Asia Times: US takes hunt for al-Qaeda to Pakistan

The real focus of the United States' new Afghanistan policy - despite the 30,000 troop surge - is not that country, it is across the border in Pakistan, an intermediary familiar with dialogue between the US and Afghan militants says. The US aims to concentrate on al-Qaeda. Once that group is fatally weakened, Washington believes, the way will open to a negotiated settlement in Afghanistan. - Syed Saleem Shahzad

Meet the commanded-in-chief
United States President Barack Obama chose as advisors a crew who had never seen a significant change and still can't. This stale crew has ensured that Afghanistan, the first of George W Bush's wars, is now truly Obama's war; and the news came directly from West Point, where the president surrendered to his militarized fate. - Tom Engelhardt