U.S. President Barack Obama assumed his post in the midst of a maelstrom of external and internal issues, all demanding attention and resolution. In addition to haggling over what some call the Great Recession, other domestic issues such as the health care system are also on the agenda. Even as he dines with notables at a fundraiser in his hometown of Chicago, however, Obama has pursued an active foreign policy as well. Here is an A-B-C rundown of some of the basic factors affecting his foreign policy thus far.

(For the sake of relative brevity, this will be split into three parts.
Part 1: A through J
Part 2: K through R
Part 3: S through Z)

Kim Jong-Il may be frail, but he continues to be North Korea's totalitarian "Dear Leader," refusing to abandon his quest for nuclear power and, eventually, weaponization. North Korea's provocative launch on July 4, 2009 of multiple missiles into the Sea of Japan underline the Hermit Kingdom's militancy and determination to defy the U.S. and the United Nations at each step. With his health in an increasingly precarious state, however, a succession issue is looming, and it looks likely that his third son may become the new North Korean dictator after his father's passing. The only other option may be a military regime, temporary or permanent, which would surely stay on course for nuclear weaponization.

Lifting the embargo on Cuba is a controversial issue over which Obama and the U.S. House of Representatives have had some scuffles. After Raul Castro stepped in to lead the country after his ailing brother Fidel, there were some hints of possible liberalization on the Communist-ruled island, but the single-party political system remains as tight as it had been since the Cuban Revolution of 1959 brought the Communists to power. Obama views continued sanctions as an important tool to press the new Cuban leader to initiate substantive reforms, and his Secretary of State said Cuba will not be allowed to rejoin the Organization of American States (OAS) until it reaches a certain level of economic and political liberty.

Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki speaks at a joint press conference with U.S. President Barack Obama in Washington, DC. on July 22, 2009. (Photo: AP/Alex Brandon)

al-Maliki, Iraq's Prime Minister since 2005, has become increasingly assertive and opinionated, beginning to cause some apprehension as he visits Washington, DC. Initially a virtual unknown, he has gathered his forces, consolidating much power in his government and demonstrating his popularity at the January 2009 provincial elections which his electoral list won. Ahead of 2010 general elections, Maliki has used nationalism and an agreement to pull U.S. forces out by 2011, which he virtually forced upon Washington, in order to fortify his support. He also promoted celebrations when the deadline for U.S. troops to leave urban areas passed.

Netanyahu, Israel's Prime Minister, has consistently clashed with the Obama administration, particularly after the Cairo speech in which the American leader urged Israel to halt all settlement expansion and construction in the occupied West Bank. Though he acknowledged that a Palestinian state alongside Israel could be possible, Netanyahu stipulated multiple restrictions for such a state, and "natural expansion" of existing settlements has continued, vritually tying the hands of negotiators as the Palestinian Authority has refused to talk until expansion stops.

Obama himself is an important factor that can carry his policies abroad to success or failure. As other U.S. Presidents before him, he is effectively a major leader of the free world, and with that comes much clout. Furthermore, he has been generally more popular abroad than George W. Bush was, particularly in the last few years of his double-term presidency. In addition to his charisma, Barack Obama's distinction as the first African-American to ascend to the highest post in the United States has been a magnet for people who, themselves, have had a history of disenfrachisement, giving more punch to the power of his messages of "hope" and "change." He has yet to charm, however, the recalcitrant leaders of Iran and North Korea, the latter being particularly troublesome as of late; a tougher policy and more pressure may be needed to bring the archconservative mullahs of Tehran and rogue militarists of Pyongyang to the negotiation table over their nuclear ambitions.

Pakistan remains a central cornerstone of the fight to end the Taliban insurgency in Afghanistan. It has also become, however, a struggle to save the shaky pro-Western government from homegrown Islamists as well. In 2009, as the Taliban and allies pushed closer to the capital, Islamabad, Pakistan has edged closer towards becoming a failed state. Its economy is far from prosperous and political infighting within the ruling coalition can easily paralyze the government at best, and at worst lead to its complete disintegration. Any void at the center could easily be filled by the bold and aggressive Taliban and its Pakistani affiliates, an outcome that could spell doom for the U.S. goals of stabilizing Afghanistan's post-Taliban government.

al-Qaeda has not been in headlines for years, but it continues to operate on the lawless frontiers of Pakistan and Afghanistan, lingers on in parts of Iraq, and the true status or location of its leader Osama bin Laden is still unknown almost eight years after his Taliban allies in Afghanistan were ousted. Openly or covertly, al-Qaeda will continue to haunt the new governments being set up in Afghanistan and Iraq for months to come, if not years, until those administrations secure legitimacy amongst their own countrymen and drain the terrorist and insurgent cells of their bases of support.

Russian opposition to the missile shield deals initiated by Obama's predecessor with the Czech Republic and Poland, both once in Moscow's orbit, have caused relations between the two powers to deteriorate. Obama has been less vigorous to put in place the facilities, and hoped to "reset" the strained relationship in a two-day summit in the Russian capital. Reactions and analysts are mixed about the ultimate outcome of the Moscow summit, and the American and Russian leaders must still hammer out compromises and agreements over the missile shield, as well as the status of Georgia and Ukraine (who both hope to join Western NATO but are in dangerously close proximity to Russia), and consistent Russian backing of the Islamic Republic of Iran as the U.S. tries to rein in Tehran's nuclear ambitions.