Afghanistan: Post-Taliban Governance, Security, and U.S
Afghanistan: Post-Taliban Governance, Security, and U.S. Policy (name redacted) Specialist in Middle Eastern Affairs January 12, 2017 Congressional Research Service 7-.... www.crs.gov RL30588 Afghanistan: Post-Taliban Governance, Security, and U.S. Policy Summary The United States, partner countries, and the Afghan government are attempting to reverse recent gains made by the resilient Taliban-led insurgency since the December 2014 transition to a smaller international mission consisting primarily of training and advising the Afghanistan National Defense and Security Forces (ANDSF). The Afghan government has come under increasing domestic criticism not only for failing to prevent insurgent gains but also for its internal divisions. In September 2014, the United States brokered a compromise to address a dispute over the 2014 presidential election, but a September 2016 deadline was not met for enacting election reforms and deciding whether the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) position might be elevated to a prime ministership in a restructured government. The progress of the Afghan government in reducing corruption and implementing its budgetary and other commitments was assessed by an international meeting on Afghanistan during October 4-5, in Brussels, as sufficient to merit continued international assistance. And, in late 2016, the government adopted the requisite measures to, at the very least, move forward with new parliamentary elections. The number of U.S. forces in Afghanistan, which peaked at about 100,000 in 2011, is about 9,800, of which most are assigned to the 13,000-person NATO-led “Resolute Support Mission” that trains, assists, and advises the ANDSF. About 2,000 of the U.S.
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