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Abstract
The United States faces dangerous challenges around the world. North Korea is inching closer to developing a nuclear weapon capable of striking the United States, and U.S. forces are engaged in complex conflicts in Syria, Yemen, Iraq and Afghanistan. China and Russia are seeking more-dominant roles in their regions and the world, and Europe faces a newly assertive Russia to the east, political strife within and uncertainty about America’s commitment to NATO. Terrorist attacks, including some linked to the Islamic State, continue to plague Europe as the jihadist group loses territory in Iraq and Syria. President Trump, who has made defeating ISIS a top priority, has alienated allies by criticizing free trade practices, withdrawing from the Paris climate accord and praising Russian President Vladimir Putin and other strongmen.
