The Philippines' Potential Partnership with Russia Should Cause the US Concern as It Seeks to Maintain a Carefully-Crafted Balance in the South China Sea.
Al Qaeda has taken advantage of the US's distraction with ISIS to gain ground in Yemen. To stop al Qaeda, the US must help Yemen find a way to restore peace.
Although sometimes ignored as the vestiges of the old USSR, the five "Stans" of Central Asia are crucial to the world balance of power and the US efforts against narcotics and terrorism.
America's hard-power buildup may provoke rather than deter China's sustained push into the South China Sea; post-Cold War political realities require a far more nuanced response.
