Since the US-led invasion began in October 2001, the United States has spent $440 billion on military operations in Afghanistan. Afghanistan still suffers from widespread corruption, ineffective government agencies, daily attacks taking place by both US-led forces and the Taliban - not to mention that 4 million refugees remain dislocated around the countryThe United States declared political objectives in the country are to -disrupt, disable, dismantle al- Qaeda in Afghanistan, to prevent it from using Afghanistan and Pakistan as a base to attack the United States. The U.S. and its military officials feel the best way to achieve this is by building a functioning Afghan Government that can secure its populations, protect its borders, keep Al-Qaeda out of Afghanistan and create a democratic social culture. For them to achieve this it is going to take a generational effort and billions of dollars. With the war entering its tenth year with no clear-cut victory in sight, the US-led forces will either have to leave Afghanistan due to enormous cost and domestic political pressure, or refocus its allocation of resources and redefine its objectives. The best way the U.S. will be able to leave Afghanistan but still help sustain and create a working stable and effective democratic government is through the...