In recent years the Taliban insurgency has gained momentum and most of the area beyond Kabul remains out of the control of the Karzai administration. The increase in suicide bombings has made 2008 the bloodiest year for the occupying forces since 2001. It is really distressing for the US authorities who have put their mind to turning Afghan venture into a success story at any cost. Seven years ago, a Bonn agreement was concluded ending more than two decades of chaos and strife heralding a ray of hope for traumatised inhabitants of the country. In early years, the citizens felt more secure than ever before and the Afghan refugees returned to their homeland. A large chunk of the population got access to healthcare and the enrolment in educational institutions increased considerably. But soon the situation took a turn and the situation went haywire before effective steps could be taken to control it. Insecurity and disgruntlement plunged to new depths. On having a dispassionate analysis, two major factors stand out responsible for the deteriorating situation. Firstly the US resources and attention were diverted to war in Iraq and Afghanistan took a back seat on US agenda. Second, there was lack of coordination among the development agencies and their projects often overlapped while the fragile Afghan government was on its uppers to take any initiative. Obama during his campaign promised to withdraw forces from Iraq and increase the number of troops in Afghanistan. Some days ago the US has pledged to deploy 30,000 troops during the next six months in addition to the US troops already stationed there. The new troops would be deployed in volatile southern areas and along the eastern border of the country. The announcement has come after the US decision to apply Iraq-alike strategy and curb militant insurgency. Will the surge work in Afghanistan and turn things around? In practice it yet remains to be seen but this plan is not feasible even theoretically. The US misses the point that Afghan provinces, unlike Iraq, are divided among rival ethnic tribes so the strategy of awakening councils of Iraq by raising local militias is not workable. The surge cannot succeed unless after operation by foreign forces, there is a strong local security force to hold the ground and prevent resurgence of militants. The weakness of the Afghan army and police in the face of the Taliban is more than evident. Furthermore, Taliban fighters have warned of more attacks as they will find easy targets with the increasing deployment. It is crystal clear that the US is pursuing a strategically flawed policy and therefore all peace efforts come unstuck at the end of the day. Most of the analysts agree on one point: the peace in Pakistan is indispensable for peace in Afghanistan. The support from Pakistan can be secured only when the latter feels secure. In the presence of air strikes on Pakistan's tribal areas and the increasing clout of India along the border of Pakistan, we have legitimate grounds to feel threatened and thus the US risks Pakistan's support. Moreover the presence of foreign troops on the Afghan soil reinforces the impression of Karzai's puppet government and it provesgrist to the Taliban. The inefficient and corrupt Karzai administration is another obstacle in the realisation of peace efforts. The US should not back local chieftains at the expense of the support of the local population and should overhaul the administrative framework. Washington should also stop missile strikes violating Pakistan's sovereignty if the US wants to secure its unwavering support and unswerving commitment. The US policymakers must have another think coming and radically change their Afghan policy instead of mere tinkering with it. Reorientation of efforts towards nation building is key to engender the hope of enduring peace. The writer is an advocate E-mail: naumanasghar18@yahoo.com