Bruce Riedel, a former CIA officer and former advisor to US Presidents Obama, Bush and Clinton, was appointed chair of President Barack Obama’s White House review to overhaul U.S. policy on Afghanistan and Pakistan in February 2009.
His paper describes the strategy that President Obama has implemented to combat al-Qaeda in Afghanistan and Pakistan and discusses the al-Qaeda links behind recent terrorist plots. In response to the lack of a clearly defined US strategy in Afghanistan when he come into office, Obama developed a strategy that involves a complex mix of regional and international policies — particularly in Pakistan, where al-Qaeda has a network of insurgent groups — military force, diplomacy and attempts to change public opinion concerning the US in the region. The paper, which is based on a CIGI Signature Lecture, assesses the progress that Obama has made in Afghanistan and Pakistan 15 months after taking office, and considers whether the US will actually be able win the war on terror.
To read the paper, click here.
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