Afghanistan: Hints of a New U.S. Strategy

Following essentially the same divide-and-conquer strategy that it did in Iraq, the U.S. military is planning to train Afghan tribal militias in addition to government forces, according to an Oct. 10 Los Angeles Times report. Meanwhile, Pakistan has expressed its interest in working with NATO to secure the Afghan-Pakistani border, seizing an opportunity to increase its influence vis-à-vis a new U.S. policy of reconciliation with the Taliban.