U.S. Policy Shift in South Asia (JAPAN)

The recent visit by U.S. Special Envoy to Afghanistan Richard Holbrooke to South Asia comes at a time of growing unease in the region and underscores the Obama administration's efforts to formulate a new strategy for winning the Afghan war.

The Taliban and al-Qaida in Afghanistan continue to make gains despite the efforts of the U.S. and North Atlantic Treaty Organization forces stationed there. The situation in Pakistan is precarious with ever-increasing swaths of Pakistani territory falling under the Taliban's control. Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari has gone on record to suggest that his country is fighting for its very survival. Meanwhile, tensions between India and Pakistan remain high following the terrorist attacks in Mumbai last November.

Washington's sense of frustration with President Hamid Karzai's leadership in Afghanistan is at an all-time high.

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