WASHINGTON, Feb 8: The US Central Command has concluded a study which claims that the most urgent foreign policy challenge facing the Obama administration is Pakistan.

The Centcom, which is directly responsible for all American military activities in the Afghan-Pakistan region, is expected to submit the report to President Barack Obama in a few days.

The Obama administration is conducting a high-level strategic review of the war in Afghanistan and says it will unveil the results before Nato holds a 60th anniversary summit in early April.

Centcom head Gen David H. Petraeus said the war in Afghanistan “has deteriorated markedly in the past two years” and warned of a “downward spiral of security”.

He also suggested that the odds of success were low, given that foreign military powers had historically met with defeat in Afghanistan.

“Afghanistan has been known over the years as the graveyard of empires,” he said. “We cannot take that history lightly.”

The Centcom is expected to recommend major changes in the US approach to the region, including major increases in US aid to Pakistan in areas such as public education, health care and good governance.