Today marks the 10th anniversary of U.S. military action in Afghanistan. Regarded as the "right war," the U.S. sent troops to bolster the Afghan Northern Alliance's fight against the Taliban, who were allies of al Qaeda and who provided a safe-haven for the planners of the 9-11 attacks. Initially successful, the Northern Alliance set up a government in Kabul that has become insular and corrupt under Hamid Karzai.
In the intervening 10 years, Afghanistan struggled against Taliban insurgents, who have made common cause with the Pakistani Taliban across the border in Pakistan. Despite being severely weakened by U.S. efforts, the Taliban remains a threat to U.S. security, as we slowly disengage from the conflict, and as we trust that our efforts in training Afghan military and security forces will bear fruit.
