The arrests of four Iranian-Americans have created a chill among those in Iran working to open up civil society and led to disagreements over U.S. support for those efforts.

Despite a security clampdown in Baghdad, Iraq’s capital remains a hotbed of sectarian violence. The new government has yet to find a solution—military, political, or otherwise—for securing the city.

Kim Jong-il’s death has prompted discussion about the future of the isolated country and its nuclear weapons program. Experts cited in this CFR Backgrounder believe a post-Kim regime in North Korea w…