Since early 2012, a violent conflict has been brewing in Mali, one that has forced the international community to consider whether or not this North African country is another Afghanistan in the making.

A list of some of the critical economic and security issues facing the world in January 2013.

Deteriorating stability in both Syria and Iraq suggests that the Middle East might be skidding dangerously close to the precipice of a widespread sectarian conflict.

The proliferation of Islamic fundamentalist groups across Africa represents the latest iteration of the War on Terror.

New evidence of ties between Boko Haram, a Nigerian militant Islamist group, and Al Qaeda’s branch in North Africa threatens to unleash a new wave of terrorism in Nigeria and the Sahel region.

It was not even a year ago that former Mossad chief, Meir Dagan, stated that the idea of Israel bombing Iranian nuclear facilities was, "the stupidest idea I’ve ever heard.”

Three massive bombings in quick succession would generally be cause for concern for a national leader. Paradoxically, for Syria’s Bashar al-Assad, they’re a sign that things are looking up.

The US State Department wants to open channels to non-state actors, but its policy at the practical level is still muddled.

It's a dizzying time for anyone trying to keep track of militant groups in Pakistan. Over the past two years, ever smaller groups keep appearing; as they do, they focus on more specific kinds of attacks.

It seems that Afghan and NATO authorities are once more seeking a dialogue with the Taliban- even after last year’s debacle of being fooled by a ‘very clever’ Pakistani shopkeeper pretending to be a Taliban official.