The Five Bridges Of Waziristan

Most opinion makers and foreign-policy gurus agree that President-elect Barack Obama's principal foreign-policy challenge is centered on the complex sets of conflicts in Afghanistan and Pakistan, particularly the mountainous border region the two neighbors share.

Most of the advice directed at him advocates two primary approaches. One centers on increasing the troop numbers in Afghanistan to fill the gaps in the U.S. military strategy and aim at defeating the "enemy." And, in turn, to be able to talk to them from a position of strength.