The U.S.-led coalition was unable to transform an overwhelming military victory in 2001 into a stable postwar political situation because of several factors, including Afghanistan's fractious politics and shattered economic, state, and civil society infrastructures; a minimalist American approach to committing military forces and foreign aid; Pakistan's failure to crack down decisively on Taliban forces that have taken refuge in Pashtun tribal areas along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border; and the Afghan government's failure to expand its authority and deliver services to rural Afghans.

This problem is adapted from the executive summary of "Revitalizing U.S. efforts in Afghanistan," originally published October 15, 2007 by the Heritage Foundation. You can read the full article here.