Iraqi Election Law Dispute

Only days after the Iraqi Parliament passed its new election law, one of Iraq’s vice presidents has vetoed the bill, threatening to delay elections which according to the constitution must happen by the end of January 2010. The postponement could result in an unconstitutional caretaker government headed by Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, which risks renewed sectarian violence and delay the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq.

Special Resource on Iraq's Elections

Fixing a Failed Strategy in Afghanistan

As the debate on future U.S. strategy draws to a close, the balance of power in Afghanistan seems to be shifting in the Taliban’s favor. Gilles Dorronsoro explains that more troops alone will not fix a flawed approach: the United States and its allies need to focus on protecting key cities and roads and reallocating resources to the North.

More on Afghanistan:: U.S. Afghan Strategy [event]; Getting Lost in Afghanistan [op-ed]; Who Are the Taliban? [Q&A]; The Afghanistan Problem [op-ed]

Manmohan Singh Visits Washington

India’s prime minister, Manmohan Singh, will travel to Washington on November 24 to meet with President Obama. Ashley Tellis suggests that the U.S. administration should use this opportunity to announce its support for a permanent seat for India on the United Nations Security Council. U.S. Under Secretary of State William J. Burns

outlines the Obama administration's approach to India.

Obama and Asia:: The United States and India 3.0 [policy brief]; Carnegie Experts on Obama's Asia Policies [q&a]

Restoring the NPT

The upcoming 2010 Non-Proliferation Treaty Review Conference is an opportunity to strengthen the struggling nonproliferation regime. Deepti Choubey identifies achievable goals for the conference and outlines the steps nuclear and non-nuclear-weapon states must take to avert a complete failure of the regime.

More on the Nonproliferation:: Egyptian Nuclear Leadership—Time to Realign? [policy outlook]; Iran Brings Urgency to U.S.'s Need to Ratify Nuclear-Test Treaty [op-ed]; The CTBT’s Importance for U.S. National Security [Q&A]; Ratifying the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty [press statement]

Iran's Nuclear Ambitions

Senior officials from the Britain, France, the United States, Germany, Russia, and China met on Friday to discuss the next step in international efforts to address Iran’s nuclear ambitions. Carnegie scholars provide analysis of the continuing negotiations over Iran’s nuclear program and the implications of that program for regional and global security.