Canadian soldiers met with a village leader to discuss reconstruction projects. Christoph Bangert for The New York TimesDistrust of Afghan Leaders Threatens U.S. War Strategy -- New York Times
JALALABAD, Afghanistan — Nearly a year into a new war strategy for Afghanistan, the hardest fighting is still ahead, but already it is clear that the biggest challenge lies not on the battlefield but in the governing of Afghanistan itself.
That has been the early lesson of the American-led offensive in February in Marja, in Helmand Province, where most Taliban insurgents either were beaten back or drifted away. Since then, Americans and Afghans have struggled to establish a local government that can win the loyalty of the Afghan people, something that is essential to keeping the Taliban at bay.
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