Afghanistan after the Loya Jirga

Dramatic change came to Afghanistan not because the world community suddenly decided that the Afghans were a people worth saving from the regime that was tormenting them, but because the Taliban's allies finally engaged in activities that directly harmed the United States. The 11 September attacks, ugly and deplorable as they were, brought an answer to the Afghans' prayers. At last, the only power capable of moving decisively against the Taliban and its supporters was forced to act. In the process, it had no choice but to engage the region more widely and deeply than it could have contemplated on 10 September. But if American policymakers expect to pull back from this engagement, limiting the US role to that of an 'over-the-horizon' actor, they should also expect further conflict and instability. The best hope for long-term peace depends on the United States engaging Afghanistan and its neighbours in the difficult task of nation-building.