With Afghans growing increasingly frustrated by the Western forces in their country, President Obama should use the political cover provided by the death of Osama bin Laden to change his strategy in Afghanistan and negotiate with the Taliban.
While the ideology of violence and terrorism has peaked and is visibly on the way down in the Middle East and North Africa, the war on al-Qaeda and terror is far from over.
U.S. assistance to civilian institutions in Pakistan is more likely to encourage Pakistani stability than an approach that relies solely on monetary aid to elicit counter-terrorism assistance.
Continued military pressure will allow the United States to alter the realities on the ground in Afghanistan, convince the Taliban to consider reconciliation, and enable effective regional diplomacy to find a successful solution for the country.
The death of Osama bin Laden offers President Obama an opportunity to emphasize negotiations with the Taliban and facilitate a withdrawal from Afghanistan, even if its impact on global terrorism will be limited.
The Pakistani militant group Lashkar-e-Taiba—while unlikely to replace al-Qaeda at the forefront of global jihad even with bin Laden’s death—has the capability to threaten the U.S. homeland.
While Osama bin Laden’s death will not put an end to jihadist groups, it could help facilitate a political solution in Afghanistan, offering President Obama the political capital and opportunity to begin negotiations with the Taliban.
Lashkar-e-Taiba is one of Pakistan’s oldest and most powerful jihadi groups, whose global reach has only expanded since it launched a multi-target attack on the Indian city of Mumbai in November 2008.
With American troops scheduled to begin withdrawing in July and the summer fighting season still to come, the war in Afghanistan is at a critical point.
Although Yemen’s President Saleh has indicated a willingness to step down, the situation in Yemen remains unstable. Many protesters feel their demands are still not being met, even as al-Qaeda expands its presence in the country and Yemen’s economy continues to fail.


















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