Although President George W. Bush had more or less outsourced the Afghan war against al-Qaeda and the Taliban to the Pakistani military and had shifted attention and resources to Iraq, President Obama, while boosting resources as well as military effort significantly in Afghanistan, has also set 2011 as the year in which U.S. forces will begin withdrawing from the region. Sensing an end game, interested players have begun to make their moves. Gautam Adhikari discusses the possible consequences of the beginning of a U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2011 and implications for the region.

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