Resurgent Taliban Threatens Afghan Stability, US Says

The US-led forces that overthrew the Taliban leadership in Afghanistan two years ago still have a lot of work to do to secure the state. Though President Hamid Karzai, a pro-western Pashtun leader, is in office, local ethnic conflicts and power struggles continue to dominate the political arena. Despite devoting more than 16,000 soldiers and peacekeepers to the country, the US and its allies have been unable to fully contain the Taliban. The US Congress recently approved a $1.7 billion aid package for Afghanistan, and the Bush Administration hopes the additional aid will help stabilize the country and bolster acceptance of the US-backed Karzai government. – YaleGlobal