, its economy is one of the fastest expanding in Asia. How has Hanoi worked its wonders? BACKGROUND ON THE NEWS Early results from Sunday's election show the former Sandinista guerilla leader Daniel Ortega as the likely next president of Nicaragua. The return to power of Ronald Reagan's foe is a symbolic blow for U.S. foreign policy and further evidence that Latin America is swerving to the left. But does it really bode ill? ISSUE PREVIEW Immigration is one of the most controversial issues on the American political scene, notes the Manhattan Institute's Tamar Jacoby in the new issue of Foreign Affairs, but the irony is that there is actually a strong and sensible national consensus on how to deal with the problem: embrace and expand the "market-based" approach championed by the Bush administration. BACKGROUND ON THE NEWS Last week, NATO assumed command over some 32,000 peacekeeping troops from 37 countries in Afghanistan, including 12,000 U.S. forces in the eastern part of the country. The move confirmed that the half-century-old organization has entered a new era — and is now facing unprecedented challenges. BACKGROUND ON THE NEWS Elected in a landslide just last year, Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra was deposed last week in a bloodless overthrow organized by the military. Over the year his fall from grace had been steady and swift, thanks to his abuse of power, repression of the opposition and Muslim minorities, and allegations of corruption. BACKGROUND ON THE NEWS In this special Web-only feature, an all-star cast of experts assess the state of the "war on terror" at five. BACKGROUND ON THE NEWS Five years after 9/11, there have been no further terrorist attacks in the United States, but many claim that the danger remains real and that another might be just around the corner. ISSUE PREVIEW The growing influence of evangelical Christians in the United States is making itself felt in foreign policy. BACKGROUND ON THE NEWS With Fidel Castro ill and the reins of power in Havana passed, at least temporarily, to his brother Raul, attention has turned to what a post-Castro Cuba will look like. BACKGROUND ON THE NEWS The battle between Israel and Hezbollah continues to escalate, as Israel seeks to eliminate the terrorist organization. Despite Israel's military strength, the asymmetric nature of the conflict in some respects favors Hezbollah. BACKGROUND ON THE NEWS In this special web-only feature, Christopher Hitchens, Fred Kaplan, Kevin Drum, and Marc Lynch respond to "What to Do in Iraq: A Roundtable," from the July/August issue of Foreign Affairs. BACKGROUND ON THE NEWS In this special web-only feature, Christopher Hitchens, Fred Kaplan, Kevin Drum, and Marc Lynch respond to "What to Do in Iraq: A Roundtable", from the July/August issue of Foreign Affairs. BACKGROUND ON THE NEWS Whomever Mexicans vote for in Sunday's presidential election, the man they choose could become either a statesman who consolidates the country's democracy or a demagogue who returns the country to an era of crises. ISSUE PREVIEW Once proudly socialist and nonaligned, India is being remade as a roaring capitalist success story and emerging strategic partner of the United States. Economic reforms have raised per capita GDP and lowered poverty rates, while New Delhi's growing self-confidence may help it become the swing state in the global balance of power. In the July/August issue of Foreign Affairs, a special lead package has brought together four top experts to analyze the sources and implications of India's rise — and the policies necessary for it to continue. BACKGROUND ON THE NEWS Given Tehran's defiant pursuit of its nuclear program and its influence among Shiites in Iraq, how to manage relations with Iran has become a critical--and vexing--issue for Washington. To succeed, negotiations require knowing one's interlocutor, and distinguishing the posturing from the policy and the ideologues from the pragmatists in Iran is far from easy. The belligerent comments of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad have sometimes been dismissed as the rantings of an extremist with limited power. But nerves were frayed this weekend when Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran's most powerful cleric, warned that if Washington made a "wrong move," Iran would have no qualms disrupting "energy flow" in the Middle East. For an insight into the complicated balance of power within Tehran's ruling elite, religious and political, and how Washington might be able to sway it in its direction, consider a Foreign Affairs article by Ray Takeyh and Kenneth Pollack from last year. BACKGROUND ON THE NEWS On Monday, President George W. Bush announced that in an effort to address illegal immigration into the United States he has proposed deploying thousands of National Guard troops along the Mexican border while initiating a guest worker program and a path toward legalization for some undocumented workers already in the country. The White House's plan could pit the Bush administration against Mexico and is also divisive at home, where activists on both extremes criticize its attempt to chart a middle course. BACKGROUND ON THE NEWS After a month of daring demonstrations, Nepalese protesters, with the help of Maoist rebels, have brought King Gyanendra to his knees. Since just last week, Gyanendra has already abdicated much of his authority, agreeing to restore parliament, which has not met in four years. And the insurgents, who have been fighting a savage resistance for a decade, have declared a unilateral ceasefire, offering Nepal its first opportunity for peace and serious political reform in a long while. ISSUE PREVIEW In the May/June issue of Foreign Affairs, former Mexican foreign minister Jorge G. Castañeda contends that only Latin America's ex-communist left can stop the region's populists. Rather than fretting over the left's rise in general, the rest of the world should focus on fostering the leftist leaders who may have radical roots but have modernized their approach. BACKGROUND ON THE NEWS A proposed change to French law that would make it easier for employers to fire (and thus hire) young employees has brought students into the streets and onto the barricades while causing political trouble for Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin. BACKGROUND ON THE NEWS Last week, the UN General Assembly voted to replace the controversial Human Rights Commission with a smaller Human Rights Council. Among the myriad criticisms of the now-defunct commission was that many member states, such as Libya and Sudan, served on the panel only in order to stifle debate about their own atrocious human-rights records. SPECIAL EDITION The fall of Baghdad in April 2003 opened one of the most secretive and brutal governments in history to outside scrutiny for the first time. Seizing a unique opportunity, the U.S. Joint Forces Command (USJFCOM) commissioned a secret comprehensive study of the inner workings and behavior of Saddam Hussein's regime based on previously inaccessible primary sources. BACKGROUND ON THE NEWS President George W. Bush's announcement last week that Washington will tolerate India's nuclear status has drawn fire from analysts who fear the move could undermine nonproliferation efforts everywhere. ISSUE PREVIEW In the March/April issue of Foreign Affairs, Council on Foreign Relations Senior Fellow Stephen Biddle explains why the greatest challenge in Iraq is not counterinsurgency or nation-building but preventing a full-scale communal civil war. Iraq is not Vietnam, he argues, and so Vietnam-resonant policies such as "Iraqization" are misguided and will only pour fuel on local fires. BACKGROUND ON THE NEWS Seven years after the end of the war in Kosovo, the terrority's final status is still up in the air. Formal negotiations about independence for the semi-autonomous province of the federation known as Serbia and Montenegro resume this week, but it is unclear where the talks (among representatives of Serbia, Kosovo, the United States, NATO, and the UN) will lead. BACKGROUND ON THE NEWS Although in his State of the Union address President Bush reiterated his commitment to spreading democracy in the Middle East, recent elections in the region have benefited Islamist radicals most of all. BACKGROUND ON THE NEWS Since Hurricanes Katrina and Rita disrupted the world oil market a few months ago, the industry has continued to experience hiccups. Fears over security at oil facilities in Nigeria linger; President Hugo Chávez is still threatening to halt the flow of Venezuelan oil to the United States; and recently both Ukraine and Georgia have experienced disruptions of gas supplies from Russia. BACKGROUND ON THE NEWS With Palestinian parliamentary elections scheduled for January 25, the Gaza Strip slipping into chaos, and Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon fighting for his life, the Palestinians' future is once again up for grabs. Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas has tried to keep all internal and external factions happy simultaneously, but his balancing act has satisfied none of them and his mainstream Fatah movement might well lose electoral ground to Hamas as a result. BACKGROUND ON THE NEWS Earlier this month, the government of Kazakhstan removed a British comedian's Web site hosted on the country's .kz domain claiming that the comic's material was derogatory to the Kazakh people. The move gave credence to the U.S. government's reluctance to give up control of the Internet's domain name system to the United Nations. ISSUE PREVIEW Outdated and simplistic ideas remain influential in the public's debate over issues related to the Muslim world. In the January/February issue of Foreign Affairs, top experts move the debate forward on Islamic law and women's rights, madrasahs and terrorism, and a host of other issues. ISSUE PREVIEW Sixty years of multilateral trade negotiations have resulted in ever-lower barriers and ever-higher economic growth worldwide. There is still a chance that the Doha Round — the current series of trade talks — could continue this pattern, but on the verge of the WTO's Hong Kong ministerial meeting, the prospects do not look good. In this special edition of Foreign Affairs, some of the world's top experts on international trade consider what will be necessary for the Doha Round to succeed — and what might happen if it does not. BACKGROUND ON THE NEWS With the historic withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza under his belt, Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon made another bold move this week: he announced that he will quit the conservative Likud party he helped found to start a new, centrist party and called for the dissolution of Knesset to precipitate general elections ahead of schedule. BACKGROUND ON THE NEWS The riots of disaffected Muslim youth in France stem from domestic socioeconomic divisions rather than a global clash of civilizations, and thus have more in common with the periodic eruptions in South Central Los Angeles than the recent subway bombings in London. BACKGROUND ON THE NEWS Germany's recent elections have resulted in a changing of the political guard in Berlin, with one of the casualties being the charismatic foreign minister Joschka Fischer. ISSUE PREVIEW In the November/December issue of Foreign Affairs, former Secretary of Defense Melvin Laird speaks out for the first time in many years. During Richard Nixon's first term, he argues, the United States managed to withdraw American forces while creating a viable South Vietnamese army. According to Laird, the same approach could work in Iraq today. BACKGROUND ON THE NEWS Last week's announcement that the 1918 influenza pandemic was caused by a virus that jumped from birds to humans has increased fears that another avian flu crisis might be looming. BACKGROUND ON THE NEWS The recent dissolution of the government in Ukraine has prompted fears that President Viktor Yushchenko might be straying from the precepts of the Orange Revolution he helped lead last year. But Adrian Karatnycky, who reported on that revolution in Foreign Affairs a few months ago, explains in a new postscript why there's little cause for concern. BACKGROUND ON THE NEWS Hurricane Katrina's ravages in the Gulf Coast earlier this month have left many foreign policy experts questioning the Department of Homeland Security's capacity to prevent or limit the damages of a large-scale terrorist attack on the United States. BACKGROUND ON THE NEWS If Iraq's elections last January were inspiring, the wrangling over the drafting of its constitution has been disquieting. After months of negotiations, Sunni leaders rejected the charter last week and are now calling on their followers throughout the country to vote against it in a planned mid-October referendum. ISSUE PREVIEW In the September/October issue of Foreign Affairs, writers from the mainland, Hong Kong and Singapore analyze the rapid growth of China and how it affects U.S. foreign policy. BACKGROUND ON THE NEWS Last month the Bush administration announced plans to sell India civilian nuclear technology, prompting a firestorm of criticism from nonproliferation advocates. BACKGROUND ON THE NEWS American thinking about U.S. relations with the Islamic world is a disquieting mix of high anxiety and growing uncertainly about current policy according to a new national tracking survey conducted by Public Agenda in conjunction with Foreign Affairs. BACKGROUND ON THE NEWS In the opening months of its second term, the Bush administration has only intensified its rhetoric on the importance of bringing democracy to authoritarian states, not least as a way of improving American security. BACKGROUND ON THE NEWS As the insurgency drags on and casualties mount, American public support for the Iraq operation has begun to decline. BACKGROUND ON THE NEWS As Iran prepares for the second round of its presidential election, Western states are hoping for a winner who might be willing to negotiate an end to Tehran's nuclear program. ISSUE PREVIEW On newsstands June 29, the July/August 2005 issue of Foreign Affairs features a special set of articles focusing on the deadly avian influenza virus — and the preparations being made by governments and international organizations to deal with the possible global pandemic. BACKGROUND ON THE NEWS Last week French and Dutch voters killed the new European constitution, but opposition to the ambitious treaty had been on the rise among the peoples of many EU states as well. BACKGROUND ON THE NEWS Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon has surprised many with his move to withdraw from the Gaza Strip — including veteran Haaretz correspondent Aluf Benn, who profiled Sharon for Foreign Affairs three years ago. BACKGROUND ON THE NEWS The fall of Ecuadorian president Lucio Gutiérrez last month came as no surprise: it was just the latest in a series of incidents that have highlighted growing unrest in the turbulent southern crescent of the Andes. BACKGROUND ON THE NEWS Massive exports of cheap textiles from China have recently threatened to crush domestic markets in the United States and Europe. The flood of goods has revived fears about the growing giant's competitive advantage and calls for protectionism to limit it. ISSUE PREVIEW On newsstands April 26, the May/June 2005 issue of Foreign Affairs features essays by Fouad Ajami and Bernard Lewis examining the prospects for democratization in the Middle East. BACKGROUND ON THE NEWS As an increasing number of Lebanese have been pushing for Syria to end its occupation of their country, Hezbollah has found itself caught between the demands of its patron in Damascus and the necessities of domestic politics in Beirut. The Party of God, long both a revolutionary terrorist group and a Lebanese political and social movement, may be forced to choose a single identity once and for all. BACKGROUND ON THE NEWS Last week, the leaders of the United States, Canada, and Mexico committed their nations to an extension of NAFTA called the North American Alliance for Prosperity and Security. The leaders' pledge for greater cooperation in a range of different areas could be an important step toward a true North American community. SPECIAL EDITION To commemorate the passing on Thursday of George Kennan, one of the most important foreign-policy thinkers of the twentieth century, Foreign Affairs has made available a comprehensive selection of his writings from this magazine. Covering a span of 50 years, the selections begin with the seminal "X" article of 1947, "The Sources of Soviet Conduct." BACKGROUND ON THE NEWS Does the Bush administration deserve credit for the recent democratic flowering in the Middle East? Writing in Foreign Affairs two years ago, Princeton University's Michael Scott Doran argued against those who claimed that the Palestinian issue was the crucial pivot on which Middle Eastern events turned. BACKGROUND ON THE NEWS Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak announced last week that for the first time in the country's history, the next presidential elections would be open to candidates from several different parties. Given Mubarak's 23 years of soft authoritarian rule, the statement came as a surprise and might constitute a first step toward democratic reform. Or it might not. ISSUE PREVIEW On newsstands March 1, the March/April 2005 issue of Foreign Affairs features an essay by Kenneth Pollack and Ray Takeyh proposing a comprehensive package of threats and rewards to steer Iran off the nuclear path. BACKGROUND ON THE NEWS Vast numbers of the children who survived last December's tsunami are now orphans who need to be placed in new families. Unfortunately, the legal standards that govern international adoption could keep them from finding loving homes abroad. BACKGROUND ON THE NEWS Iraq's elections this week were a momentous event, for Iraqis, the Middle East more generally, and American foreign policy. Still, it is unclear just what government they will bring and what their ultimate significance for the country's future will be. BACKGROUND ON THE NEWS Last week, the government in Khartoum and rebels in the south finally signed an agreement to end Sudan's decades-long civil war, paving the way for the south's eventual independence. Unfortunately, the deal addresses only half of the country's problems, as another war between Khartoum and other rebels devastates the western province of Darfur. BACKGROUND ON THE NEWS Rocked by the oil-for-food scandal and unprecendented tension with the U.S. government, the United Nations took a serious beating in 2004, prompting Secretary-General Kofi Annan to call last year the organization's "annus horribilis." Following on the institutional crisis surrounding the Iraq war, these difficulties have prompted several rounds of soul-searching that could lead to extensive reforms. BACKGROUND ON THE NEWS: SPECIAL DOUBLE ISSUE After decimating sub-Saharan Africa, the HIV/AIDS epidemic is now reaching alarming proportions in Eurasia. Earlier this month, the UN's top HIV/AIDS official said the epidemic was "perilously close to a tipping point" in China, India, and Russia, where, although it is still confined to high-risk populations and geographically contained, it is on the verge of an exponential outbreak. A Crescent Among Stars Last week, the heads of state of the European Union agreed to start talks to consider letting Turkey join the union's ranks. In a new postscript, David Phillips writes that last week's decision is a remarkable victory for the reformist Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, but that Erdogan will have to score many more before Turkey can finally become fully European. ISSUE PREVIEW On newsstands January 4, a special post-election issue of Foreign Affairs considers the major foreign policy challenges facing the Bush administration as it starts its second term. BACKGROUND ON THE NEWS The EU has already admitted ten new members this year, but next week it will consider whether to open negotiations for the accession of Turkey. Although the secular government in Ankara has already pushed through remarkable reforms to bring Turkey in line with EU requirements, many are not yet convinced that the vast Muslim country can blend in with the EU's Christian majorities. BACKGROUND ON THE NEWS Last week, France, Germany, and the United Kingdom got Iran to agree to suspend its uranium-enrichment program — a critical step, many hope, toward preventing Tehran from developing nuclear weapons. BACKGROUND ON THE NEWS Following the failure to stop the September 11, 2001 attacks or find weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, a fundamental overhaul of the nation's intelligence services seemed in the offing. BACKGROUND ON THE NEWS: SPECIAL EDITION Yasir Arafat's long career as a crucial player in the modern history of the Middle East is finally coming to a close. For decades Arafat has been synonymous with the Palestinian struggle, leading his community in war, peace, and the nebulous realm in between. BACKGROUND ON THE NEWS The Bush administration surprised many last year by pressing for and winning unprecedented funding for combating the spread of HIV/AIDS. ISSUE PREVIEW On newsstands November 2, the November/December issue of Foreign Affairs examines the United States' post-Iraq credibility problem. Also, Council Fellow Adam Segal warns of the Asian challenge to U.S. technological supremacy. BACKGROUND ON THE NEWS Last week, the Russian government announced that it would move to ratify the Kyoto Protocol capping emissions of greenhouse gases that cause global warming. Russia's decision to join the 120 countries that have already ratified it paves the way for the 1997 agreement to finally come into force. BACKGROUND ON THE NEWS: SPECIAL DOUBLE ISSUE Next month, Afghanistan will have its first free presidential and parliamentary elections since the fall of the Taliban--a seminal event for the country. Putin's Putsch Moscow's fierce war against Chechen insurgents has been plaguing Russia for more than a decade, but with Vladimir Putin's recent centralization of power in the Kremlin in response to the Beslan massacre it is now having profound structural repercussions on Russian democracy. BACKGROUND ON THE NEWS The Bush administration recently announced plans to withdraw more than 60,000 U.S. soldiers from Asia and Europe over the next ten years and redeploy some of them to the Middle East and other hotspots. The move is designed to maximize the armed forces' versatility and efficiency in responding to new threats, but some, including John Kerry's advisers, are skeptical. BACKGROUND ON THE NEWS Tension is rising in the breakaway regions of South Ossetia and Abkhazia in Georgia, as President Mikheil Saakashvili seeks to bring these regions under control while Russia continues to make mischief by supporting the separatists. ISSUE PREVIEW On newsstands August 31, the September/October issue of Foreign Affairs takes a critical look at the effectiveness of anti-terrorism efforts inside the U.S. itself. Also, in "What Went Wrong in Iraq," former CPA advisor Larry Diamond sets out the consequences of the early blunders in the U.S. occupation. BACKGROUND ON THE NEWS Next week Venezuelan President Hugo Chˇvez will face his biggest political challenge yet: a national referendum to determine whether he should be ousted before the end of his term. Elected in 1998 on the promise of purging the government of corruption, the once-popular president has since alienated business interests, trade unions, and even some of the poor who carried him to power. BACKGROUND ON THE NEWS In a 2000 article for Foreign Affairs, Peter Spiro examined how advocates of a "new sovereigntism" called for the United States to resist being absorbed into a broader community of international law, standards, and institutions. BACKGROUND ON THE NEWS In a powerful challenge to Yasir Arafat's authority as Palestinian leader, the armed wing of the Fatah political movement recently called for a comprehensive campaign against corruption in the Palestinian Authority. BACKGROUND ON THE NEWS Over the past few years there have been extensive debates about how the United States could use its unprecedented power to deal with failing states and the threats they pose. In a 2002 Foreign Affairs article, Sebastian Mallaby argued that the country should become a modern "empire." Now, he offers some second thoughts. ISSUE PREVIEW On newsstands June 29, the July/August 2004 issue of Foreign Affairs assesses Iraq's new realities and sets out a practical agenda for dealing with global warming. BACKGROUND ON THE NEWS While tens of thousands held a vigil in Hong Kong last week to mark the 15th anniversary of the crackdown, only handfuls were allowed to gather in Beijing. The disparity suggests that, despite significant liberalization over the past decade, the China's communist government is still intent on containing the development of democracy, especially free speech. BACKGROUND ON THE NEWS: SPECIAL DOUBLE ISSUE With the dramatic raid on Ahmed Chalabi's Baghdad headquarters last week, the Bush administration's long-running affair with the controversial Iraqi exile leader may finally have ended. Not So Cheap Despite Saudi Arabia's recent vows to step up its oil production, world oil prices are still flirting with record highs, prompting jitters over global economic recovery. BACKGROUND ON THE NEWS Bogged down in disputes among domestic adoption agencies, the U.S. government has just delayed implementing the Hague Convention on Intercountry Adoption, perhaps until 2006. BACKGROUND ON THE NEWS Last week the Bush administration essentially endorsed Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's plans for dealing with the Palestinians. In an article for Foreign Affairs last year, Marc Lynch discussed how the United States could improve its standing in the Arab world. The latest embrace of Sharon will only make that task harder. ISSUE PREVIEW On newsstands May 3, the May/June 2004 issue of Foreign Affairs leads with an essay by Daniel W. Drezner in which he takes a critical look at the economic data in order to debunk the conventional wisdom about the practice of offshore outsourcing. BACKGROUND ON THE NEWS The Shiite uprising in Iraq this past week led by radical cleric Moqtada al-Sadr and his militia has shaken leaders from Baghdad to Washington. With unrest continuing in the "Sunni Triangle," American forces are now fighting a two-front insurgency even as they make plans to cede control over the country to Iraqis in a few months. wBACKGROUND ON THE NEWS By ordering a record fine against Microsoft for abusing its "near monopoly," the European Commission demonstrated once again last week that it is far more suspicious of free-market forces than regulators in the United States. SPECIAL WEB PREVIEW According to the election-year bluster of politicians and pundits, the outsourcing of American jobs to other countries has become a problem of epic proportion. BACKGROUND ON THE NEWS Last week's devastating bombings in Madrid may jolt European states into revising their antiterrorism strategies, especially if the attacks turn out to have been orchestrated by al Qaeda. BACKGROUND ON THE NEWS With U.S. support, Pakistan recently launched an ambitious offensive against al Qaeda and Taliban operatives suspected of hiding along its border with Afghanistan. ISSUE PREVIEW On newsstands March 3, the March/April 2004 issue of Foreign Affairs features a series of three essays addressing the future of the U.S. military. BACKGROUND ON THE NEWS The current uprising against Jean-Bertrand Aristide is more than a political crisis in a country with weak democratic traditions. It's the latest symptom of Haiti's pathological inability to break the cycle of poverty and violence within its borders. BACKGROUND ON THE NEWS According to the Russian government, the Moscow subway bombing that killed 39 commuters last week was the work of Chechen insurgents — something the rebels themselves deny. The attack is a stark reminder that Vladimir Putin, too, is struggling to quell terrorism as Russia's presidential elections near. BACKGROUND ON THE NEWS This month, Iran's conservative Council of Guardians banned hundreds of candidates from running in next month's parliamentary race, fueling long-standing tensions between stalwart clerics and reformists. BACKGROUND ON THE NEWS In a surprise breakthrough this week, India and Pakistan agreed to resume stalled peace talks. The most pressing issue on the agenda will be the disputed territory of Kashmir, over which the two countries have already fought three wars. ISSUE PREVIEW On newsstands January 6, the January/February 2004 issue of Foreign Affairs leads with an essay by Colin Powell about the strategy behind the Bush administration's foreign policy. BACKGROUND ON THE NEWS Now that Saddam Hussein has been captured, the question is what to do with him. There is general agreement that he should be brought to justice for his crimes, but disagreement over where, how, and under what auspices. BACKGROUND ON THE NEWS This week the Department of Homeland Security dropped a controversial program requiring adult men mostly from Arab countries to register with immigration authorities, even after they had lawfully entered the United States. BACKGROUND ON THE NEWS The North Korea nuclear crisis showed signs of easing recently when—following multilateral negotiations involving China, Japan, Russia, South Korea, and the United States—Pyongyang agreed to consider dismantling its nuclear programs in exchange for security guarantees from Washington. BACKGROUND ON THE NEWS This week the government in Khartoum and rebels in the south undertook to end the civil war that has opposed them for half a century and has killed 2 million people since 1983. ISSUE PREVIEW On newsstands November 4, the November/December 2003 issue of Foreign Affairs examines China's new diplomatic maturity and its gathering economic strength. BACKGROUND ON THE NEWS Israel's recent air raid into Syria has upset the precarious relations between the two countries and fueled fears of a direct confrontation. BACKGROUND ON THE NEWS Spurred by Argentina's recent success in renegotiating its staggering foreign debt, Brazil and other Latin American countries saddled with loans are pressuring the IMF to rethink its repayment policies, reviving doubts about the soundness of the global financial order. BACKGROUND ON THE NEWS September's WTO trade talks in Cancun collapsed in acrimony after a new coalition of developing nations denounced rich countries for not lifting protectionist farm subsidies. BACKGROUND ON THE NEWS Libya's recent $2.7 billion settlement offer to the families of the victims of the 1988 Lockerbie bombing should speed the end of UN sanctions against it, and has prompted discussion about the possible lifting of U.S. unilateral sanctions as well. ISSUE PREVIEW On newsstands August 29, the September/October 2003 issue of Foreign Affairs assesses the diplomatic record of the 43rd president. BACKGROUND ON THE NEWS The recent seizures in Thailand and Georgia of radioactive material apparently intended for sale to terrorists, along with earlier attacks in Saudi Arabia and Morocco, remind us all of the grave and continuing danger of terrorism. ISSUE PREVIEW On newsstands June 29, the July/August 2003 issue of Foreign Affairs explores the surprising ramifications of the war in Iraq.
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