government responded by quietly raising troop levels by over 3,000 soldiers in January and February of 2007 in response to requests from the U.S. Combined Forces Command. At the same time that the surge in Iraq sparked contentious debate in Congress and in media circles, the increase in Afghanistan received less attention.
   
In the short term, I am concerned that the situation may further deteriorate. Containing crossborder attacks from Pakistan while being unable to disrupt supply lines, staging bases, and command and control nodes will present increasing difficulties for the international military in Afghanistan. From a longer-term perspective, the increased pressures on the security situation from the mounting Taliban insurgency will place pressure on the Afghan government's efforts to restrain the drug trade, which is inextricably linked to the growing Taliban presence in Pakistan. It will also hamper government efforts to combat poverty because of the destructive effects of the insurgency on the country's infrastructure and economic activity. Ethnic tensions may heighten because of the Pashtun context in which the effort is being launched. The resurgent Taliban will exacerbate the serious challenges confronting Afghan democracy. Controlling the Afghan side of the border with Pakistan will be the key to mitigating this developing threat.