In the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks, the United States quickly toppled Afghanistan’s Taliban regime, which had harbored the terrorists responsible.
Unfortunately, in the years that followed, the U.S. didn’t devote enough resources to the war in Afghanistan, and the Taliban were able to regain strength. As a result, Afghanistan remains wracked by violence, even as important political achievements have occurred.
Stability in Afghanistan remains important to U.S. interests, and we can achieve that. But we can’t do it alone. The Afghan government must convince the Afghan people that their best hope for the future lies not with the Taliban but with a central government in Kabul that addresses their needs.