30 Global Crises To Watch For In 2013

  

One of President Obama's strongest applause lines on the campaign trail was his oft-repeated pledge to do "nation-building at home" during his second-term. This is the stated goal of many presidents facing reelection but, more often than not, unanticipated world events get in the way. In the Middle East, Syria's chemical weapons stockpile is in a precarious state; in Asia, China's territorial disputes with U.S. treaty allies are increasingly strident; in North Africa, the growth and collaboration of al-Qaeda-inspired extremists could result in safe haven for international terrorism. President Obama and his new foreign policy team cannot plan for, prevent, or mitigate all the crises that the United States could potentially face in 2013. With slight reductions to the defense and foreign affairs budgets on the horizon, they must prioritize the contingencies that warrant the attention of senior policymakers. The Center for Preventive Action's Preventive Priorities Survey (PPS) seeks to help in that process by identifying plausible contingencies and ranking them based on their potential impact to U.S. interests and likelihood of occurring in 2013. The survey can be found here.

For the rest of the story: http://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2012/12/a-third-intifada-and-castros-demise-30-global-crises-to-watch-for-in-2013/266539/