Politics and economics, not troops, will decide Afghanistan's future - Foreign Policy

The current Afghan state is deeply flawed and has alienated many Afghans due to its exclusive and predatory nature.  The constitutional system, which vests great power in the hands of the executive without real checks and balances, lends itself to abuses of authority. Officials often use formal state institutions to support their patronage networks, fueling high levels of corruption, cronyism, and nepotism on the national and local levels. - Politics and economics, not troops, will decide Afghanistan's future - John Podesta and Caroline Wadhams
The Obama-Karzai Meeting: But Who Really Gets to Decide ... - TIME