The shape of the “Afghanistan-Pakistan” (or “Afpak”) strategy is crystal clear. For Washington, the most prominent problems posed by Kabul and Islamabad -- the Taliban, al Qaeda, and associated tribal militants -- stem from the Pashtun regions of both countries. Behind the rhetoric, the objective is to contain the violence to these areas.
On paper, the new strategy, set out by the Barack Obama administration, splits into two parts:
On the Afghan side of the border, the execution of this policy's part 1 is led by America. The mix of the military surge by Nato and the International Security Assistance force (Isaf), and ....