North Korean leader Kim Jong-Il's death has strategists and policymakers asking the same question: What's next? Among some there is a strong sense that a leadership change in Pyongyang represents the best opportunity in decades for North Korea to join the international community as a normal state. Pyongyang stands at a crossroads.

 On Human Rights in Iran; On the Treatment of Civil Society Actors; On Women's Rights; On Religious and Ethnic Minorities; On Capital Punishment; 

China's naval advances to challenge U.S. dominance by 2020; Hanoi and Beijing continue to spar over South China Sea

The furor accompanying the recent dissemination of classified military files by WikiLeaks has focused some much-needed attention on the damaging role Pakistan plays in the Afghan theater. As the WikiLeaks documents highlight in damning detail, Islamabad's close - and ongoing - cooperation with the Taliban has made it a key accessory to the worsening insurgency against the U.S.-led coalition on the war on terror's first front.

But what can actually be done about Islamabad's double-dealing? Disengagement, after all, is simply not an option. By dint of its strategic geography, Pakistan is a key player in Afghanistan, and its constructive involvement is essential to ensuring lasting stability there - especially following the planned July 2011 U.S. withdrawal. Pakistan is also a nuclear power, and the specter of Islamists gaining control of its burgeoning atomic arsenal is a nightmare scenario the West has sought to forestall through increased diplomatic engagement and foreign aid.

For years, Pakistan has played on these fears to get a pass on its domestic conduct and keep American dollars flowing. But this does not mean the United States lacks the ability to steer Pakistan toward a more constructive course. To the contrary, a number of opportunities exist for Washington to influence Islamabad's stance on terrorism and radical Islam.

Mao Zedong Thought makes a comeback; Beijing cracks down on independent reporting

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CRM Special Edition: "Grassroots China"

China to invest $680 billion in west over 10 yrs; Beijing grudgingly assents to democratic advance in HK

Obama accuses China of "willfull blindness" on Cheonan sinking; A first: China admits North started Korean War

Beijing audits new rural medical system; China grapples with syphilis epidemic