Experts say the United States, overstretched militarily and diplomatically in the Middle East, needs to refocus its Asia-Pacific strategy to reverse a slide in its influence over the region.

Sen. Barack Obama’s foreign policy team includes former State Department veterans and newcomers from academia who seek to reinvigorate U.S. diplomacy.

The creation of a new U.S. military command for Africa signals the continent’s growing strategic importance and its many development challenges.