Critical Regions and Issues Involving U.S. Foreign Policy
By Steve Jones, About.com Guide
Iraq
While the Obama Administration has begun withdrawing US troops from Iraq, the war that the United States began there in 2003 and its fallout continue to occupy much of American foreign policy efforts.
- Iraq War Central
- Profile: Iraq War
- Foreign Policy Political Casualties from the Iraq War
- Foreign Policy Implications of the Iraq War
- Iraq War: Paths Forward
Afghanistan
The US-led war in Afghanistan, which began in November 2001, effectively became "Obama's War" in 2009 when the president ordered a troop surge to roll back gains of the Taliban. In June 2011, Obama announced the beginning of troop withdrawals, but Afghanistan truly remains a critical foreign policy region.
Libya and Africa
Libya dominates much of America's foreign policy attention in Africa, but the US has interests throughout the continent.
- Weapons Nonproliferation
- U.S. Recognizes Libyan Rebels
- History of US-Libya Relations
- Obama Defends War in Libya
- No "no-fly" Zone for Ivory Coast
Europe and Eurasia
The United States and western Europe have traditionally had close ties. After the fall of Communism, the U.S. has also made inroads into eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union.
- U.S. Rejects Abkhazia Election
- U.S.-Russia Relationship
- U.S. And Russia On Syria
- U.S.-Russian Trade Barriers
- U.S. And Great Britain: The Special Relationship After WWII
Israel, the Middle East, and Persian Gulf
Ensuring security for Israel and securing peace among its neighbors has been a prime part of U.S. foreign policy for over 50 years.
- U.S. and Palestine
- Road Map for Peace
- Oslo Accords
- Treasury Slaps Sanctions on Syria
- Syria Sanctions Act
- U.S. Recognizes Syrian Opposition Council
- U.S. Warns Syria Against Chemical Weapons Use
- Obama, Netanyahu, and Iran
- Obama On Israel
- Profile: U.S.-Israeli Relations
- Timeline of U.S.-Israeli Relations
- Profile: U.S.-Egyptian Relations
- Profile: U.S.-Syrian Relations
- Profile: U.S.-Iranian Relations
- About Guide to Middle East Issues
Asia
From North Korea's sabre-rattling and suspected nuclear weapons program, to China's emergence as one of the world's top economic powers, East Asia remains a focus of US foreign relations.
- U.S.-Taiwan Relations
- China Lectures US Over Debt Crisis
- Tibetan Policy Act of 2002
- Profile: U.S.-North Korean Relations
- Timeline of U.S.-North Korean Relations
- Profile: Christopher Hill
- U.S. and Burma
- Obama In Burma
- U.S. and Japan After WWII
- The U.S. In The Vietnam War
- The U.S. And Vietnam Today
- U.S. And China FDI
Latin America and the Caribbean
Hostile governments in Cuba and Venezuela, drug and human trafficking, and immigration issues continue to mark US foreign policy issues with the countries of Central and South America and the Caribbean.