To achieve stability, Kabul has to first fly the nest

Rubin, "We have not been successful in addressing the basic reason for which we are there," he said.

Some observers have blamed the weakness and corruption of President Hamid Karzai's government, but Dr. Rubin emphasized the external factors that undermine Mr. Karzai, such as regional powers trying to exert influence in the country and a lack of coherence in the international strategy.

The donors often interfere in the smallest details of the Afghan administration, Dr. Rubin said.
"You have a lot of international actors micromanaging things."
ABC News: Slipping Into Chaos: Karzai's Afghanistan