The U.S. has been at war in Afghanistan for almost ten years, with one of the main objectives to hunt down Osama bin Laden. With bin Laden now dead — killed by American Navy Seals, and buried at sea — does U.S. foreign policy on the global war on terrorism have to change? Retired Air Force Colonel, Sam Gardiner believes President Obama will have to find a good argument to stay at war in Afghanistan.

U.S. and European allies attacked Col. Moammar Gadhafi's forces by air and sea throughout the weekend. The allies also instituted a no-fly zone over Libya, allowing rebel forces to strengthen their hold on the eastern city of Benghazi. But the long-term implications of American military intervention are unclear. Although the Obama administration has called for Gadhafi’s ouster, the U.N. Resolution that authorized intervention did not. And the U.S. is already fighting two wars. How long will the conflict in Libya last?

In the past week, the world has watched as Libyan leader Col. Moammar Gadhafi's forces pound the opposition with gunfire and artillery from the skies. But despite intense deliberation at the White House and elsewhere, neither the U.S., NATO or others have been able to decide on a plan for intervention. Is Libya of national interest to the U.S.? And is it worth a potentially complex, long-term commitment? If not a no-fly zone: what should the United States do about Libya?

Events over the weekend may turn out to be game-changers for America's relationship with North Korea. The U.S. and South Korea engaged in quickly-assembled military exercises to show their ability to respond to aggression from Pyonyang. Meanwhile, cables from the latest WikiLeaks release describe a disturbing chumminess between North Korea and Iran.  

North and South Korea continued to trade diplomatic blows on Tuesday, with South Korea re-designating the North their "principal enemy," a term that Seoul used to use for Pyonyang, but then retired in 2004. North Korea retaliated by cutting ties with the South, calling southern officials "puppet authorities." Brian Myers, professor of international studies at Dongseo University in South Korea, joins us from the ground with a look at the latest news.

United States and NATO forces in Afghanistan say U.S. Marines will launch an assault on a Taliban stronghold in Helmand Province in the coming days. The announcement of the offensive puzzled many military analysts who said that secrecy is generally one key to the success of any military campaign.

The war in Afghanistan continues to drag on, and the Obama administration is waiting for the country's presidential election runoff before deciding whether to send additional troops to the region. Former Vice President Dick Cheney called this timetable "dithering" in a speech yesterday. For a military perspective on the matter, we speak to retired Air Force Col. Sam Gardiner. Some of the logistical challenges facing troops on the ground also complicate the ongoing strategy; part of the problem is as basic as knowing who to fight. New York Times reporter Scott Shane writes in today's paper about the two types of Taliban that U.S.-led troops are fighting.

Recently, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Admiral Mike Mullen said that the situation in Afghanistan was "deteriorating," but just yesterday, during a press conference at the Pentagon, Mullen said the U.S. would "regain the initiative."

To give us an idea of how turning the situation around might be possible, we turn to retired Air Force Colonel Sam Gardiner, who taught Military Strategy and Military Operations at the National War College.

View Helmand Province in a larger map

The U.S. has launched a major offensive in a southern province in Afghanistan. The military has sent 4,000 Marines and 650 Afghan soldiers flooding into the Helmand province in one of the largest offensives since the Vietnam War. For more on this story we turn to Sam Gardiner, retired Air Force Colonel who taught strategy at the National War College, and Paul Tait, specialist editor for Reuters based in Kabul, Afghanistan.

The Pentagon has asked for the resignation of General David McKiernan, the commander of U.S. and NATO forces in Afghanistan. McKiernan will likely be replaced by Lieutenant General Stanley McChrystal, a former special operations commander chosen by Defense Secretary Robert Gates. So what does the shake-up indicate about U.S. military strategy in Afghanistan? The Takeaway talks to Retired Air Force Colonel Sam Gardiner. He's taught strategy and military operations at the National War College.