Presidential politics and the economy have shifted attention away from Iraq and Afghanistan, where circumstances are increasingly complicated for American troops and diplomats. We look at the challenges facing President Bush and his successor. Also, the latest effort to get credit flowing again, and early voters are heckled in North Carolina; others wait for hours in Texas and Florida.
Banner image: A local Afghan carries his load past the US Army's Camp Blessing in the Kunar Province of eastern Afghanistan. Photo: John Moore/Getty Images