US can't be lone ranger in Afghanistan

United States President Barack Obama's surprise visit to Afghanistan in late March makes one thing very clear: the Obama administration has a newfound counterterrorism focus on Afghanistan and Pakistan.

But though Obama said his strategy will address "both the symptoms and root causes of terrorism" in Afghanistan, military action still dominates the current campaign. That worries Afghanistan's neighbors, namely countries in Central Asia, Russia and Iran.

Washington's new strategy needs to gain the respect and utilize coordination from countries in that region. But because there are different, or even opposing, stances between the above-mentioned countries and the US, the new strategy faces an uncertain future.