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Summary

U.S. and outside assessments of the effort to stabilize Afghanistan are increasingly negative, to the point where some U.S. officials say they are not sure the effort is "winning." These assessments emphasize a growing sense of insecurity in areas around Kabul previously considered secure, and increased numbers of civilian and military deaths. Both the official U.S. as well as outside assessments increasingly point to Pakistan's failure to prevent Taliban and other militant infiltration into Afghanistan as a cause of the security deterioration. The Administration has recently concluded a review of U.S. strategy, and is reportedly making actionable recommendations to the incoming Obama Administration, which is expected to favor greater emphasis on Afghanistan. Steps already planned or under way, even before the U.S. transition, include adding U.S. troops to the theater, consolidating the command structure for U.S. and partner forces, planning a major expansion of the Afghan National Army, rebuilding tribal security and governance structures, attempting to accelerate development activities to increase support for the Afghan government, and backing Afghan efforts to persuade Taliban leaders to cease fighting. The Administration also has increased direct U.S. action against militant concentrations inside Pakistan. A key component of U.S. strategy is to try to compel the Afghan government to redress its widely acknowledged corruption and lack of capacity, which is causing popular disillusionment. Afghan officials point to completion of the post-Taliban political transition with the convening of a parliament following parliamentary elections in September 2005, presidential elections in October 2004, and adoption of a new constitution in January 2004. The parliament has become an arena for formerly armed factions to resolve differences, as well as a center of political pressure on President Hamid Karzai. Afghan citizens, including women, are enjoying personal freedoms forbidden by the Taliban. Presidential and provincial elections are planned for mid-2009, with parliamentary and district elections to follow one year later, although possibly subject to security conditions. The United States and partner countries now deploy a 44,000 troop NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) that commands peacekeeping throughout Afghanistan. Of those, about 14,500 of the 33,600 U.S. forces in Afghanistan are part of ISAF; the remainder (about 19,000) are under Operation Enduring Freedom. U.S. and partner forces also run 26 regional enclaves to secure reconstruction (Provincial Reconstruction Teams, PRTs), and are building an Afghan National Army and National Police now numbering about 150,000. The United States has given Afghanistan over $31 billion (appropriated, including FY2009 to date) since the fall of the Taliban, of which about $15 billion was to equip and train the security forces. Breakdowns are shown in the tables at the end. This paper will be updated as warranted by major developments. See also CRS Report RS21922, Afghanistan: Government Formation and Performance, by Kenneth Katzman; and CRS Report RL32686, Afghanistan: Narcotics and U.S. Policy, by Christopher M. Blanchard.

Related Legislation:
• S.2192

Related Reports:
• RL30588
• RL30588

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