Each season brought a new initiative

　　Each season brought a new initiative - the fight against drug trafficking, the construction of the justice system, root out corruption. At first Western forces demobilized Afghan militias, then began to assemble them. Diplomats attended fundraising events in Tokyo, Berlin and London, trying to maintain interest dialing. The term "Afghanization" - putting Afghan soldiers or police officers at the head - became an article of faith faltering.

However, no amount of money or soldiers seemed capable of mending the deeply dysfunctional relationship at the heart of the matter. The anger and frustration turned to resentment and a deep distrust of both parties. Diplomatic cables from 2009 released by WikiLeaks showed the U.S. Ambassador Karl Eikenberry, which Karzai described as "paranoid and weak individuals are not familiar with the fundamentals of nation building." Another wire story noted that Karzai's deputy, Ahmad Zia Massoud, was called into question after coming to Dubai with $ 52 million in cash - raising questions about financial ownership at the highest levels of government.

The Obama "wave" of two years ago, bringing the U.S. contingent more than 100,000 soldiers were supposed to rescue the situation. He succeeded in part. Western troops now control a swath of southern Afghanistan more than they have done for years, Taliban violence is receding. However, the struggle has moved to the mountains to the east, along the border with Pakistan's tribal belt.