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Summary:
Afghanistan's political transition was completed with the convening of a parliament in December 2005, but since then insurgent threats to Afghanistan's government have escalated to the point that some experts are questioning the future of U.S. stabilization efforts. In the political process, a new constitution was adopted in January 2004, successful presidential elections were held on October 9, 2004, and parliamentary elections took place on September 18, 2005. The parliament has become an arena for factions that have fought each other for nearly three decades to debate and peacefully resolve differences. Afghan citizens are enjoying new personal freedoms that were forbidden under the Taliban. Women are participating in economic and political life, including as ministers, provincial governors, and senior levels of the new parliament. Despite the political and social accomplishments since 2001, an insurgency led by remnants of the former Taliban regime has escalated in 2006. Taliban fighters have conducted several increasingly larger scale attacks on coalition and Afghan security forces in several southern provinces since April 2006, setting back reconstruction and thwarting efforts to extend Afghan government authority. In addition, narcotics trafficking is resisting counter-measures, and independent militias remain throughout the country, although many are being progressively disarmed. U.S. stabilization measures focus on strengthening the central government and its security forces and on promoting reconstructing while combating the renewed insurgent challenge. The United States and other countries are building an Afghan National Army; deploying a NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) to patrol Kabul and other cities; and running regional enclaves to secure reconstruction (Provincial Reconstruction Teams, PRTs). Approximately 23,000 U.S. troops remain in Afghanistan to combat the Taliban-led insurgency, but the United States is shifting much of the security burden to NATO during 2006. That transition accelerated on July 31, 2006 with the security leadership takeover in southern Afghanistan by forces from Britain, Canada, and the Netherlands. To build security institutions and assist reconstruction, the United States gave Afghanistan about $4.35 billion in FY2005, including funds to equip and train Afghan security forces. Another $931 million is provided for in the the regular FY2006 aid appropriation (P.L. 109-102). An FY2006 supplemental appropriation (P.L. 109-234) provides about $2.1 billion for Afghanistan, of which about $1.9 billion is to go to Afghan security force development. This paper will be updated as warranted by major developments. See also CRS Report RS21922, Afghanistan: Elections, Constitution, and Government, by Kenneth Katzman; and CRS Report RL32686, Afghanistan: Narcotics and U.S. Policy, by Christopher M. Blanchard.
