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2006 was a turbulent year in world politics, with military coups in Thailand and Fiji, an entrenched insurgency in Afghanistan, and worsening sectarian violence in Iraq. And more governments are tottering. In this week’s List, FP takes a look at the regimes that may collapse next.

Many newborns throughout the developing world are undernourished because they are not breastfed during their first few months of life. Often their mothers have passed away or are HIV-positive. But last year, a first-time mother from America’s Midwest decided to send her excess breast milk to Africa. FP spoke with the 29-year-old about her unlikely quest, which has since turned into an international project.

Vietnam taught many Americans the wrong lesson: that determined guerrilla fighters are invincible. But history shows that insurgents rarely win, and Iraq should be no different. Now that it finally has a winning strategy, the Bush administration is in a race against time to beat the insurgency before the public’s patience finally wears out.

In his January 10 address to the American people calling for 21,500 more troops to Iraq, President Bush defined a provocative position on Iran. FP asked two prominent experts to dissect America’s new hard line on Iraq’s Persian neighbor—and predict its chances for ending the sectarian violence in Iraq.

Ahead of President George W. Bush’s prime-time speech announcing the deployment of more than 21,000 additional troops to Iraq, FP asked security strategist Anthony Cordesman to weigh in on the plan’s likelihood of success, whether the overstretched U.S. military can afford the increase, and whether the United States has a true partner in Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki.

Anti-American autocrat Hugo Chávez was sworn in for a third term as Venezuelan president after promising to nationalize "strategic" sectors of the economy and bring "21st Century Socialism" to the masses. But his appeal among Venezuela’s poor is based on a lie. A new analysis of his government’s own statistics finds that his policies don’t actually help them.

It’s an off year in American politics. But elsewhere, voters will make crucial decisions at the polls in 2007. The results could test the limits of tolerance in Europe, become bellwethers for democracy in the Muslim world, and strengthen the left’s grip on Latin America. This week, The List takes a look at five key elections to watch this year.

Saddam Hussein is dead. The tyrant’s unexpectedly quick and rowdy execution, which took place on a Muslim holy day, stirred controversy in Iraq and around the world. FP sat down with Nibras Kazimi, an Iraqi formerly with the Iraqi National Congress and a fierce critic of Saddam, to get his take.

Saddam Hussein is dead. The tyrant's unexpectedly sudden and rowdy execution, which took place on a Muslim holy day, stirred controversy in Iraq and around the world. FP sat down with Nibras Kazimi, an Iraqi formerly with the Iraqi National Congress and a fierce critic of Saddam, to get his take.

No one can predict the future with confidence, but FP asked regional experts and strategy consultants to do just that. With a strongman coming to power in Iraq and Japan getting serious about nuclear weapons, those hoping for a calm 2007 will be sorely disappointed.

In the January/February 2007 issue of FOREIGN POLICY, Daniel Kahneman and Jonathan Renshon argue that foreign-policy hawks are unduly influential due to predisposed psychological biases, almost all of which favor conflict rather than concession. FP asked two young American foreign-policy writers, one on each end of the political spectrum, for their reactions. Kahneman and Renshon responded to the debate here.

Turkey’s bid to join the European Union is on the verge of failure. If the EU says no, will Turks turn away from Europe? What does Turkey think about Iran and the bomb? Will Turkey seek its own nuclear weapon? To answer these questions, FP spoke with Mensur Akgun, an expert on Turkish foreign policy.