As President Barack Obama continues to weigh the impacts of American presencein Afghanistan, the Belfer Center's Graham Allison, Meghan O'Sullivan, and Rory Stewart offer their comments on the situation at this fork in the road.

The Winter 2009-10 issue of the Belfer Center newsletter features recent and upcoming activities, research, and analysis by members of the Center community on critical global issues. In this issue, Belfer Center scholars analyze the war in Afghanistan and potential impacts of options available to President Obama at this fork in the road. Center experts also offer commentary on how to prevent or live with a nuclear-armed Iran. The newsletter highlights U.S. Senator Jack Reed, a Harvard Kennedy School alum now a senior member of the Armed Services Committee, and Paula Dobriansky, former undersecretary of state for democracy and global affairs and current senior fellow with the Belfer Center.

The Winter 2009-10 newsletter also features: the launch of a new Belfer Center initiative - Agricultural Innovation in Africa – headed by Calestous Juma; a discussion of biofuels as a possible solution for the developing world with Henry Lee; and a look at "Realistic Costs of Carbon Capture" by Mohammed Al-Juaied and Adam Whitmore. In addition, this issue welcomes Melissa Hathaway and discusses her work with the Belfer Center's cyber security initiative. The newsletter also pays tribute to Ernest May, world-renowned historian of international relations and foreign policy and a long-time Belfer Center colleague and member of the Center's board of directors.

A member of the Belfer Center's board of directors until his death in June 2009, May was a world-renowned historian of international relations and foreign policy. A member of the Harvard faculty for more than 50 years, he served Harvard in many roles, including as dean of Harvard College, director of Harvard Kennedy School's Institute of Politics, and chair of Harvard's History Department.

News from the Belfer Center.

An alumnus of Harvard Kennedy School, Francis (Jack) Reed was elected to the U.S. Senate from Rhode Island in 1996. A leader on defense, education, and health care issues in the Senate, Reed is a senior member of the Armed Services Committee. Prior to his Senate election, he represented his state in the U.S. House of Representatives. Reed served in the U.S. Army from 1967 to 1979, earning a Masters in Public Policy from the Kennedy School in 1973. In 1982, he received a J.D. from Harvard Law School.

This article provides News and Notes featuring several Belfer Center alumni: Stephen Biddle (International Security Program (ISP) research fellow, 1985-1987); Robert Gallucci (ISP research fellow, 1989-1993); Kristin Bakke (Intrastate Conflict Program/ISP research fellow, 2007-2008);and William (Dale) Anderson (ISP research fellow, 2008-2009).

As students returned to Harvard Kennedy School in September, more than 30 new fellows arrived at the Belfer Center, ready to conduct research within the Center's various programs and projects. Hailing from countries as diverse as South Korea, Iran, South Africa, and Italy, as well as the United States, they are researching issues of critical significance, ranging from security challenges to climate change and energy policy.

Melissa Willard-Foster discusses key components to a lasting peace agreement and Vipin Narang explains Taliban threat to Pakistan nuclear weapons. Willard-Foster is a research fellow with the Belfer Center's International Security Program (ISP) and Narang is a research fellow with the ISP and Project on Managing the Atom.

Harvard Kennedy School presented the 2009 Roy Family Award for Environmental Partnership on Thursday, November 12, to the Mexico City Metrobus, a Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system that reduces air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions while improving the quality of life and transportation options in one of the largest cities in the world. Mexico City Mayor Marcelo Ebrarb, on behalf of the Mexico City government, joined other project partners in accepting the award during a ceremony and dinner at Harvard Kennedy School on Thursday, November 12.

On September 24, 2009, the Belfer Center hosted a seminar to discuss Ernest May's unique ability to serve as a bridge between history and policy. A member of the Belfer Center's board of directors until his death in June 2009, Ernest May was a world renowned historian of international relations and foreign policy and a member of the Harvard faculty for over 50 years. During the seminar, "Reflections on Ernest May: A Rare Bridge Between History and Policy," a number of May's colleagues, students, friends, and family members reflected on Ernest (Ernie) May, the man, and on his "extraordinary" contributions.