Update: the war in Afghanistan: the U.S. wants to begin withdrawing troops this summer. Is Afghanistan ready?

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The war in Afghanistan began in 2001 in response to the September 11 attacks on the United States in which nearly 3,000 people were killed. The attacks were planned in Afghanistan by Al Qaeda, the Islamic terrorist group led by Osama bin Laden. Al Qaeda had been given safe haven by Afghanistan's rulers, the Taliban.

The U.S. and its allies quickly ousted the Taliban from power. But as President Obama put it, the U.S. "took its eye off the ball" after the war in Iraq began in 2003. The Taliban made a comeback in many parts of Afghanistan, and defeating them has proved extremely difficult for the U.S. and its allies.

An increasingly tense relationship with President Harold Karzai has been another challenge for Washington. His re-election in 2009 was marred by widespread accusations of fraud, and corruption has been rampant. Many Afghans have lost faith in Karzai, hindering American efforts to unite the country behind him.

Another obstacle is neighboring Pakistan, an unstable and nuclear-armed U.S. ally which has been unable or unwilling to root out Taliban and Al Qaeda forces who slip across the border. In recent months, the U.S. has stepped up attacks on the lawless border region, despite objections from the...