Additional Excerpts: Dennis Galvan

The importance of Africa: You take very neutral countries like Niger or Mali or Chad -- which are actually quite important when we look at the map of where Al-Qaida and its allies are moving, where there's the most open space in terms of weak states -- and since 2003 we've been losing support in those counties. We were alienating a generation or perhaps two. The Obama administration -- if it just maintains a posture of dialogue -- will make a difference in slowing down terrorist recruitment in places like Algeria or Chad. Yes, the proof is ultimately in the pudding. But it matters a lot in Africa whether the U.S. seems to stand for -- just blatantly, nakedly stands for -- the occupation of a central country in the Arab-Muslim world for reasons that are completely inscrutable and change every three months. Just signaling that the U.S. will really get out of Iraq will make a huge difference in parts of Africa that could otherwise breed extremism.

Obama's star quality: I'm waiting for the political deployment of this magic-- his persona, his charm, what he means to us -- in a way that's going to help him win policy battles. I'm surprised we haven't seen it yet, and I think it's going to have to happen very, very soon. If he doesn't figure out how to deploy it in an everyday way, bad things might happen.

American boots on the ground: As much as I don't like the Darfur genocide, if we put American boots on the ground in Sudan, it would be a major boost for recruitment for Al-Qaida and other groups. It's not whether it's a just war or not; it's American troops on the ground in Arab and Muslim territories. Unacceptable.