There should be no overconfidence that joint U. S.-Pakistan efforts against al-Qaida in the Afghan-Pakistan border region have been successful, warns a defense analyst.

Tim Pippard, consultant to IHS Jane's Strategic Advisory Services, said on Monday, "There needs to be caution against over-optimism in relation to President Obama's strategy to disrupt, dismantle and defeat al-Qaida and their allies, especially in light of continued attempts by affiliate groups and individuals to target the U. S. homeland."

Pippard further said, "We shouldn't necessarily view al-Qaida only in the context of its ability to organize and execute attacks. Assessment must also take into account the group's ability to operate as a strategic visionary and agenda-setter for the broader pan-Islamic movement."

U. S. officials credit a combined U. S-Pakistan campaign against the group with undercutting al-Qaida's ability to mount attacks outside the Afghan-Pakistan's theater.

But Pippard has said that a more realistic measure of success would be disrupting the group's "capacity to inspire disaffected groups or individuals to instigate attacks independent of al-Qaida's central control." (With Inputs from Agencies)