One of the most difficult problems facing U.S. President-elect Barack Obama, when he takes office next January, is how to deal with the terrorist threat from inside Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Obama has said that he will send more forces to Afghanistan and indicated during his campaign that he would not hesitate to use them if necessary to attack terrorist targets in Pakistan.

Will a surge in Afghanistan lead to the sort of improvements in security that the U.S. troop surge in Iraq seems to have achieved? It may help, but the view of the military on the spot seems to be that the insurgency cannot be simply and speedily defeated by a military victory. The mountainous terrain of Afghanistan provides innumerable places for guerrilla forces to hide. Moreover the Taliban can force the local tribes to cooperate with them by threats and Draconian measures against elements opposed to their return to power.