As we go to press, the war in Afghanistan appears to be entering its final phase. Air and ground forces have cleared Taliban strongholds, and U.S. Special Forces are searching caves and mountain hideouts for terrorist leaders.

But despite progress on the Afghan front, the larger issues of combating terrorism remain unresolved. As of this date, Osama bin Laden and his top lieutenants are unaccounted for. And according to terrorism experts, as much as 90 percent of the al-Qaida terrorist network may be outside Afghanistan.

The question many of us are asking is, "What next?" In a year-end statement, President George W. Bush offered the assessment that "next year will be a war year." As reported in The Washington Post, Bush said, "If a nation comes to us and says, 'We want some help,' something other than logistical help - Special Forces, for example - we'll get it done. Our war on terrorism extends way beyond Afghanistan."

Following that theme, in this month's cover story, "State of Turmoil," Joshua Kurlantzick explores what could be the next front in the global war on terrorism. Kurlantzick is a staff writer for U.S. News & World Report. He also has been a Southeast Asia correspondent for The Washington Times and has written for The Economist, The New Republic, Middle East Quarterly magazine, and other national and international publications.

According to Kurlantzick, a second front in the global war on terrorism is developing in a region that has largely avoided the spotlight: Southeast Asia. For many counterterrorism specialists, says Kurlantzick, success against al-Qaida and other terrorists in Southeast Asia will help determine whether America's military and law-enforcement agencies truly can shackle terrorist organizations' global ambitions.

Our cover story comes in response to members' requests for more information about current national defense topics. In coming issues we'll report on these topics and interview senior national leaders. Already in the works are stories about the military response to bioterrorism and the evolving national intelligence community. Of special interest, we'll report on the Department of Defense's plans to transform the military to meet the threats of the 21st century. And, of course, we'll continue to bring you news about troa's legislative campaigns and other services for the military community.

What can we expect next in the war on terrorism? As President Bush quotes Army Gen. Tommy Franks, the American commander of the war in Afghanistan: "Tommy said, 'This war - the phase of this war is kind of like a baseball game.' He said there will be a lot of moments of boredom and then there would be some great joy."