The Slow U.S. Withdrawal From Afghanistan

The US and a coalition of international partners launched war in Afghanistan in 2001 with fierce intensity soon after the 9/11 attacks on New York City and Washington, DC. The war on terror was combined with a war on drugs as Afghanistan is responsible for producing about 90 percent of the world's supply of opium. But US interest in Afghanistan has waned under President Donald Trump, who campaigned on ending the war. The US ended $100 million in aid and suspended another $60 million just days before peace negotiations with the Taliban collapsed and the September 28 election that has yet to produce a clear winner. The Taliban, which controlled Afghanistan from 1996 until 2001, oversaw the most successful ban on Afghan opium production with extreme enforcement measures. But after being ousted from power with the 2001 invasion, the Taliban profits from opium production, earning up to $400 million per year. The international community must ensure alternative funding sources for the Taliban and Afghan poppy farmers or risk dealing with the consequences of the illegal drug trade for years to come.