From The BBC:As the Bush presidency nears its end and a deadline for the US troop withdrawal from Iraq is inked on paper, the focus now is back on the Pakistan-Afghanistan region - an area President-elect Barack Obama has repeatedly referred to as the first front in the "war against terror".
For now, a surge in troop numbers in Afghanistan looks imminent before spring of 2009 and a rigorous effort is on towards formulating a comprehensive approach for the entire region.
The diplomatic crisis triggered by the Mumbai (Bombay) attacks has further added to the urgency.
Read more ....
My Comment: The Afghan surge is an indication that a new strategy is being put in place. The diplomatic and "soft power" approach to the region has yet to be defined .... or if it has been defined it has yet to be publicized.
But there is one thing that I am sure about .... I expect Afghanistan to be a different country next year .... but will it be better or worse is an answer that I do not know right now.