The alleged use of special operations troops in the raid could signal a shift away from the controversial U.S.tactic of relying on long-range missile assaults to take out terrorist targets.

VOA: standard.2009.09.15

Paul Pillar,a former senior CIA intelligence officer now with Georgetown University's School of Foreign Service, favors a shift away from direct combat operations to a concentration on training Afghanistan's army and police, and economic development.

VOA: standard.2009.10.15

The policy shift is sure to be on the agenda next week when Mr.Obama is likely to meet, at either the United Nations or the Group of 20 economic summit, with Russian President Dmitiri Medvedev.

VOA: standard.2009.09.17